Seattle Schools Community Forum

Trying to keep up; details to come. Also to note; the Times has not had one piece of news on this.  Again, quite strange. Seventh application - First Place - an existing K-5 school for students with trauma, approved 8-0. Eighth application - Green Dot - approved 7-0 with one abstaining vote Ninth application - King County Academy - denied 8-0 Tenth application - Out of the Box - denied 8-0  Eleventh application - Pioneer School - denied 7-0, one abstaining vote Twelfth application - Rainier Prep - approved 8-0  Thirteenth application - SOAR Academy - approved 8-0 - first vote to go against evaluators recommendation to deny.   Commissioner Dziko fought hard for this one and it came in with a condition to redo a budget with some vagueness and seemingly high number of adminstrators. Fourteenth application - Sports in Schools, coming up

First application - CAL Elementary - is denied, 8-0.  Commissioners cited the evaluators' "deny" and noted not financially ready with little community support/input. Second application - Cedar River - is denied, 8-0.  Third application - Coral Academy of Science - the probable Gulen-based charter - is denied, 8-0. Cyndi Willams, Commissioner said it was a good application but not wide-ranging for a 10-year existing school group and that the Commission had made a real decision with charter applications with groups with prior models to look at their outcomes for evidence.  They also left out Title I dollars in finances and that showed a "real lack of knowledge." Steve Sundquist said that the group could be Gulen and it was something they could look into in the future. Fourth application - Evergreen Academy - denied 8-0. Fifth application - Excel - is first Charter Commission approved charter application but with a 6-2 vote .  Extensive discussion over...

Starting out a bit disorganized with several people lost.  But meeting appears to be starting on-time. Eight members of the CC are present (Doreen Cato has a health issue and is not going to be here - what that might mean for any given charter is unknown). President Steve Sundquist says law makes this process  "complicated."   If denial, must have reasons. If approved, attach any "conditions"  (if any). Make resolution to pass each itemand all work done in public. Public Comment Again, with this lottery process to speak.   I still think it is wrong because it allows some charters to be heard and some not to be heard.  As well, you get nothing from the public. Sunnyside Academy, that narrowly missed the "approved" cut, is pleading their case to be approved with conditions.  (Their financials were not up to par.)  They say they can narrow their enrollment numbers so that can raise the funds.  They had 2 speakers. SOAR is pleading...

 Updates: It seems there are three Charter Commission members with conflict of interest issues with charter applicants.  Two seem simple and one is quite problematic. Trish Millines Dziko is in a leadership program with the founder of Summit.  That one is a big of a tough call to make because the relationship could be either just professional or just collegial but if not financial, I think she could vote.  On the other hand, if she's in their their program, she probably supports how they operate. Chris Martin has some personal friendship with the founder of Pioneer.  I would say straight-up, no voting on that one. The last one is that Larry Wright has taken a position with a non-profit funded by the Gates Foundation.  Not only do I think he would have to recuse himself on several applications, he probably should step down as a Commissioner.  Why? 1) Bill Gates funded most of I-1240. 2) The Gates Foundation is the primary funder of the Washin...

The Washington State Charter Commission has released the application form/information for applying to be a charter school.  I am mostly happy because there are items in there that I believe are of great importance and I applaud the Commission for listening and including them in.  My hope was that no school community or district gets caught by surprise by any charter coming into their district (or school building).  Letter of intent Each applicant has to file a letter of intent before submitting their application.  It has to be filed 30 days before the application is due (which is Nov. 22nd).  So, by about October 22nd, we should know who is intending to apply to be a charter school.  (I believe Spokane will get their notification about being an authorizer by sometime in September.)

If you had an idea and community support for a new school program, what would you do?

Charter Commission discussion The biggest bone of contention at this point is the lottery system for approved charter school applications. Now my initial read (and others as well) was that if the Board of Education received more than 8 approved charter applications from all authorizers, then they would go into a straight lottery.  The Attorney General's reading is that the seven that get to the BOE's office first will be stamped and approved.   (The BOE has NO role in authorization - they just need to document when applications come into their office.)  The BOE will, however, decide what the word "simultaneous" means.  Any approved applications that come in eighth (and it's still unclear how big a window there will be - maybe just a day), those will go into the lottery. There are some on the Commission that seem quite uncomfortable with the "race" aspect to the applications.   There seems to be consensus on the Commission to try to get clarit...