School Resources
Starting a Charter Public School in Washington State
Washington’s charter school law was intended to support the creation of up to 40 charter public schools specifically designed to close opportunity and achievement gaps that correspond with race, family income, and/or immigration status. Research shows the strongest schools are those that are led by folks from the community they serve.
The charter schools law allows for a maximum of 40 charter public schools to be established over a five-year period. Unfortunately, that five-year time period expired in April 2021, so until the Washington state Legislature amends the charter school law to allow additional charter schools to be established, no one can apply to start a new one.
While we continue to push for policy change, prospective school leaders can explore our online resources to get started on the path to designing and launching a charter public school in Washington.
Opening a charter public school in Washington is a multi-year start-up journey.
The Washington State Charter School Commission also offers additional technical information online regarding the accountability system governing the expansion, renewal and operation of charter public schools.
Get Started
Take a Free Online Course
Future charter starters can move at their own pace as they learn about best practices in school design and common application-writing pitfalls to avoid.
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Participants can access resources to design community-centered schools and hear from current Washington charter leaders who have navigated charter authorization and launched schools that are co-constructed with–and responsive to the needs and assets of–families and communities.
Twelve engaging modules with six hours of video content cover the basics of the charter application, providing tips about how to prepare for a capacity interview about your school model – an important step in the authorization process. Each video has closed captions, and if viewing on Google’s Chrome browser, captions and website text can be translated into over 100 languages.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are strongly encouraged to apply.
Explore Best Practices
Starting Strong: Best Practices in Starting A Charter School
Vanderbilt Peabody College