The good news about Washington’s public charter schools has spread. More and more parents are choosing to enroll their children. Today 1000 students are clamoring for a space at one of Washington’s 10 public charter schools. These waitlists are growing. Thousands of parents in Washington state have weighed their options and decided their child’s best chance at success is at one of Washington’s public charter schools. Yet these public schools do not have enough room.  

A little background is helpful. In 2015, Washington’s first eight charter schools opened to just 1,200 students. Today, three years later 10 public charter schools teach 2,400 students. Most of these students come from low-income, minority families, and many are special needs students. This fall two new charter schools are opening, and plans are now under way to open a thirteenth school next fall in south King County. More charter schools are opening every year, but not fast enough to meet the needs of families.

Why are public charter schools oversubscribed? Two recent news articles, from The Inlander and The Tacoma News Tribune, reveal why charter schools are so popular with parents.

Travis Franklin, founder of Spokane International Academy, a very successful charter school, says families crave more choice in the ways their children are educated.

What does charter school choice look like to parents? Charter schools are small schools. Many have small class sizes. Summit Olympus, for example, a charter high school in Tacoma, has class sizes of 18-25 students.

Charter schools work hard to meet the individual learning needs of students, and to make learning fun and interesting. Some charter schools develop individualized learning plans for each student. Some charter schools use project-based learning and other hands-on approaches to learning. Other charter schools use exciting new computer programs to help teachers deliver, track and support student progress in learning. Many teachers at charter schools provide extra tutoring to help students catch up in school.  

Charter schools offer students the opportunity to move at their own pace academically. This flexible approach may explain why charter schools are more effective than traditional schools for certain groups of students. Charter schools provide academic learning results that are comparable, in many cases better, than traditional schools.  

A key innovation of charter schools is the use of student advisers. Incoming ninth-graders are assigned an adviser, who is also a teacher, and this adviser continues with the student for the entire four years of high school. This adviser counsels and advocates for the student, helping him or her make important decisions. Advisers also help students who hope to attend college.  

Here is what a charter school parent and student say:

Bree Oakley, parent, says she’s seeing “amazing things come from my kids that we didn’t think was possible.”  Fewer curriculum requirements have benefited her children. The charter school way of teaching has allowed her son to take control of his own learning.

Justin Drayton, ninth-grader, said he liked Destiny Middle Charter School in Tacoma because Destiny teachers push students to work their hardest, and won’t let students quit. Justin says “I feel like teachers take it personally when you give up or when you’re feeling down.” 

It’s been only three years and Washington already has a 1,000 student waitlist.

No child should have to languish on a charter school waitlist. New charter schools are not opening fast enough, and existing charter schools are constrained from expanding by their funding. Charter schools do not receive the local or state capital funding traditional schools get for their buildings. Charter schools do not get the same local levy operating funding traditional schools get. These funding inequities must be corrected by the legislature as soon as possible.   

The reasons for the limited supply of charter schools, and a full discussion of the financing they need, are big subjects for another piece. In the meantime, 1000 children sit on charter school waitlists, hoping against hope they will be accepted before school starts this fall.