Earlier this month, an anti-charter school group created a Facebook page designed to look nearly identical to a pro-charter school page in order to spread anti-charter school messages to those interested in the charter school movement. Not only is this immature and lame, but it underscores the idea that anti-charter folks cannot stand on their own arguments and must deceive parents in order to win arguments. Doubly lame.

From the Complete Colorado article:

“On March 6, a new Facebook page called the Charter Parent Coalition of Douglas County started. The creators of this newer page used the original charter parent page’s logo and a similar name in an apparent attempt to mislead social media users. Despite a smattering of carefully selected positive posts, the content of this newer page is decidedly anti-charter. The page includes volunteer sign up forms, promises of community events in the future, and calls to action asking readers to contact state legislators to support legislation hostile to charter schools or oppose legislation favorable to them. It has 15 likes.”

Nearly all of the posts this organization shares feature articles from anti-charter publications or organizations like the Commonwealth Fund, ColoradoPols, and the Colorado Independent.  Some of the public policies that this organization urges members to advocate for include:

  • Yes on HB17-1182, which would force charter schools – but not other public schools – to give money back to the district if a child left mid-year and after the count that determines funding
  • No on SB17-061, which would equalize funding for charter schools to the level of other public schools

Both of these positions are decidedly anti-charter school. But that should come as no surprise given that the only people who liked the posts on the fake page were folks who have frequently spoken out against parental choice and charter schools.

Pathetic.