The Charter School Epidemic

If you follow our journey on social media, you know that it has not been easy to find the right school for Sienna’s education. We have lived a thousand lives since kindergarten. I have learned so much about our broken system, and through these lived experiences I have gained first hand knowledge. I feel a responsibility to share it, in hopes that you will do the same. If more people realize how much inequity lives and breathes in our system we can all voice our concerns and demand our political leaders implement change. I’d really appreciate it if you took the time to read and understand this, especially if you are a Pennsylvania resident. This information is based on my research and our lived experience.

Let’s talk about charter schools. Exactly one year ago, I woke up every summer morning and signed onto the wait list website for a local Charter School. The month leading up to Sienna’s first day of school had her listed at #1 on the list. Why was I so concerned about the wait list? Every city dwelling family I’d spoken to in the Down syndrome community was enrolled at this charter school. I toured it multiple times and it was everything I thought I wanted for Sienna. Why? Everyone told me they have access to more resources and instead of giving 1:1 aides to students they provide paras. Paras are trained on adapting curriculum in addition to offering self care support. I wondered why they had the money to provide this level of support when the public schools did not. After all, charter schools are public schools. I didn’t dwell on that thought for very long. I just assumed they were better at procuring grants and fundraising. That was naive of me.

Let’s fast forward to February 2024. Sienna never moved beyond that #1 spot on the charter school wait list, so we pivoted and ended up at our local neighborhood school, where Sienna is thriving in every way. I became grateful that we never moved beyond that #1 spot, because I would have missed out on the opportunities that a neighborhood school can provide. Sienna doesn’t need a para because she has an awesome aide that helps assist her with self care, and amazing teachers that adapt the curriculum. As her education began, so did mine.

Around this time, the district began contemplating school closures branded as a “Facility Utilization Plan.” Our school was a target on that list the last time (2021) they tried to do this. I was shocked because the PSSA scores were some of the best in the district, despite the fact that our school is majority low income, majority minority, and has a high population of students that require IEPs. So, I dove into learning how and why we got here. I went down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. I watched the Budget workshops and committee meetings to learn why they were contemplating a move this drastic, and in meeting after meeting, one thing stood out. Charter schools were draining the district financially. How? It all has to do with a funding formula established in 1997 that has never been reformed.

Let’s start with the basics. How are neighborhood schools funded? If you are like me, you probably assume that because you pay your property taxes, you are supporting public education. Jason and I chose to send Haley to Catholic school. Truthfully, I made that decision for us, because it’s what I knew. I went to Catholic school for 12 years. It was a safe space and the path of least resistance. Haley’s preschool friends were going to that school. It was our parish and it just made sense. I don’t regret that choice because Haley is in an environment that suits her, but until I had a child that needed the public education system, I was unfamiliar with the nuance of funding. I was privileged. Our local school is funded based on enrollment. Each pupil gives the school a certain dollar amount. The principal then has to budget out costs based on that. At my very first PTA meeting, he went over how funding worked and the Title 1 funding we received. Certain schools get federal title 1 funding if 40% of the population is below the poverty line. Our principal outlined every penny of that spending in a public presentation. I remember asking how special education was factored in. He then explained to me that he had a separate special education budget. The separation of that budget is meant to ensure that the money the school receives for Sienna is spent on Sienna and students with disabilities.

You may be asking yourself – where the heck do my property tax dollars go? That is complicated and our district has a publicly available budget that is over 400 pages. The board decides how some of it is allocated. A large portion of your taxes are probably funding charter schools, so let’s get into that.

Charter schools are the Wild West of Public Education. What started out as a good idea with good intentions is leading to the destruction of local neighborhood schools. That was news to me when I entered this world. It isn’t talked about. It’s information you have to research and find on your own. Up until this year, I talked to many parents in the city about their wonderful experience at a popular charter school, and these fellow citizens believe that by sending their children to charter schools they are participating in the public education system. Here is what they don’t know. Many students have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans), but they may require different levels of support. Maybe Susie needs weekly speech therapy. Maybe John needs individual time with a reading specialist twice a week. Then, there are kids like Sienna, who need multiple therapies a week and an aide. Then, there are kids with medically complex needs who may require nursing support. The students with IEPs in the public education system are given different dollar amounts based on those needs. Three tiers exist and they all come with different investment levels based on the needs of those individual students. Education advocates have fought for this same structure in charter schools, but they have been unsuccessful. In spite of the fact that most students currently enrolled in PA charter schools being on the lowest investment level, charter schools receive an average. What’s worse is that unlike my principal, they don’t have to use those dollars strictly on special education. They can plant new flower beds, or invest in a farming program. Heck, charter schools can even buy real estate. They can literally profit off of students with special needs.

I want to be clear that I do not think all charter schools are bad. I think some of them are worthwhile and have a mission that makes sense. Here in Pittsburgh, there are charter schools specifically designed for students with dyslexia. There is a charter school for students that didn’t benefit from a traditional education. They may have faced disciplinary issues. They may not feel safe in their neighborhood school. These charters make sense to me, but the ones that claim to be a charter school but don’t have a clear mission? Those are killing neighborhood schools. If we continue on this trajectory, we won’t have a public education system. In fact, if our school closes, some parents, including myself, may have no choice but to send their kids to charter schools, “if” they get in through the lottery.

Here is another fun fact – charter schools are not held to the same academic standards as public schools. My district had a nonprofit do an equity report on every school and how they are performing academically. The charter schools are in the book, but there are missing performance standards. Why? They aren’t required to share that information with the public.

So, in summary, charter schools get more funding than neighborhood schools, profit off of students in special education, and have little to no oversight.

The Pennsylvania budget just came out, and you can read for yourself the narrow reform in funding being celebrated. Senator Lindsey Williams is working hard on the education committee to draw attention to this systemic issue, but change seems like a hurdle that is almost impossible to climb.

Here’s a snippet from an article in Spotlight PA about the budget changes approved this summer, “The deal approved Thursday will reduce the amount of tuition cyber charter schools receive from public schools for students with disabilities as of January 2025, saving districts an estimated $34.5 million in the next fiscal year. Charter schools, including cyber charters, are funded via direct payments from public districts that are calculated based on the district’s per-student spending.

If a student has a disability, their tuition is built on that base rate for the district, plus a standard percentage of its spending for all disability services — regardless of the kind of disability the student has. Public school advocates often argue that this unnecessarily inflates costs for many disabled students and burdens public districts.

These advocates, and many Democrats, had supported a plan that would have overhauled the decades-old charter school funding system. Most significantly, that plan would have set a statewide flat tuition rate for public schools’ reimbursements to cyber charters. They also advocated for additional oversight for cyber charters, including capping the massive reserves some of the schools have been able to accrue.

Republican leaders said they agreed the charter reimbursement system was outdated, particularly for cyber schools that have lower overhead costs. However, they favored a different approach — restoring a budget line item cut under a previous GOP administration that added additional funding for public schools in acknowledgment of the cost burdens associated with charter tuition.

Public school advocates opposed that approach, arguing it wouldn’t adequately address the burdens that the charter school funding system places on public schools, and would essentially subsidize cyber charters.

Ultimately, lawmakers added a $100 million line item to the budget that will route money to public school districts that have resident students enrolled in cyber charter schools. The plan does not include any changes to the statewide tuition rate for charters or cyber charters, beyond adjustments to disability payments.”

I share all this in hopes that the message spreads and people ask their legislators to do right by our children, all our children. Privilege does not belong in the public education system. We are so divided that we can’t even agree on things that make sense for our kids. We have to do better. Please reach out to your local politicians and demand they take action to make education accessible to all in a fair manner that doesn’t allow charter schools to profit off of students in special education. It shouldn’t be this hard.

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The Push and Pull of Advocacy

I turn my camera off after recording the coach going through the routine for the cheer competition and look back at Sienna.


She has melted to the ground and her eyes are puddling with tears. What had I missed?
I step towards her and ask her what’s wrong as the tears stream down her face. I try to get her to stand and do the routine with her peers, but her body is like a pile of bricks. She pulls me down to the ground with her. The other kids are staring at us. I scoop her up and she wraps her body around me and hides her tear stained face and fogged up glasses in my shoulder. I walk towards the bathroom.


I help her get seated on the potty and I crouch down to face her. Sienna is quiet and stoic with her emotions. Most people never even notice she’s upset. I’m not most people.

“Are you okay sweet girl? Listen, you have been sick and missed the last few practices. It’s okay that you don’t know the routine. Miss Amy (her physical therapist) is going to help you learn that. This is supposed to be fun.”

She looks up at me, her bottom lip extended in a fierce pout. I question myself. Is this why she’s upset? Is something else at play? I know she knows she’s being treated differently than her peers at school. She leaves earlier than everyone and is removed from the typical class often. It’s been quite the dissent from preschool last year where she was fully included in everything.

This is kindergarten. She is 6 years old now. Her emotions are more complex, layered, and mature. What must be going through her mind? Does she realize things are harder for her? This is a gut wrenching moment for us both. We are no longer in a place where her differences in development can be overlooked. We stand at the precipice of a canyon that has just begun to erode. The gap is widening and with each passing step, the gorge grows in depth. I know time will only push the other side further from our line of vision. We can’t pause or stop. We have to keep going.

I am utterly broken. Is there anything harder than watching your child struggle? I wanted her to participate in this, so she would have interactions with peers. Her favorite movie is Zombies and it includes a ton of dance and cheerleading. She imitates the moves and has fun. It’s that simple. Am I forcing this on her? And if I am, who am I doing it for…her or me? There is no guidebook to this. I can’t rely on her verbally telling me what she wants. I have to trust my mom gut wholeheartedly, and lately my gut has been unreliable.

This is the push and pull I speak about so often. There’s a voice inside me willing myself to push for her to be treated the same as everyone and to be given all the same opportunities as her peers. “Advocate for her place in this world! She is capable.” it says. Then there’s the pull, “But this is too hard for her. She can’t keep up and you are causing her anxiety by pushing.” Back and forth they go and the mental tug of war in my mind escalates. It leads to a special kind of exhaustion that bleeds into your cognition, your emotions, and your body. It’s an exhaustion that only other mothers can understand. Quiet moments are no longer sacred. The push and pull can invade your safe space at any given time.

And then, just like that, as we are washing our hands, the voices of her peers can be heard from the bathroom shouting a cheer she knows. It’s one she has learned and a giggle erupts from her and the pout has been replaced with a fierce smile.

“Should we go back and cheer with your friends?”, I say.

“Friends.”, she responds with a smile.

We walk out and the little girl she stands next to in line yells for her to come and wraps her arms around her in a warm embrace.

Sienna’s smile widens in spite of the canyon. Erosion may be an unstoppable force, but so is Sienna. The push returns to my mind and lets me know we are exactly where we should be. I let the peace in this moment soak in, because even though I know the pull can return at any moment, I know to hold onto the tranquility as long as I can.

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Microaggressions

Sienna stands on the steps at our swim club, making her happy noises. She wades in and out of the water, giggling and splashing gently. I sit on the steps watching her. The steps are not only a destination for the kids, but also the older adults. This is the spot I usually get trapped into a conversation. 

An older woman is walking towards us, staring at Sienna. She sees me assessing her. 

“She is beautiful. She is one of God’s children.”

I immediately pull my sunglasses down from my head to shade my eyes, so she doesn’t see me roll them. 

“Thank you.”  I hate this dance.  

“Where does she go to school?”

We are interrupted as a man, who appears to be a little younger than me, starts throwing a ball with Sienna. 

“Brad, you really are the sweetest man. He is a saint. Look how good he is with her. Isn’t he amazing?” 

This kind of interaction might seem harmless but when these microaggressions happen repeatedly, they wear on you. 

“Brad works with handicapped children. He is amazing.”

I shift my focus to Brad. “What is it you do?” I ask. 

“I’m a speech therapist.”

“Where do you work?” I ask.

The woman interrupts us. “I am sorry but I cannot help but notice how good he is with her. Look at her responding to him.”

Sienna is playing the exact same way she does with anyone who engages with her. He is playing ball with her and she is laughing.

Am I taking this personally? It’s hard to know. I don’t remember anyone being called a saint for playing with Haley at this age.

I am sure Brad knew what he was doing when he went to college to become a speech therapist. Maybe Brad isn’t a saint. Maybe Brad is good at his job. 

I feel the need to clarify something. Sienna doesn’t exist to make other people feel good about themselves. We, as a society, need to stop using people with disabilities as our kindness barometer. 

I am going to pull an excerpt from the Lucky Few newsletter this week by Heather Avis:

“I feel like this should be a given, but in case it isn’t I’ll state it plainly here: being kind to someone with a disability is not a heroic act. Treating people with disabilities like everyone else shouldn’t deserve an award, it should be common practice. Of course I want my children (and all people) with Down syndrome to be welcomed and embraced and cherished in their schools and communities. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with a classmate taking his or her friend with a disability to the prom. I’m saying that when we share that narrative, it’s important that we consider why. Is it a group of genuine friends sincerely enjoying each other’s company in truly inclusive relationships? Or is it a handout that’s expecting to be rewarded, or in the least, praised? People with Down syndrome shouldn’t be anyone’s charity case, and patronizing them just highlights how deep-seeded our ableism can be.”

We have been on this journey for 6 years now, and during that time, I have encountered the best of humanity. I have also met people with the best of intentions, saying well meaning things that over time have worn on me. 

Listen, I give people grace all the time. Sometimes, these comments hit me in a moment on this journey when I am struggling. I try to recognize those emotions in myself. I try not to be cynical and project my resentment onto well meaning strangers. I recognize that when this isn’t your daily life, you might not know what to say. That uncertainty is what pushes me to use my voice as a platform to create some understanding.

Just this year, I had to admit I was in denial about my own ableism. It wasn’t until so much resentment had built up that I realized these feelings were stemming from the same place. I want things to be typical, and quite frankly easier, for Sienna and our family. I want her to fit in. I don’t want to have to explain to strangers that she isn’t going to answer your question, because she is nonverbal. I want to blend in and not be noticed in a store and go about my day. I just want to go through life’s ordinary moments without facing one of these encounters, but that isn’t my reality.

So, how can you apply this to your life moving forward so that other moms coming behind me might not have to feel the way I do 6 years from now?

Here are some of my biggest tips. 

Read the room. Don’t assume all people are comforted by Christianity and LJC (another acronym I only heard in this world).

God doesn’t comfort me. Stop pushing him on me. Don’t tell me I am special and that he chose me. My spiritual journey is personal and it’s not something I want to discuss with everyone. It’s complicated.

Controversial opinion in this community, that surely won’t get me welcomed into the inner circle  – I don’t lean on God. I lean on therapists, experts, family, science, and my gut. Maybe God is intuitive in all of those things. That’s for me to interpret. 

People should be nice to people. End of sentence. Doing the bare minimum doesn’t deserve recognition. 

Don’t use your kid being friends with my kid as a way to brag about how special they are. Also, don’t force your kid to play with my kid. Let them figure it out. Let them be kids. I value the friends in my life whose kids let Sienna be Sienna. Sometimes that means all the kids around her are playing a game, and she is just there. I follow her lead and if she wants to participate in something that requires some adapting, we will help her. 

I love it when kids figure this part out on their own. It’s magic when adults sit back and let that happen. When it’s not a tiktok or instagram reel, and it’s just an organic, authentic consequence of childhood, it’s the best of humanity. It’s as simple as another kid picking up two stuffed animals, standing next to her, and making them dance in unison just like her. She will look up and see that they think what she is doing is fun, and she’ll be full of glee.

Let the kids have natural interactions, and be there to support them if they have questions. I do explain how her muscles work differently and that things are harder for her. That’s really all most children need to know to play.

Just this year, we were at a party with dozens of kids roaming throughout the house. Most of the adults were standing in the living room watching sports. The only parents I came across while following Sienna from room to room were moms of toddlers. I could tell Sienna was irritated to be the only kindergartner with her Mom following. I finally just stepped back and checked in from time to time. Then all of the sudden, I heard a group of them running, and shouting, “Watch out. She is a dinosaur!”.  I turned around to see Sienna with a T-Rex mask chasing them and growling. They all ran and she roared ferociously then the roars turned to very loud giggles and the giggles spread. I looked around the room and saw all the adults laughing as well. These are the moments I treasure. 

Something happens to you as you move forward in this life. You get comfortable with your kid, and it’s hard to observe the discomfort the rest of the world feels around her when all she is doing is just being herself. All the little idiosyncrasies that are inherent to her and us, are sometimes met with confusion. I get it. In some ways, Sienna can be easier than typical kids. She can go places with me, and lose herself in music, stimming, and whatever script is playing in her head. I have heard the kid recite entire movies using puppets as characters, but ask her an open ended question and the words don’t find her lips as easily. 

I have tried to let her guide me. If she isn’t bothered, I shouldn’t be either. That’s my ableism, not hers. Unfortunately, her emotions have matured this year and things are starting to bother her. I see people underestimate her abilities simply because she cannot verbally express her very nuanced feelings. I have watched the anxiety grow, like a tumbleweed collecting with each passing storm. It’s now so large that I have no choice but to face it. 

The anxiety affects everything – eating, speech, academics, friendship, social interactions, and most importantly her confidence. All her teachers this year have told me the child they see in the learning session videos I show them is not the kid they see every day. She doesn’t let her guard down, and being limited to half days has also limited her comfort level. I don’t know how to help her, but I started by calling the Down Syndrome Center of Western Pennsylvania. They have a behavior therapist on staff, who can do an evaluation, and help us give Sienna the tools to gain the confidence she needs in order to learn. She is so capable. I want her to believe in herself the way I do.

I was thinking about Heather Avis’ words in her newsletter this week. Dozens of interactions through the years played out in my mind like the one at the pool. Then I started to realize, these microaggressions aren’t going to just be my annoyance moving forward. She is going to notice it more, and she will understand the meaning. She might not be able to say that, but my kid has more emotional intelligence than most adults. She knows when she is being treated differently. I have to assume she will understand what comments like that woman said mean. 

In addition to Sienna’s feelings becoming more nuanced, so have mine. I have grown in my advocacy. I am not as polite as I used to be, and I am comfortable in my own skin. I will not hesitate to call this out. This year, the Mom I am, would have turned to Brad and asked him if he thought he was a saint for playing ball with Sienna. I am sure Brad would have said no. 

I am going to have to stop letting these comments slide, and start making people uncomfortable. I am okay with that. Whenever I meet a parent of an adult in this world, I have felt the hardship in their voices. You can tell they have seen more than you. With each passing year, I get that. 

What gives me hope? I look back to where things were for parents like me 20 years ago, and realize that there has been so much progress. Progress is reliant upon parents like me taking the baton from those veterans and continuing the work. We have to be okay making people uncomfortable. We have to be okay telling people that their well meaning comments aren’t perceived that way any more. My daughter does not exist to make you feel like a good person. She has gifts to bring into this world, so you are just as lucky to have met her as she is to have met you. 

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