Washington’s Paramount Duty | Fully fund basic education in Washington State now

New Analysis:

Designed to Fail: The Legislature's McCleary solution has collapsed

After five years, it's clear that the legislature's solution to the McCleary case has failed our school districts.

Recent Blog Posts

Designed to Fail: The Legislature’s McCleary solution has collapsed

Five years ago the state legislature adopted a new education funding plan intended to comply with an order from the Washington State Supreme Court. The Court had found the state was in violation of Article IX of the state constitution, which states “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for […]

Federal, state, and local leaders need to step up for students, educators, and families

Our schools are in crisis. The cause is both a pandemic as well as centuries of white supremacy and oppression. As school districts across Washington State rightly choose to keep classrooms closed this fall due to public health needs, we need our leaders to do more and better to meet the needs of students, parents, […]

Some truths about local levies and teacher pay

Schools across Washington State are gearing up for huge cuts and mass teacher layoffs – even as the state legislature claims they have fully funded public education. Washington’s Paramount Duty has mobilized parents across the state to fight these cuts by pressing legislators for more funds for public schools. We have two main approaches: more […]

The State Has Failed Our Kids

For 40 years, Washington’s public school funding has been undermined by state government cutbacks, band-aid solutions, budget tricks, unfunded voter mandates, and indifference to student, parent, and teacher concerns. The State still does not fund what our K-12 students actually need.

HOW THE STATE FALLS SHORT

The Court Told Them to Fix It

In 2012, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the McCleary case that state government had failed its paramount constitutional duty to fully fund basic education for our children. They ordered the State to come up with a plan to fix it and then fully fund basic education by the 2017-2018 school year.

HOW WE GOT INTO THIS MESS

No more foot-dragging

Now the Legislature is dragging its feet while our children continue to suffer the consequences. We are Washington’ Paramount Duty — a broad-based network of parents, by parents, and for students — working to compel the State to fully fund our children’s basic education now.

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