Seattle Schools Community Forum

I mentioned - weeks ago - that I had wanted to do a round-up of charter schools and their outcomes in this country.  I am always amused when people say there's just a "handful" of stories being blown up.  Just not true. Here's we go. I don't know how anyone missed this one - a 1st grader in a big-chain charter school in NYC getting bullied by her teacher.  Before the teacher says anything, you should look at the posture and body language of those students.  It's caught on video by another teacher who was very concerned for this class.  Horrific.  The mother of was beyond upset and yet felt marginalized and ignored by the head of the charter system.  She pulled her daughter out.

Haven't had time to listen but a reliable source tells me that Superintendent Banda, in an interview today on KUOW's The Conversion, said he wouldn't be voting for 1240.  Listen for yourself.  Understand that this is man who already has his hands full - put a few charters in and/or have a charter takeover a couple of existing schools (maybe yours?) and our district will be on very weak footing. I have a feeling he is only going to be the first in a long, long line of district superintendents in this state - particularly in the Puget Sound region and the small/rural districts - who will say no to this poorly-written initiative. 

Over at the Washington Policy Center, their education person, Liv Finne, is claiming I am spreading "disinformation" about the support for charter schools in Washington State (specific to my column in the Washington Post). I have to smile.  I don't have to spread anything.  What I wrote was factually true. She does want to argue over why the two charter bills didn't make it out of committee.  Her take is that the leadership "employed procedural maneuvers" to prevent a vote.  (I'd say that's akin to what the WA State PTA did with their alternative schools resolution.)  That's true but I think if the argument was valid, why couldn't they convince the leadership.  If not, then fight to get new leadership, right, Liv?  She is also claiming I didn't put enough detail into the piece (like when the last vote was on charters which was 2004 and those are dog years to her).  I can only say that anyone who has written for media knows you get ...