The charter schools law that was passed by the voters last year was ruled unconstitutional by a King County Superior Court Judge.
But, Judge Rietschel concludes: “A charter school cannot be defined as a common school because it is not under the control of the voters of the school district. The statute places control under a private non-profit organization, a local charter board and/or the Charter Commission.”
In other words, charter schools may not be funded with state dollars dedicated to funding our state’s common schools.
On to the state supreme court.
Now look, in Seattle and for much of the rest of the state, the way the school board is structured is problematic. And the politics around school closures a few years ago was ridiculous. Still, there is a measure of accountability to the public in school districts.
This desire to get taxpayer money without any accountability is problematic. The proponents of these types of, ahem, reforms never want to structure school board races so the boards are more accountable, or to pay board members better so the job isn’t part time.
This really states what my objection to charter schools has been all along. Proponents want to be given public education money with no accountability for how they spend it, what is taught, or whether children learn. That won’t cut it. If you want to run a school like a private school, then fund it with private money.
The public pays the bill, “private enterprise” skims the till. Just like Vegas in the old days.
All I want is for the kids to get an education where they can function and not have to go through remedial training in the basics before they get a job. Far too often employers are faced with kids who can’t read or communicate at the high school graduate level, yet those kids have high school diplomas.
Proponents want to be given public education money with no accountability for how they spend it, what is taught, or whether children learn.
This.