Parent Leaders Send Letter to New PCSC ED and Chairman

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Chairman, Alan Reed
Idaho Public Charter School Commission
304 N. 8th St #242
Boise, ID 83702

Executive Director, Jenn Thompson, M.Ed.
Idaho Public Charter School Commission
304 N. 8th St #242
Boise, ID 83702

February 3, 2020

Chairman and Executive Director,

First, on behalf of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families, congratulations to MS. Jenn Thompson on her appointment as PCSC Executive Director.  While this is a critical position for so many in Idaho, we hope it is always remembered that the parents and students should be at the center of all decision-making. 

Our Coalition is made up of more than 4,000 families across Idaho.  The mission of the Coalition is to promote and advocate for public policy that furthers the advancement of charter schools and the innovations in education they represent. The Coalition works to ensure that every Idaho student has equal access to the option of enrolling in a public charter school whether it offers instruction in a traditional classroom or a virtual setting.

The Coalition writes with the most sincere hope that this transition can bring with it new opportunities to enhance openness at PCSC and to take solid steps to be sure that Idaho’s leaders, schools and parents are driving the key decisions that so deeply impact our children’s education and future.

We would like to be your partner in working towards that important goal.

Our Coalition has been very concerned about some past relationships and activities involving PCSC and outside influences that have attempted to circumvent the voices of Idaho families and, unfortunately, circumvent Idaho law.

Specifically, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, a Chicago-based advocacy and consulting group, has advocated for the adoption of anti-parent policies and shown a fundamental disregard for Idaho law.  Some examples include:

  •  NACSA recommended the mid-charter closure of Idaho charter schools in a manner that would violate Idaho charter law.  See attached NACSA Recommendations, Page 7.   When NACSA was engaged to undertake an “Authorizer Evaluation” of PCSC, it recommended this extreme step that could displace thousands of Idaho families in a manner that clearly would have violated Idaho charter law.

  • NACSA recommended that critical parts of the decision-making process on what charter schools could be established in Idaho be out-sourced to national experts.  See attached NACSA Recommendation, Page 5.  Those decisions should be based on the needs of Idaho families and students.

  • NACSA offered a cash payment of $5,000 to an PCSC staff member, an apparent violation of Idaho ethics law.  See attached email offer and Idaho Code § 18-1356(3) and (6).  Given that NACSA receives payments from and is in a pecuniary relationship with the PCSC, it seems impossible to square this cash offer with Idaho ethics law.

  • NACSA, despite having a pecuniary relationship with PCSC and seeking to influence the policy decisions at PCSC, has provided significant out-of-state travel to PCSC staff in the past.  Obviously, the Coalition and others in Idaho do not provide such things to PCSC staff, creating at a minimum the appearance of a conflict of interest.  It should go without saying that in Idaho those who seek to influence any public official in any decision should not be simultaneously providing that public official with anything of value.

We hope you can understand how the combination of all of these facts in the past have been extremely troubling to the families that so depend upon Idaho’s charter schools.  However, we hope that this transition can also be the start of a new era of openness and cooperation with parents across the state.

To that end, we propose that three common-sense and important steps be taken:

  1. Discontinue Idaho’s membership with, and use of NACSA as a policy consultant because NACSA has made recommendations that were in direct violation of Idaho charter law and appears to have a disregard for Idaho ethics laws.

  2. Adopt a clear policy that PCSC staff and board will not accept anything of value -- and certainly not cash payments -- from any person or entity that has any interest in decisions before the PCSC.

  3. Immediately report to the A.G. and any other appropriate authority any entity that has a financial relationship with the PCSC and offers cash payments directly to any PCSC staff or board member, which is an apparent violation of Idaho ethics laws.

It would seem to the Coalition that, in addition to being consistent with Idaho law and good agency governance, they are just plain common-sense.  The adoptions of these common-sense provisions could do a great deal to signal to beginning of a new era to families across the state.

Sincerely,
Tom LeClaire
President, Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families