If you are the parents of a child attending an open enrollment charter school, you do not have some of the rights that other parents have.  For example, you will be hard pressed to get the Commissioner to hear your case complaining about the charter school violating Texas laws.

In Child v. Harmony School of Political Science and Communications the Commissioner dismissed the parent’s appeal because the Commissioner does not have jurisdiction in cases alleging that a charter school violated the school laws of Texas.  Section 7.057 of the TEC is the avenue for appeal of the decisions of traditional schools. If a parent alleges that the board of trustees of the traditional school district has violated “the school laws of Texas” the Commissioner will hear and decide the case. But not so with a charter. In this case, the Commissioner confirmed that TEC 7.057 does not apply to charters.  Therefore, no jurisdiction.

The case is Docket No. 042-R10-05-2015, decided by Commissioner Williams on December 18, 2015.

DAWG BONE: CHARTERS ARE SCHOOLS OF CHOICE. SO IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, I GUESS YOUR REMEDY IS TO LEAVE.