AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
PRESS RELEASE 616#
WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT :
CHARTER SCHOOLS DO NOT QUALIFY AS COMMON” SCHOOLS
AND
CANNOT RECEIVE PUBLIC FUNDING
Australia should learn from the American Charter School fiasco.
Charter Schools are not Public Schools and should not receive Public Funding.
In a 6-3 decision, the Washington Supreme Court found "significant portions" of voter-approved Initiative 1240, the Charter School Act, unconstitutional.The high court said that charter schools do not qualify as "common" schools and cannot receive public funding.
In the lead opinion, Chief Justice Barbara Madsen said the case wasn't about the merits of charter schools, simply whether they were eligible. Citing state Supreme Court precedent from 1909, she said they are not, because they are not under the control of local voters.
A coalition of groups, including the state teachers union, a group of Washington school administrators and the League of Women Voters, sued the state in 2013 to stop the new charter system, adopted by voters in 2012.
Last year, Washington state had one charter school. This year, nine charter schools are scheduled to open their doors across the state But, according to KIRO Newsagency, every public charter school planned to be open on Tuesday, September 8.
The president of the Washington Education Association Kim Mead said .
"The Supreme Court has affirmed what we’ve said all along – charter schools steal money from our existing classrooms, and voters have no say in how these charter schools spend taxpayer funding," Mead said the court ruling is "another reminder of the state Legislature’s failure to fully fund basic education as required by the state Constitution."
The Supreme Court is currently fining the Legislature $100,000 a day for failing to develop a plan for fully funding K-12 education as required by the court’s McCleary decision.
"Instead of diverting taxpayer dollars to unaccountable charter schools, it’s time for the Legislature to fully fund K-12 public schools so that all of Washington’s children get the quality education the Constitution guarantees them."
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/washington-supreme-court-rules-voter-approved-char/nnYhC/
DOGS AGREE:
AUSTRALIA CAN LEARN FROM THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE AND
REJECT ANY CHARTER SYSTEM PROPOSAL FROM A PRO-PRIVATE SCHOOL
GOVERNMENT.
Also see David Zyngier on Charter schools at http://aare.edu.au/blog/?p-1220
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