Message from the Commissioners
2024 marks a decade anniversary for the charter public school sector in Washington State. Charter public schools are tuition-free, open to all, non-sectarian public schools. Charter public schools are located across the state and 15 of the 17 total are authorized by the Commission. As of June 2024, charter public schools were serving nearly 4,700 students.
The Washington State Charter School Commission is committed to deliberate listening, introspection, and evaluation to strengthen the work of the agency and delivery of its mission. This Strategic Plan is directly informed by the insights and expectations of those who we serve — families of charter public school students, the professional educators and administrators who operate charter public schools, and advocates of equitable education for all public-school students. Formed to oversee qualified non-profits who wish to open a charter public school, the Commission also upholds its part of a rigorous system of accountability that ensures charter public schools meet the requirements of their charters, Washington state law, and the expectations of taxpayers and charter public school families.
This Strategic Plan sets the Commission’s vision and values, which are grounded in our Educational Equity
Policy. The Strategic Plan specifies the goals and strategies that will chart the course of the Commission’s work over the next three years. To develop the strategic direction and the work plan for Commission staff that comprise the heart of this plan, the Commission appointed a Strategic Planning Advisory Committee composed of four Commissioners to guide the work. This committee worked with an organizational development consultant to conduct engagement through focus groups, interviews, and surveys of people involved in charter public schools in Washington, including school leaders, board members, families, students, partner organizations, Commissioners and Commission staff. Together, we analyzed the findings, identified challenges, opportunities, and developed the goals and strategies for this plan.
In the weeks and months ahead, the Commission will implement the recommendations and associated actions from the plan and following the stress test of daily operations, will address any area of focus that needs to be adjusted to serve its purpose and the sector. At the heart of this work is unwavering
commitment to a diversity of Washington State students who deserve educational equity from which they and all communities will benefit.
The Commission is confident that ongoing student success will be a reminder that charter public schools are a public-school option that is invaluable for many and will seek ways in which this regulatory agency can do its part in empowering charter public schools where students thrive.
We are grateful for the time and effort of community members that participated in the development of
this Strategic Plan and are optimistic about and committed to the promise of our state’s charter public school students.
Vision, Mission, Core Values
Vision
Students across Washington state have equitable access to innovative learning opportunities that lead to educational success in the charter public school ecosystem.
Mission
The Washington State Charter School Commission is established as an independent state agency whose mission is to;
- Authorize high quality charter public schools throughout the state, especially schools that are designed to expand opportunities for at-risk students.
- Ensure the highest standards of accountability and oversight for these schools.
- Hold charter public school boards accountable for: Ensuring that students at charter public schools have opportunities for academic success; and exercising effective educational, operational, and financial oversight of charter public schools.
Core Values
- Equity: The structural, cultural, and relational barriers embedded in the public education system must be recognized and dismantled.
- Innovation: Inspire new and emerging educational practices, perspectives, and experiences that create compelling opportunities for student success.
- Accountability: Intentional, responsible stewardship of resources and services that create and sustain a healthy, connected charter public school sector for all students.
Equity Statement
The Commission is committed to closing opportunity gaps between the state’s most and least privileged
groups of students within the educational system. We have a moral and legal obligation to cultivate
charter public schools where socio-economic status and protected groups status such as race, gender,
language, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability cease to be a predictor of academic and life
outcomes. Educational equity benefits all students and our entire community. This language is from the Commission’s adopted Equity Policy.
Commitment
With the implementation of this policy, the Commission will:
- Only approve charter public schools designed to mitigate systemic barriers to improve access to students while demonstrating a financial and organizational model that maintains the school’s financial viability and compliance with all legal requirements.
- Renew charter public schools whose outcomes demonstrate increased student academic opportunity gap while demonstrating financial viability and legal compliance.
- Raise the achievement of all students in charter public schools while eliminating the predictability of student academic outcomes based on identities such as race, gender, language, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, socio-economic status and other protected group status.
- Identify and eliminate systemic barriers to improve access for students.
- Use equity in all decision-making.
- Advocate for equitable funding for all charter public schools at the state and philanthropic levels.
- Annually review and adopt the Educational Equity Policy.
Goals
Measuring Success
Commitment to Accountability
The Commission demonstrates accountability by applying the high standards it expects from charter schools to its own operations. Through a strategic learning culture, clear performance metrics, regular assessments, and open communication, it continuously improves, stays responsive to emerging challenges, and reinforces its leadership and credibility in the charter public school sector.
Data-Driven Practices
The Commission uses established frameworks, tools, and processes—including performance frameworks, school reviews, board meetings, visits, and feedback mechanisms—to monitor and evaluate charter schools. This data-driven approach promotes transparency, continuous improvement, and responsiveness, helping the Commission maintain high standards while adapting to the evolving needs of the charter public school sector.