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Coalition’s suit challenges state’s charter-schools law
The drama over whether to allow charter schools in Washington state is getting another act. A coalition led by the state teachers union filed a long-awaited lawsuit Wednesday, turning to the courts after state voters narrowly approved the schools on supporters’ fourth attempt last November. The claim that charters violate the state constitution is the … Read More
Districts split over charter schools
Washington voters have decided they want to add charter schools to the education mix in the state, and the three largest districts are taking different approaches to the question: What should charter schools mean to our community? Seattle has decided to basically ignore the question for now; Tacoma is still learning and exploring; and Spokane … Read More
Gig Harbor mom determined to open one of Washington’s first charter schools
Privately run, publicly funded schools will begin opening in our state in the fall of 2014, after Washington voters gave their approval to a charter school initiative last year. Only eight will be authorized in the first year, but Calyn Holdaway is confident she’ll be one of the lucky few. The mother from Gig Harbor … Read More
Meet the Inaugural Washington State Charter Leader Cohort
Today, the Washington State Charter Schools Association announced the members of the inaugural Washington State Charter Leader Cohort. These committed, trailblazing school leaders were chosen from a national search that resulted in over two-dozen applicants. Representatives from parent, university, school district, and charter communities participated in the selection process. These leaders will apply to lead … Read More
Spady continues his pursuit of charter-school success
No name is more synonymous with charter school fights in Washington the past two decades than Spady. Ever since Jim and Fawn Spady moved their son out of a Seattle public school and into a private one in 1994, they’ve been on the front lines of a string of unsuccessful ballot battles to legalize this alternative form … Read More
AP article on Washington State Charter Schools Association
With the opening of Washington’s first charter school likely 15 months away, more dollars from Seattle’s tech economy are flowing toward groups that want to change the way the state thinks about public schools. In November, Washington became the 42nd state to allow the independent public schools. The initiative campaign succeeded in part because of … Read More
Washington Charter School Commission elects leaders
Washington’s new Charter School Commission elected a former Seattle School Board president as its chairman. The group also has started to solidify its plans for hiring a staff and choosing the state’s first charter schools. The group held its second meeting Tuesday in Bellevue. Steve Sundquist, who served on the Seattle School Board from 2007 … Read More
Port Townsend educator gives Charter School 101
Charter schools can improve education but not if they offer the same curriculum as what is now available, a Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce audience was told Monday. “In order for a school district to approve a charter school, it would need a real assurance that the methodology they will employ at the charter school … Read More
Op-ed: Charter schools should ignite change for the better
This op-ed piece, written by Lyle Quasim, appeared in The News Tribune on April 14, 2013. I applaud the Tacoma School Board for signaling an interest in becoming a public charter school authorizer. It’s time that our community learned more about public charter schools. We need to know how top-performing public charters advance student achievement … Read More
Information being gathered on charter schools for PSD board
The Peninsula School District is taking it slow as it looks into the possibility of becoming a charter school authorizer, with Superintendent Chuck Cuzzetto gathering information on the subject for the school board. On March 21, the school board voted to submit a letter of intent to state officials by the April 1 deadline. The … Read More