Blog
Voters Should Approve I-1240 to ‘Create More Opportunities for Children to Learn’
... 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...
Beyond the Debate: Public Charter Schools Part of Overall Solution for Public Education
...[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...
Kitsap Sun Endorses YES on 1240!
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...
Past Issaquah PTSA President: Our Kids Can’t Wait – Vote YES on 140
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...
Education Researchers Find Ample Evidence Public Charter Schools Can Help Our Students Do Better
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...
Opponents’ Arguments Against I-1240 Don’t Pass the Straight Face Test
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...
The Seattle Times Endorses YES on 1240 – Allowing Option of Public Charter Schools Moves Us Forward
Public school students have different needs requiring different classroom techniques. That critical fact is behind the inspiration that launched public charter schools across America 20 years ago and helps explain the continuing success of many of...
I-1240 is One Step Forward on Washington’s Path to Improving Education for All Students
Washington state’s education system must change in big ways — and it will, partly by stick and potentially by choice. The stick is the recent state Supreme Court decision in McCleary v. State of Washington, which declared the state has utterly...
How a Charter School Saved a Rural Farming Community
The town of Walton, Kan., cuts a modest swath through a rich carpet of winter wheat that stretches in green and amber patches toward the Flint Hills. ... Along with U.S. 50, another vital artery, the railroad is a reminder that no matter how quiet...