Washington voters have rejected charter schools three times but things are different now.

Today, we are one of only eight states that don't allow charter schools. It's not always a good idea to follow the herd, but when everyone else is on a different path, it's prudent to find out why.

In any case, there is an advantage to being one of the last to join the party. Other states already have broken ground, leaving a smooth path for those that follow.

Charter schools have been around a long time -- 20 years. That's enough experience to show what works and what doesn't.

The first time charter schools were on Washington's ballots, the movement was in its infancy. There were lots of valid concerns and outright misconceptions about charter schools. The concept was riddled with "what ifs."

"What if all the gifted students jump ship, leaving traditional schools to deal with the toughest kids to educate?"

"What if the charter school doesn't meet expectations? How is it held accountable?"

"What if charter schools siphon off available state funding, creating a two-tiered system of 'haves' and 'have nots?'"

In 1997, those were legitimate questions. Now, there is a straight answer to every one of them.

Surprisingly enough, research shows that underperforming students are the ones who tend to gravitate to charter schools, not the kids at the top of the class.

Students who are doing well in school tend to keep on doing well. Parents of kids who struggle in traditional classrooms are the ones looking for something that will work for their child.

And if a charter school isn't meeting expectations, yank its charter. Most states now approve charters on a five-year plan. If a charter school is not showing progress at the end of that time, the state closes its doors.

There's a simple way to prevent charter schools from skimming the cream -- require a lottery for the available spots.

In fact, we have an excellent example of a "near-charter" school in the Tri-Cities. Delta High, one of only two STEM schools in the state, is part of a grand experiment.

In addition to the focus on science, technology, engineering and math, Delta operates under a public-private partnership that supplements state funding.

Delta takes 100 freshmen each year from Tri-City high schools. Anyone can apply and admission is strictly by lottery. There's a waiting list.

Delta is starting its third year. The first class of graduating seniors will receive diplomas in 2013.

We're fortunate to have Delta in our community. It's part of the Kennewick, Pasco and Richland districts, so it's not a charter school. But a successful charter school model would likely look a lot like Delta High.

Another advantage of charter schools is that they can carve out a niche, emphasizing the arts, or certain trades or, like Delta, math and science.

Previous proposals to allow charter schools in Washington drew sharp opposition from teachers, partly on concerns that some schools would hire teachers who weren't certified.

In a more competitive environment, that problem of teacher quality takes care of itself. In fact, a charter school principal is almost certainly going to be quicker to dump a poor teacher than a public school official who faces a union fight.

It's interesting that a group of state lawmakers is introducing charter school legislation at this time. Next week is National School Choice week. This is a grass-roots movement that advocates for choices in education, charter schools being one of those choices.

Judging from the success in other states, charter schools typically do well in urban areas. Perhaps Washington could start small to test the waters. Why not license a handful of charter schools across the state and see how they perform?

We also can see a potential for charter schools in areas where the school system can't keep up with the growth.

Pasco, for example, is struggling with overcrowding. Voters handily defeated the bond to build new schools and the district is now planning a transition to year-round schooling to meet the demands.

Perhaps a few charter schools in Pasco would alleviate some of the pressure.

Charter schools are worth another look. There are some downsides, but also the potential to bring real improvements to Washington's schools.