Local Control of Schools

THE SHOEBOX CONSTITUTION? By Charlotte Iserbyt, September 12, 2015 NewsWithViews.com

There has been much coverage regarding the recent Washington State Supreme Court declaring Charter Schools unconstitutional.

The crux of the ruling is centered upon upholding a taxpayer’ right to vote and maintain local accountability. The Court disallowed Charters as they deemed them unconstitutional taxation without representation. Isn’t that why we fought the Revolutionary War? Charter schools have appointed boards while using taxpayer money, but the tax payer has no say in how the money is to be spent. The Court said: “But the new schools came with a trade-off: the loss of local control and local accountability”

It appears that certain conservative think tanks, editors, and organizations, do not agree with the Washington State ruling. For instance, The American Enterprise Institute (AIE) has this to say about the ruling:

“This interpretation matters to our very ideals about civil society. Any decision by state officials that erodes the public nature of charter schools because they fail to fit inside a shoebox definition of a “local, free school” usurps our right to access a diverse set of learning options.” Should “diversity” and “opinions” trump a state’s Constitution Laws?

The AIE then makes many other elaborate arguments, at the above site, as to why the Court decision is wrong. But, they never point out that voters lose their right to vote. It seems to appear that they would prefer to support the “ambitions” of those who promote “Choice” and “Charters”… you know… Bill Gates, the Walton Foundation, Tom Vander Ark, Arne Duncan and Barrack Obama, Jeb Bush, the Koch Brothers, Heritage Foundation, the privatizers, etc. rather than protect the “rights” of American citizen’s to vote.

Others in the conservative movement cited the fact that Washington State voted and passed a Charter initiative in 2012. An article regarding this issue posted in the Daily Caller cited that the Charter initiative, I-1240 was passed by a narrow 1% vote and legalized Charter Schools in Washington State. The Court responded to this Charter initiative accordingly:

“In sum, the Charter School Act violates article IX, section 2 [of the Washington State Constitution] because charter schools are not common schools despite the Act’s attempt to so designate them. The Act’s designated funding mechanisms fail, and these provisions are not severable for the remainder of the Charter School Act…”

The American Enterprise Institute appears to have a remedy for the Supreme Court ruling:

“Washingtonians’ demand for parental choice is tenacious. If history holds true, families and taxpayers will take this decision back to where it belongs: to the people.”

Isn’t that interesting.  In other words the AEI suggests that the issue go back to the people so that they can vote to eliminate their right to vote. Would such reasoning be the result of the elimination of Formal Logic in schools some time ago; and, could such reasoning qualify one to become.

© 2015 Charlotte T. Iserbyt - All Rights Reserved