Washington Education Association to join challenge to new charter school law in court
SEATTLE -- The Washington Education Association Board of Directors has voted to join a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Washington’s new charter school law, the association announced Thursday.
The Legislature last month passed a measure to fund charter schools in response to a state Supreme Court decision last September that the state's original charter school law adopted by voters in 2012 was unconstitutional. The court took issue with the way the schools were funded and managed.
Gov. Jay Inslee decided to let the Legislature's new charter school fix become law without his signature. He said he couldn't sign it because he had "deep reservations" about it. At the same time, he said, he did not want to force the closure of Washington's eight charter schools.
In a letter to Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Inslee said, "I remain deeply concerned about the public accountability and oversight provisions of this bill. At its foundation, our public school system relies upon locally elected boards to oversee the expenditures of taxpayer money. This bill provides an option for similar oversight, but would ultimately allow unelected boards to make decisions about how to spend public money. I can think of no other situation where the Legislature or the people would condone that, especially when we are fighting to meet the needs of the almost one million children in our public schools.
"Despite my deep reservations about the weakness of the taxpayer accountability provisions, I will not close schools," Inslee said.
According to The Associated Press, Inslee's decision announced on April 1 was the first time a Washington governor has let a bill become law without his signature since 1981.
On Thursday, the WEA said it is joining with a coalition of public school educators, administrators and labor unions whose members believe the new law does not adequately address two fundamental constitutional flaws in the original charter law, which was overturned by the Washington Supreme Court:
“This law still does not meet our state’s rigorous standards for funding, accountability or public education. It shortchanges the more than one million public school students who are still waiting for the state to meet its constitutional obligation to them and their education,” said Washington Education Association President Kim Mead.
Plaintiffs include:
It could take up to two months to prepare the suit before filing in court, the WEA said.