Parents and advocates of children in D.C. Public
Schools are asking a federal judge to halt city spending on charter
schools and ensure public schools are given economic priority in what
they say is unequal funding between the two types of schools. Members
of a group called "Save Our Schools Southeast/Northeast" and seven
parents filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Sept. 1 against top
school and city officials, alleging the city has neglected public
schools and has violated the Fifth Amendment in its support for charter
schools. The plaintiffs argue the city is spending an excessive amount
of money and resources on charter schools in the name of "school
choice," while failing to address the persistent problems facing public
schools in the District. This, they say, is a violation of the Fifth
Amendment's due process and equal protection requirements, and the
"separate but equal" standard set in the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark
Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling 50 years ago. [more ]
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