Less than 30 days are left until the November 4th general election. Although you might not know it, EDUCATION is on the ballot this fall.
Your vote for governor will determine if we move forward or backwards in education reform and funding next year in Olympia.
The governor will decide:
- A new education finance system: A state task force will send a proposal to the Legislature to adequately fund our schools based on today’s expectations.
- Needed investments in education: Funding for all-day kindergarten, class size reductions, and new enrollments at our colleges and universities all depend on the next state budget.
- How to proceed through tough economic times: The governor sets our state’s budget priorities and will decide how to close a projected deficit.
Who do you trust to make these decisions?
The governor’s decisions will impact the quality of education for more than a million children and young adults in our public education system.
For the League of Education Voters, the choice for governor is Chris Gregoire.
In the last four years, we’ve made steady progress for children and public education. Under Governor Gregoire, we’ve made it our state’s priority to:
- Make sure every child reads by third grade by investing in high-quality early learning opportunities and all-day kindergarten;
- Ensure there’s an excellent teacher in every classroom by boosting teacher pay and providing more opportunities for professional development;
- Make higher education more accessible and affordable by providing thousands of new enrollments and expanding financial aid and grant programs; and
- Ensure every child is prepared for life after high school, whether he or she chooses to attend a college, university, career or technical school, or apprenticeship program, or enter the workforce.
The November 4th election has tremendous consequences for public education in Washington State.
Forward this message to your family, friends and colleagues so they know what’s at stake for public education in this election. Make sure they know Governor Gregoire is the choice for education voters in this election.
Lisa Macfarlane
League of Education Voters
