The Ferndale School Board unanimously approved a resolution opposing the state charter school initiative at its meeting Thursday, Oct. 25.
If approved by Washington state voters, Initiative 1240 would allow for the creation of up to 40 charter school over the next five years. Though board members said they weren’t opposed to charter schools themselves, they were concerned about accountability and the schools’ exemption from some state rules under the initiative.
Here’s part of the board’s statement:
“Ferndale School Board members believe the establishment of charter schools under this initiative would not address the needs of our most vulnerable populations and would present an uneven “playing field” for educating our state’s children. Many studies show that charter schools do not perform better than traditional public schools, which has long been the argument of charter school proponents.”
What do you think about the board coming out against the charter schools initiative?
This seems like a short-sighted approach considering the Ferndale School District is planning to close an elementary school at the end of the year. It hardly makes sense to oppose public charters, just so the district can maintain vacant schools at taxpayer expense. Why not support the Mountain View community, and convert the building to a public charter school instead?
You know the deaf, dumb and blind, thery don’t like Brown v. Board of Education either, but of course that one little schools, missing school bus route confuse very few, unless you educated like the Ferndale School Board.
Charter schools give families a choice to give their children better educational opportunity. Why in the world do you think so many families have resorted to HOME SCHOOLING? Overly crowded classrooms, lack of control of the bullying and a lower quality education does not help America’s future, the youth, become well prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. Charter schools have, and continue to, produce improved results for students. Yes, there IS accountability and it is much more reliable than in the public education system. The teacher’s unions have destroyed public education rather than improving it.
Charter schools are the first step in privatizing American education. There’s billions to be made in running charter schools, even though the initial agency that applies has to be a non-profit.
One the whole, charter schools have not delivered on their potential with 46% being no better and no worse than traditional schools and 37% being worse.
We wouldn’t even be discussing this, if a dozen or so millionaire/billionaire philanthropists hadn’t bought the petitions with huge donations and now funding the campaign.
There’s nothing grass roots about this, it’s a business venture in support of entrepreneurs who want to sell school management services and school/education products to charter schools.
As a Ferndale resident living in the Mountain View Elementary School community, I oppose the very thought of charter schools, but I also oppose funding anymore levies for the morally corrupt Ferndale School District. When we fought for Mt View, they ignored us. So now, we will ignore them. They chose to build that montrosity of a school they call Cascadia within walking distance of two other elementary schools, and are going to crowd the two middle schools by adding 6th graders into the fray next year.
However, that being said, charter schools? No way. The FSD blew it by spending levy monies on a poorly constructed elementary school when those monies should have fixed Custer or N Bellingham. I’m not wanting to pay MORE taxes for special schools. No way.
Fix North Bellingham Elementary! Cascadia should not have been built! Who condemned it in the first place! Why wasn’t it maintained property.?
There are alot of people upset with the Ferndale school district over North Bellingham Elementary! When are they going to do something!
Oh my, the architect who wanted to build the new school did the evaluation on the main building at North Bellingham! Is that legal? The school board just continues to ignore the Mountain view parents also! They should be voted out in the next election! I hope Moutain view doesn’t become a charter school!
Then use your power as a registered voter to DENY the schools the levies they keep insisting on. That’s the only way you will get your point across.
Wow, can the Ferndale school board be trusted at all for anything, Ferndale resident? I wonder if the ESD knows what has been going on up here? How are they going to pass levies and bonds in the future if they never listen to the parents and community? Maybe people should move out of the district!