Executives at the powerful WEA union failed for a second time to close Washington’s public charter schools. The popular, innovative schools now serve 3,500 students and their families at 12 locations across the state.
Last week, by a vote of 6 to 3, the state supreme court held that the charter school law, SB 6194, itself enacted by a bi-partisan majority in the legislature, is constitutional. The decision also allows charter school teachers to form voluntary unions across schools.
This is not the first time the WEA union has tried to close schools to charter school families. In 2013, the WEA union filed suit against the charter school law approved by voters in November of 2012. In September 2015, just as the school year was starting, state supreme court justices ruled to close charter schools.
Within months, however, the state legislature acted to pass a new charter school law, SB 6194. Democrats and Republicans backed the bill, and Governor Inslee reluctantly let it become law without his signature.
SB 6194 funds public charter schools from the Opportunity Pathways Account, which receives state lottery funds.
The six justices who voted in support of charter schools last week are Justices Mary Yu, Debra Stephens, Sheryl Gordon-McCloud, Charles Johnson, Steven Gonzalez and Mary Fairhurst. Oddly, only three years ago, three of these justices, Yu, Stephens and Johnson, voted to close charter schools.
Justice Mary Yu, one of the justices who switched from “no” to “yes,” wrote last week’s majority opinion. Some people wonder why Justice Yu took such a prominent role in saving charter schools, and so publicly opposing the WEA union.
It appears the justice’s self-interest may provide a partial answer.
Last April Washington Policy Center reported that Justice Yu spoke to “rising applause” at a WEA union rally. On May 2, former attorney general Ken Eikenberry filed a formal ethics complaint against Justice Yu to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for appearing at the union rally and publicly appearing to favor a party in a case before her.
Fast forward to last week. Justice Yu’s ruling for charter schools and against the WEA union helps allay concerns about ethics complaints.
Charter school families are celebrating. In the words of Matthew Grace, whose sixth-grade grandson attends Rainier Valley charter school:
“This is the best school he’s ever been in,” Grace said. “His attitude and academics are better here than they were in the public school he went to last year. He loves the teachers and overall he’s a better kid. He loves to work.”
Washingtonians voted for charter schools and want to make these innovative public schools available for children. Over a thousand families are on charter school wait-lists.
It appears the WEA union’s zealous crusade to kick 3,500 children out of their 12 charter schools across the state has failed. Charter school children can safely continue to attend the school their families have chosen for them, as a recognized and respected part of Washington’s public education system.