Union’s challenge to charter schools seems to ignore message of the voters
As expected, the teachers union has filed a legal challenge to Washington’s new charter school law, Initiative 1240, which was approved by voters last fall. The Washington Education Association was joined by the League of Women Voters of Washington and El Centro de la Raza last week in filing a “legal demand” with the state attorney general, complaining that I-1240 is unconstitutional on several grounds. These groups certainly are within their rights to take this matter to the courts. Everyone on both sides of this issue knew the legal challenge would come. But as we see it, the groups will be hard-pressed to convince any judicial authority that charter schools should not be allowed in Washington. Start with the fact that the people want charter schools. The initiative passed in a diverse assortment of urban and rural communities, gaining approval in 11 counties west of the Cascades and seven counties in the eastern half of the state.
As for the initiative’s constitutionality, the teachers union seems to come up short on several contentions.