Patch didn't report on this re charter, so I'm posting here:

The International Parents Group at the Welcome Project, based at
Somerville's Mystic Housing Development, has asked the state Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education to postpone a decision on the proposed
Somerville Progressive Charter School so that immigrant families can find out
about it and make an informed decision as to whether opening this school will be
good for their children.

"We represent many different schools in Somerville. We are concerned about
the decisions that are being made in regard to the new charter school," the
parents wrote in a letter to DESE's Charter School Office.

"We ask for respect and equality for all students in Somerville schools. We
feel pressured to make a rapid decision about this issue. We need more
information about what is happening and what the benefits are of their academic
plan…

"We feel that a decision needs to be delayed until the concerns of the
parents who have signed this letter are clarified."

The International Parents Group formed last year to ensure that the needs
of immigrant families were addressed during the Unification process at the
Healey School. The group now includes parents from several schools and they meet
regularly at The Welcome Project. They continue to be an independent voice of
immigrant parents at the Mystic Housing Development. A majority of the parents
are Latino, though the group also has members from Haiti, Ethiopia, and Viet
Nam.