WA CHARTERS, Wednesday, November 1, 2000

Dear Friends,

Three more regional newspapers have joined the chorus of voices urging a YES vote on I-729. Copies are included at the end of this email.

I-729 now has the endorsement of 13 daily newspapers across the state:
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Tacoma News Tribune
The Spokane Spokesman-Review
The Vancouver Columbian
The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
The Wenatchee World
The South (King) County Journal
The Bremerton Sun
The Bellingham Herald
The Eastside Journal
The Everett Herald
The Olympia Olympian

Reflecting its mainstream support, I-729 now has more newspaper endorsements than any of the other six initiatives on the ballot. Moreover, I-729 is the only initiative that is supported by both Democratic Governor Gary Locke and his Republican challenger, John Carlson. It is also the only initiative that is supported by both the Democratic and Republican co-speakers of the state House of Representatives, Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) and Clyde Ballard (R-Wenatchee), and by both the Democratic and Republican co-chairs of the House Education Committee, Dave Quall (D-Mount Vernon) and Gigi Talcott (R-Tacoma).

Although I-729 has a 16 point lead in the polls (47-31) we are still 3 points short of a majority. The undecided voters (22%) hold the key to the election.

SO PLEASE, talk to your family and friends and ask them to join you in voting YES on I-729.

Thanks!

Jim
Jim & Fawn Spady, co-directors,
Education Excellence Coalition
4426 - 2nd Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105-6191
Jim office phone: 206/634-0589
Jim & Fawn home phone: 425/434-7440
I-729 campaign phone: 206/545-4900
EEC e-mail address: JimSpady@WAcharterschools.org
Good Choices For Public Schools I-729 web site: www.yes729.org

EDITORIAL

Olympia Olympian, Wednesday, November 1, 2000
http://news.the
olympian.com/
stories/20001101/
Opinion/142041.shtml

OUR VIEWS: Initiative 729 deserves vote

Four years ago voters soundly rejected a ballot proposition for charter schools in this state.

So what are we doing with another charter school measure on the 2000 ballot?

The answer is simple.

Today's ballot measure is very different from the one rejected in 1996. This creates charter schools within -- not outside -- the public school system.

Initiative 729 asks, "Shall school districts and public universities be authorized to sponsor charter public schools, independently operated, open to all students, and subject to revised state regulations?"

The Olympian's editorial board supports I-729 and encourages a "yes" vote.

Let us tell you what we like about this ballot proposition.

First, the charter schools must get the approval of the local public school board or state university before they can even come into existence.

Elected school district trustees will write a charter with a nonprofit organization to open a charter school. That charter is key because it allows the board members to control the conditions under which the school will operate. These innovative charter schools will owe their very existence to the local school board or public university.

The charter can be revoked at any time.

Secondly, the initiative does not open the floodgates. It restricts the number of charter schools that can be created to 80 statewide in four years.

That will give everyone -- supporters, detractors, school administrators, parents, taxpayers -- time to assess their success.

Thirty-six other states have charter schools in their states. Through these 80 test schools we'll see if this particular model is a good match for Washington's K-12 public education system.

Thirdly, there are plenty of safeguards built into this measure. Charter schools must lay out five-year financial plans, adhere to state testing standards, have free and open enrollment, subject themselves to annual audits, file yearly reports with the school district, undergo review by an outside research firm and demonstrate no sectarian influence.

The simple truth is that these schools will live or fail based on their success.

The public dollars that follow each student to his/her school today will continue to follow students in the future. If charter schools aren't living up to parental expectations, the student will transfer and the school will lose its allocation of tax dollars.

All schools, charter and public, will be required to perform well or risk losing students and dollars.

Washington state prides itself in being a national leader in providing students with alternative forms of education. We see it here in our own community with New Market Vocational Skills Center, New Century's evening high school and the Options program at Lincoln.

Charter public schools are simply another option. These new schools will give parents another choice as they seek the best possible education for their children.

Creating a limited number of charter schools within the public school system makes sense. We encourage South Sound voters to approve Initiative 729 on Nov. 7.

EDITORIAL

The Everett Herald, Wednesday, November 1, 2000
http://www.heraldnet
.com/Stories/00/11/1
/13115590.cfm#top

I-729: Charter plan makes the grade this time around

Four years ago we encouraged voters to strike down two initiatives we thought would undermine public education -- vouchers and charter schools.

The charter school initiative was inaccurately defined, we argued, and didn't provide enough accountability. There are ways to make charter schools work, we said. Try again, we told supporters.

They did. And now we're more than comfortable encouraging people to vote yes on Initiative 729.

Initiative 729 does two major things: It gives parents more choices for their children within the public school system and it serves as the shot of competition the public school system needs to raise and maintain standards of excellence.

Granted, it's a nerve-wracking initiative for the public school system because it would rearrange the budget. If a student leaves a traditional public school for a charter school, the allotted money for that child goes too. But that money belongs to the taxpayers and they should be the ones to decide what's best for their children within certain guidelines and state standards. Besides, charter schools stand to attract home-schoolers and private school students whose dissatisfied parents withdrew them from public school.

Initiative 729 has a built-in accountability system. The schools must meet the criteria established by the parents and other founders. And students are still required to meet state standards. The schools must answer to their non-profit schools boards and public school or university sponsors. Above all, they must answer to taxpaying parents and the public that voted in favor of initiatives such as 601 and 695.

Charter schools are a hot topic because so many parents aren't totally satisfied with our state's education system today. They've already tried to work within the current structure. It's not too much to ask for something new and reasonable that already exists in 37 other states.

There's a difference between renovating our education system and undermining it. Initiative 729 gives us the chance to explore new and better ways to educate children. We can't keep telling parents no.

EDITORIAL

Eastside Journal, Monday, October 30, 2000
http://www.eastside
journal.com/sited/
retr_story.pl/32855

Our View: Charter schools: Cautious start in right direction

2000-10-30

More than three dozen states have enacted laws allowing charter schools. These schools operate under a ``charter,'' or pact, with the local school district. In exchange for an exemption from bureaucratic rules and red tape, they are held to a higher standard than public schools: If they don't do a good job teaching kids, they can have their charters revoked.

Initiative 729 is a cautious first step for Washington. It would allow the creation of up to 20 charter schools per year for four years and contains ample safeguards and provides for accountability at the local level. Best, if provides more choice for parents and creates an environment for teachers that encourages innovation and rewards success.

If I-729 passes, educators and parents will be allowed to form independent public schools run by a nonprofit organization under the watchful eye of the local school board or state university. The charter school would obtain the same level of state support as public schools in the community. It also would receive a portion of local school property tax dollars from levies passed after the date it is chartered.

Charter schools would be exempt from many state statutes and rules applicable to public schools, but have to comply with such regulations as state and federal health, safety and civil rights laws; standardized student tests; certification of instructional staff; and employee record checks.

Elsewhere, charter schools have had a mixed record of success. In Houston, children in charter schools are performing much higher in statewide academic tests than their counterparts in schools with similar demographics. In Michigan and some other states, charter schools are performing no better than public schools. Some have even failed.

But closing a failing school illustrates how charter schools differ. If a public school consistently turns out underachieving students, there typically is no remedy other than shuffling principals in and out. Parents, particularly those who cannot afford to send their children to private schools, are stuck sending their children to these failing schools.

Charter schools, on the other hand, must perform to the satisfaction of parents and the local sponsor or have their charter revoked. This brings elements of competition and accountability not available in our system of public schools.

Both candidates for governor are supporting I-729. The Washington Education Association, which helped block charter school legislation for years, is taking no formal position on the measure.

With charter schools, Washington would have one more tool to improve the level of education for our children.

The Eastside Journal endorses Initiative 729.

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