I completely agree with the insightful letter by members of the Northampton School Committee (Dec. 10) about the financial implications of an expansion of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. Although I respect the educational choices made by individual parents for their children, there is no denying that the funding of public charter schools has long presented profound fiscal challenges to traditional public schools. In addition to the immediate financial impact to the traditional public schools, there exists an unfair marketing advantage in favor of PVCIS. I have been struck for several years with the ongoing underwriting of New England Public Media (NEPM) by the PVCICS. Each time I hear a PVCICS commercial on public radio I find it jarring. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big fan of NEPM and think it merits support. However, it seems deeply inappropriate and, indeed, unfair to use taxpayer dollars to market a charter school to NEPM listeners. Traditional public schools simply cannot do the same.

Greg White

Leeds