tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post2611163703801128868..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Should Charters have to Obey their own Charter Law?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23517192656670438982013-10-10T07:35:31.277-07:002013-10-10T07:35:31.277-07:00I'm not really sure how to interpret the word ...I'm not really sure how to interpret the word "may" in a law. It neither prohibits nor requires an action, but it doesn't say who has the right to exercise the option.<br /><br />I took it to mean that rent for charter schools is subject to negotiation between the charter school organization and the building owner. There is no requirement that the building be leased at a cost below fair market, only an exemption from the prohibition of public gifts to private entities.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-17999707623202084682013-10-09T13:02:52.222-07:002013-10-09T13:02:52.222-07:00Yep, here it is. From the full text of the initiat...Yep, here it is. From <a href="http://sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/FinalText_274.pdf" rel="nofollow">the full text of the initiative</a>:<br /><br />Page 31:"(3) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a public college or university, or any other public or private entity for the use of a facility for a school building at or below fair market rent."<br /><br />"(5) A conversion charter school as part of the consideration for providing educational services under the charter contract may continue to use its existing facility without paying rent to the school district that owns the facility."<br /><br />I can't find any recent news on the current status of the constitutional challenge to I-1240Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26553753406333405992013-10-09T12:36:41.789-07:002013-10-09T12:36:41.789-07:00"Washington State charter law says that distr..."<i>Washington State charter law says that districts have to share space if there is any available at public school buildings, at or BELOW market rates.</i>"<br /><br />I should double-check, but that's not the way I remember the law.<br /><br />I recall the law saying that districts were allowed to lease surplus school space to charters at below market rent or even for free. This would normally be a violation of the state law that precludes gifts of state property to private entities.<br /><br />As I remember my reading of the law neither the lease nor the waived rent were required, just allowed.<br /><br />This is, of course, one of the potentially unconstitutional elements of the law and will be part of the inevitable Supreme Court review. What's the schedule for that anyway? Ah, one more thing for me to look up.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58466339626154212762013-10-08T17:56:02.364-07:002013-10-08T17:56:02.364-07:00And "space" is not very well defined. M...And "space" is not very well defined. Many of the charter schools "co-located" within the PS buildings have bumped out special Ed rooms, access to the gym (if they have one) and carved out their own portion of the playground, with their own equipment paid for by their profits. Public school students are NOT allowed to use the charter equipment. Separate but unequal, that's the public school and private charter system in NY, with charters on the decidedly higher profit and benefit level, although they make damn sure the teachers never see those profits or benefits. Eva Moscowitz pulls in a 6 figure salary at least as the figurehead of her (un)Success Academies, where test prep is the name of the game.<br />But DFER thinks this is FABULOUS! for WA State. <br /><br />-CTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-32803590699958933182013-10-08T17:04:13.395-07:002013-10-08T17:04:13.395-07:00This is really interesting. The comments under the...This is really interesting. The comments under the NYT article are great. It sure seems like a lot of people have figure out some charters are a scam. Thanks for the info.Karennoreply@blogger.com