Charter schools do accept public funds and do discriminate - at least that's what happened to us in NYC. My DS got accepted by lottery into a local public charter school. This local public charter school in NYC accepts public money to fund said school.
The local public charter school took a look at my son's IEP and then ripped up my son's acceptance in front of me. The principal told me that she could not accept my son on the basis of him needing ot and pt services. She said they didn't have any ot/pt resources and that I would have to send my son to the public school. Well, we moved back to MA instead.
Here in MA, I discovered my son is eg/pg; no longer needs ot/pt; and cannot be accommodated in a private gifted school due to being eg/pg. In NYC, my son took the G & T test, but he didn't qualify for the G & T program. Oh, yea, he had an IEP then and the G & T discriminated against him there.
Public schools have to accept ALL students regardless of abilities or disabilities. Charter schools apparently can accept public funds and then choose NOT to accept particular students. Ditto for G & T programs. I'd happily join a class action lawsuit if I could. Where's the ACLU?
