It was an exciting day in Washington yesterday—the state commission on charter schools approved seven proposals for new schools, which will begin to open as early as fall 2014. With the approval of Pride Prep in Spokane last week, this brings Washington’s total of new charters to eight. This is a huge accomplishment, given that just two weeks ago that number was zero—but it’s just the beginning of an exciting journey for the new school leaders and the children and families they will serve.
The commission was careful and deliberate in their review of each of the 19 proposals and the recommendations of the review teams, which reflects a statewide commitment to getting it right when it comes to charters. Ultimately, they chose not to follow the recommendation of the review teams in only one instance, approving SOAR Academy for Tacoma (after some pretty moving words from founding school director Kristina Bellamy-McClain) with conditions that must be met before the commission’s next meeting in February.
Some applications that weren’t approved in the end had received significant public support. This clearly demonstrates that families are looking for more options for their kids, and the commission acknowledged the stronger proposals and encouraged them to work on their applications and reapply in the future. Local organizations like WA Charters reminded applicants that they stand ready to support them throughout the process.
These new schools, with the blessings of the charter school commission and Washingtonians across the state, will soon begin changing things for the better for students and families who will benefit from more options, more accountability, and more opportunities. Washington’s doing it right—and that’s the most exciting thing.
Tania de Sá Campos joined DFER Washington (DFER-WA) in April 2013 as Deputy State Director. In her role, Tania engages with a growing constituency of active, reform-minded Democrats and works with partners and allies to position Washington state as a leader in the next evolution of the movement to give every child a great education.