NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION AND AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS ENDORSE CONGRESSWOMAN JACKSON LEE’S AMENDMENT REQUIRING ONLINE ACCESS TO CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), a senior member of the House and Chair of the Congressional Children’s Caucus, released the following statement in response to the strong endorsement by the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) of the Jackson Lee Amendment to “Success and Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Act” (H.R. 10):

“There are no stronger advocates for quality education for our children than the NEA and AFT. The Jackson Lee Amendment rests upon the fundamental premise that information parents need to make informed choices regarding their children’s education should be readily accessible and transparent. Requiring charter schools to make available on their websites information regarding student recruitment, orientation materials, enrollment criteria, student discipline policies, behavior codes, and incidental costs such as fees for student tutoring and extra-circular activities will enable parents to make better choices for their children. I am proud my amendment has the support of the NEA and AFT.”

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’s 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. She also chairs the Congressional Children’s Caucus.