AFT’s Weingarten on SCOTUS Religious Charter School Case

WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case to decide whether a Catholic virtual charter school in Oklahoma could receive public money.

"We cannot allow public schools to become Sunday schools. Parents and families support their neighborhood public schools-including charter schools-because they are dedicated to helping all kids learn and thrive. By taking public money and placing it in private hands, this case threatens not only public schools that are secular, open and accessible to all, but also religious liberty and freedom writ large.

"We are hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold the decision of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, which correctly sided with religious pluralism over the forces of extremism and sectarianism. Its reversal would drive a dagger into the very idea of public education and strike at the heart of our nation's democratic foundations."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.