Unbound Charter Academy, an AI cyber charter school, submitted an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Education in November. Students at this school would spend 2 hours per day working on a for-profit AI-powered platform and the rest of their time focused on “life skills development and pursuing personal interests.”

This application is riddled with conflicts of interest that are not disclosed; it contains few details about providing counseling, special education, and other support services that students need and typically receive from humans; and it touts, “No Teachers, Just Guidance.”

Under the current law, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is required to spend an enormous number of man-hours holding a hearing, reviewing, and approving or denying any cyber charter application that is submitted.

PDE lacks adequate staffing and resources to ensure even minimal accountability for the existing cyber charter schools. More than half are operating with expired charters with no renewals in sight and audits of these schools are a relic of the past.

Diverting scarce resources away from cyber charter accountability to reviewing new cyber charter applications is a disservice to Pennsylvania’s taxpayers and students.

Tell your state lawmakers and Governor Josh Shapiro to support a moratorium on new cyber charter schools until all cyber charters have valid charters and reforms are implemented to ensure accountability, transparency, and fairness for all of Pennsylvania’s students.

We need our state lawmakers to end the unchecked expansion of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania.