FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2026
New WA Charters Leadership Strengthens Support for Member Schools, Additional Public School Options
Organizational restructuring sharpens focus on a public education system that includes diverse, high-quality public school models
WASHINGTON – The Washington State Charter School Association (WA Charters) restructured its operations under new leadership to strengthen legislative support for charter public schools and better meet the needs of its member schools. The changes position the organization to deepen support for charter public schools while helping ensure Washington families have access to public schools that best meet their students’ needs. WA Charters is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and supports Washington’s charter public schools. Alongside traditional public schools, magnet schools, and tribal compact schools, charter public schools provide families with another free, open-to-all public school option designed to meet the diverse needs of students.
WA Charters’ operational restructure is being led by incoming interim Executive Director Rebecca Thomas. Rebecca has 18 years in public education as a teacher, a school leader and in strengthening state-based advocacy efforts across the country. She has a keen understanding about thriving public schools and the policy environment that empowers student success. Rebecca’s insights into what is working in multiple states where innovative public school models have proven to unlock learning for students seeking another public option is critical in Washington, where the charter sector is small, but the impacts could be huge.
A national public school advocacy leader, the local Chair of the WA Charters Board and Rebecca shared their respective statements on this announcement.
“Rebecca has led public education advocacy efforts in a wide range of political environments and can take lessons learned to strengthen the Association in Washington. This work is important, so policymakers are putting students first, no matter where they are,” said Starlee Coleman, President & CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “A strong charter state association supports its member schools, and in Washington this is crucial because charter public schools give families more public options. They need to be heard.”
“We are grateful for the contributions of outgoing Executive Director Chris Korsmo, who pointed the Association in the right direction for this next phase of work. As a result, incoming Executive Director Rebecca Thomas has hit the ground running so that our advocacy is uninterrupted during this interim for the 2027 Legislative Session,” said James Heugas, Board Chair of WA Charters.
“Washington’s charter public schools operate within a strong accountability framework, and they exist because families and communities came together to create another public school option for their children,” said interim Executive Director Rebecca Thomas. “Each school is sustained by parents, educators, and community leaders who are committed to making it stronger year after year. All families deserve to have options within the public education system.”
WA Charters’ Board of Directors selected Rebecca to advance organizational priorities including making sure charter public schools are considered alongside their traditional peers, supporting student-centered operations, increasing efficiency, maximizing resources, and achieving equitable funding. The 2026 Legislative Session was a painful one across many sectors, from health care to education, and charter public school students lost previously allocated funding that had temporarily closed an inequitable gap in state support. The 2027 Legislative Session is expected to be another challenging budget year, and WA Charters’ restructure reflects accountability to charter public school students that extends to elected officials in Olympia.
In 2012, Washington voters affirmed that public education is stronger when families have access to more than one kind of tuition-free public school. Today, the Association is committed to advancing public policies that ensure every student, especially those who have historically faced barriers to opportunity, has equitable access to the public school that best meets their needs.
About the Washington State Charter School Association
The Washington State Charter School Association is the statewide non-profit advocacy organization fighting for Washington’s charter public schools, which are tuition-free and open to all students. They are the only organization in Washington dedicated to making sure the policy environment allows these schools to do what they do best: educate students who deserve to thrive. The Washington State Charter School Association was founded following the state ballot measure approving charter public schools in 2012.
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