School choice does exist — for middle- and upper-income families. If these families don’t like the schools where they live, they move to an area with schools they feel are satisfactory or put their kids in private schools, as the Obama family does. Low-income families do not have this opportunity in Washington state.
Just because many of our poorest citizens have little education themselves doesn’t mean they have little interest in their children’s education. Charter schools will provide the opportunity to give these parents greater control in their children’s schooling. If education provides a path from poverty, we have to vote to give them the opportunity to move up.
There may be arguments as to the success of charter schools, but the noneducation of low-income families is public education’s most devastating failure and is inarguable.
Vote “yes” on Initiative 1240.
Greg Zilker
Brush Prairie
