This is National Charter Schools Week. Parents in Washington state are fortunate. Our state’s charter school law is ranked as one of the ten best in the country. In only their third year of operation, Washington’s 10 charter schools already enroll about 2,500 students. Most of these schools have waiting lists of children hoping to attend. Demand for these successful schools is so strong that two more charter schools will open this fall.  They are Impact Schools: Puget Sound Elementary in Tukwila and the Willow School in Walla Walla.

A recent Seattle Times article explains why parents are so grateful to have a charter school option in our state :

“Parents in Washington consistently say that the reason they choose a charter school for their child is because they want to have control over where their children go to school. They want the ability to make a good match with their student’s learning style — rather than being assigned.”

This is one of the key reasons for the stunning success of these innovative public schools. Parents are in the best position to evaluate their child’s learning needs. A policy that allows parents to choose their school engages and makes a parent feel involved in the school’s success with the child. This choice creates a close partnership between parent and teachers, one that benefits the child. The power of parents to choose also motivates charter school educators to offer parents a wide variety of school programs, and to maintain their high quality.   

Here is some data on the success of the nation’s public charter schools.  More is available from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools:     

In 2017-18, there are more than 7,000 charter schools.

Charter schools serve nearly 3.2 million students in 43 states and D.C.

Charter schools serve 6 percent of the 50 million public school students in U.S.

In 2015-16, 67 percent of charter school students identified as students of color, compared to 51 percent of district school students.

In 2016-17, 60 percent of charter schools were independently managed and 26 percent were part of a non-profit CMO.

Students in urban charter schools gained an additional 40 days in math and 28 days in reading per year compared to their district school peers.  Low-income Black and Hispanic students showed even more progress. (CREDO, 2015)

In 2017, 6 of the 10 best high schools were charter schools, according to U.S. News and World Reports.

According to a nationally representative survey, nearly 80 percent of parents want public school choice. (Reported by the National Alliance, 2016)

There are more than 5 million additional students who say they would attend a public charter school if they had access. (PDK, 2017)

Despite the widespread acceptance of public charter schools in other states, powerful political forces in Washington state are trying to turn back the clock. On May 17th, the state supreme court will hear arguments in the WEA union’s second lawsuit seeking to close all the charter schools in the state.

Three years ago executives at the WEA union tried, and failed, to close charter schools.  Since then the courts and policymakers have learned a fact or two about the quality education Washington’s public charter schools are delivering to charter school families, and will decide to reject the union’s meanspirited efforts. One can only hope.