Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn recently issued 119 pages of administrative rules on public charter schools and the families that support them. Presumably hoping to draw as little attention as possible, Dorn – a very vocal charter schools opponent – posted the notice on an obscure website and scheduled a hearing the day after Memorial Day weekend.
According to the Washington Policy Center, Dorn “targets families at nine new charter schools set to open this fall in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Highline, and Kent.” Dorn’s new rules will, inevitably, hurt families currently relying on charter schools and “those that will eventually attend up to 31 other charter schools in the future.” The Washington Policy Center,
“The Dorn Rules would cut funding to charter schools (WAC 392-121-299) compared to what is provided under the charter school law (RCW 28A.710.220(2)), impose hiring quotas, (WAC 392-127-004 and 006), reject their budgets (WAC 392-123-0795 and 080 and 095), restrict how they serve special education children, transitional bilingual children, and other categorical program funds (WAC 392-122-910), and limit the types of bonuses they provide their teachers (WAC 392-140-973 and 974).”
Why is Dorn, a former Democrat state representative, so actively working to hurt the future of charter schools in Washington State? The Washington Policy Center explains,
“Superintendent Dorn is well known for his opposition to letting families access charter schools. In 2012 he fought passage of the state’s break-through charter school law, lending his name to the “No on Initiative 1240” campaign.
“As a top defender of the traditional public school monopoly, Superintendent Dorn seems to view charter school parents as a threat. He certainly represents the status quo, and he now appears to be working to weaken the growing popularity of these new public schools in Washington.”
Dorn would like nothing more than to have his charter school restrictions approved by this Friday, May 29th. Sadly, as the Washington Policy Center points out, the quick turnaround would block families from participating in charter schools, a reform that took years to pass, within a matter of weeks.
Considering the limited nature of the school superintendent’s office, Dorn’s new regulations raises legitimate concerns over whether or not he is overreaching his power. The Washington Policy Center,
“The Dorn Rules also represent a significant power grab by a state regulatory agency. Superintendent Dorn says his supervisory role over public schools should give him the power to impose cuts and restrictions on charter schools and the families they serve. This is not true, however. As state superintendent his power is limited. He is supposed to fairly deliver state and federal funds to school districts and to charter schools according to the law, and to report on how well Washington children are learning. The Dorn Rules go far beyond what the law allows, and deny basic educational rights to children who attend charter schools.
“An accurate reading of the statute shows Superintendent Dorn is misusing his regulatory power to prevent parents from choosing an authentic charter public school for their children. The obvious purpose of the Dorn Rules is to force innovative charter schools to conform to the traditional and restricted public school model, which are exactly the kind of school from which so many Washington families are trying to escape.”
Dorn’s new regulatory rules are sure to face significant opposition. Shift will keep readers updated on this story as new details develop.
What to do when you’re a liberal that doesn’t like voter approved charter schools? Quietly regulate them to death.
Dorn is a Liberal Democratic Hack.