Charter School Bill Threatens Union’s Power

The ink was barely dry on a proposed charter school bill (SB 6202, HB 2428), before it became the target of attack  by Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington Education Association, the state’s powerful teachers’ union. 

First, she casts doubt on the personal integrity of bill sponsors Representative Eric Pettigrew and Senator Rodney Tom, two Democratic legislators who apparently had the temerity to introduce an education bill without first securing the approval of WEA officials.  She says these lawmakers have “failed to honor their oath of office” and have a “blatant disregard” for the recent state Supreme Court ruling on education, because they are independent-minded enough to consider reform options rather than simply pouring more tax money into the existing school system. 

She then gives a foretaste of the coming assault on charter schools.

She says, “Charter school boards will be unelected.”

That’s true, but even better, charter school boards will be “elected” by the parents who attend charter schools.  If charter school boards are not doing a good job educating children, they won’t be able to fill their classrooms.  Charter schools enhance parental involvement because parents pick the school, rather than getting an impersonal assignment letter from the central office.

She says, “State and levy tax dollars will be ripped from local school districts and sent to charter schools.” 

Actually, education funding would follow children to their new school.  The purpose of education taxes is not to fund school districts; it is to educate children, regardless of what public school they attend.  Put another way, the WEA wants to put the interests of adults in the system first by denying funding to charter school children. 

She says, “A one-word summary of the bill: Confusing.” 

Really? And she thinks the hopelessly complex funding system the WEA defends is not confusing?  Even state supreme court justices don’t understand it, as shown by their recent ruling.  See my Seattle Times op-ed "High court oversteps authority on education."

She says, “Funding is, again, ripped from the school district.”  

I guess that is their battle cry this year: “Defend the Bureaucracy at All Cost!” 

She says, “The bottom line is the bottom line: It’s all about funding.”  

And by “funding” she means “power.”  Union executives oppose, and have always opposed, letting children learn at a charter school because it would threaten their power within the system. 

I am reading the Pettigrew/Tom charter school bill now, and will release my analysis of it soon. 

To learn how charter schools work in the real world, attend our Washington Policy Center lunch event, “After Katrina,” with former Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pasterak, February 1st, noon, Westin Hotel, Seattle.   After massive devastation, most of New Orlean's schools were rebuilt as charter schools.  A new Tulane University survey shows over 90% of New Orleans parents support the move to public school choice.  Charter schools are popular, effective at helping the most disadvantaged children, and have sparked a rebirth in education in New Orleans.  Charter schools could do the same in Washington.