September 25, 2015
Kara Kerwin, president of The Center for Education Reform (CER), issued the following statement on the Washington State Attorney General filing a motion for the State Supreme Court to reconsider the unconstitutional charter school ruling late yesterday:
“Attorney General Bob Ferguson is absolutely right in questioning the State Supreme Court’s ruling of charter schools unconstitutional. He’s standing up for children and parents who have been stripped of a voice in this ruling, considering that Washington voters by a majority voted for parent power.”
BACKGROUND: On Friday, September 4, 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled charter schools unconstitutional on the basis that public charter schools are not “common schools” because they are not overseen by local school boards, and thus cannot receive public funds. In 2012, Washington voters approved charter schools, making their charter school law the 43rd charter school law in 42 states plus the District of Columbia.