July 7, 2010

The Honorable Charles E. Schumer

United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Schumer,

As leaders of New York City's public charter schools, we are deeply concerned by efforts in Congress to
derail promising education reforms in order to fend off massive teacher layoffs this year. While we must
help schools keep effective teachers in the classroom, the Obey Amendment passed by the House last
week would slash President Obama's key education initiatives, including $100 million from the
development of new charter schools.

Thirteen Democratic senators have signed on to a letter to Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel
Inouye opposing these cuts. We urge you to sign this letter and stand with your colleagues in opposing
what they call a “false choice between supporting teachers or supporting these critical reform efforts.”

In New York City, there are more than 40,000 students on charter school waitlists. But the Obey
Amendment would slash by 40 percent the federal Charter School Program, which helps new schools
start up and hire teachers.

Charter schools already operate at a funding disadvantage during ordinary times, and expect to see their
per-pupil funding frozen for a second straight year under the new State budget. This amendment would be
a further blow to successful education reform, and help some public schools at the expense of others.

The Obey Amendment would also cut $500 million in Race to the Top funds at a time when New York is
in an excellent position to win those dollars for its ambitious agenda to improve all public schools. As you
know, our state is in no position to carry out unfunded programs.

In these difficult times, we count on our leaders to set priorities that will put this country back on the right
track. Keeping effective teachers in the classroom must be among those priorities. But so must the
creation of high-quality choices that will lift public education for generations to come. Sign the letter to
Chairman Inouye and send a strong message to your constituents that you oppose any efforts to pit
schools and parents against each other.

Sincerely,

James Merriman
CEO, New York City Charter School Center

Eva Moskowitz
Success Charter Network
Michael Catlyn
Brooklyn Charter School

Stacey Gauthier
The Renaissance Charter School

Jacob Mnookin
Coney Island Prep Charter School

Richard Berlin
Dream Charter School

Rev. Calvin Rice

The Rochdale Early Advantage Charter School

Carole Reiss
The Staten Island Green Charter School

Daniel Kikuji Rubenstein

Brooklyn Prospect Charter School

Lesley Redwine
Achievement First

Seth Andrew
Democracy Prep Charter School

Tim Gembka
Beginning with Children Charter School

Brian Ferguson
Our World Neighborhood Charter School