Does Anyone at OSPI Care about Appearances?
Apparently not, at least when it comes to charter schools. My second batch of public disclosure e-mails raises more troubling questions.
In my first batch, I explained how a couple of other districts' lawyers were worried about running afoul of state law in signing interlocal documents to allow students within their district borders to have an ALE with Mary Walker School District.
This batch reveals more concerns from other people. Among them was the overarching role of Washington State Charter Schools Association.
Who are they?
WSCSA is a non-profit that supports and provides services to Washington state charter schools who are members. Their funders are the Gates Foundation and others but they don’t reveal that at their website. Members of their Board include two people from LEV, one from DFER, one from Washington Roundtable and Jim Spady who actually started the whole charter school movement in Washington State.
Under Policy and Advocacy
Providing guidance to the Washington State Charter School Commission, the Washington State Board of Education, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Based on what? Not one person on that board seems to be a charter expert (at least hands-on.) Why would the Charter Commission, the BOE or OSPI turn to them for “guidance?” They are basically a charter cheerleader group that has data on its members.
The Charter Commission hired the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools for guidance and at least that group seems to have experts. But again, they, too, are a non-profit that sprang up to support charters and among their funders are the Broad Foundation, Gates Foundation and the Walton Foundation. (At least they have the grace Seattle Schools Community Forum: Does Anyone at OSPI Care about Appearances?: