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In CO, attack on charter schools costs chairman his post
'There must be special place in hell for ... charterizers,' House Education chair wrote - and the backlash cost him his post.
A brouhaha has sparked up in Colorado, after state Rep. Mike Merrifield sent an email to state Sen. Sue Windels, blasting state support for charter schools. When the email was posted online, the state House of Representatives exploded, The Rocky Mountain News reports.
"There must be a special place in hell for these Privatizers, Charterizers and Voucherziers. They deserve it!" he wrote.
The email was posted on a political website called reports the Denver Post.
"It shows there's absolutely no good faith on the Rep. Merrifield's part, who is clearly more concerned with defending a crippled and ineffective status-quo public education system then creating opportunities for all kids," said Sen. Peter Groff, a Democrat from Denver.
At first Merrifield made no apologies for the e-mail.
"My record on charter schools has been pretty clear for a long time," he said. "It's not news I have frustrations with the direction charter schools have gone."
The Senate is set to reconsider a bill by Windels and Merrifield designed to restore public school districts' authority over most charter schools in the state.