Learn > No charter schools in WA? What can I do?

Dear Friend,

Unfortunately for you and many others, WA is one of 10 states that don't yet authorize charter schools. In 2004, the Legislature passed a law, but charter opponents (unions and school boards) filed enough referendum petitions to suspend the law and then spent millions of dollars on TV ads that convinced the majority of voters that charter schools were bad. This defeat, along with the election of an anti-charter governor, were very negative to the charter movement in WA. It will probably be many years before Legislators will be able work up the courage to try again to pass a new law authorizing charter schools.

While your choices are more limited than they should be, you still have some options. WA does authorize "inter-district transfer" which means that if you can provide transportation for your child to attend another school district (other than the one you live in), you can enroll your child in a school in that district (if it has space).

For students who are 16 years old or juniors in high school, the Running Start program allows them to enroll (tuition-free) in a local community college. For exceptionally bright students, there is an early entrance program at the University of Washington for otherwise-qualified students (for example, students who score 1,000 or higher on the SAT -- without counting the new writing score) and are either (a) 14 years old or younger, or (b) 16 years old.

The Seattle Times publishes an excellent "School Guide" to the public, alternative public, private and homeschool support programs in the Seattle metro area. You can buy a copy at any Bartell's Drug Store or view it for free online at:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/schoolguide/?vortex/index

If none of your other alternatives are acceptable, you might also reconsider homeschooling or enrolling your child in a private school.

Here are some good homeschooling links:

• Washington Homeschool Association
• Washington Virtual Academy (K-8 virtual Elementary/Middle School)
• Washington Insight High School (9-12 virtual High School)
• The Calvert School (this is the reasonably priced program we used for our kids when we homeschooled 10 years ago)

You should also contact your local school district (or a nearby district) and see if they have a "Parent Partner Program" (homeschool assistance program). If they do, you should visit the principal/director of that program and learn more about it. If you enroll your child in a "Parent Partner Program" you would be the primary teacher for your child, but your child would usually also take classes one day a week with other children enrolled in the same program. Although the quality of these Parent Partner Programs varies a lot from district to district, some of the programs are excellent and are definitely worth considering.

Finally, you should know that, even if you don't use a Parent Partner Program, you don't have to homeschool your kids full time. You can homeschool them part-time (for the subjects you choose) and then enroll them in their local public school for any courses you don't feel comfortable teaching (such as a foreign language).

If you would like to help the charter school movement in WA, about the only thing that folks can do now is to sign up for the WA CHARTERS email newsletter (which I write from time to time). You can sign up by using the links on our web site. The next time there is a realistic chance to get legislation passed (the earliest would be January 2009), I will send everyone on that email list the relevant contact info for key legislators, etc.

If you are interested in what kind of education path my wife and I chose for our children, they have at various times attended traditional public schools, private schools, home schooled, and participated in the Running Start (early entry into Community College) program, and the University of Washington's Early Entrance Program (for 16 year olds). My daughter used Running Start and other programs to skip high school entirely and is now the youngest person in her class at the University of Toledo School of Medicine, where she was awarded a full-ride Navy Scholarship. My son has followed a more traditional progression and graduated in June from a private high school in Seattle. He is now attending Chapman University in Los Angeles (near Disneyland). He loves the school but misses Seattle.

Good luck to you and your family!

Jim Spady, President & Executive Director
Washington Charter School Resource Center (WCSRC)
4426 - 2nd Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105-6191
Jim's office phone: 206/634-0589
Jim's e-mail address: JimSpady@wacharterschools.org

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