In early October, an estimated 10,000 charter school parents, teachers and students will march across the Brooklyn Bridge, calling on New York City's next mayor to keep charter schools operational in the city.
Charter schools are currently serving 70,000 students in New York City, and another 50,000 students are signed up on waitlists for available spots, the New York Daily News reports. But Bill de Blasio, the Democratic nominee for NYC mayor, has made it clear that he will force charter schools to pay rent and to stop co-locating in public school buildings. These policies could force many charters to close, and this march is intended to focus more attention on their plight:
If forced to pay rent in this pricey city, many charters - which are, after all, public schools - would be forced to move or shrink. Some might even be forced to close their doors. Ending co-locations would make it harder for new charters to find spaces that are suitable for teaching children.
