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Washington Charter School Resource Center
2010: There are NO charter schools in Washington, but here's what you can do
It's been five years since our charter school law was repealed by referendum. For the first time since 2004, there is a realistic chance to bring the choice of charter public schools to Washington State. Click here to read what you can do. 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]

The News Tribune, March 9, 2010
Governor makes principals use ‘dance of the lemons'
Gov. Chris Gregoire is promoting her education bill, SB 6696, as an effort to improve Washington schools and give the state a shot at a share of the $4.3 billion available through President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative... click to read more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times, February 3, 2010
State's entry idling at start line in Race to Top
A few weeks ago, 40 states and the District of Columbia jumped into the high-profile education competition known as Race to the Top, submitting applications up to 1,000 pages long to make their case for a share of $4.35 billion in federal prize money... click to read more [Return to Top]
HeraldNet.com, October 21, 2009
Washington shouldn’t say no to schools innovation
The $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund provides a powerful incentive for Washington to join the education mainstream. More discretionary money than the feds have ever made available, the funds will be awarded to states to spur and support eduction reform... click to read more [Return to Top]
theolympian.com, September 15, 2009
Charter school debate is worth revisiting
This state’s steadfast refusal to allow charter schools is going to have a financial consequence. Washington is one of 11 states without charter schools, and that puts this state at the back of the line when it comes to receiving more than $4 billion in federal education grants... click to read more [Return to Top]
ktvz.com, August 17, 2009
Are charters schools a price of entry to reform?
SEATTLE (AP) - Eleven states have said no to charter schools, one of the education reforms President Barack Obama backs. They may soon be paying a penalty for that choice... click to read more [Return to Top]
publicbroadcasting.net, August 17, 2009
"Rabid Dog" Approach to Getting Federal Dollars for Education
OLYMPIA, WA (N3) - Governor Chris Gregoire is convening a task force to pursue "Race to the Top" money. These are federal stimulus dollars designed to spur education reform at the state level. But even the Governor acknowledges Washington may not qualify for the first-round of funding. One vocal Washington politician says it's a wake-up call to the education establishment. The first round of "Race to the Top" grants will come this fall, the second round next spring. KPLU's Austin Jenkins has more... click to read more [Return to Top]
The News Tribune, July 27, 2009
Educational pioneer? Not this state
In case you missed it, Washington just flunked the test for school reform. The failure will sting. States that pass the test are eligible for a piece of $4.35 billion in federal education funding. It looks like Washington's schools aren't even in the running... click to read more [Return to Top]
oregonlive.com, March 2009
Why is NEA cheering Obama's education ideas?
The National Education Association appears to be humming "Stand By Your Man," even after President Barack Obama promoted both merit pay and an expansion of charter schools in his recent comments about education... click to read more [Return to Top]
columbian.com, March 2009
Washington View: Obama, Jindal both right about charter schools
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 [Return to Top]
Seattle Times, November 26, 2004
The Allure of School Choice: Waiting List for District's Special Programs
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, November 5, 2004
Seattle District Presents Five-Year Schools Plan
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, November 4, 2004
It's Back to the Drawing Board for Education Backers
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, November 3, 2004
Charter Schools, Education Tax Defeated
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 November 3, 2004
Charter Schools Fail; State Law Is Overturned by Wide Margin
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, November 3, 2004
Voters Shoot Down Changes to Schools
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, November 3, 2004
Charter Referendum Falls Short, New Primary Passes
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, October 27, 2004
Paving Way for Black Students to Succeed in High School
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, October 27, 2004
A Good Curriculum, Teachers with Passion Add Up to Smart Kids
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, October 27, 2004
Voters Weigh Pros, Cons of Charter Schools in Battleground Washington
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, October 14, 2004
Non-Partisan Analysis of Referendum 55 Available
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, October 12, 2004
Charter Schools Back on Ballot
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, October 6, 2004
(Snohomish) County's Dropout Rates Charted
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, September 14, 2004
Only Two-Thirds of State's Students Graduate on Time
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, September 10, 2004
Gates' Donation Supports Charter Schools
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, September 7, 2004
California Charter Schools Showing Greater Student Achievement Gains
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, September 3, 2004
Duncan Touts University-Run City Schools
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, September 2, 2004
More Parents to Get School-Choice Option 40 Facilities in the State Failed to Meet All Federal Testing Standards
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, August 27, 2004
Charter Schools Get $600,000
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, August 19, 2004
Charter-School Study Sparks Debate
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, July 27, 2004
Lazy Days of Summer? Hardly.
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, July 22, 2004
Former state school chief Billings to run for her old job
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, July 03, 2004
Ballot Measures
Here's an update on the likely November 2004 ballot measures... click to read more [Return to Top]
The Bremerton Patriot, June 25, 2004
Parents Group Begins Charter School Campaign
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, June 22, 2004
Measure Puts Charter School Plans on Hold
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, June 11, 2004
Charter School Plans to File in Federal Way
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, June 10, 2004
Mount Vernon Gets First Charter School Request
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, June 9, 2004
Charter schools delay is likely
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, June 7, 2004
Charter-school network seeks a foothold in Washington
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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