In his blog against Referendum 55, Drew said, “there is a time for creativity and it isn’t now, when government programs are getting cut and under funded. If you’re serious about charter schools you’d probably agree that this is a rough time to try that experiment.”
It’s true that the budget is tight. But charter schools won’t raise taxes or receive local levy funding, unless the local school board and local voters approve, according to the Washington Charter School Resource Center.
And unlike normal public schools, charter schools can receive federal start-up funds averaging $450,000 per school. Private donors also contribute; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated over $130 million dollars.
R55 is reasonable in scope, too. It’s a “modest experiment,” according to The Seattle Times, with only five to ten charter schools created each year for the next six years. It’s not an extreme, massive, super-expensive project by any stretch of the imagination.
With the added benefit of federal funds and private donors, R55 isn’t an unreasonable burden on our state.
Drew also wrote, “Haven’t we slapped teachers in the face enough? It’s a tough job and shouldn’t be made tougher by making union teachers compete with non-union teachers.”
R55 might pose a challenge to union teachers. I definitely support public school teachers and backed them up in the 2002 Issaquah School District strike. However in this case, it’s important to balance the needs of teachers with the educational needs of students.
R55, a modest proposal for a limited number of charter schools, probably won’t significantly affect teacher salaries. However, the potential gains for students are immense.
R55 failed twice. I hope the third time’s a charm.
Respond to Christina
Back to top