This fall 3,500 students will attend one of Washington’s public charter schools, a 45% increase over last year. Washington’s 10 public charter schools have convinced thousands of parents to enroll their children. In addition, two new public charter schools open this fall; Impact Public School in Tukwila, an elementary school, and The Willow School in Walla Walla, a middle school. An additional 1,000 students are clamoring to get into a charter school, enough to fill two more schools, but must sit on a charter school waitlist. Washington does not have enough charter schools for every child who wants to attend.     

This is remarkable. Washington’s public charter schools first opened in Washington state in 2015. Two-thirds of their students come from low-income, minority backgrounds. Charter schools have now delivered three full years of education to their students. Although many students arrive years behind in their academic learning, their teachers have helped them catch up, and even surge ahead, in school. Parents approve of what they have seen. Parents are talking about their charter school experiences with their neighbors, families and friends. Parents know each school year is critically important to the progress of their children, and they want access to more charter schools.

In other good news, my Facebook friends are talking about opening charter schools to teach children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Other friends observe that when parents are offered a public charter school option, or a scholarship to attend a private school, school districts respond by improving traditional schools. See this story about the Gary Indiana school district, and this story about the Milwaukee Wisconsin school district.      

And then this morning, The Seattle Times favorably reported the Trump Administration has decided to prioritize funding to Native American charter schools across the country. Tribal school leaders in Washington state may be able to persuade the Trump Administration they deserve support from this new funding initiative, since their five Tribal Compact Schools  are indistinguishable from public charter schools. After all, Tribal Compact Schools, just like charter schools, are independently run under the Tribal Compact Agreement with the state, available here.

Finally, these developments may inform the state supreme court’s decision in the WEA union’s lawsuit against charter school families, expected this fall. The strongest argument in favor of charter schools is that 3,500 children are excited to start the new school year at a public charter school, and that 1,000 more families want access to these successful schools.

All in all, I think the next challenge will be to open new charter schools in Washington state, and to remove obstacles to their growth. Charter schools should be able to accept every student who applies. And no student should languish on a charter school waitlist.