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Washington Charter School Resource Center
2009: There are NO charter schools in Washington
2009
As of the end of 2008 there are NO charter schools in Washington. Unfortunately for you and many others, WA is one of 10 states that don't yet authorize charter schools. Click here to read what you can do... click to read more

You may also want to visit our National and Editorial news pages with current articles related to charter school nationwide. [Return to Top]

oregonlive.com
Why is NEA cheering Obama's education ideas?
March 2009
Both President Barack Obama (D) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) spoke of the need for more charter schools in their televised addresses to the nation in late February. Their agreement illustrates that prominent Democrats and Republicans can agree charter schools are improving student learning and should expand... click to read more

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columbian.com
Washington View: Obama, Jindal both right about charter schools
March 2009
Both President Barack Obama (D) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) spoke of the need for more charter schools in their televised addresses to the nation in late February. Their agreement illustrates that prominent Democrats and Republicans can agree charter schools are improving student learning and should expand.. Click here to read what you can do... click to read more

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Seattle Times
The Allure of School Choice: Waiting List for District's Special Programs
November 26, 2004
Lake Washington School District has 11 choice schools, each designed around a different philosophy or theme, from the relationship between the environment and people to classical literature and historical themes. For all their allure, the choice schools represent a real commitment for families. Some require dozens of hours of parent service. Some do not have access to sports on campus, which means parents must ferry their children back to their neighborhood schools to participate. click to read more [Return to Top]

Seattle Times
Seattle District Presents Five-Year Schools Plan
November 5, 2004
Seattle Public Schools staff yesterday unveiled a five-year plan that sets 2009-2010 as the deadline to eliminate the achievement gap in reading and math, but could also mean closing some schools and limiting bus service. The plan envisions spending at least $20 million on new programs next year. To come up with the cash, the district's managers say resources will have to be dramatically shifted soon. We have to downsize the number of facilities we have," said Superintendent Raj Manhas. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Olympian
It's Back to the Drawing Board for Education Backers
November 4, 2004
Rejection of Initiative 884 could spell tough times ahead for educators now counting on Washington lawmakers to carve out more state money for public schools. But I-884 wasn't the only failed education measure on the ballot Tuesday.  Referendum 55 would have allowed the creation of 45 new charter schools statewide in the next six years. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Charter Schools, Education Tax Defeated
November 3, 2004
Voters last night soundly rejected measures that would have bailed out Washington's hard-pressed public education system and opened the door to charter schools. Jim Spady, a longtime charter advocate, said that even though R-55 failed, the state's high school dropout rate of more than 30 percent can't be ignored. “We proposed charter public schools as a way to address this crisis,” he said. “If the voters decide that they don't want to address this problem with charter schools right now, the fact is the problem still needs to be addressed.” click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
Charter Schools Fail; State Law Is Overturned by Wide Margin
November 3, 2004
For the third time in eight years, Washington voters rejected an effort to allow charter schools in the state. If Referendum 55 had been approved, a law passed by the Legislature last spring would have remained in place. Returns last night indicate the law has been overturned by a wide margin. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Tacoma News Tribune
Voters Shoot Down Changes to Schools
November 3, 2004
Washington voters Tuesday appeared to reject Referendum 55, which would have launched a charter schools experiment in Washington. The measure would have authorized the creation of up to 45 charter schools over six years. It also would have allowed an unlimited number of “conversion” charters: existing public schools converted to charters if they failed to make adequate progress on test scores. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Olympian
Charter Referendum Falls Short, New Primary Passes
November 3, 2004
For the third time in a decade, Washington voters were rejecting a measure that would have permitted charter schools. Referendum 55, a measure that gave voters a chance to decide the fate of a legislative bill passed in 2003 allowing charter schools, was failing by a large margin Tuesday night. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Paving Way for Black Students to Succeed in High School
October 27, 2004
SEI Academy is a public charter school and an outgrowth of Self Enhancement Inc., a non-profit that has pushed since 1981 to broaden opportunities for children, with a focus on Portland's African American population. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A Good Curriculum, Teachers with Passion Add Up to Smart Kids
October 27, 2004
The M.I.T.C.H. Charter School in the Tigard-Tualatin school district is the creation of Debi Lorence, a former public and private school teacher who serves as the school's director. The acronym stands for Multi-sensory Instruction Teaching Children Hands-on. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Voters Weigh Pros, Cons of Charter Schools in Battleground Washington
October 27, 2004
Washington is the battleground state for the charter school movement this year. Charter schools were approved by the Legislature and governor last spring, but the law was suspended when a petition drive, spearheaded by the state teachers' union, collected enough signatures to force a referendum. click to read more [Return to Top]

Washington Policy Center
Non-Partisan Analysis of Referendum 55 Available
October 14, 2004
Washington Policy Center, the state's premier public policy research and education organization, has completed non-partisan, objective analysis of all statewide propositions appearing on this year's ballot, including Referendum 55, which asks voters to decide if a limited experimental charter school law, which the Legislature passed earlier this year, should be passed. click to read more [Return to Top]

The (Everett, WA) Herald
Charter Schools Back on Ballot
October 12, 2004
Washington's voters will decide Nov. 2 whether to allow charter schools. Referendum 55 gives voters a chance to either endorse or overturn a decision by the Legislature last spring to approve charter schools, which receive public funding but operate with a looser regulatory leash. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
(Snohomish) County's Dropout Rates Charted
October 6, 2004
Compared with students statewide, a slightly smaller percentage of Snohomish County high-school students dropped out of school in 2002-2003, but a larger percentage failed to graduate in four years. At an annual rate of 6.6 percent, over four years 36 percent of students in the county dropped out or failed to graduate on time. The statewide annual rate was 6.7 percent, with a four-year cumulative rate of 34 percent. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Only Two-Thirds of State's Students Graduate on Time
September 14, 2004
More than a third of Washington students who entered public high school as freshmen in the class of 2003 failed to graduate on time in four years, a rate unchanged from 2002. In Seattle, almost half of those freshmen failed to get a diploma in four years, a performance slightly worse than in Seattle's class of 2002. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
Gates' Donation Supports Charter Schools
September 10, 2004
Bill Gates yesterday announced a $300,000 personal contribution to the campaign to approve Referendum 55, which seeks to uphold the charter-school law passed by the Legislature last spring. In a statement, Gates said: "Approving R-55 will give Washington state parents and teachers an important tool to help improve our public schools and help students who are falling through the cracks. click to read more [Return to Top]
Business Wire
California Charter Schools Showing Greater Student Achievement Gains
September 7, 2004
California's public charter schools are making greater student achievement gains compared to their non-charter counterparts. The average growth on student achievement for charter schools nearly doubled the growth for their non-charter school counterparts. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Chicgo Sun-Times
Duncan Touts University-Run City Schools
September 3, 2004
Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan challenged each of the city's universities Thursday to run a Chicago public school, following a passionate defense of the new Renaissance 2010 plan to create 100 new schools in the next six years. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
More Parents to Get School-Choice Option
40 Facilities in the State Failed to Meet All Federal Testing Standards
September 2, 2004
Although scores rose this year on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, the results mean parents at more public schools than ever before will be offered the chance to transfer their children to a better-performing school at district expense. click to read more [Return to Top]

The Seattle Times
Charter Schools Get $600,000
August 27, 2004
Supporters of charter schools received $600,000 last week from two wealthy individuals, Donald Fisher, co-founder and former chairman of the Gap, and John Walton of the family that founded Wal-Mart. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
Charter-School Study Sparks Debate
August 19, 2004
Charter-school opponents and supporters are both claiming the high ground after a controversial report by the American Federation of Teachers that said students at charter schools fare worse than students at traditional public schools. click to read more [Return to Top]

The Tacoma News Tribune
Lazy Days of Summer? Hardly.
July 27, 2004
Nearly half of Tacoma ninth-graders flunk at least one class during their freshman year of high school. Last fall semester in Tacoma, 46 percent of ninth-graders failed at least one class, according to a recent district analysis. When overall grades are tallied, 22 percent of ninth-graders earned a GPA of less than 1.0 - below a D average. In contrast, only 2 percent of Tacoma sixth-graders and 9 percent of 10th-graders had such low grades. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Former state school chief Billings to run for her old job
July 22, 2004
Judith Billings, the state school chief for eight years until 1996 when she announced she had HIV, announced Wednesday that she's challenging incumbent Terry Bergeson. The candidate said she opposes charter schools because of the state's poor economic climate, even though she supported a charter-school initiative four years ago. Back then, she said, the initiative was "carefully crafted" for accountability and that the economic times were "plush." click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
Ballot Measures
July 03, 2004
Here's an update on the likely November 2004 ballot measures. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Bremerton Patriot
Parents Group Begins Charter School Campaign
June 25, 2004
A group of parents dissatisfied with the school district have begun a campaign to open a charter school in Bremerton as early as 2006. Although the Washington Legislature recently passed a law allowing charter schools, it has met with fierce opposition from the teachers’ union, which successfully petitioned for the law to go to a vote Nov. 2. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Tacoma News Tribune
Measure Puts Charter School Plans on Hold
June 22, 2004
Proposals for charter schools in Eatonville and Federal Way apparently are on hold until voters decide the fate of Referendum 55 in November. click to read more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Charter School Plans to File in Federal Way
June 11, 2004
The operators of a charter school in California plan to file an application next week to open a school in Federal Way under Washington's suspended charter school law. Informational packets have also been mailed to the Highline, Kent and Renton school districts. click to read more [Return to Top]
Skagit Valley Herald
Mount Vernon Gets First Charter School Request
June 10, 2004
The Mount Vernon School District has its first charter school request. A group calling itself the Mount Vernon Charter School Corporation has proposed running a school for 80 to 100 students in kindergarten through third-grade. click to read more [Return to Top]
King County Journal
Charter schools delay is likely
June 9, 2004
Rogelio Riojas is the executive director of Sea Mar Community Health Center, a nonprofit agency that provides health services to low-income Latinos around King County. Riojas is interested in starting a charter school in the Highline School District in south King County for a small group of children who are primarily Spanish-speaking. click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times
Charter-school network seeks a foothold in Washington
June 7, 2004
KIPP plans to submit an application in the next few weeks to open one of Washington state's first charter schools. click to read more [Return to Top]
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