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Home / Washington Business - January/February 2004 / PRO-CON: It's Time to Give Charters a Chance |
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PRO-CON: It's Time to Give Charters a Chance |
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Written On: January/February 2004 |
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Written By: Sen. Stephen Johnson (R - Kent) |
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Sen. Stephen Johnson is chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Johnson represents the 47th District which includes Kent, Covington and parts of Auburn and Black Diamond.
One of the increasing complaints we’ve heard from businesses over the past few years is the lack of a trained and educated workforce. While Washington continues to boast many of the top higher education programs in the world, the fact remains that too many of our students are slipping through the cracks of the K-12 system. Many of these students fail to graduate from high school, and never further their education or earning potential – only 66 percent of incoming high school freshman graduate from high school in Washington state.
It’s another reason it’s time to give charter schools a chance in Washington state.
Charter public schools are funded by state and federal money, but operate without many of the rules and regulations required of regular public schools. Charter schools are required to hire certificated staff, and charter school students take standardized tests, just like other public schools. But with more freedom charter schools are able to have longer school days, Saturday school days, or specialized curriculum or programs. These schools are free for any child in a school district to attend, on a first come, first served basis. Since their inception 10 years ago, charter schools in 40 other states have been catching our children who are slipping through the cracks.
While this may seem like a substantial change to Washington’s education system, there’s a reason that 3,000 charter schools across the country have over one million students – charter schools work.
A July 2003 study by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research showed that charter school students in Texas who started at the 50th percentile in math and reading showed 7 to 8 percent improvement in a single year. In Florida, similar students saw a gain of 6 percent.
While it is clear that some communities favor charter schools and others do not, the genius of this legislation is that it is permissive. Those who prefer the status quo are free to stay with that, while districts that are more innovative may elect to authorize new charter schools or convert existing schools in the district.
The optional nature should make charter schools an easy choice for the state Legislature. Another vital point is the availability of federal and foundation monies to cover start up costs for these schools. Other states are already taking advantage of this fact, bringing millions in education dollars into their states because they allow charter schools. Without passing enacting legislation, Washington continues to be on the outside looking in regarding this funding.
Another argument you’ll often hear from charter detractors is that charter schools “skim off” the best students from public schools. Research shows this isn’t the case. In Washington, the most interest in charter schools has come from parents in our larger urban cities like Seattle and Tacoma – places where inner-city youth aren’t responding to the learning system of the public schools. These are the places where a charter school’s focused approach to learning can best serve students who aren’t responding to a traditional education.
And don’t just take my word for this. Charter schools were supported last session by Gov. Gary Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, the State Board of Education, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Paul Hill of the UW’s Evans school of Public Affairs and James Kelly of the Urban League. Additionally, virtually every daily paper in Washington state editorialized in favor of the authorization of public schools.
We are increasingly hearing stories of how our education system is failing our children. And we’re hearing from those in the education community how they need more money to fix the problems. Charter schools, which would have been a $2 million blip on an over $10 billion K-12 budget in Washington, is an option whose time has come.
This investment could result in high yield returns for Washington’s workforce. It’s time to give charters a chance.
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