As a mother, nothing is more important than the safety and well being of my child. Before I know it, I’ll be dropping my daughter off for her first day at school. And when I do, I want the peace of mind of knowing that the people who work there — from the teachers to the custodians to the cafeteria workers — have her best interests at heart, too. 

But I’m becoming increasingly alarmed at what’s happening in public schools today. For-profit companies are taking over schools at an alarming rate, putting profits before pupils. 

That’s why I wrote, “Making the Grade? Questions to Ask About School Services Privatization,” a guide for parents like me to ask the right questions should you find that your school services are at risk of being outsourced to a for-profit corporation. 

Corporations that take over public schools often provide inferior service to boost profits. That means dirty classrooms, unreliable bus routes, improperly administered medicines, less nutritious meals, and unkempt grounds.

Promised cost savings also often fail to materialize. In fact, some districts that privatized school services later “insourced” or brought these services back in-house, and have experienced significant cost savings by doing so.

If your school district is considering outsourcing, it’s up to us to make sure the best interests of our kids is the top priority. 

So please share this guide with advocates, including school service personnel, teachers, parents and principals.