Washington Gov. Gary Locke yesterday signed into law a number of education bills, including HB 2295 which authorizes the creation of a limited number of charter schools.

The next step is for charter school developers to organize and submit applications to their local school boards. Here in Seattle there is a demonstrated need for alternatively managed public schools, so I expect a few charter applicants will appear in the months ahead. The Seattle School Board has already dug in its heels against charter schools, partly with the excuse that offering independent schools would somehow distract the School District from the fight to "overcome institutionalized racism in our schools and in our communities".

Among the community organizations that have announced their intentions to help establish charter schools is the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. It will be interesting to watch as the Seattle School Board's charter school opponents Brita Butler-Wall and Sally Soriano try to smash racism by denying fundamental choices to the clients of the Urban League.