Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed
Opening and running a charter school isn’t for the faint of heart, but in Washington their ranks will grow this year with three more starting up in the fall. Eight are already running – six under state supervision in King and Pierce counties, and two under the Spokane School District’s purview. The kicker? More operator applicants may enter the pipeline, even as a second legal challenge to Washington charters unfolds in the courts.
March 31 Deadline
This week and next in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington, potential new applicants to run state-authorized charter schools are meeting with officials to boost their odds for success. Under the state’s timeline, notices of intent to file a 2017 application are due February 17. The applications are required by March 31. The State Charter School Commission, which reports to Governor Jay Inslee, will decide at a June 29 meeting which applications to accept.
The Spokane District does not expect new applicants this year due to a pending lawsuit against charters statewide, said board president Deanna Brower.
State law authorizes 40 charter schools. The first eight came from a pool that included 26 applicants to the state between 2013 and 2015, and an additional three to Spokane.
One possible application this year stems from Cascade Micro Schools, a Sammamish-based non-profit led by Christine Wright, a former teacher in Issaquah, Seattle and The Bronx. She also served as a founding lead teacher for the charter school organization KIPP, in New Jersey, and as a Teach For America corps member. Cascade’s niche is small K-5 schools that prepare students for demanding middle school and high school courses, and then competitive colleges and rewarding careers.
Cascade is merging into a new non-profit, Impact Public Schools. It includes in its Third Wave Of Washington Charter Schools Eyed - Lens:
