Inslee: Saving charter schools is not a priority; focus will be on public schools
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday announced he will not call a special session to address the state Supreme Court’s finding on charter schools.
Justices ruled last week Washington’s voter-approved charter school law unconstitutional. The state is already facing turmoil over education.
As Seattle teachers strike and lawmakers rack up fines for lack of education funding, Gov. Jay Inslee says he won't call a special session for charter schools.
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As Seattle teachers strike and lawmakers rack up fines for lack of education funding,… more
More than 53,000 students aren’t in school this week as Seattle teachers strike over pay and instruction time.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are racking up $100,000 daily fines after the court ruled in August that, despite the record-long legislative session, the state had not done enough to fully fund education. The state has accumulated $3 million in fines since the ruling.
Inslee says fixing public schools takes priority.
“My focus will remain on basic education,” Inslee’s office wrote. “Some families look to charter schools out of frustration with their local public school. The answer is to remain committed to improving our public K-12 system and making sure every child has a local public school that meets his or her needs.”
Voters approved the charter school initiative in 2012. One charter school opened in Seattle last year and eight more are scheduled to open this fall. Despite the court’s ruling, all nine will remain open for the entire school year. Many of the schools are seeking private funding to keep the doors open and lights on through the entire school year.
The state's charter school proposal was supported by a number of high-profile business leaders, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. That may make it easier for the schools to find the funds necessary to stay open, despite the ruling.
A legislative work group will begin meeting later this month on McCleary, the 2012 court ruling compelling the state to fully fund education which resulted in the daily fine. Inslee says he could call a special session in November to deal with basic education funding. The fines will add up to more than $10 million by then.
It's not clear, though, whether lawmakers will pay the fine. Many lawmakers say the Supreme Court overstepped its authority and could choose not to allocate money for the court-ordered penalty next session.Inslee: Saving charter schools is not a priority; focus will be on public schools - Puget Sound Business Journal:
