As Washington’s charter school authorizers continue the application review process to determine which public charter schools will be approved this year, they are offering a prime opportunity for Washingtonians to voice their opinions on those that applied in a series of public forums beginning tonight.
The Washington State Charter School Commission will host nine forums across the state during the month of January. These forums are part of the official evaluation process for applications. During the forums, applicants will have the chance to express their vision and community members will have the opportunity to express their support and concerns.
Charter applicants will be given 10 minutes to present their vision, then the floor will be open for 30 minutes of public comment. Community members who wish to comment publicly will be randomly selected in a lottery prior to the meeting.
Individuals or groups wishing to provide written comment may send their statements to the Washington State Charter School Commission, P.O. Box 40996 Olympia, WA 98504-0996. Comments may also be hand delivered to the public forums. Written comments are limited to one page (12 point font).
The first public forum takes place today, January 6th, at the Spokane Public School Administration Building. (The complete schedule of forums is listed below.)
Separately, on January 15th the Spokane Public Schools School Board will hold a public forum for the three applications they received.
These forums are the next step toward opening public charter schools in our state and we look forward to hearing the opinions of all in attendance. If you’re from Washington— or just happen to be in town this month— please come show your support for public charter schools in the Evergreen State! And, keep your eyes peeled for a subsequent blog post as we move forward with the authorization process.
