Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Schools Ballot Initiative Filed

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Schools Ballot Initiative Filed:

Charter Schools Ballot Initiative Filed

by Melissa Westbrook

From the Times:

A coalition of education advocacy groups filed an initiative this afternoon to ask voters once again to allow charter schools in Washington state.

If the groups can collect nearly 250,000 signatures by the July 6 deadline, the issue will go on the November ballot, joining a slew of other high-profile questions.

Well, given that Stand for Children (and who knows who else) will be funded the signature drive, I have no doubt they will get the signatures.

This initiative would cap the number of charter schools at 40, to be established and approved by the state over a five-year period. Priority would be given to charters that serve at-risk students or students from low-performing public schools.

“It’s very unusual to be filing in May,” said Dave Ammons, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office. “Time is very short.”

The initiative was filed by Tania de Sa Campos, the chief of staff of the League of Education Voters. She could