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By Liv Finne Washington Policy Center Bob Dean is a public school teacher and a supporter of Initiative 1240, the ballot measure to allow public charter schools in Washington. He is the head of his school’s Math Department, teaches Advanced Placement calculus and is a past member of the State Board of Education Math Advisory … Read More
… A charter school is a public school that is open to all students but operates independently of district management and administrative rules. The rest of the nation doesn’t share this state’s aversion to the concept; about 5,600 charter schools operate in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Initiative 1240 is a targeted proposal, … Read More
Sixteen years ago, in another chilly October, parent and school-levy volunteer Lisa Macfarlane managed a phone bank for the anti-charter-school campaign. Back then, Macfarlane believed charters — the privately run, publicly funded schools that were cropping up in many states — would weaken the public school system she was working hard to strengthen. … Charters, … Read More
…[I-1240] would allow up to 40 charter schools to be instituted statewide over the next five years. Compared to the 2,325 public schools that exist now, it would be a small number of charter schools. The need for educational innovation is large, however, with study after study showing that too many students don’t graduate from … Read More
… Charter schools are publicly funded, independent schools established by teachers, parents or community groups that abide by terms of a charter with a local or state authority. … Performance ultimately comes down to the transfer of knowledge from a teacher to a student, and the student’s comprehension of the material. Creating more opportunities for … Read More
…[I-1240] supporters say Washington is ready now to join the 41 other states that offer families the charter choice. Voters will have a say, again, when they rule on Initiative 1240 on the Nov. 6 ballot. “Every family ought to have access to at least one good school,” says education entrepreneur and I-1240 backer Tom … Read More
Initiative 1240: This measure would open the door slightly to publicly funded charter schools. If approved, it would authorize up to 40 schools in the state, operated by nonprofit organizations and overseen by a state commission or local school district. Our board recognizes charter schools aren’t a panacea, and that the proposed law isn’t perfect. … Read More
As a public school parent and a past President of the Issaquah PTSA Council, I know firsthand that our traditional public school system does a good job for many students but fails to meet the needs of far too many others — thousands of students are slipping through the cracks. It’s time to give those … Read More
SEATTLE – Washington’s voters will in November again decide whether to allow charter schools in Washington… The writers of the ballot measure that would allow the independent public schools to get a foothold in Washington say they designed their proposal to create the best charter school system in the nation. The proposal would open as … Read More
I was not surprised by the arguments against charter schools following the Seattle Times editorial board’s endorsement of Initiative 1240, a proposal to create 40 charter schools over five years. But I was surprised by how little the arguments have evolved over time. Here’s the top 10 arguments against charters and my counter argument. 1) … Read More