We all know improving our schools is one of the most important things we can do for the children of Washington. To ensure that all our kids have the best shot at success, we must support our public schools, the cornerstone of our democracy.

Voters in Washington passed initiatives to fund two widely recognized education solutions: smaller class sizes and cost-of-living increases for educators to ensure there is a well-qualified educator in every classroom. Instead of fully funding these voter-approved initiatives, the Legislature passed a charter school bill. They should have fulfilled their commitment to the voters and fully funded our public schools, not voted to divert money to fund unproven charter schools.

Charter schools initiatives were soundly defeated in Washington twice before. To stop the Legislature from cutting voters out of the process, more than 150,000 citizens signed a petition to place this flawed legislation on the November ballot as Referendum 55. A vote to reject Referendum 55 will reject charter schools, again.

Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars but, unlike existing public schools, they are not accountable to the taxpayers that fund them. Instead, they are governed by privately appointed boards and are exempt from many regulations that public schools follow. And, charter schools will drain more than $100 million in the coming years from existing public schools and weaken public education for the vast majority of our kids.

Although charter schools have been in existence in different parts of the country for a little over a decade, they have not reduced the achievement gap or demonstrated significant progress for the educationally disadvantaged students they purport to serve.

In fact, the bill passed by the Legislature does not require charter schools to serve educationally disadvantaged students. Nor would charter schools be required to provide transportation or a lunch program, two services that many educationally disadvantaged students need.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education show that across the nation, charter school students score worse in reading and math than their public school counterparts. And all over the country, charter schools have been plagued by fiscal mismanagement. In August, a California charter school operator suddenly closed the doors of 60 schools, leaving 10,000 students without a classroom weeks before the start of the school year. Just last week, two more charter schools in California were closed by education officials citing financial concerns. Our children’s education is too important to leave in the hands of an unproven system.

Washington’s public schools are improving. Information from Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) shows increased WASL scores and decreased dropout rates. Charter school supporters say that 30 percent of Washington students drop out and nearly 50 percent of “minority” students drop out. But that’s just not true. The 2002-03 figures from OSPI show only 6.7% of students drop out! Their inflated numbers include students who transfer and graduate from another school and students who earn a GED.

They want voters to believe that public schools are failing our students. But, as educators, we know our schools are improving and we see alternative schools reaching out to kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Alternative schools like Sequoia High School, the Lively Environmental Center, the Sno-Isle Skills Center, the Freshman Academy and the Stillaguamish Valley School have been around for years. Like other public schools, they will continue to thrive if they are provided funding for smaller class sizes and a qualified educator in every classroom. Unlike charter schools, these alternative schools are accountable to elected school boards and follow all state rules and regulations.

We must ensure that all of our kids have the best possible opportunity for success. We can do this by voting to reject charter schools once and for all. Join the League of Women Voters of Washington, the Washington Education Association, the American Association of University Women of Washington, Lake Stevens School Board member Janice Thompson, Lake Stevens Superintendent David Burgess, and thousands of educators, parents and concerned citizens and vote to reject R-55.

Linda Byrnes is superintendent of the Arlington School District and a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington School Administrators-PAC. Carol Whitehead is superintendent of Everett Public Schools and president-elect of the Washington Association of School Administrators.