Teachers sue to stop charter schools



King County -- Charter schools are planning to open their doors in 2014... but not if The Washington Education Association can help it.   The powerful teacher's union has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the initiative that established charter schools.

The lawsuit claims that the initiative violates the constitution in more than half a dozen ways, including that it "diverts funds to schools that are not under local voter control, impedes the State’s constitutional obligation to amply provide for and fully fund K-12 public education. and improperly delegates educational responsibilities to private organizations."

WEA lawyers were joined in the suit by leaders from anti-charter groups, including Washington Association of School Administrators, the League of Women Voters, and El Centro de la Raza.

They all lobbied unsuccessfully to derail the charter school initiative last fall, but voters approved it by more than a 50% margin.