Movement Monday: Let’s Start With the Law — What a Public School Is in Pennsylvania
Before we debate policy, we need to agree on what the law actually says.
This is Movement Monday, because real progress doesn’t start with arguments or talking points.
It starts with shared understanding.
And shared understanding starts with the law.
Before we argue about funding, accountability, or reform, we need to settle something basic:
What is a public school in Pennsylvania?
This is not a matter of opinion.
It is clearly defined in statute.
Under Pennsylvania law, public schools include:
School districts
Charter schools
Cyber charter schools
All three are public schools.
All three serve public students.
All three receive public funding.
That definition comes directly from the Pennsylvania Charter School Law, as implemented through Pennsylvania Code.
According to 22 Pa. Code § 711.1 (Definitions), charter schools and cyber charter schools are defined as independent public schools and are required to be organized as public, nonprofit corporations.
The law is explicit:
Charter schools may not be granted to for-profit entities
Cyber charter schools operate under the same public, nonprofit requirement
This isn’t a loophole.
It isn’t a gray area.
It isn’t a technicality.
It’s the legal foundation of how public education operates in Pennsylvania.
You can read it directly here:
https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/022/chapter711/s711.1.html
Yet despite this clarity, there are ongoing efforts to blur definitions — or outright misstate them — in order to tilt the scales of public understanding.
That has no place in this conversation.
Pennsylvania parents aren’t asking for spin. They’re asking for the truth.
If someone believes public dollars should not go to private schools, that is a legitimate policy position. But then consistency matters.
Because charter schools and cyber charter schools are not private schools.
They are public schools under Pennsylvania law.
And public schools deserve public dollars.
Redefining words to win an argument doesn’t protect public education.
It undermines trust.
Movement Monday isn’t about volume or outrage.
It’s about grounding the conversation in reality — so we can actually fix what’s broken instead of talking past each other.
Once we agree on the law, then we can have honest conversations about:
Funding formulas
Accountability standards
Transparency
Outcomes for students
But we cannot move forward if we refuse to agree on first principles.
So let’s start where we should have all along.
Law first.
Facts second.
Policy after that.
This is Movement Monday because this work can’t wait for another election cycle or another manufactured fight.
Pennsylvania parents want clarity — not political spin.
Educators deserve stability — not distraction.
And students deserve a system built on truth, not talking points.
If you’re ready to build something better, speak up.
Comment. Share. Ask questions.
Let’s stop arguing over definitions.
And start fixing systems.
