If you have friends in Washington State, call them and tell them to vote no on 1240.
Friends don’t let friends fall for propaganda campaigns funded by billionaires.
Friends don’t let friends be fooled into voting to privatize public education.
Friends don’t let friends give their public schools away to Wall Street and entrepreneurs.
Tell them what is at stake.
A reader writes with an update:
Right now the charter school polling in WA is showing 49% for, 30% against, and 21% undecided. Unfortunately our state union is focusing on the governor’s race rather than 1240, even though the outcome of 1240 will have more impact on public ed than the outcome of the governor’s race (legislature is a Dem majority and pretty likely to stay that way, so even if the gov is a GOP, he’s not going to get much done), so not much is being done against 1240 from a state union perspective. The group that has come out against charters is this one: http://peopleforourpublicschools.org/index.html
The charter school supporters try to play up the failing schools meme, even though WA continues to have among the highest SAT score rates in the country – and the percentage of minority populations taking the SAT is continually increasing – and too many people don’t check the facts. 1240 is particularly scary because it includes the parent trigger and unelected oversight boards. Here’s hoping the 21% undecided vote no and we can vote down charters for the 4th time – and maybe then Stand For Children, DFER and all those other fake education advocacy groups who really just want to make $$ off privatization will leave us alone and we can focus on solving the problems in our existing PUBLIC schools rather than adding publicly-funded private charters to the mix.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I’m not surprised that the Seattle Times endorsed charter schools. And, I commend them for including an extensive news piece to help us understand. However, I was disappointed by how much they failed to mention.
The Times failed to mention that the current graduation rate is at or near its all time high and that many other students go on to get their diplomas later.
The Times failed to mention that we’ve dramatically expanded admissions to community colleges in the last three decades, allowing thousands in who would never have been admitted three decades ago, which accounts for much of the needed remediation.
The Times failed to mention there seem to be some disagreement about whether existing schools that are converted to charter schools do not count against the 40 school cap.
The Times failed to mention that in Washington state, 480 public schools are labeled “Innovational Schools” and provide a variety of programs.
The Times failed to mention that David Brain of Entertainment Properties Trust invests in charter school properties and encourages others to do so. He describes charter schools as a good investment because they are a very stable business, recession resistant, high demand, a growth industry, and a public payer.
The Times failed to mention that the initiative makes it clear the non-profit charter school applicant may contract with any provider for services, opening the door to unlimited for-profit participation.
The Times failed to mention that the issue with charter schools is not whom they admit; it is their tendency to sift out the more expensive students after admission.
The Times failed to mention that sixteen of the top twenty Boston schools that suspend students are charter schools. Roxbury Preparatory Charter topping the list at 56.1%.
The Times failed to mention that 83% of charter schools are worse or no better than traditional public schools.
The Times failed to mention that any school, whether doing well or poorly, may be converted to a charter school with 50%+1 vote of parents or teachers.
The Times failed to mention that this is the most aggressive “parent trigger” law anywhere in the country.
The Times failed to mention that to close a poor performing charter school before its charter runs out, it must be performing in the bottom quartile of schools, that means 75% of the schools are out performing it.
The Times failed to mention that the very conservative CATO Institute points out that private school students, transferring to charter school, will place a significant new tax burden on taxpayers.
I can’t help thinking that what the Times failed to mention speaks more loudly than what they did mention.
I-1240 should be voted down.
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Please write to the Times and tell them this.
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What you see is the response I sent to the Seattle Times. Haven’t heard a reply, yet. Doubt they will use it, as the posted someone else’s today.
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The Seattle Times won’t post it. They have an agenda and they have their buddies in DFER and A4Ed and all those other fake “we care about students” groups to kowtow too. Send it to the Stranger – they’re more with it than the Times. Too bad we still don’t have the PI….
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Actually, the Seattle Times has posted a letter from the director of the NO on I-1240 campaign and it should appear in the paper tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 17th.
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OK, K Quinn; seems we’re both right. They posted the opposition’s letter on their website, but haven’t allowed it onto the editorial page.
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Diane,
I am fighting the standardized testing frenzy by voting for the charters. If charter type program is run alongside a public school, within a district as part of their special independent option, I believe it is a workarble solution for parents seeking better alternatives than they currently get. In WA, we have alternative learning experience programs under the WA education law and some are ran within districts and they are serving thousands of happy families. I believe our local districts can easily retain students by opening up programs that will serve families that need more alternative educational opportunities.
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Kirsi: There are already 480 “Innovative Schools” in Washington state, providing multiple alternative programs. I fail to see, with a track record like that, why another public school alternative program couldn’t be designed to meet your need.
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