Washington, D.C. Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released the following statement in response to Washington state’s House passage of charter school bill, SB 6194:
“We are thrilled that the Washington State House of Representatives has voted on a bi-partisan basis to allow charter schools to continue to operate in the state. The people expressed their desire for charter public schools when they approved a ballot initiative in 2012, and now the legislature has followed suit.
“With this great victory, Washington rejoins the community of 42 other states and Washington D.C., where families have real, public educational options. Millions of families are demanding charter public schools across the country, including those in Washington who have spoken so clearly over the last few months.
“We celebrate the parents who led this charge, and the school and movement leaders who refused to take no for an answer. Their amazing efforts on behalf of Washington’s students has led to one of the most remarkable victories in the history of this movement.
“We call on the Senate to pass confirming legislation and the Governor to sign the bill as soon as possible.”
About Charter Schools
Charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter movement. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.
