The Seattle School Board has voted to oppose the Charter Schools
Bill that will be considered by the 2004 Washington State
Legislature.
Charter schools are public schools that are governed by a
private nonprofit board. School Board members looked for, but did
not find, compelling evidence that the charter school structure
would contribute to academic achievement. They also expressed
concerns that charter schools receive public funding, yet are not
held accountable by a publicly elected body. These issues were
discussed at a Board forum on January 5, and considered by Board
members before they passed the January 7 resolution.
“We have a K-12 funding crisis in the State of Washington,
too many of our students are not meeting standard, and we are still
fighting to overcome institutionalized racism in our schools and in
our communities,” said School Board President Mary Bass.
“These are the issues we should tackle first, rather than
diverting our attention to implementing a new structure.”
Board members said that, despite 10 years of experience in other
states, there is no clear evidence that the model improves academic
achievement.
“Eliminating disproportionality and raising academic
achievement for all students is our highest priority,” said
Director Darlene Flynn. “We cannot afford to expend energy,
money, or scarce management time on a model that has mixed results.
Instead, we must focus on ensuring that proven gap-closing
strategies are implemented at every school in our
system.”
The January 5 forum featured charter school proponents James
Kelly, president of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and
University of Washington Professor Paul Hill. Panelists opposing
charter schools included State Rep. Maralyn Chase; public school
parent advocate Angela Touissant; and Seattle University Professor
David Marshak. Sixteen community members also testified at the
hearing.
The Board resolution was co-sponsored by Directors Sally Soriano
and Darlene Flynn. The vote was 5-1, with one member absent.
RESOLUTION
2004-1
