The following letter appeared in the Northwest Asian Weekly on November 6, 2015
After the recent Washington Supreme Court ruling that said public charter schools were unconstitutional, my family was devastated.
Thank you to the bipartisan group of elected officials – Senators Braun, Fain, Hobbs, Litzow and Mullet and Representatives Clibborn, Magendanz, Pettigrew, Smith and Springer – for standing up for my family by asking the Court to protect our important public school options, including charter schools.
Our child, Clio Hasegawa, was just starting the school year at Summit Sierra here in Seattle, making new friends and bonding with teachers.
Clio has some learning issues and does not do well unless some special attention can be given to her. Without a learning environment that can cater to her needs and a school that can take the time needed to understand her, she would have fallen through the cracks. We feel so fortunate that a school like Summit exists.
In January, the Legislature must take action and fix the law so that my family and every other family can choose the right public school option for our students. (end)
Paul Hasegawa
Pam Stokes