The Charter School Push back A Day Late and $20 Million Short

To a large degree, the Education Advocate/Parent community in Seattle doesn't support charter schools.  Early this summer, Initiative 1240 garnered enough support to be put on the November 2012 ballot.
We heard it brewing. We knew it was coming. With the  mega-funding from Gates Foundation, Wal -Mart (the Walton foundation),  and the Fishers, it was no problem for the pro-Charter crowd to hire an army of signature gatherers to collect signatures and "inform" the public on the merits of charter schools, putting the initiative on the ballot in record time,
Yet, after the signatures were gathered, a curious thing happened.
Nothing.
Yes, lots of complaining, some grumblings and criticisms from the blogasphere, but NO ORGANIZED PUSH BACK. With no one at the helm of the organized anti-charter school contingency, the Pro-Charter school forces gained a lot of credibility. 
It also didn't hurt their cause that Seattle School District No. 1 had been making deleterious decisions which harmed families, such as school closures and neighborhood schools -the New Student Assignment plan,  These derisive decisions were practically free advertising for I-1240.
$20 million is a lot to stare down.  But no organized push back is worse.
How could this be?
If any of you think that the anti-charter movement is to be won on principal, then you are wrong.  In politics, the cause doesn't let the opposition redefine them for eight months without a push back.
So what happened to the push back?
A well organized, well funded initiative cannot be defeated without, at the minimum,  some organization and yes, some funds. So, to the anti-charter contingency, this is a call to arms.Yours is a useless position of you don't back up the "NO on I-1240."
Find those really disgruntled, downtrodden, picked on, lied-to parents and explain to them why this initiative will make things worse for them, not better in Seattle, and not everyone can afford to jump ship to private schools.. Parents are desperate. Let them know that, though education funds are spread thin, it will be even thinner.
Home made yard signs.... stop fellow shoppers at the supermarket with kids. Ask them what they think about fewer funds for public schools.
You  will b surprised at the support in your own back yard.
Let us know  what you think.
Email us at nickesparza@seattleschooldistrictexposed.com