AFT President Weingarten Responds to Supreme Court Hearing on Charter Cases

Supreme Court Hears Cases on Religious Charter Schools and Public Funding

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court recently deliberated on two pivotal cases, Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, which have the potential to redefine the boundary between church and state regarding public funding for charter schools. Central to these cases is whether religious public charter schools can be financed with taxpayer money, a move that could significantly impact the funding landscape for public schools.

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), weighed in on the matter, highlighting the organization's stance. The AFT has submitted an amicus brief supporting the separation of church and state in these cases.

Weingarten stated, “We respect religious education and the founders’ intention in separating church and state. Public schools, including public charter schools, are funded by taxpayer dollars because they are dedicated to helping all—not just some—children have a shot at success. They are the bedrock of our democracy, and states have long worked to ensure that they remain secular, open and accessible to all. They are not, and never have been, Sunday Schools."

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson commented during the proceedings, emphasizing that the state's challenge to the charter application was not based on religious discrimination but on the nature of the institution proposed, which does not fit the definition of a public school.

Concerns were raised regarding the proposed school's curriculum, which integrates religious teachings as factual and seeks exceptions from existing discrimination laws.

Weingarten further asserted, “Religious schools should be able to operate in the U.S., but they are not public schools, and they shouldn’t be able to get the benefits and the funding yet ignore the obligations and responsibilities.”

The AFT president expressed hope that the Supreme Court would uphold the Oklahoma court's decision, which favors religious plurality over sectarianism. She warned that a reversal could severely impact the public education system and the majority of students who depend on it.

“A reversal would be a devastating blow to public education and the 90 percent of young people who rely on it. We must preserve and nurture the roots of our democracy, not tear up its very foundations,” Weingarten concluded.

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The American Federation of Teachers represents a diverse group of 1.8 million professionals, including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, school-related personnel, higher education faculty, government employees, healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.