Allentown Morning Call 12-16-07

Cyber Charter School is an Excellent Alternative

December 16, 2007

Regarding state Rep. Karen Beyer's House Bill 446 about cyber charter schools: We are the parents of a cyber school child. We think this bill is a waste of the House's time. Cyber charter schools only get a portion of our local school taxes per child. The local school district gets the full portion.

Our child has never been more challenged than she is now at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School. One of the best issues about charter schools is that a child can continue to advance in accordance with the ability of the child. If they are a little slower and need more help, they can take a little more time or the teacher can come up with ways to help them learn better without all the pressure from the other students.

Cyber charter schools are the school of the future. The way our schools are run, it is hard to feel safe. They need security or the police there. At least I know that in my home, my child is safe. The ''bricks and mortar'' schools are run down and overcrowded. Sometimes they turn closets into classrooms to adapt to the number of students.

Someone should create a bill to have the local school district start its own computer network school. This would free up money and reduce class sizes for the students that need to be at school.

Shouldn't parents have the right and the freedom to choose where their children get the best education? Even if we had to pay out of our own pocket twice -- once for taxes and once for our child to go to Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School -- we would have no second thoughts about doing this. This is our school of choice for our child's education.

Peggy and Edward Repasch

Allentown