Harrisburg, PA (WENY)-- Parents and students of Pennsylvania’s Charter Schools filled the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg Monday to voice their opposition to Governor Wolf’s proposals to overhaul the charter school system.

In August, Governor Wolf took executive action by proposing reform to the Pennsylvania Charter school system, calling current regulations flawed and outdated. Now, Charter School officials are pushing back, saying these proposals would limit educational opportunities for students.

"District schools versus charter schools, it’s not about that. It’s about the freedom to choose what is best for their family and their child’s learning needs,” says Ana Meyers, Executive Director of PA Coalition of Public Charter Schools. “If the Governor, and other elected officials, seek to hold public charter schools more accountable, they need to take steps to hold traditional school districts accountable,” Meyers adds.

Governor Wolf says charter schools are not being held to the same standards as traditional schools. He called on the state’s Department of Education to come up with new charter school standards, and to make sure there is fair and predictable funding for all public schools, and accountability on behalf of all taxpayers. The Governor also proposed charter school reform Legislation. One proposal would establish performance standards that hold charter schools accountable for student educational outcomes. Another proposal would cap enrollment in low performance cyber charter schools until they improve. The Governor also proposed to require charter schools to be subject to the Right to Know Act and State Ethics Act.

“It’s time to work on our charter school system. Reforming our charter law is good for every child, every family, every taxpayer in Pennsylvania,” Governor Wolf said in August.

Charter school supporters believe these proposals would be devastating to the schools and its students. They say this would cut funding to charter schools, and limit the ability for families to make a choice for their student’s educational route.

“School choice matters to me because I think it’s important to allow kids to make the best choice for their education,” says Jacob Sachleben, an 11th-grade student at PA Virtual Charter School. “I can say that school choice will be important to me, and will be important to a lot of folks for the rest of their lives,” he adds.

According to the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, there are about 140,000 students enrolled in charter schools, and 30,000 more on the waiting list. Charter school officials say this speaks volumes to the support charter schools have.

Among the parents at the rally Monday was Markida Ross. Her son attends Mastery Charter School- Cleveland Elementary in Philadelphia. Ross delivered a message to the Governor during her remarks at the Capitol.

“If your goal is to attack charter schools that have changed the course of our children’s lives and thousands others, and to take away the choices that all families like mine finally have, then we will push back,” Ross said among applause.

The Education Voters of PA is a statewide public education advocacy organization. The group recently released a report saying families are wasting $290 million per year on cyber charter schools. Officials say this is because families are overspending on tuition. Executive Director Susan Spicka agrees with the Governor’s proposals, and says changes could make tuition match actual operating costs.

“This isn’t about taking away people’s choice, this isn’t about closing down cyber charter schools, this is about getting funding in alignment with what it actually costs to educate a kid at home on a computer,” Spicka explains.

After the rally, parents, students, and officials delivered over 1,000 letters to the Governor’s office, all from charter school supporters writing in opposition to his proposals.