Ever since last September, charter public school advocates in Washington State have sought a permanent legislative solution to reverse the State Supreme Court ruling that struck down the voter-passed charter school law. Last week, Washington Senators Steve Litzow (R – Mercer Island), Joe Fain, (R – Auburn), Mark Mullet (D – Issaquah) and Steve Hobbs (D – Lake Stevens) introduced a bill to address some of the concerns raised by the state Supreme Court decision.
National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees stated, “We applaud this bipartisan group of legislators for stepping forward to fight for Washington’s children. Their proposed legislation restores much of the policy encompassed by the charter public school law passed by ballot initiative 1240 in 2012, along with some critical updates in funding. Importantly, the legislation reflects the will of the voters by maintaining an independent statewide authorizer to ensure that families in all communities may be served by high-quality charter public schools. “We are also very pleased to see legislators from both sides of the aisle come together to find a solution that will allow parents in the state to choose a public school that best fits the needs of their children. “We urge legislators to make this bill a priority this session and keep charter public schools open in Washington State.”
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