Comments

1
That batshit crazy wack job Dawn Mason is all for charter schoiols. She hates teachers.
2
anecdote =/= evidence
3
@2) What gave it away? Was it my "I haven't seen a single pro-charter-school sign" story or the "I'm just going to go out on a limb and guess" speculation that tipped you off?
4
Charter schools are playing a key role in re-segregating American schools, according to a new study. No wonder the NAACP and other actual civil rights groups oppose charter schools and oppose I-1240.
6
This is my neighborhood. Plenty of us are educated and thoughtful about the issues. Don't act so surprised.
7
@6) Uh, you must be confused. I'm not at all surprised that my neighborhood doesn't seem to like a thrice-rejected, conservative idea being pitched by passel of wealthy white folks.
8
In NY and DC where a media presence keeps tabs on the showcase charter schools, those seem to serve Black and Latino communities. Elsewhere they're for white or rich kids(if the city has any) or the best behaved girls.

Philadelphia is facing a lawsuit over the charter schools making it too difficult to apply (parents must attend a weekday meeting at a suburban country club to get an application). Baltimore charter schools kick out a majority of the boys the first year and most of the rest by 8th grade. Even then, the mostly girls classes still aren't any better academically than the regular public schools. Just less fighting.
9
Central District is over 50% white now. (Seattle Times wrote about it a few years back-- just google it plz.) No idea where they fall on the income/family scale, but I'd have to guess they skew younger, middle income (I can afford the city but not the 70%+ white areas), etc.

Whatever the case, I dunno how they vote.
10
The few charters that do well have some success with black/Latino students. However, they also have very strict discipline (to the point where you get dunned for a variety of petty offenses) and can exit students at will. And, they don't replace those students so they end up with most motivated students/parents. It's easier to do better when you can streamline your student body.

I-1240 claims it will encourage these charters and yet there is no visible way for that to happen. As well, this idea of choice for parents becomes negated for poor parents because the initiative also does not mandate transportation for charter schools.

What is interesting is that Washington State is virtually the ONLY state to have ever put the initial idea of charter schools on the ballot. Washington State voters have done this three times and said no three times. That would seem to be enough, no?

There are no better performance or accountability numbers since the last time we voted in 2004. There are costs to the initiative that will hurt schools and taxpayers.

We don't fund to the national average and the Washington State Supreme Court says we underfund our existing schools.

Join the Washington State PTA, the NAACP, El Centro de la Raza, the Japanese-American Citizens League Board, the Washington Association of School Administrators, the League of Women Voters and many others - say no to 1240. More info at www.no1240.org.

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