Today is Day 24 of the 2016 Legislative Session, which is scheduled to last 60 days. Many people are watching. But no group is watching as closely as Washington’s 1,200 charter school children and their families. Since last September’s illogical court ruling, charter school students and their families have lived in fear that their schools would be abruptly closed. These families have turned to the Legislature for help. Their message is this: “We love our charter schools. Please don’t take them away from us.” 

On Day 12 of the Legislative Session, the state Senate passed SB 6194, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Litzow (R-Mercer Island) and Mullet (D-Issaquah). This bill would save charter schools by creating a separate account to fund charter schools, in response to the court ruling.  Two bills to save charter schools have been offered in the House, HB 2367 by Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle) and Rep. Springer (D-Sammamish) and HB 2824, by Rep. David Sawyer (D-Lakewood).  On Day 12 of the Session, Governor Inslee also visited Destiny Middle Charter School in Tacoma, praised its students, and then tweeted he loved the experience.  

Our state’s charter school students, who are 70 percent low-income and minority children, have been dealt some harsh lessons in civics, citizenship and democracy. Yet charter school families have not faded away in defeat. They have worked diligently to persuade their legislators to fix the mean-spirited ruling handed down by six justices.

Charter school students, families and communities have written letters to the Governor, to the state charter commission, and to their legislators. They have attended rallies in Olympia, and made multiple trips to testify before numerous legislative committees. They have lobbied their legislators, and appeared in TV ads. Thousands of their supporters have signed petitions to save charter schools, both on the Washington Policy Center website here, and on the Act Now for Washington Students website here.

It appears the popularity of charter schools is growing. Charter school students and their families have tested out Washington’s charter schools and overwhelmingly approved their quality. The positive experiences of charter school families have been widely shared in the media, on TV and online. The public has noticed that these families passionately want to keep their charter schools. Many people who opposed charter schools in the past have visited a charter school, seen why they work so well, and become supporters. It is possible the court ruling has even fed public sympathy for charter school families.

Students at Destiny Middle Charter School and Summit Charter Public Schools in Seattle and Tacoma have used humor and high spirits to create this rap video to show how much they love their charter schools: 

https://www.facebook.com/ActNowforWA/videos/524921561014639/

This report is part of WPC’s Charter School Follow-Up Project