Author: Rebecca Vaux

Introducing Actions 4 Education!

Washington’s Paramount Duty is excited to introduce our new program: Actions 4 Education! WPD supporters asked for more information on direct actions they could take to support our mission, and we’ve heard that request loud and clear.

Each week, we will share four specific actions that WPD supporters can take to advocate for ample public school funding in Washington state. You’ll be able to check out those actions here on our blog, or on our Facebook page. Sometimes, we’ll include the same action in different weeks (for example, calling and writing to legislators about the levy cliff is an ongoing hot issue that will be included more than once).

Check out this week’s Actions 4 Education below.

1. Write to the House Appropriations Committee (emails are below) in support of the Democrats’ Education funding plan HB 1843 and ask them to fund it with new progressive revenue, such as the proposals in Governor Inslee’s budget. It is still in the House Appropriations committee. WPD has some concerns about this bill: e.g., it doesn’t fund enough generally, it doesn’t do enough to address the opportunity gap, it doesn’t fully fund special education, etc. We encourage you to support it AND share your concerns.

Steve.Bergquist@leg.wa.gov
Vincent.Buys@leg.wa.gov
Michelle.Caldier@leg.wa.gov
Bruce.Chandler@leg.wa.gov
Eileen.Cody@leg.wa.gov
Cary.Condotta@leg.wa.gov
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov
Larry.Haler@leg.wa.gov
Drew.Hansen@leg.wa.gov
Paul.Harris@leg.wa.gov
Zack.Hudgins@leg.wa.gov
Laurie.Jinkins@leg.wa.gov
Ruth.Kagi@leg.wa.gov
Kristine.Lytton@leg.wa.gov
Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov
Matt.Manweller@leg.wa.gov
Terry.Nealey@leg.wa.gov
Timm.Ormsby@leg.wa.gov
Eric.Pettigrew@leg.wa.gov
Gerry.Pollet@leg.wa.gov
June.Robinson@leg.wa.gov
David.Sawyer@leg.wa.gov
Joe.Schmick@leg.wa.gov
Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Larry.Springer@leg.wa.gov
Derek.Stanford@leg.wa.gov
Drew.Stokesbary@leg.wa.gov
Pat.Sullivan@leg.wa.gov
David.Taylor@leg.wa.gov
Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Brandon.Vick@leg.wa.gov
Mike.Volz@leg.wa.gov
JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov
lauren.simas@leg.wa.gov
lisa.mccollum@leg.wa.gov
devin.gayton@leg.wa.gov

2. Write to the House Appropriations Committee (above emails–this committee has a lot going on right now) in opposition to the Republicans’ education funding plan, SB 5607. SB 5607 is unacceptable. It fails our children, our Constitution, and the courts. It is billions short of what the bill promises, and it will not deliver on what the Constitution guarantees. The Republican bill would cause the average Seattle homeowner to pay $628 more in property taxes in 2019, while big corporations in rural areas like Walmart, Boeing, and Avista would get a huge decrease in their property tax bills. They’re choosing to raise a regressive tax on the hardworking families rather than ask the richest 1% and the corporate special interests to pay their fair share. If this was an assignment it would receive an F. The House needs to tell them go back and try again.

3. The Senate continues to stall in TWO different Senate Committees on the levy cliff delay bill (HB 1059 and SB 5023). Please call or email your state senator and ask that the Senate Ways & Means Committee please vote on HB 1059 or that the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee give SB 5023 a public hearing. Reach out to a friend or family member who lives in another legislative district and ask that they reach out to their state senator. Tell senators: “I do not agree that the levy cliff solution must wait until legislators figure out the entire McCleary plan. It must be fixed now and this bill should pass now.” Find your senator here.

4. Read this side-by-side analysis (prepared by bipartisan staff) of the Democrats’ and Republicans’ education plans–note that there have been amendments to the Democrats’ plan since this was prepared: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CMD/Handler.ashx…

WPD’s Summer Stinson speaks at MLK rally in Olympia

“Washington can–and must–use new progressive revenue to amply fund our public schools and provide every student with an excellent education. Washington must make good on its constitutional promise rooted in a vision of inclusion and racial equity. We are here to demand payment on the check Washington made to every child in the constitution.”
On MLK Day 2017, Washington’s Paramount Duty joined the NAACP, the WEA and Washington State PTA, along with others, to demand that our legislature fully fund K-12 education, per our state constitution. Watch WPD Vice President Summer Stinson’s speech in full here.

Event Details: Rally for Student Civil Rights & Amply Funded Schools

What: Rally for Student Civil Rights & Amply Funded Schools
When: 10:30-11:30 am, January 16th, 2017 (MLK, Jr. Day)
Where: Capitol Steps, Olympia

kids

On January 16, 2017, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we will go to Olympia, advocate, and rally! We need you to add your voice to thousands of other voices to demand full and equitable funding of public education! WPD, NAACP, and WEA are co-sponsoring a rally to demand that our state fully fund public education now! WPD envisions a future where every child has an equitable access to an amply funded education. Fully and equitably funding public schools is a civil rights issue! Together, we can make our future vision a reality.

Participants are encouraged to stop by their legislators’ offices after the rally. We will provide advocacy materials, maps and guides.

EVENT DETAILS FOR RALLY

• Wear GREEN for Washington’s Paramount Duty!
• Please plan to bring your own snacks and water.
• Be prepared for rain.
• We are working to secure some indoor space for children in case of bad weather.

CO-SPONSORS

  • NAACP
  • Washington’s Paramount Duty
  • League of Women Voters of Washington
  • El Centro de la Raza
  • Washington Education Association
  • Washington State PTA
  • Public School Employees, SEIU
  • School Nurses of Washington
  • Northwest Progressive Institute

AGENDA

9:30 to 10:15 – Check in, get signs, take photo booth pictures (post to FB and twitter with hashtags #waleg and #waedu), fill out messages to your legislators, pick up materials for legislative visits, etc.

10:15 to 10:30 – Everyone makes their way to the Capitol Steps with signs, banners, etc.

10:30 to 11:10 – Rally on the Capitol Steps – Speakers from all the sponsoring organizations have been lined up including students, teachers, and our very own Summer Stinson!

11:15 to 11:20 – March around the Capitol to the legislative office buildings.

11:20 to 12:30 – Teams of parents, teachers, and allies will deliver letters, postcards and the Student Bill of Rights to all legislators – to each of the 49 legislative districts. After the visits, teams will return signs and check out.

 

 PARKING

  • There is ample street parking and visitor parking in the vicinity that will be free.
  • Visitor parking details for the Washington State Capitol Campus are: http://www.des.wa.gov/…/travel-car…/parking/parking-visitors

 POST-RALLY LUNCH OPTIONS

  • Fifth Avenue Sandwich Shop, 117 5th Ave SE, Olympia, WA
  • Our Table, 406 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA
  • Arepa (Venezualan Food), 728 E 4th Ave, Olympia, WA
  • Pizzeria La Gitana, 518 Capital Way S, Olympia, WA

TRANSPORTATION DETAILS  

To help with transportation logistics, we have the following options and information for you.
BUSES: Various Education Associations have made buses available to WPD members. You must reserve seats with the contact for the bus you want to get on. Please use the contact information for each geographic area below to reserve seats.

CARPOOLING: For those of you who would prefer to drive, or if the bus is full, we encourage you to self-organize carpooling via this facebook event. If you would like to help organize carpooling in your community, please post a meet up location in this thread and I will incorporate and update to include in shared WPD transportation info.

______________________________________________________
Contact the person for each area to reserve a seat on a bus:
Fourth Corner (Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Island and San Juan County): Lora Olinger, 360-733-3344 x 229
Sammamish (Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah, and surrounding area): Michele Miller, 425-457-4808
Olympic (From Gig Harbor to Port Angeles to Forks to Bainbridge Island): Alicia Adler, 360-779-4818 x101
Cascade (Northshore, Edmonds, Shoreline): Kraig Peck
425-486-7101 x103
Chinook (Olympia area, Aberdeen to the Coast)
Doug Petro, 360-943-1776
Lower Columbia (Longview, Kelso, and surrounding area)
Sharon Dolan, 360-425-8900
Summit (Bethel, Fife, Franklin Pierce area) 
Pam Kruse: pkruse@washingtonea.org
Soundview (Lakewood, University Place, Steilacoom)
Renee Verone: soundview@washingtonea.org
Seattle (30 spots available): Tali Rausch, tali@pararamountduty.org

Here’s a flyer you can pass on to others.

Will legislators pass amendment to destroy public education?

fire-1672632_1920On December 5, 2016, State Sen. Michael Baumgartner (6th Legislative District, Republican) filed Senate Joint Resolution 8200 (SJR 8200), proposing to amend the Washington State Constitution. Washington’s Paramount Duty considers State Sen. Baumgartner’s proposal to be a far-reaching, direct attack on both our state’s public education system and our judiciary.

Among other sweeping changes, the proposal removes the following statement from the Constitution:

“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste or sex.” (Article IX, Section 1)

Let’s be really clear about this. This is a direct attack on our constitution, our public schools, our children, our State Supreme Court, and our legal system.

State Sen. Baumgartner and some of his colleagues have been refusing to do their jobs and fund schools for too long. This is why the McCleary family originally filed their lawsuit, when their kids were in elementary school. Just go ahead and hop over to here to get in contact with the best lawyers near you. The State Supreme Court ruled in 2012 — four years ago — that the state needs to comply with the constitution and fully, amply, and dependably fund public schools. But the legislature is still not doing its job. That is why in 2015, the State Supreme Court imposed fines of $100,000 per day. Meanwhile, the McCleary kids are practically done with public school — one has already graduated.

But instead of heeding the Supreme Court’s ruling and acting immediately to fully fund schools, State Senator Baumgartner and colleagues tried to oust the three justices who were up for re-election last month. And they enlisted big money from special interests to do so.

They failed to win the court case over school funding and they failed to buy the Supreme Court in the November 2016 election. So this is the next tool in their toolbox — to try and change the Washington State Constitution to suit their purposes.

This is unacceptable. We urge Governor Jay Inslee and all state legislators to pledge they will reject this proposed amendment and instead show they are committed to public education by fully funding public schools in the 2017 legislative session — including solving the levy cliff and fully funding compensation in time for districts to budget for the 2017-18 school year.

Below is a link to locate your legislators and some language you can use — call today. Thank you.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Call Governor Inslee at (360) 902-4111                                                                                                

What to say:

“Hi, I’m _____. I’m a registered voter in Washington state and I am angry that State Senator Baumgartner and colleagues are proposing constitutional reform to take away public school funding in Washington. This is unacceptable. Our lawmakers need to focus on fixing McCleary and fully funding public schools in the 2017 legislative session, including solving the levy cliff in time for school districts to budget for the 2017-18 school year. Thank you.”

Background on SJR 8200:

The proposed amendments make sweeping amendments and repeal in their entirety Article IX, Sections 1 and 4, including the statement that is the crux of the McCleary ruling:

“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste or sex.”

Other changes include removing the separation of church and state in public schools so that religious schools could be funded with state dollars, removing public schools from judicial oversight so that state courts have no role in overseeing the functioning of our school system, and enshrining both school vouchers and charter schools into the state constitution.

If State Sen. Baumgartner’s proposals are allowed to become law:

  • Kids in Washington will no longer have the right to an amply funded state education — putting even more pressure on local school districts and PTAs to scramble to raise funds to pay for schools. Richer school districts and communities will continue to dig deep and fund schools, while poorer school districts and communities will fall further behind. So the funding and achievement gaps in our state will get bigger, not smaller.
  • The constitution will no longer protect the rights of all kids to a public education, regardless of race, sex, color, caste. So it will be harder for children of color or other minority groups to gain access to an equitably funded education (it will no longer be their constitutional right) — this in a state that already has some of the worst achievement gaps in the nation.
  • Washington’s courts will no longer have jurisdiction over schools — so lawmakers will be able to ignore the McCleary ruling. Forever.
  • Language about “common schools” will be removed, paving the way for public tax dollars to fund private schools through charters and school voucher programs, in terms of both operational costs and construction costs.
  • Religious schools will be eligible for funds from the public purse.
  • The Superintendent of Public Instruction’s role will be curtailed massively. They will no longer have “supervision of all matters pertaining to public schools”. Instead, the legislature will dictate the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s responsibilities in specific legislation.

Click here to read SJR 8200.

 

“We can’t bake sale our way out of this”

On April 19, Washington’s Paramount Duty President, Eden Mack, took part in Seattle Speaks: Making The Grade, a town hall debate that was broadcast live on The Seattle Channel.

Topics included class size, the need for more buildings, equity and the achievement gap, high school graduation rates, and the problems with insufficient funding from the Washington legislature.

Seattle School Board President Betty Patu said, “Money is very important in terms of us pushing education as far as we can. And when we looked at all the various areas in our school district, there are so many mandated from the state that it doesn’t seem to match up with the funding we receive. And when we talk about equity and how do we actually provide the best education we can for our students, it’s really hard to actually provide that education for our kids when we don’t have enough to be able to give them the excellent education that we want.”

Washington ranks 39th in the nation in terms of school funding. Moreover, over the last 12 years, the achievement gap between middle and low-income students has grown more in Washington than in any other state in the US. While the legislature has invested funds in basic education over the last few years, this has merely restored funding to 2009 levels, before cuts were enacted, and the town hall meeting included discussion about what a fully funded education looks like.

Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (37th District) shared her thoughts:

“My vision is one where we’ve created an excellent and equitable education system that delivers deep and personalized learning for each and every student in the state….If we can focus on what’s best and what each child in our state needs, then we will actually be happy to pay for whatever it is that will deliver that kind of educational system, not just for us, for our society, but really for the economic needs of our state as well.”

But the chronic underfunding highlighted in the McCleary case continues, and continues to affect school districts across Washington. As Eden Mack explained, “We can’t bake sale our way out of this….You can’t drive the car if you don’t put the gas in it.…Looking at what districts pay for isn’t the actual question. The question is: how much does basic education actually cost and how much money do we need to find to pay for it?”

The full video is available here.

 

City Speaks: Making the Grade

Washington’s Paramount Duty’s President, Eden Mack, is speaking at City Speaks: Making the Grade on Tuesday, April 19, presented by Seattle Channel, Seattle CityClub, and Town Hall Seattle.

The question presented to the speakers and audience is: “As the state Legislature defers fully funding public education for yet another year, what are the implications for the Seattle school district?” Please come; it’s free! You can register online here.

Other speakers include Betty Patu, President, Seattle School Board; Stephen Nielsen, Deputy Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools; and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, chair of the WA State House Education Committee. Front-row guests include: Jonathan Knapp, SEA President; Sheila Edwards Lange, Interim President, Seattle Central College, and Co-Chair, Seattle Education Summit; and Melissa Westbrook, Education Activist, Seattle Schools Community Blog.