The national board of the NAACP on Oct. 15 passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on charter schools until charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools; public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system; charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate; and charter schools cease to perpetuate de facto segregation.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement in response:

The United Federation of Teachers supports the NAACP in its call for a moratorium on the expansion of charter schools.

Charter schools claim to be public institutions, but in too many communities, charters take public funds yet are not accountable to parents, lawmakers or taxpayers.

In New York City, charter schools have created a system of "haves and have nots" and do not accept or keep comparable numbers of high-needs students as traditional public schools – whether special education students, homeless children or English language learners.

Until charter schools embrace the same challenges that our public schools face, the NAACP is right to call for a moratorium on their expansion.