Natalie Gross, Lubbockonline.com
Just two days after the U.S. House of Representatives Education Committee discussed changes to charter school operations, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, took a tour of Lubbock’s Rise Academy.
The school’s founder, Rick Baumgartner, took Neugebauer on a tour of the campus, starting in the kindergarten classroom where the students read the congressman the story of “The Three Little Pigs.” Next was a stop in third grade where three students recited the school’s pledge from memory.
Neugebauer ended his tour by talking with eighth-graders. He answered a few of their questions about serving in government — and if he plans to run for president — and joined in their discussion of the U.S. Constitution.
Earlier this month, the education committee held a hearing on HR 10, the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, which consolidates the current Charter School and Charter School Credit Enhancement programs.
According to information provided on the education and the workforce committee website, HR 10 “refocuses the new program to promote high-quality charter schools at the state and local level and allows states to use federal funds to start new charter schools as well as expand and replicate existing high-quality charter schools.”
Baumgartner had concerns about the bill and passed on information to Neugebauer from the Center for Education Reform stating the bill is “nothing more than a natural progression of the federal government becoming too involved in charter school policy.”
Neugebauer said he was not prepared to speak on the topic since he is not on the education committee, but said he does see value in charter schools and favors local over federal control.
“I think that you don’t just isolate charter schools and public education,” he said. “I think one of the things that we want to do is figure out what works. I think charter schools are an important piece of education, as are our public schools. I think one of the important things that we have here is we’re providing choices for parents, and I think that’s an important part of that.”
Neal Marchbanks, Neugebauer’s Democratic opponent in the upcoming November election, said he had not read the legislation, but in general, he doesn’t care for charter schools.
“They don’t help the majority of our district,” Marchbanks said, explaining 26 of the 29 Texas counties he hopes to represent in Congress are mostly rural, and people living there don’t have the opportunity to enroll their children in charter schools.
Marchbanks also said he prefers local control.
Neugebauer enjoyed his time at Rise Academy and said he was impressed with the students’ reading, writing and reciting skills they showcased for him. He gave the school with a copy of the children’s tale “House Mouse Senate Mouse” and an American flag that had flown over the Capitol.
Rise Academy is a charter school offering preschool through eighth grade. It was founded in 1999 and has an enrollment of about 240 students.