tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8782251266963550023..comments2024-03-27T20:01:11.889-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State: New Charter Bill Versus Old Charter LawMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71700815855133154532016-03-09T11:22:59.042-08:002016-03-09T11:22:59.042-08:00SDD, thanks for that update. I will again say tha...SDD, thanks for that update. I will again say that there is a very specific timeline (at least in the Charter Commission) for new applications. I believe that got interrupted when the ruling came down as the Charter Commission powered way down. Don't know about Spokane.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31876906701173807672016-03-09T10:57:58.621-08:002016-03-09T10:57:58.621-08:00Give me a break, aka. If the striker isn't ado...Give me a break, aka. If the striker isn't adopted= there are multiple title-only bills in play. If you don't believe the title-only bills won't be manipulated then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.<br /><br />As well, the public did NOT have an opportunity to weigh-in on the striker bill and the bill will be in play...less than 24 hours...after the bill was released to the public. Please.NO 1240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86344903524200570932016-03-09T10:42:20.591-08:002016-03-09T10:42:20.591-08:00To the point I was making earlier, this amendment ...To the point I was making earlier, this amendment has now popped up: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2015-16/Pdf/Amendments/House/6194-S2.E%20AMH%20SENN%20HARJ%20219.pdf <br /><br />EFFECT: Specifies that the five-year period during which<br />charter schools may be established begins September 1, 2014, rather<br />than the date on which the bill becomes law. For the purpose of the<br />forty charter school limitation, schools previously authorized as<br />charters by the commission that enter into new charter contracts are<br />included in the count of charter schools. <br /><br />Clearly seems an intent to have more than The Original Eight in operation by this fall.<br /><br />-SDDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7006609472302806002016-03-09T09:25:13.313-08:002016-03-09T09:25:13.313-08:00Great, lawmakers are about to approve essentially ...Great, lawmakers are about to approve essentially a blank check for charter schools because the bill does not clearly spell out funding mainly because it is getting ram-rodded thru in the final hours of the session, which I think is by design. <br /><br />Very interesting to see up close how these charter people work behind the scenes, thank you for posting all this information. <br /><br />I hope the Gov shuts this nonsense down.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Po3noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46875292326189359102016-03-09T09:04:42.631-08:002016-03-09T09:04:42.631-08:00I know that folks generally regard the Annual Appr...I know that folks generally regard the Annual Approval of Schools as perfunctory and essentially meaningless - just a box to check, but in truth it is both critical and meaningful. People would do well to inform themselves about it.<br /><br />Start with the most recent <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/01202016agenda/20160120_Action_Report_Annual_Approval_Schools_Packet.pdf" rel="nofollow">Annual Approval of Schools motion</a> that came before the Seattle school board on January 20, 2016. It looks like it belongs on the consent agenda and it rarely gets any discussion. But check out this language:<br /><br />"<i>III. FISCAL IMPACT/REVENUE SOURCE<br />Failure to approve the schools at this time will mean the District could forfeit some or all of our basic education allocation and/or $11,500,000 of Title I funds for the 2015-2016 academic year</i>"<br /><br />Sounds pretty dire, right? So what is it all about? It's about this:<br /><br />"<i>II. WHY BOARD ACTION IS NECESSARY<br />School Board approval of schools within the District is a requirement of Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Section 180-16-220.</i>"<br /><br />If you check <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=180-16-220" rel="nofollow">WAC 180-16-220</a>, you will see that it, in turn, refers to an RCW.<br /><br />"<i>(2) Annual school building approval.<br />(a) Each school in the district shall be approved annually by the school district board of directors under an approval process determined by the district board of directors.<br />(b) At a minimum the annual approval shall require each school to have a school improvement plan that is data driven, promotes a positive impact on student learning, and includes a continuous improvement process that shall mean the ongoing process used by a school to monitor, adjust, and update its school improvement plan. For the purpose of this section "positive impact on student learning" shall mean:<br />(i) Supporting the goal of basic education under RCW 28A.150.210, "…to provide students with the opportunity to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their families and communities, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives…";</i>"<br /><br />The charter school bill, 6194, does require compliance with RCW 28A.150.210 (see Section 104). That's not waived. They even keep the State Board of Education's requirements for school improvement.<br /><br />So what does <a href="http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.150.210" rel="nofollow">RCW 28A.150.210</a> say? It's actually pretty funny. It's a pretty weird description of the goals of Basic Education that includes: "Think analytically, logically, and creatively" and "Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities"<br /><br />The most interesting thing about RCW 28A.150.210 is from the Findings-intent-1993:<br />"<i>It is the intent of the legislature to provide students the opportunity to achieve at significantly higher levels, and to provide alternative or additional instructional opportunities to help students who are having difficulty meeting the essential academic learning requirements in RCW 28A.630.885.<br />It is also the intent of the legislature that students who have met or exceeded the essential academic learning requirements be provided with alternative or additional instructional opportunities to help advance their educational experience.</i>"<br /><br />I'm no lawyer, but this sure as heck suggests to me that the CSIPs MUST, by State Law, include descriptions of how the schools are serving students working below and beyond Standards.<br /><br />It has never happened, but I suppose that the State Board of Education could reject a CSIP and, thereby, deny a school their basic education funding. The charter school bill does not appear to waive this requirement. In fact, in Section 104 of the bill appears to confirm it.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6915743851763715842016-03-09T09:01:34.389-08:002016-03-09T09:01:34.389-08:00Po3, as I said in my comparison of the old law and...Po3, as I said in my comparison of the old law and the new bill, I cannot tell from the wording. I do think that there is a bump up in transportation to help charters.<br /><br />Charters get 4% less because that is a fee that goes to authorizers for oversight costs. That fee will go down based on longevity/performance by a charter.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33537307610182002872016-03-09T08:33:11.513-08:002016-03-09T08:33:11.513-08:00Does this bill give the charter schools more, less...Does this bill give the charter schools more, less or the same $$$/per student that public schools receive?Po3noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90068072222726064272016-03-09T07:47:21.719-08:002016-03-09T07:47:21.719-08:00SDD,the new bill fast-tracks renewal of existing f...SDD,the new bill fast-tracks renewal of existing former charter contracts. <br /><br />If this bill becomes law, authorizers - the Charter Commission and Spokane SD, can immediately start up again. At this stage of authorizations, I would suppose any new applications that came in prior to the final ruling by the Supreme Court could be considered. But the timeline of work would prevent any of them opening in the fall (that's my take.) <br /><br />But there were at least 2-3 approved charter applications that would go into effect in the fall including the Summit school in West Seattle.<br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48844447165529378152016-03-09T07:30:07.655-08:002016-03-09T07:30:07.655-08:00"But that means they add in the eight existin..."But that means they add in the eight existing ones. So, instead of 40 schools over five years, we could have 48."<br /><br />Do the eight "existing" charter schools actually exist? Or will they have to be recreated/authorized under this new, presumably constitutional bill, pushing back any new charter approvals for at least another year?<br /><br />-SDDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42908811362522574382016-03-09T06:12:37.868-08:002016-03-09T06:12:37.868-08:00Again, Charlie, I don't think the SPI supervis...Again, Charlie, I don't think the SPI supervision authority means what you think it means.<br /><br />--- akaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11502194752688318602016-03-09T00:26:17.461-08:002016-03-09T00:26:17.461-08:00Housing the charter commission inside the building...Housing the charter commission inside the building with the OSPI or somehow in the OSPI org chart does not grant the OSPI supervision authority- which is required by the constitution.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.com