Digging deeper into the possibility of Charter Schools in the Tri-Cities
TRI-CITIES, Wash. -- Many suspect this is the year charter schools will be approved for Washington. Voters have rejected them in the past, despite 41other states using the system. KEPR wanted to know how the Tri-Cities would be affected if charter schools were allowed in.
Kathy White knows schools.
She tells KEPR, "I taught for 17 years and Kennewick School district, 10 years at Tri-Tech and seven at Desert Hills, and I've also served on the Kennewick School Board."
Kathy believes bringing charter schools to the Tri-Cities would be no small change.
"To leave the tried and true system and go with something completely new," she continues.
Charter schools undergo the same government oversight as traditional public schools, but are free of district management. They'd get the same amount of money per kid that public schools do.
"The charter schools would split the pot more ways," Kathy explains.
Unlike traditional schools, a charter school can make money in additional ways outside of what is given from the state. The intention of Initiative 1240 is to make schooling more competitive... raising the bar in hopes of raising test scores.
The initiative would allow up to 40 charter schools in the next five years. While most of those would be on the west side, I found out the Tri-Cities is also a target for these new schools.
Kennewick has just what charter school organizers are looking for... a high student-teacher ratio, more than half of students on free or reduced lunch programs and a median home value of 200-thousand dollars. Those factors are likely to bring a charter school here.
Any new schools could draw kids away from our current schools -- which are often overcrowded.
Kathy says, "If they'll be using our state money, they'll be taking away the chances for us to build more schools."
But even if 1240 is approved, there's still a fight to be fought.
KEPR Reporter, Melanie Tubbs asks, "If it passes, is there anything we can do in the Tri-Cities to keep charter schools out?"
"Yeah, get active. Go to school board meeting. Let your voice be heard," Kathy replies.
Staffing for management of the charter schools is also an added cost to the taxpayer. I-1240 would have a charter schools commission that would cost the state about three-million over the five years that schools would be established. If adopted, the first charter school could open next year.
Kathy White knows schools.
She tells KEPR, "I taught for 17 years and Kennewick School district, 10 years at Tri-Tech and seven at Desert Hills, and I've also served on the Kennewick School Board."
Kathy believes bringing charter schools to the Tri-Cities would be no small change.
"To leave the tried and true system and go with something completely new," she continues.
Charter schools undergo the same government oversight as traditional public schools, but are free of district management. They'd get the same amount of money per kid that public schools do.
"The charter schools would split the pot more ways," Kathy explains.
Unlike traditional schools, a charter school can make money in additional ways outside of what is given from the state. The intention of Initiative 1240 is to make schooling more competitive... raising the bar in hopes of raising test scores.
The initiative would allow up to 40 charter schools in the next five years. While most of those would be on the west side, I found out the Tri-Cities is also a target for these new schools.
Kennewick has just what charter school organizers are looking for... a high student-teacher ratio, more than half of students on free or reduced lunch programs and a median home value of 200-thousand dollars. Those factors are likely to bring a charter school here.
Any new schools could draw kids away from our current schools -- which are often overcrowded.
Kathy says, "If they'll be using our state money, they'll be taking away the chances for us to build more schools."
But even if 1240 is approved, there's still a fight to be fought.
KEPR Reporter, Melanie Tubbs asks, "If it passes, is there anything we can do in the Tri-Cities to keep charter schools out?"
"Yeah, get active. Go to school board meeting. Let your voice be heard," Kathy replies.
Staffing for management of the charter schools is also an added cost to the taxpayer. I-1240 would have a charter schools commission that would cost the state about three-million over the five years that schools would be established. If adopted, the first charter school could open next year.
Unfortunately, KEPR was not able to give a well-rounded, balanced report on charter schools. Ms. White may know public district schools yet she knows little to nothing about charter schools. Charter schools should not be seen as competition for public schools, but as partners in the crusade to find the most effective approaches to teaching our children.
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Kathy White's statement, "To leave the tried and true system and go with something completely new," is misleading at its best. The public education is anything but tried and true when the Pasco School Districts graduation rates are a dismal 76.6%. This system is failing many of our students and desperately needs to be improved upon.
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The article also falsely reports that, "They'd (charter schools) get the same amount of money per kid that public schools do." Charter schools receive an equal amount of funding from both the federal and state governments; however, charter schools receive NO money from the local property tax. This results in district schools retaining the income tax revenue while not having to educate the students attending charter schools in its boundaries.
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Charter schools also alleviate overcrowding issues (which is a prominent issue in the Tri-cities) since the schools districts are not educating as many students. Fewer students lessens the need to build additional buildings. This benefits the community as a whole since levies are less likely to be necessary and tax rates remain low. Charter schools would not "be using our state money, they'll be taking away the chances for us to build more schools" as Ms. White states, but would only benefit the local area. The students would be offered an excellent education while taking the burden of additional buildings, while raising per student revenue for the district, from the school districts and the citizens.
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I find it confusing that KEPR stated that they are balanced. I don't see balance here. At what point in this "balanced" story did they interview anyone who has worked for, or is a proponent of, charter schools? Instead, they misrepresented the facts and showed a very biased report.
Has there been any data showing that Charter Schools perform better than regular public schools? Â The way I see it parents need to start taking an active interest in the education of their children and not loading it all on the teachers. Yes there are some poor teachers, but there is a larger amount of poor students that just don't give a damn about anything but their stupid iPhones.
 @TSjew73 You may be correct in you criticism of students in secondary schools, but what about grade school students? They are, of course, the product of their home environment, and thus their efforts will be a reflection of their parents attitudes. However, that does not excuse the failure of the public school system to provide an adequate education. They claim that they don't have adequate funding, but that is an excuse that can be exposed as a sham by a simple check of the difference between the per student funds in the public schools compared to SUCCESSFUL charter schools. Since it seems that any facts are suspect, you who are honest and truly concerned for the future of our children can do the research yourself. Not all charter schools are successful, just as not all public schools are failures.  The difference is the teaching methods employed, and so far as I can tell the public schools are totally disinterested in exploring the real reason for their failure.  They are a wholly owned subsidiary of the government and unions. Charter schools are leading the way, public schools would do well to follow.
 @TSjew73 I am originally from the Tri-cities, but I am currently teaching at a charter school in Utah. The school I work for is out-performing the local school district's proficiency scores, while teaching twice the percentage of special education students and receiving less funding per student (charter schools do not receive local tax monies as the opposition would have you believe. This allows the local school district to retain more money per student when a charter school opens in the district's area.) This is the case in many charter schools in Utah.
 Also, the school that I work for is a K-8 school. My administration has had to fight for our students entering high school to be tested for appropriate placements instead of being pigeon-holed into "grade-level" classes. The local school district recently admitted that the eighth graders entering the public high schools from my school are, on average, 2 years ahead of their peers graduating from the district's jr. high schools.
 You can find data that states any side of the argument, but the bottom line is that if a school is successful, the strategies that are resulting in success should be embraced for all of our schools. Because charter schools are free of much of the bureaucracy, they are able to employ more successful approaches of education. It is unfortunate that these successes are not being employed in all schools. Our children deserve to have the best education available.
Most Charter Schools actually work with less money per student and educate students more effectively. Â Additionally they would alleviate overcrowding and class size woes, not to mention the fact that if the Charter Schools are building their own schools then it would be saving the Districts and the Tax payers from having to do it! Â Also it brings in more Jobs, helping to stimulate the Economy. Â Charter Schools have a history of better pay for teachers and are not subject to teacher strikes, so a child's education is not held hostage as it was in
Chicago just a few weeks ago! Â Washington state posts the graduation rate and test scores for each district. Check it out at www.reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us if you want to be shocked! Â We need to do better for our kids!!
Actually, there is NO public oversight with charter schools.
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According to the initiative, there would be a politically appointed Charter Commission board. The appointments would be made by the Governor and only the Governor oversees this commission. This in itself is concerning because just how much time does a Governor have to oversee the nuts and bolts of any aspect of a state government?
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The commission, per the initiative, is to be made up of pro-charter individuals.
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The Charter School Commission approves "authorizers" for 6 year terms. The authorizers then go about "authorizing" charter schools. The authorizer, per this initiative, can turn their responsibilities over to a third party without being reviewed by the charter school commission.
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This initiative locks out ANY public oversight or input on a local level.
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Also, because the charter school is free of local and state regulations, parents and their students would have little recourse if the student was suspended or unfairly treated by the charter school.
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For more information on charter schools and this initiative, see seattleducation2010.wordpress.com.
@dora Unlike the local public school, students are not required by law to attend a charter school. If the parents feel they have been treated unfairly they are free to move their child to another school; even to return to the public school forum. Incidentally, no charter school employee should have to put up with bad behavior from students or their parents, either.  Obviously, there will be people involved, and people come in a variety of personalities.
   As for the authorizing process and oversight, the system may not be perfect, but it is a good start. And we all realize that what we have been dealing with in the public school system must not continue. Washington is not out in front blazing a new trail alone. Washington will benefit from the experience of the forty-one (41) other states who have successful charter schools.  A person who is really concerned about the students of today, who will be the citizens of tomorrow, will have an open mind and look for the truth, What I hear from far too many people indicates bias and possible gain at the expense of the good of those whose interests they should be protecting.Â
Will you have to speak english to get into a charter school?Â