Backers are eager to get charter schools off ground

By Linda Shaw
Seattle Times staff reporter

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At Seattle's Daybreak Star Cultural Center yesterday, representatives from a diverse group of organizations gathered to talk about their excitement in the kind of charter schools envisioned in a bill passed by legislators.

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation is already working on an idea for a middle school it hopes will help keep more Native American youth in school. The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle is interested in seeing a charter high school in Seattle to serve many African-American students, although the effort probably would be led by another group.

Legislators passed House Bill 2295 Wednesday, and Gov. Gary Locke has yet to sign it.

But the fact that Washington is poised to become the 41st state to allow charter schools generated lots of talk, some about their possible drawbacks but also about their possibilities, especially for low-income and low-achieving students targeted by the bill.

The ideas — most in the early stages of discussion — include the middle-school proposal that United Indians is starting to put together and expects to complete over the next year.

It's possible that the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), a national network of rigorous charter middle schools, will be interested in opening a school here.

KIPP schools which serve low-income neighborhoods have been heralded for their success. For example, a KIPP school in the Bronx in New York City ranks in the top 10 percent of all that city's elementary and middle schools in math and reading achievement.

It also seems almost certain that the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the largest supporter of charter schools across the nation, will also back them in its home state.

To date, the foundation has invested $134 million in charter-school efforts across the nation, said spokeswoman Marie Groark.

Charter opponents yesterday continued to express dismay that Washington may soon have such semi-autonomous public schools — schools that receive largely the same state and federal dollars as other public schools but are run by private, nonprofit groups.
 
How charter schools work

Charters are usually schools created by a group of parents, teachers or others who band together with a common idea.

There are nearly 3,000 of them across the nation, and they vary from state to state. Generally, however, they operate under a contract or "charter" with a school district or other approved sponsor. In Washington, charter schools can only be sponsored by a school district or the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The charter outlines the school's plans and responsibilities. If the school doesn't live up to the charter, it can be closed. In return, charter schools are free from most of the regulations governing other public schools, including the length of the school day, the type of curriculum and who gets hired.

Critics say charter schools divert attention and resources away from existing public schools, which already lack sufficient support to do what they're asked. Another criticism is that charter schools' track record doesn't demonstrate that they're an improvement on what's already available.

"It isn't enough to have sporadic improvement or only a few schools raising achievement," said Seattle School Board member Darlene Flynn. "You can't just have a blip here and a blip there. And that is the best that charter schools have to offer."

The Seattle School Board has already voted on a proposal opposing charters.

Holding out hope

Some of those at Daybreak Center yesterday, including Urban League President James Kelly, hope the board members might change their minds. Kelly, who also serves on the state's education accountability commission, said he'll "ask and plead" that board members "keep an open heart and mind."

But he also stressed that although he sees charter schools as an important education tool, he also doesn't want to overlook larger education issues, especially ensuring that all students get a quality education.

It takes money to start a charter school, but help soon may be available. Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson has applied for $5 million in federal funds aimed at helping charters get started. If the state gets that grant, charter hopefuls could get money to aid them in developing their proposals, and in getting their schools off the ground.

The Daybreak Center press conference also included representatives from Antioch University, which is coordinating the creation of about eight new schools, funded in part by the Gates Foundation. They are designed for Native American students to get a high-school diploma and a two-year college degree at the same time.

The Antioch representative said they hope the charter law will help spawn other such efforts.

"I know there's a lot of excitement in Indian country about this news," said Keith Egawa, an Antioch staffer and a member of the Lummi Tribe.

Times reporter Sanjay Bhatt contributed to this report.

Linda Shaw: 206-464-2359 or lshaw@seattletimes.com.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company