State superintendent supports motion to reconsider charter school decision

For the Reporter

Randy Dorn, state superintendent of public schools, issued a statement Sept. 25 in support of state Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s motion for reconsideration asking the state Supreme Court to re-examine its recent ruling declaring charter schools unconstitutional.

Excel Public Charter School opened in August in Kent, one of eight charter schools that opened this year in the state. The first charter school opened last year in Seattle.

Washington voters approved Initiative 1240 in 2012, allowing the creation of up to 40 public charter schools. In 2013, a group of plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging the initiative. As part of its duty to uphold the will of the people, the Attorney General’s office defended the initiative in court. On Sept. 4, the state Supreme Court struck down the initiative in a 6-3 decision. The attorney general had 20 days to file a motion for reconsideration, asking the court to review its decision in whole or in part. Ferguson filed the motion Sept. 24.

“As state superintendent, my responsibility is the education of our students,” Dorn said in his statement. “That includes charter school students. Whether you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling, one thing is clear: The nearly 1,300 students now attending charter schools must be protected. Their education is as important as the other 1.07 million public school students.

“That’s why I strongly support the attorney general’s call to push back the timing of the final order in the League of Women voters lawsuit—or as the lawyers put it, ‘stay the mandate’ —until the end of the school year. Interrupting the charter school students’ education could have a number of potentially harmful effects. The students themselves would be forced to leave their schools—and teachers, mentors and friends—and begin school in an entirely new place. That could hurt not only the students’ education, but also their social and emotional health. For some at-risk students—such as those who are homeless or live in poverty—the transition would be especially difficult.

“The stay is crucial for a second reason. Transferring charter school students into public schools could place large burdens on the public schools. As one example, Lincoln High School in Tacoma could receive an additional 60 students if the Summit Olympus: Tacoma charter school closes. That requires additional staff for Lincoln, and possibly adjustments to classrooms and schedules—again, all during the school year.

“Also important is the motion for reconsideration. The court’s ruling raises funding and governance issues. Does the ruling affect funding for Running Start? Does it affect control of tribal schools? Gaining clarity on those issues is essential if our public school system is to function efficiently.

“I thank the attorney general for the filings. The courts are examining a lot of complex issues. I want to make sure, though, that grownup problems don’t become our children’s problems.”