Charter schools deserve equitable funding
Tatiana Epanchin and Amanda Gardener
Your turn
We are leaders at three Puget Sound charter public school networks. Charter schools are a type of public school that are non-profit, publicly funded, staffed by certified teachers, and held accountable to state and national standards. In exchange for higher levels of accountability, our schools have more flexibility than traditional public schools to take creative approaches, personalize learning, and give students from all backgrounds the chance to go to a great school that works for them.
Our schools are designed to disrupt cycles of poverty and injustice. They are free, open to all, and focus on serving limited-income families and Global Majority students (i.e., Black, Brown, Indigenous, and students of color). In fact, Washington’s charter school law prioritizes schools designed to expand opportunities for systemically underserved students, and our student demographics show that we are