This Sunday and Monday, Washington Policy Center is running ads in The Seattle Times reminding the public that 1.5 million people voted to allow charter schools in our state. The ads also report that children are pleading with the Legislature to save their charter schools. The legislative session ends this Thursday, so the time to save charter schools is running out.

The Senate has already passed a bill to save charter schools, SB 6194. There appears to be an effort in the House to make Washington the first state in the nation to close its charter schools.  Just a few days ago, House Education Chair Sharon Tomiko-Santos (D-Seattle) blocked SB 6194 from progressing out of her committee for a vote by the full House of Representatives.   

In the six months they have been operating, Washington’s charter schools have illustrated the success of their open and inclusive approach to educating children in underserved urban communities.  

Like several other key newspapers, The News Tribune has a good editorial arguing that the Legislature should rescue charter schools, which you can read here.

This report is part of WPC’s Charter School Follow-Up Project