Washington, D.C. – Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released the following statement on the announcement of the proposed charter public school legislation by Sen. Steve Litzow (R - Mercer Island), Joe Fain, (R - Auburn), Mark Mullet (D - Issaquah) and Steve Hobbs (D - Lake Stevens).
“We applaud this bipartisan group of legislators for stepping forward to fight for Washington’s children. Their proposed legislation restores much of the policy encompassed by the charter public school law passed by ballot initiative 1240 in 2012, along with some critical updates in funding. Importantly, the legislation reflects the will of the voters by maintaining an independent statewide authorizer to ensure that families in all communities may be served by high-quality charter public schools.
“We are also very pleased to see legislators from both sides of the aisle come together to find a solution that will allow parents in the state to choose a public school that best fits the needs of their children.
“We urge legislators to make this bill a priority this session and keep charter public schools open in Washington State.”