A coalition of Washington education groups has filed a citizen initiative asking voters to allow 40 public charter schools in the state over the next five years.
The coalition including the League of Education Voters, Stand for Children and Democrats for Education Reform has until July 6 to collect nearly 250,000 valid voter signatures.
A spokesman for the coalition said the groups would use both paid and volunteer signature collectors to meet the July deadline. But first they need to jump a few administrative hurdles. It could be several weeks before they will be able to print petition sheets and circulate them.
Charters are public schools that run independently from district controls. They are governed by a multiyear performance contract that requires proof that student achievement is improving.
Washington voters have repeatedly rejected charter school initiatives.
Washington is one of eight states without charter schools, according to the Center for Education Reform, an advocacy group that supports charters. The others are Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia.
Washington voters rejected initiatives calling for charter schools in 1996, 2000 and 2004. The Legislature rejected charter bills on several other occasions before they reached the ballot.
A charter school bill had hearings in both the Senate and the House but didn’t make it very far during the 2012 Legislature.
Voters are ready to allow charter schools in Washington state, said Chris Korsmo, chief executive officer of the League of Education Voters.
“If we didn’t think we could win, we wouldn’t put it on the ballot,” Korsmo said.
She said the proposal was written in a way to bring only the best ideas from other states to Washington, and charter schools that don’t fulfill their mission would be shut down quickly.
Korsmo said she doesn’t understand people who are afraid of the potential impact of charter schools on Washington education.
“If bringing what works elsewhere here is scary for people, the status quo for a lot of kids is a far scarier thing,” she said.
A number of lawmakers, from both political parties, support the initiative.
“This initiative will finally bring Washington into the 21st century in terms of educational opportunities for public school students,” said State Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle.
The Washington Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, quickly opposed the measure.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.