Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW:

Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW

by Melissa Westbrook

The last couple of days have seen interviews with Senator Rodney Tom (one of the sponsors of the charter bill) and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (who chairs the House Education committee). I note that the Tom interview was longer than the Tomiko Santos interview and it would have been nice to allow the Representative equal time.

Senator Tom certainly had a lot to say including:

• "It's another option" - again, not a pilot program but a law.
• He stated that the bill was written "tightly" - It's not so tight if the word used most in the oversight sections is "may"
• He spoke of charters doing well that "operate in the projects".
• He also that the Legislature heard from voters that they don't want more money going into the system without change. I would love to see some numbers on that statement. Not that I don't think that may be