Race to the Top bills–are they enough?

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Mike.

With key legislative deadlines this week, advocates are closely monitoring the status of several proposals to help Washington win a Race to the Top grant.

Publicola interviewed several education stakeholders, including LEV’s Chris Korsmo, about Washington’s Race to the Top efforts. They asked if the proposals (House Bills 3038, 3035, and 3059 and Senate Bill 6696) to allow the state to intervene in low-performing schools and change the way we evaluate, train and recruit educators, will be enough to qualify for a Race to the Top grant.

In regards to intervention authority, Chris said “the [proposals] for turning around the lowest-performing schools are particularly strong.” The bill (HB 3038), is based off the extensive work of the State Board of Education to develop guidelines for supporting and improving consistently under-performing schools.

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Huge victory for a million school kids!

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Lisa.

Make Washington Schools #1This morning, King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick ruled that “state funding [for basic education] is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable.”

This is a HUGE victory for a million Washington school kids!

It’s been over two years since an impressive group of parents, school districts, unions, and community-based organizations filed suit against the state of Washington for its failure to make ample provision for the education of all children, pursuant to the Washington State Constitution.

At issue in this case is the nagging question that has been burning in school communities for decades. Is Washington State fulfilling its constitutional duty to amply provide for the education of all Washington students?

Eight weeks of trial, 28 witnesses, 300 + exhibits, and 70 bulging large three-ring binders later, Judge John Erlick has issued his ruling in McCleary vs. State of Washington. Here’s the conclusion from his opinion:

Thirty years have passed since our State Supreme Court directed the State to provide stable and dependable funding for basic education. The State has made progress toward this Constitutional obligation, but remains out of compliance. State funding is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable. Local school districts continue to rely on local levies and other non-State resources to supplement state funding for a basic program of education. Recent legislation addresses, but does not resolve, the perennial underfunding of basic education. Accordingly, the State is directed to determine the cost of amply providing for basic education and a basic program of education for all children resident in the State of Washington. The State must also comply with the Constitutional mandate to provide stable and dependable funding for such costs of basic education. Funding must be based as closely as reasonably practicable on the actual costs of providing such programs of basic education. The means of fulfilling this Constitutional mandate properly fall within the prerogative of the Legislature.

Is Judge Erlick’s ruling a final answer? Probably not. Most court watchers expect a case of this importance to end up in the Supreme Court. The appellate process would likely take another year or so.

In the past, court rulings have forced the State of Washington to step up to the school funding plate. Today’s ruling suggests that the Legislature is going to need to feel heat from other sources. With school funding levels at 43rd in the country, it is pretty clear that having the strongest constitutional language in the country is not helping the current generation of our school children. School districts all across Washington State are struggling to keep up their current services to kids and staffing levels, in the face of another wave of state budget cuts.

Therefore, it’s crucial that parents, educators and students continue to provide pressure on the Legislature. This session, besides protecting funding for education, advocates are also fighting to pass legislation that will make the state start complying with the judge’s ruling (House Bill 2776). The bill would begin implementation of the landmark education reform bill passed last year.

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Are You(r Kids) Represented?

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Chris.

I was just about to bury the lead with this interesting little story about being heard, respected, and represented when I was reminded that many of us have a date with representation next Tuesday. It’s Election Day with many school-saving levies on the ballot. If you’re anything like me you’ve socked that ballot away somewhere safe where you’ll remember to get to it later. Here’s a little public service announcement: NOW IS LATER!! Drag out that ballot and do what needs doing. Kids are counting on all of us in next Tuesday’s election. It doesn’t take a minute. But it could last a lifetime. VOTE.

On with our regularly scheduled program. So I had this interesting exchange of political ideas with my nephew the other day on Facebook. He is a young lad and his political views are evolving as is his confidence in expressing them. He was telling me in earnest about his take on something the president had done and me being the cagey, old, political wonk that I am, set him straight. Or so I thought. What I actually did was shut him down. Expressing yourself to someone who thinks they’ve heard it all, seen it all, and is doing something so much more important than what you’re talking about is a recipe for shutting you up. Which shuts you down, which shuts you out. You’d think that after 8 years of a president I didn’t agree with and many years of state and local policy makers I couldn’t persuade to bend my way, I’d understand that notion of being heard. One embarrassed mea culpa later, I can say I’m trying.

I wish all of our elected officials could say the same thing. You ever get the feeling that your pleas to Olympia (or D.C. or local sewerage district) go unheard? Ever been told that your story doesn’t fit in this debate? That you don’t understand “how politics works?” That it’s too late in the season to wear white pants? I feel you. Where do you take all that outrage, those good ideas, that energy? The gym? Freezer? To the garden? Don’t let others’ apathy or ignorant bliss drive you away from the movement. Put your energy to work - like some have done in their local levies - and then tell us your story. Our new site, www.areyourepresented.org gives you a place to tell us - and them - your story. Check out the awesome work going on to pass local levies. These hard working folks likely aren’t on anyone’s speed dial in Olympia - but they are working hard to make sure that they - and our kids - are represented in their local elections

Are you represented? Tell us about it.

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OLY SHORTS: Rep. Haigh is a Trekkie

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Heather.

Rep. Kathy Haigh, chair of the House Education Appropriations committee, just declared her affinity for Star Trek during a public hearing.  Rep. Haigh is a self-professed Trekkie.

A related thought: How would society change if Vulcan mind meld were possible?

Live long and prosper.

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