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Recent test results show charter schools in New York City are outperforming traditional schools, by 12 points in math and five points in reading.  See this Wall Street Journal article. 

What is happening in these charter schools that is not happening here in Washington?

On August 10th, the board of the Washington state PTA voted 11 to 6 to reverse the decision of 262 voting PTA delegates and not support charter schools as proposed in Initiative 1240, a measure that will appear on the ballot in November. 

Initiative 1240 would lift the state ban on charter schools, independent public schools that are tuition-free and open to all students. 

This morning a new Task Force on Education Funding convened at Highline Community College in Washington state.  Their job is to find $1.6 billion of cuts from state government to spend instead on all-day kindergarten for all, reduced class sizes in K-3, and other new education spending programs.  Four state senators, four representatives and three appointees of the Governor, including the president of the state teacher’s union, are serving on the Task Force. 

Last week, I wrote that on July 6, the federal government told Washington State to rewrite its teacher evaluation bill, SB 5895, as a condition of extending a one-year waiver from No Child Left Behind rules.

On July 6, 2012, the federal Department of Education wrote Superintendent Randy Dorn granting Washington state a one-year waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements, renewable only if Washington amends the teacher evaluation bill passed last session, SB 5895. They have a lot of nerve.  

A June 7 Education Week article reports that 23 states have passed laws to ease or eliminate state caps on charter schools, create new, independent entities to authorize them, and help charters secure more funding or better facilities. 

The Education Week reporter calls this a flurry of new laws.  I’d say it is more like a blizzard.

Today Thurston County Superior Court Judge Lisa Sutton gave final approval to the ballot title and short summary for the proposed charter public school initiative.  The language is reported by The Olympian here.  After getting a late start, supporters have just three weeks to collect 241,153 signatures necessary to place it on the November ballot.