Washington Charter School Doom and Gloom from the Washington Policy Center

Honestly, they have some of the most entertaining posts over at the WPC.  Omit details, pump up (to the point of near explosion) any point they feel they must - it's all good fun.

So they have one post about how a Highline School Board director, Susan Goding,  wrote - on her education blog how she thinks charter schools will hurt districts.  I can only say that she is entitled to her own professional opinion (indeed the state directors association came out against 1240).   She also explains how Highline has many of the programs that Spokane addresses in their application (and so does Seattle).  Almost seems like Spokane is too lazy to do any of this development of programs on their own.

But the WPC?  Not buying it.

This article is a clear attempt to discourage implementation of the new charter school law.
This statement shows an elected school board director actively campaigning to influence school districts to deny their students access to charter schools. 

Note to WPC - Ms. Goding can't do a darn thing to discourage implementation of the law (at least not statewide).  That's up to the courts.  And, that she says this while she is running again for the board, that's some courage.



Ms. Goding explains that districts don't have the money for the authorizing and oversight costs.  WPC gets huffy and says there is money - 4% from each charter.  Yes, but that's AFTER authorization.  Who pays for all that time and (probably) outside consultants?  Spokane's application is 191 pages.  Nobody did that in their off-time.

But, you know, the WPC, steamed that only one district - Spokane - is actually going to file to be an authorizer, sees darker forces at work:

Hints of a broader whispering campaign against the voter’s(sic) charter school law first appeared July 1, when 12 of 13 interested districts dropped or delayed their charter school application, as I reported here.  While a number of smaller districts clearly faced difficulties meeting the short deadline of July 1, even larger districts, like Kent, Tacoma, Highline, Bellevue and Yakima, also failed to follow through.  Powerful groups inside public education like WSSDA and WEA have been working against charters behind the scenes.

Nope, I wasn't whispering.  I was saying it all along - out loud and in public - that I thought this law was bad.  And the WSSDA - the board directors association being "powerful"?  Very funny.

As well, the WPC complains:

During the campaign against I-1240, activists said “The voters already voted on charter schools (in 2004, when a charter school ballot measure failed), let’s respect their will.”  Well, today the voters have spoken again, this time in support of charter schools.

Well, actually it was THREE times that charters failed.  Why didn't charter supporters give up after the first time (if they think charter opponents should give up now)?

Comments

Unknown said…
Except...for the fact that Charters didn't "win" in 2012.

The vote ended up in a statistical tie, even though the pro-1240 side first:

- Purchased Ballot Access for $4 million dollars+

- Then outspent their opposition 17 to 1. (But that figure is misleading because several well-staffed organizations, from SFC, SF, LEV, TU, TFA and many more instructed their staff members to cease work on virtually everything else and spend 4 straight months working on NOTHING but the vile 1240.

The opposition had zero TV ads. Zero radio ads. Zero Internet banner ads. Zero support from the mainstream media: and STILL, they ended up in a tie.

Right-wingers, like that Liz Whatshername at the WPC can talk about "victory" for charters all she wants. But, in reality, they got their butt kicked and only stilted rules, "billionaire money throwing" and shameless mendacity allowed these creeps to "win" this vote.

But this is probably why there is so much paranoia and fear among the right wingers and corporate errand boys, less than a year later: Deep down they know that they essentially cheated to push this garbage over the finish line...where it then immediately needed CPR just to stand up months later.

Students, parents and taxpayers will win the WAR here; charters are a cancer. And We The People are the radiation and chemo.

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