Dear friends and neighbors,
It is an honor to be back in Olympia representing your values in the 2016 legislative session. As always, my overriding responsibility is to you, the residents of the 5th Legislative District. When it comes to my job, your needs will always come before anything else, especially partisan politics.
Charter school families deserve certainty
Late last year, the state Supreme Court struck down Initiative 1240, the Charter School Act that was passed by voters in 2012. Regardless of how you voted on charter schools, we can all agree that you shouldn’t shut down a school that is loved by students and parents. That’s why I co-sponsored bipartisan legislation (SB 6194) to keep charter schools open.
I believe we have an obligation to the more than 1,200 children attending charter schools to allow them to stay at the schools they have come to depend on to meet their educational needs.
During a recent committee hearing on charter schools, I was struck by a mother who said she sends one of her children to a charter school and her other children to a public school. For me, this drove home the idea that charter schools offer parents flexibility to choose what works best for each of their children.
I am one of only two Democrats who have signed onto this bill. The reason is simple: The 5th Legislative District approved the charter school initiative and it’s my job to do whatever I can to keep them open and honor your vote.
Stay tuned
Thanks for taking the time to read my e-newsletter. Next week’s enews will cover teacher retention and what we can do to attract more job seekers to the teaching profession.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. The better I know your needs and concerns, the better I can represent your interests.
Best regards,
