Education Reform

Q & A

How can you be designing new systems and creating new expectations while cutting funding for education in the budget?

There are many demands on limited state resources: Health care, public safety, education and our social safety net. All are serving a growing population.  There’s no denying harmful cuts have been made to areas that are currently not under the umbrella of basic education but the cuts to education have not been as severe as in almost any other area of state government. Education, health care, prisons and programs for our most vulnerable citizens are all being cut. While education has been cut by a statewide average of 2.2 percent, other areas of state government have been cut by as much as 30 percent or more. By enhancing what is considered basic education now, more of the state’s education budget will be protected during future economic downturns.

Additionally, changing an educational system for almost 1 million students and over 2,000 schools takes time.  It cannot happen in one legislative session.  We cannot allow the economic climate and the inability to make immediate wholesale changes today impede us from making any progress.  In order to enable the educational system to have the capacity to accommodate future investments, the planning and phase-in must start now.

As an example, every education stakeholder has recognized the importance of having a quality education data system as a key component for any effort to make meaningful educational reform.  We must start developing that system now.  However, the Legislature does recognize that as this system is being developed schools and districts must be held harmless until funding is provided to implement the new system.  Language was added to the legislation to specifically state that districts need only report that data that they have currently have available.

Adequate funding of our schools is the priority and the crisis. How does this bill address that?

As we come out of this recession and the economy grows, our educational system needs to be first in line for having cuts restored and we must ensure education is at the top of the priority list for future investments.   Typically, one legislature cannot bind future legislatures. But by enhancing what is constitutionally protected as "basic education" we have done just that.  By expanding basic education, we have not only moved enhancements to the state's K-12 education system to the front of the line, we also have protected that funding during future economic downturns.

Isn't this is just another empty promise?

The true empty promise is to do nothing. We must ensure that our commitment to
education is clearly defined now. Only by establishing our constitutional duties now can
we hold the state accountable in the future.

Isn't this really an attempt to blame teachers for shortcomings in the current K-12 system without really focusing on the real problems?

We have heard from teachers for years that the certification process is broken, that salaries are inadequate and that the salary system does not align with or support what the certification process requires. Teachers that spend the time and energy gaining their professional certification should be compensated accordingly. That isn't happening today. 

We know that Washington is in the bottom tier of states in teacher pay and we know that many teachers struggle to live on their salary.  The labor market analysis required under this legislation will allow us to get the data necessary to fix this problem.

This bill is a recognition that our teachers deserve better. It recognizes that our state's current definition of basic education has failed to keep pace with evolving societal expectations and has failed our teachers.  This is a blueprint for creating the educational system that better serves our teachers, parents, students and communities.

Does this legislation implement an accountability system that allows state takeover of schools?

No.  This legislation only gives additional guidance and authorization for the State Board of Education to move forward on its development of a voluntary system of support for challenged schools.  Implementation of any mandatory system of support still requires legislative approval and authorization.  The legislation does direct the Board to develop a proposal for a more targeted system of support and gives specific guidance for how that system should be developed but state takeover is not contemplated under this bill.  The intent of this legislation is to ensure a state accountability system that is based on shared responsibilities, where we all work collaboratively to help challenged schools move forward, not create new barriers for them.