Category: BLOG

 

mccleary-motion-for-clarification

Representative Derek Stanford, 1^st LD, Pos 1 

“The Supreme Court has made it clear: We need to make education a higher priority in our state budget. I’ve worked to keep our commitment to our public schools by supporting early learning, supporting local control of our schools, simplifying testing, while recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers. I am excited to stay on the front lines supporting excellent public schools.”

http://derekstanford.com/?page_id=138

Shelly Kloba, candidate for the House in the 1^st LD, Pos 2

“People want great schools because they know education is the key to our prosperity. We have defined basic education and we know what it costs. Now we have to make the investments that pay off in the bright futures of our children.”

http://www.heraldnet.com/news/education-economy-top-issues-for-1st-district-candidates/

Senator Marilyn Rasmusen, 2^nd LD

“Education is the utmost priority and fully funding is a moral and legal responsibility. I’m a strong supporter of vocational education and skill centers. I will be that tough voice for our families and schools that we need and deserve for all our children.”

http://www.marilyn4senate.com

Amy Pivetta-Hoffman, candidate for the House in the 2^nd LD, Pos 1

“We need to fully-fund basic K-12 education as required by the Washington State Constitution. We also need a real plan to fix our overcrowded schools and classrooms in Graham, Eatonville, Yelm, and beyond.”

http://electamy.org/faq/priorities/

Senator Andy Billig, 3^rd LD

“To improve educational success for all students, we must increase investments throughout the educational system including early learning, K-12, and higher education. As we make these investments, improved student success should be our overriding aim and closing the opportunity gap is the biggest challenge we face as we work toward that goal.”

“As we work to invest more in education and to meet our constitutional duty to fully fund basic education, we must ensure that those investments do not come at the expense of cuts to vital social service programs. If we cut housing, food or health care assistance for children to pay for education, we will actually be undermining educational success. Instead, we must focus on the whole child by employing strategies that will be successful in the classroom and ensure that every child arrives at school ready to learn.”

http://www.andybillig.com/issues.html

Representative Marcus Riccelli, 3^rd LD, Pos 1

“Education should be the great equalizer for ALL Washington’s children, and Marcus is working hard to ensure each one of our kids has access to outstanding K-12 education no matter where they live or go to school. As the father of two young children, he also knows that kindergarten is too long to wait for a strong start. That is why, in addition to promoting small class sizes and exceptional K-12 outcomes across the state, Marcus is fighting for high-quality early-learning programs and wrap-around services to help close the opportunity gap and ensure every child in Spokane and Washington has an opportunity to succeed.”

http://www.marcusriccelli.com/issues

Representative Tim Ormsby, 3^rd LD, Pos 2

“We’ve got to get our budget priorities straightened out because we’ve got a lot of pressures on the budget related to our obligations to meet our constitutional responsibilities for funding education as our paramount duty.”

“Our paramount duty is ensuring all students have an equal opportunity to learn.”

http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/values/

Senator Mark Mullet, 5^th LD

“The Supreme Court has called for the Legislature to drastically reform the way our schools are funded, especially in regard to reliance on local levies. I firmly believe that local levies are a crucial and important part of how we fund our schools. If a local community wants to put more money into its schools, it should have the right to do so and the state shouldn’t stand in its way.  Voters in the 5th District have consistently approved local school levies. As a result, we have some of the best teachers in the state, outstanding graduation rates and state-of-the-art facilities. Let’s get creative and find a way to make local levies a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.”

http://sdc.wastateleg.org/mullet/2016/02/03/e-news-make-local-levies-a-part-of-the-solution/

Jason Ritchie, candidate for the House in the 5^th LD, Pos 1

“My wife and I have two school-aged children. Investing into education, supporting teachers, raising standards and demanding accountability is very personal to me. We have a constitutional responsibility to fully fund education that we must fulfill. We also have a responsibility to closely examine what processes work in our educational system, and to ensure that every Washington student has access to a fair and equal education.”

http://jasonritchie.nationbuilder.com/issues

Darcy Burner, candidate for the House in the 5^th LD, Pos 2

“I support expanding access to high quality early childhood education, smaller class sizes, better pay for teachers, and more support for college or vocational training. We need to fully fund education in Washington. The fact that the state legislature is now in contempt for its failure to do so is shameful. Let’s put children first and fully fund our schools.”

http://www.darcyburner.com/issues

Lynette Vehrs, candidate for the House in the 6^th LD, Pos 1

“K-12 education needs to be fully funded. No more dragging our feet and kicking the can down the street. Public Higher education must be more accessible. We need to be flexible with schedules, locations, and affordability. By utilizing the community colleges and enhancing the ability to transition into a four year college with be tremendous help for completing peoples’ degree. Education is vital to move folks into good paying jobs and out of poverty.”

http://www.lynnettevehrs.com/issues-1.html

Shar Lichty, candidate for the House in the 6^th LD, Pos 2

“Fully funding K-12 education while preserving our social safety net because our kids can’t learn without proper nutrition, healthcare, and housing.”

http://www.votesharlichty.com/about.html

Jennifer Goulet, candidate for the House in the 9^th LD, Pos 1

“We have an education funding crisis. Money that should be going towards educating our children, which is mandated by our State Constitution, is instead being diverted in the form of corporate tax breaks and subsidies to the tune of $13 billion dollars per year. The only way to stop this shortchanging of our children’s education is to reform our state’s flawed and deeply regressive tax structure. The Legislature must scrutinize tax exemptions given primarily to large multinational corporations to determine which ones should be renewed, which should be renegotiated, and which should be allowed to expire based on what is best for the People and smaller businesses in Washington State. Ensuring that businesses are paying their fair share of taxes will go a long way toward fulfilling the Legislature’s duty to fund our public schools.”

http://www.jenn4wa.com

Angela Homola, candidate for the Senate in the 10^th LD

“I will commit to supporting legislation that moves our state toward a robust, fair and affective educational system; legislation that secures funding by closing tax loopholes. We must stop kicking the can down the road. “

http://www.angieforpeople.com/angie-homola-campaign-news

Representative Norma Smith, 10^th LD, Pos 1

“Every student deserves the opportunity to have a quality education and to be prepared for success. The Washington state constitution is clear; providing for the basic education of all children within our borders is the paramount duty of the legislature in the budgeting process. For far too long, budget leaders in Olympia put education on the chopping block first, when it is clear that adequately funding education should be priority number one.”

http://votenormasmith.com/issues/education/

Doris Brevoort, candidate for the House in the 10^th LD, Pos 2

“Create an equitable funding stream to educate our children and support social services. I will work with both sides of the aisle to craft a funding stream for the State of Washington.”

http://dorisbrevoort.com/vision-statement/

Senator Bob Hasagawa, 11^th LD

“Among other things, Superintendent Dorn points out that the budget’s $955 million increase in education funds is only about two-thirds of the $1.4 billion that is actually needed to fully fund education for the biennium. What’s more, the budget once again punted on funding voter-approved initiatives to lower class sizes and increase teacher pay; if Republicans had honored the will of the people and covered those expenses, that cost would have reduced the overall increase in funds available to satisfy the McCleary requirements to just $500 million. In other words, the teachers themselves are self-funding a large portion of the additional money we’re putting into basic education.”

http://bobhasegawa.com/funding-education/

A.J. Cooper, candidate for the House in the 15^th LD, Pos 2

“Education is not only important to parents, but important to society as whole.  Populations with higher levels of education enjoy better health, are more inclusive, and higher per capita income. I will ensure teachers have the resources to provide an equitable and inclusive quality education.”

http://www.voteajcooper.com/home.html

Rebecca Francik, candidate for the House in the 16^th LD, Pos 1

“Francik’s primary goals for Washington include fully funding Washington Education, maintaining and improving our primary infrastructure, including mental health services.”

http://www.votefrancik.com/meet-rebecca/

Tim Probst, candidate for the Senate in the 17^th LD

“It is our paramount duty to fully fund education!”

“Invest in education”

https://www.facebook.com/ElectTimProbst/?fref=ts 

Sam Kim, candidate for the House in the 17^th LD, Pos 1

“The paramount duty of our legislature this session will be 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.”

http://www.votesamkim.com/issues.html

Representative Ann Rivers, 18^th LD, Pos 1

“Education is the paramount duty of state government. Every problem we face from crime, the economy, jobs, healthcare, even the environment, can be improved by a properly funded and professional public education system.”

And…

“Some in Olympia would like to leverage funding for schools with new taxes. But holding back on funding education unless there are massive tax increases is not only bad for education, it’s unconstitutional. Kids deserve our first dollar, not budgetary leftovers.”

http://annrivers.com/issues/

Kathy Golespie, candidate for the House in the 18^th LD, Pos 2

“Fully fund basic education and end use of local school taxes to pay Olympia’s bills.”

http://www.electkathygillespie.com

Teresa Purcell, candidate for the House in the 19^th LD, POs 1

“Access to excellent public education has been a great equalizer for people from all walks of life. If an individual works hard, for decades they have been able to create and access opportunity for a brighter future. We are at a moment in time where that promise is not being kept for students throughout our state, and especially in our small towns and rural communities. We must restore that promise. I am a proud graduate of Longview Public Schools, along with my 8 brothers and sisters. When I was in school here, Washington’s school system used to be the envy of the nation, but decades of inaction have left us with a situation where the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that the State Legislature is not meeting its “paramount duty” of properly funding education, holding the Legislature in Contempt of Court, and fining taxpayers over $29 million in the past year due to the Legislature’s inaction and failures.”

http://peopleforpurcell.com/issues/

Senator John Braun, 20^th LD

“Looking ahead at the upcoming legislative session, we have more work to do to make the right investments for our students and provide a more equitable solution for school funding by the 2018 deadline. As we continue to prioritize schools in our state there will be many issues to address, but funding is a major piece of the puzzle.”

http://johnbraun.src.wastateleg.org/sen-brauns-e-newsletter-october-6-2015/

Representative Strom Peterson, 21^st LD, Pos 1

“The Supreme Court has made it clear: we are not meeting our constitutional obligation to our schools.  On top of that voters have made it clear that they want the Legislature to fulfill its duty through the voter-approved initiatives to reduce class size and provide more competitive teacher pay.  I will make school funding a priority in the legislature without sacrificing important programs that families depend on.  Hungry or homeless children aren’t arriving to the classroom ready to learn.  We need to take a tough look at outdated tax loopholes for special interests and continue to find ways to make government more efficient and accountable to the people.  We have a big job to do but you can be sure that I will always put our kids first and make sure that we step up to our obligations.”

http://votestrom.com/on-the-issues/

Representative Lillian Oritz-Self, 21^st LD, Pos 2

“As the Vice-Chair of the House Education Committee, I made prioritizing funding for education and reducing class sizes a number one priority. Although, we have yet to meet our Constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education. This means we must continue finding new means of funding for our schools through taking a tough look at corporate tax loopholes that cost the state millions a year.”

http://electlillian.com/issues-2/

Representative Sam Hunt, candidate for Senate in the 22^nd LD

“The Washington State Constitution says, “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.””

“The State Supreme Court has reaffirmed this provision in its McCleary decision that states the Legislature is not meeting its constitutional duty.  The Legislature has until 2018 to fulfill this mandate.  As a Senator, I will advocate for legislative actions to adequately address this funding crisis.  That includes being willing to vote for additional taxes.”

“Addressing the funding issue creates a steep hill to climb.  It will take at least $3 billion new dollars.  I am not willing to see the rest of state government suffer huge cuts in order to meet our commitment to K-12 education.”

http://www.samhunt.net/issues

Laurie Dolan, Candidate for the House in the 22^nd LD, Pos 1

“K-12 education is the paramount duty of Washington State, yet under the current regressive tax system, adequate funding is impossible.  If a state income tax is not politically feasible, we should focus on a capital gains tax which would impact only the most wealthy.  Although the Democrats in the Washington Legislature have written these proposals, they have never been passed.  We must fund education, but not on the backs of teachers, state workers, seniors, and vulnerable citizens. A statewide systemic effort to educate voters on the necessity for a new funding stream for education is urgently needed.”

http://friendsoflauriedolan.com

Beth Doglio, Candidate for the House in the 22^nd LD, Pos 2

“Funding education and paying teachers good wages is a necessary investment in our future. As an active volunteer and past PTA president at my children’s elementary school, I have been witness to the dedication, long hours and deep commitment that teachers bring to our schools. They should be well-compensated for their hard work, but teacher salaries also need to increase to ensure we attract the best and brightest to the profession. Teachers inspire our children to be life-long learners and are responsible for educating the next generation to successfully manage our future. We need to substantially increase funding for education.  The state Supreme Court has already ordered such an increase.”

“We should substantially increase funding for K-12 as well as for higher education.”

http://bethdoglio.nationbuilder.com/issues

Representative Sherry Appleton, 23^rd LD, Pos 1

“While continuing to fight for full education funding, I was able to get quite a bit accomplished this last legislative session.”

“In the past legislative session, Sherry helped strike a compromise that will provide more funding for mental health programs and funding to retain K-12 staff and support for beginning educators.”

http://sherryappleton.com

Representative Kevin Van de Wege, candidate for Senate in the 24^th LD

“We must meet our constitutional duty to fully fund public education. For too long, the legislature has debated how to solve this problem and Senate Republicans have dragged out that debate. My wife is a high school teacher here in Sequim and as the father of two children in our public schools, I know first-hand the time to act is now. We need to work together to solve our funding crisis and put an end to partisan games. I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground and move the Senate toward a solution that works for our kids.”

http://kevinvandewege.nationbuilder.com/issues

Mike Chapman, candidate for the House in the 24^th LD, Pos 1

“As a father I believe it is past time to fully fund education and make sure that schools, teachers, students and parents will have the resources they need so that every child can achieve their full potential in school. From early learning programs to college, education is paramount to building an economy where everyone can achieve their full potential and find or create living wage jobs on the Olympic Peninsula.”

http://www.votemikechapman.com

Karl Mecklenburg, candidate for the Senate in the 25^th LD

“Here in Pierce County, we have some of the most under-funded schools in the state. We are all frustrated at our legislature’s inaction on fully funding education, and we need new voices in office who can make progress on making sure that our kids can compete for the jobs of tomorrow.”

http://electmeck.com/ontheissues/

Jamie Smith, candidate for the House in the 25^th LD, Pos 1

“Our state faces tough choices in the near future. Our public schools desperately need support to provide the best education to our children.”

https://www.votejamiesmith.com

Michelle Chatterton, candidate for the House in the 25^th LD, Pos 2

“We need legislators willing to break from the mistakes of the past and make the tough choices on K-12 education funding. I’m not willing to let inaction in Olympia put another generation of students at risk of missing out on a quality education. I’ll demand the State Legislature find a solution to the school funding crisis; otherwise, the politicians in Olympia shouldn’t get paid.

The requirements of the Washington Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary decision cannot be met without reforming Washington’s outdated tax code, which unfairly burdens small businesses and working families. This includes bipartisan changes to the state and local school levy systems which have been under discussion for several legislative sessions. It’s not enough to talk about making our schools better, however; the State Legislature needs to take action and pass a real plan into law.”

http://www.michellechatterton.org/node/133

Larry Seaquist, candidate for the House in the 26^th LD, Pos 1

“Up against a Court deadline, being fined $100,000 a day, the Legislature hasn’t done its homework, hasn’t even agreed to a credible plan. Larry lays out a detailed, step-by-step strategy for fully funding the complete system of public education our state must have in this high skills, high competition world.”

http://www.larryseaquist.com/apple-action-agenda/

Randy Spitzer, candidate for the House in the 26^th LD, Pos 2

“Years have passed since our Supreme Court ruled the Legislature wasn’t meeting its constitutional duty to fully fund our schools. They didn’t comply, and now the Legislature is being held in contempt and fined $100,000 a day. That’s embarrassing.”

“I will vote to streamline testing and evaluation to empower teachers to do what they do best.  Meanwhile I’ll work to fix our broken tax system to increase funding for education while reducing the burden on the middle class.”

http://www.electspitzer.com/issues.html

Senator Jeannie Darnielle, 27^th LD

“PRIORITIZING EDUCATION- As a mother I know how critical our public schools are for preparing our children for the future. Fully funding education is always a priority of mine and especially following the McCleary decision it will be important that our school districts receive the funding they need to be successful.”

http://arcwa.org/resources/Jeannie_Darneille_D_27.pdf

Marisa Peloquin, candidate for the Senate in the 28^th LD

“Like so many of you, I don’t understand why the legislature has taken so long to fully fund our schools. I have been active in my PTA for years and believe our public schools need to be the top priority in our state budget. We have work to do to increase the graduation rate and ensure every student has the great teachers and quality schools that they deserve.”

http://www.marisaforsenate.org/issues

Mari Leavitt, candidate for the Senate in the 28^th LD, pos 1

“A PTSA leader and longtime college administrator, Mari will demand our fair share for local schools and affordable tuition. She will also work for transportation solutions, community safety and crime prevention.”

http://marileavitt.com/the-issues/why-im-running/

Representative Christine Kilduff, 28^th LD, Pos 2

“As your state representative my pledge to you is this:  I will work tirelessly to make sure our state legislature is accountable to the people they represent, not just the wealthy or well-connected few.

That means I will fight every day so that:

Our children, who deserve to attend fully and fairly funded public schools, get an outstanding education that outfits them to compete in the global economy.”

http://christinekilduff.com/pages/89

Representative David Sawyer, 29^th LD, Pos 1

“Where you live or the color of your skin should not dictate whether or not you have access to high quality schools. We need to fully fund our schools and continue to increase our investments in high quality early learning in our community. The opportunity gap is increasing and we must reverse the trend to make sure our community has a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.”

http://www.electdavidsawyer.com/Priorities

Michael Pelicotti, candidate for the House in the 30^th LD, Pos 1

“Our children are not getting the support they need from Olympia. Legislators are currently being held in contempt by our State Supreme Court for failing to adequately fund our schools. This is unacceptable. Quality education is a right, and is necessary for the future development of our region. Mike will advocate for the funding of schools in our communities to be the paramount duty of the legislature.”

http://www.electmikep.com/read-me/

Kristine Reeves, candidate for the House in the 30^th LD, Pos 2

“I want to be part of the solution that ensures that the same excellent education I received growing up and going through the public school system will be there for my children when they reach the age for school. This includes fully funding our K-12 system in accordance with McCleary – this will be achieved by a multitude of methods including closing corporate loopholes and holding corporations fiscally accountable when they take advantage of tax breaks. Funding itself, however, will not complete my vision for all children in our state. We also need to address youth homelessness, lifting the levy lid, and provide more support and ongoing development for our teachers.”

https://www.washingtonea.org/ourvoice/2016-elections/kristine-reeves/

Representative Ruth Kagi, 32^nd LD Pos 2

“Every child deserves the right to quality education. In 2014, the WA Supreme Court found the WA legislature in contempt of court for not fully funding education. Fulfilling our paramount duty to fully fund education is the legislature’s primary mission next session.”

http://ruthkagi.org/issues/

Representative Tina Orwall, 33^rd LD Pos 1

“From early learning to secondary education, Tina remains committed to providing access to a quality education for all. Understanding the importance of early learning on child development, she works hard to promote policies that protect and expand early learning programs. Tina went to Olympia to fully fund education and has advocated for budgets that retain funding for early learning, K-12 and higher education.”

http://www.electtinaorwall.com/issues/

Representative Mia Gregerson, 33^rd LD, Pos 2

“Even in a short session – we support increasing Funding Education”

https://twitter.com/miagregerson33/status/701948403442282497

Representative Joe Fitzgibbons, 34^th LD, Pos 2

“The Washington State Constitution tells us that funding K-12 education is the state’s “paramount duty.” And more than just a legal obligation to fund public schools, we have a moral obligation to make sure that all kids are provided the opportunity to learn and succeed. In too many cases, the color of a student’s skin or their zip code determines what opportunities are available. This is not right and it does not build a strong foundation for Washington’s kids to succeed.”

http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/joe-fitzgibbon/what-kind-of-washington-do-we-want-to-live-in/

Irene Bowling, candidate for the House in the 35^th LD, Pos 1

“As a mother of 3 children and a life-long educator, Irene Bowling knows that fully funding our schools has to be a top priority.”

https://irenebowling.com/irenes-priorities/

Craig Patti, candidate for the House in the 35^th LD, Pos 2

“I believe it is past time to address school funding issues mandated by the Supreme Court; why wait until the last-minute? We can no longer kick the can down the road. I’ll make education funding my highest priority, from early childhood through higher education, while insisting on high academic standards that prepare kids with the skills they need to be successful in our new economy. We also need to begin planning for the post-McCleary era to ensure that Washington does not fall behind again.”

https://craigpatti.com/issues/

Senator Reuven Carlyle, 36^th LD

“The paramount duty has not been fulfilled. Many factors have contributed to the disjointed, ineffective tax and funding structure we have today, a structure that virtually guarantees inequitable access and outcomes. Unfortunately, longstanding political and social constructs bar meaningful progress. Nothing, over 40 years of legal battles where the State has been consistently been told to address the inadequate and inequitable system, has really changed.”

We are so much more as a state than what we’ve become.

There are, in fact, other models that might deliver on the Paramount Duty in a more fulsome way than our top-down, centralized approach.”

https://reuvencarlyle36.com/2015/02/12/rethinking-public-school-funding-back-to-a-new-future/

Representative Noel Frame, 36^th LD, Pos 1

“I’m tackling the biggest challenge Washington state has ever faced: fixing our regressive and inequitable tax structure. I’ve been working to fix our broken school funding system since its negative effects hit me personally as a high school student.”

http://www.noelframe.com/issues/

Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 37^th LD, Pos 1

“Every child in Washington state is guaranteed the right to an equitable education under our state constitution,” said Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle), chair of the House Education Committee.

“One size in education does not fit all,” said Santos. “It does not work for all students. Unfortunately, right now the system is designed with this ‘one size fits all’ approach. No matter what their needs, our paramount duty as a legislature is to meet students where they are.”

http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/sharon-tomiko-santos/house-sends-educational-opportunity-gap-bill-to-governors-desk/

Representative Eric Pettigrew, 37^th LD, Pos 2

“The opportunity to get a great education shouldn’t depend on the color of your skin or the zip code you are born into. In addition to supporting closing the opportunity gap and fully funding K-12 education, I am making sure that students in our local communities get equal access to education.”

http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/eric-pettigrew/2016-legislative-session-report-to-the-37th-district/

Representative Kristine Lytton, 40th LD, Pos 1

“It is our responsibility to adequately, accurately and amply fund education.”

“The plan we are looking at is to create more data in our districts to determine how much in levy money is being spent.”

“All options have to be on the table. Realizing it’s a difficult question as to where that revenue is going to come from… these will be difficult political decisions.”

https://researchcouncil.org/2015/11/19/policy-today-podcast-common-ground-edition-state-rep-kristine-lytton

Representative Mike Sells, 38^th LD, Pos 2

“With a teaching background in both elementary and secondary education with the Everett School District from 1967 to 1998, Mike knows the importance of funding education. As President of the Everett Education Association from 1981 to 1998, he knows how important a good education is, and he has worked to get teachers the tools they need to deliver the kind of education that will help children succeed.”

http://www.mikesells.net/index.html

Lisa Wellman, candidate for the Senate in the 41^st LD

“Voters and taxpayers deserve honest answers from their government – a world class education system costs money, and anyone who tells you it doesn’t is lying to you. We’re going to have to find billions of new dollars for education in the next four years, and must consider all options on the table.”

“If government can operate in a transparent way and deliver real and measurable results I believe that taxpayers will trust that we’re spending their money responsibly to build the great education system that we all know is possible and necessary. In my business career, I’ve always focused on accountability and results, and I promise to bring that attitude and framework to finally fulfilling the promise of a quality education for each and every student in Washington.”

http://wellmanforsenate.nationbuilder.com/plan

Representative Tana Senn, 41^st LD, Pos 1

“Each year we are taking steps to improve education, but next year is when we must meet our McCleary obligation and finally fully-fund our public schools.”

http://www.electtanasenn.org/issues

Nichole Macri, candidate for the House in the 43^rd LD, Pos 1

“Fully fund our schools to comply with the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision.

Close the opportunity gap in our educational system, beginning with early learning and including our schools, so that where kids live isn’t the primary factor in determining their success and whether they go to college or to prison.”

http://votenicole.org/whyrunning/

Daniel Shih, candidate for the House in the 43^rd LD, Pos 1

“As your representative, I will work to properly fund public K–12 education, as required by the state Supreme Court decision in McCleary. The legislature’s failure to do so threatens to have a lasting impact on an entire generation of children who depend on public schools for a basic education. The state must not put this off any longer.”

http://www.danshih.com/issues/

John Lovick, candidate for the House in the 44^th LD, Pos 1

“As Washington looks to fully fund the K-12 public school system, we must be innovative and creative to ensure that our kids are getting a great education and that our teachers are able to earn a fair wage for a fair day’s work. With a limited General Fund, this is not going to be a straightforward or easy process. However, I believe the McCleary ruling was a wake-up call for all of us. We must invest in our education system not only on the State level, but also find a way to ensure that local issues and control are being addressed to create the best public school system our children deserve.

Finding $9.5 billion to completely address the budget shortfall our schools face is going to be difficult, but I am ready to put in the hard work to buckle down and get things done. I believe we must be creative and innovative to ensure we find every penny we can to address McCleary.”

https://www.washingtonea.org/ourvoice/2016-elections/john-lovick/

Representative Rodger Goodman, 45^th LD, Pos 1

“We urgently need to provide FULL funding for our public schools, but we have fallen short. We now face a statewide teacher shortage and classroom shortage – we can wait no longer to hire and reward our dedicated teachers and to build new schools.”

http://rogergoodman.org

Representative Larry Springer, 45^th LD, pos 2  

“Children are our most precious resource. As a former teacher, I’ve supported pay raises for teachers and funding to lower class sizes. I’ll make sure we invest in our schools and teachers—not school bureaucracy—and assure that every student that wants to attend college in Washington has access to the school of their choice.”

http://www.larryspringer.org/issues.html/

Senator David Frockt, 46^th LD

“We are billions of dollars away from adequately funding the smaller class sizes, all-day kindergarten, operating costs like technology and textbooks, teacher salaries and everything else that constitute a “basic education” as defined by the Legislature. In 2014, David co-sponsored legislation that would have created a formal plan to implement the basic education program by 2018. The bill proposed closing about $100 million in unproductive tax loopholes and putting the money into smaller class sizes and into the voter-approved state cost-of-living salary adjustment that teachers have gone without for too many years. Lowering class size in the early grades, providing all-day kindergarten and early learning, closing the achievement gap, providing adequate compensation to our educators, and making our local districts less reliant on local levies for basic educational expenses, will require leaders to be open to a grand compromise that encompasses both budgeting reform, tax reform and new revenues. David continues to work fully fund public education. “

http://www.davidfrockt.org/why-im-serving/to-champion-our-public-schools-and-universities/

Representative Gerry Pollet, 46^th LD, Pos 1

“Our state Constitution – and our moral duty as citizens – requires that we amply fund “general and uniform systems of schools” for “all children… without distinction or preference.”

“Now is the time for every parent, teacher and advocate for our children’s education and our state’s future to unite in a campaign to provide the funding needed to meet this basic obligation.”

http://gerrypollet.com/home/education/

Representative Jessyn Ferrel, 46^th LD, Pos 2

“I believe we need to provide adequate resources for all our schools and ensure that every child is healthy, safe, and prepared when he or she comes to school. The good news is that with the State Supreme Court McCleary decision there is a mandate in place to develop solutions.”

http://www.electjessyn.com

Representative Pat Sullivan, 47^th LD, Pos 2

“As a father, coach, and PTA volunteer, I am deeply committed to improving our schools. That’s why I sponsored and passed the Education Funding Reform Bill that simplifies budgeting, increases transparency and accountability, improves transportation, and invests additional dollars in our schools. I also passed legislation that gets tough with failing schools, giving kids a better opportunity to succeed.”

http://votepatsullivan.com/pages/4/Issues

Brooke Valentine, candidate for the House in the 47^th LD, Pos 1

“We have fallen behind on our paramount duty to amply fund education for all of Washington’s children. I am committed to a budget where our schools and the students they serve are the top priority. There is no greater investment than our children and I will be tireless in my advocacy for all.”

http://brookevalentine.nationbuilder.com/issues

Representative Sharon Wylie, 49^th LD, Pos 1

“Highest priority is to do what the McCleary Court case requires: meet our own, bipartisan obligation to fund our basic education system. We need to do this in a way that preserves our safety net and keeps our other obligations intact.”

http://www.sharonfor49th.com/my-priorities/

Aleshia Topper, candidate for the House in the 49^th LD, Pos 2

“Electing Alishia to represent families in the 49th Legislative District will put a leader with grit in a position to tackle the challenges our education system faces. Fully funding education means supporting teachers so that they can deliver quality instruction, building learning environments that support future ready skills, and ensuring that the systems that support student success – early learning and child care, housing, food assistance, transportation, health and mental health care, and living wage jobs – are in place to support the whole child.”

http://electtopper.com/issues/

Monica Stonier, candidate for the House in the 49^th LD, Pos 2

“Fight for the funding that meets our constitutional obligation and best serves our students and families.”

http://monicastonier.nationbuilder.com/issues

Annette Cleveland, Candidate for the Senate in the 49^th LD

“A critical decision before the 2017 Legislature will be to amply fund basic K-12 education (McLeary court case). We must fulfill our constitutional duty. Fighting for quality education, affordable college tuition and workforce development partnerships at local colleges has always been a priority of mine.”

http://www.annettecleveland.com

By popular demand, Washington’s Paramount Duty presents for parents and supporters, interviews with both candidates running for the Office of Superintendent for Public instruction.

We asked both candidates the following questions:

1. Why are you running for OSPI?
2. What are your major qualifications for the position?
3. How has your experience in the public school sector shaped your vision of holding the office of SPI?
4. What is your plan to ensure the budget has a fully funded education system by the 2017-2018 school year? How will you advocate with the legislature to pass a budget and policy that will fully fund education per the McLeary decision?
5. What will full funding of basic education do to eliminate the opportunity gap? If the legislature does not fully fund McCleary, what will you do to eliminate opportunity gaps for students of color and ELL students?
6. What will you do to ensure all LGBTQ students across the state feel safe coming to school and are able to use the bathroom appropriate for their gender?
7. How do you envision the state addressing the capacity crisis facing many of our districts?
8. The teacher shortage continues to grow worse. How would you solve it in ways that ensure every child has a qualified and skilled teacher?
9. What is your stance on high stakes testing?
10. If you’re elected to OSPI, what will your top priority be?
11. How will you prioritize funding for McCleary?

Enjoy their answers and share widely!

Three Washington State Supreme Court Justices, Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, Justice Mary Yu, and Justice Charlie Wiggins, have ruled to uphold every child’s constitutional right to an amply funded equitable public education. In McCleary, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the State is failing to meet their constitutional paramount duty to amply fund education. A public education is a civil right, and the Washington State Constitution clearly states, “it is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders.” Three challenger candidates disagree with the McCleary decision and are actively working to replace the incumbent Justices in November’s election.

The Supreme Court should not be made the villain for upholding our state constitution.

As parents and public school supporters, who envision a future where every child has an equitable access to an amply funded basic education, Washington’s Paramount Duty has endorsed all three sitting Supreme Court Justices – Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, Justice Mary Yu and Justice Charlie Wiggins.

We encourage every parent to be informed as you fill in your ballot this November, so please take a moment to learn more about the Justices WPD endorses here:

http://www.chiefjusticemadsen.org

http://www.justicecharliewiggins.com

http://justicemaryyu.com

Our Vision: A Successful K-12 Public School System
Submitted by: Washington’s Paramount Duty
September 2016

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We envision a state education system where…

• Every student experiences smaller classes, allowing them to receive the individual attention they need to thrive as learners and students.
• Every student has the opportunity for ielts preparation course in Malaysia, classes in music, art, drama, and physical education.
• Every student is equipped with materials and technology essential in today’s learning.
• Every student gains the knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century.
• Every student receives at least 45 minutes of recess each day.
• Every student has at least 30 minutes to eat his or her lunch.
• Every student has the opportunity to go on field trips.
• Every student and their family can be confident that their data will not be given away, sold, or compromised.
• Special education students and emergent bilingual students receive the extra support and opportunity they need to thrive as students.
• At risk, disadvantaged, and homeless students receive the extra support and opportunity they need to thrive as students.
• The opportunity gap for students of color and ELL students is eliminated through the provision of additional resources — all schools will need more funding than they currently have. Some will need a lot more.
• Every high school student will have the opportunity to take AP and honors classes, advanced mathematics and science courses, and participate in IB or Running Start programs.
• A diverse cultural mix of students are encouraged and recruited to participate in AP and honors classes, advanced mathematics and science courses, and participate in IB or Running Start programs.
• Every school has a full-time nurse, a full-time librarian, ample special education services and educators, a full-time counselor, and social workers and family support professionals, as appropriate and needed by the school community.
• In-school services are available to address each student’s social, emotional, intellectual, and health needs.
• Every student has access to mental health services when they need it.
• Students are provided with a culturally sensitive, non-biased, and equitable education.
• Students are provided with culturally sensitive, non-biased, and equitable testing.
• Any federally mandated statewide assessments are created by Washington State classroom educators.
• Every school will offer at least one foreign language in grades K-12.
• Regular curriculum updates and professional development are provided to support teachers’ work.
• Teachers and other educators are treated as professionals and provided with living and competitive market-based wages, worthy of their work, education, and profession.
• There is a robust recruitment program to insure there are enough quality teachers and substitutes to teach Washington’s students.
• Schools and children are provided with equitable resources and opportunities.
• There are fully resourced school buildings and enough classrooms, bathrooms, libraries, safe drinking water, and play space for every child.
• Schools can afford to test their drinking water and ensure a safe school environment.

If implemented, the outcomes of this vision would be:

• A significantly higher graduation rate. (Currently, over 22% of high school students do not graduate.)
• Students that are prepared to succeed as contributors and participants in the 21st century economy.
• A significant closing of the opportunity gap — so that children who need more support, get more support.
• The capacity for excellence, learning, creativity and growth for educators and students is made possible.

We envision a public school system that is given a chance to achieve its potential – where teachers are given the support they need to teach and not expected to also serve as a part-time librarian, nurse, recess monitor, and social worker. Where every student is provided with a desk, school supplies, access to support services, individual attention, and other basic resources they need to thrive as learners. We have amazing schools that are doing their best with what they have – let’s give them a chance to thrive and do what’s expected of them by ensuring that they all have what they need, and even if they problems with subjects like English, using resources from sites like https://www.slcedu.sg/psle-english-tuition-singapore is a good option to give everyone a good education.

We envision that our elected officials will fund basic education in our state. The legislative record shows that our elected officials are very willing to take up the hard work of developing education policy that best serves the students of Washington state, but perhaps the hardest and most-important work is still to come — accurately quantifying and fully funding this vision.

In addition to HB 2261 (2009) and HB 2776 (2010), the following bills were passed with the vision of what our state education system is capable of:

• TPEP – Teacher  & Principal Evaluation Program (SB 6696, 2010; SB 5895, 2012)
• Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts & Math)
• Next Generation Science Standards
• School Accountability for Struggling Schools (SB 6696, 2010; HB2799, 2012; SB 5329, 2013)
• Expanded Supports for English Language Learners (SB 2051, 2013)
• Online Learning Programs Accreditation (SB 5410, 2009; HB 2065, 2011)
• WaKids Kindergarten Readiness Inventory (SB 5427, 2011; HB2586, 2012)
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Strategic Plan (HB 1710, 2011)
• Encouraging AP and IB Advanced Programs (HB 1642, 2013)
• Computer Science as Math or Science Credit (HB 1472, 2013)
• Education Health Indicators (SB 5491, 2013)
• Strengthening Outcomes / Early Literacy / Evidence Based Strategies (SB 5946, 2013)
• Open Doors Dropout Re-engagement Statewide Framework (HB 1418, 2010)
• Career and College Ready Graduation; CTE Math & Science Equivalencies (SB 6552, 2014)
• Computer Science Standards and expanding CS Education (HB 1546, 2015)
• College in High School / Advanced Academic or CTE courses with Dual Credits
• (HB 1546, 2015)
• Strategies to Close the Educational Opportunity Gap (HB 1541, 2016)

It is time to fully fund the unfunded mandate that is public education in our state.  A successful Washington K-12 public school system would 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. The detailed components of this have been well established by previous legislative action. At this point in time, the missing ingredient is funding.

Passing a meaningful — and fair revenue solution – is what the legislature is tasked with in the upcoming 2017 legislative session. Because of its size, the funding gap cannot be closed by routine budget growth and cuts to other essential public services — that would devastate vital state services like higher education, early learning, low-income housing, long-term care for seniors and persons with disabilities, mental health services, environmental protection, public health, legal justice, and public safety.  In addition, as the Court ruled, funding basic education is a state government responsibility, so relying on local levies must not be a part of the solution.

As shared in the Washington Paramount Duty White Paper submitted July 31, 2016, we offer the following guiding principles and recommendations as this task force moves forward with bringing your colleagues together to find a common solution, on behalf of Washington’s 1.1 million public school students.

We need new revenue — but not just any revenue, particularly given our current over-reliance on local resources and the extreme regressive nature of our current state tax system. To ensure we don’t get into this funding mess again, we need revenues that are:

• Sufficient — enough to fund basic education without harming other vital state services.
• Sustainable — insulated from the ups and downs of the economy.
• Fair — everyone pays her or his fair share, unlike our current system where those with the most pay less than their fair share, while the rest pay more.
• Accountable— new revenues will be solely dedicated to funding basic education.

Washington Paramount Duty respectfully encourages this task force and Legislature to move forward with the hard and important work of figuring out how to fully fund Washington’s schools.  The solutions may seem daunting, but working incrementally and with deliberation will surely provide results. The Seattle Times called this the “civil rights crisis of our time” – let’s do what’s right by the people who are the future of our state, our children.

 

APPENDIX:  Testimonials

Testimonial submitted to the Education Funding Task Force
September 6, 2016
Submitted by: Dirir Abdullahi

Greetings,

I am writing this letter on behalf of the African American Leadership Forum. I worked this past year at Garfield High School as a Somali Instructional Assistant, and during this time I witnessed multiple disparities in resource allocation for students depending on ethnicity.

Most of the Advanced Placement courses were taken by white students, some who come from private middle schools taking up the space from students of color who attend the high school. There are also counselors who discourage our students of color from taking these honor courses or advanced placement courses. They say things such as, “you are not ready, it’s too challenging reconsider look into a more basic course”. We need efficient training of our counselors so their biases are not directed into the wellbeing of our students. Our student’s success should be the primary concern and therefore implicit bias training, and anti-discrimination training should be mandated, along with increasing counselors of color.

We need staff who fight for equity to realize true equality. Black students have been put into low resource facilities since segregation times, and now that gentrification has been pushing black folks out of their homes and replacing them with white folks, those schools now have additional resources to accommodate white students.

There have been numerous occasions in which field trips could not be completed due supposed funding deficits. For example, one of the field trips was aimed at giving the students insight on what it means to be a scientist. This pilot project was aimed to support educators provide opportunities to connect their teaching in the classroom(s) to world problems/solutions in the field of global health.  In addition to visiting organizations, students will interact with staffs at Seattle based organizations that have an immense impact on world health. Everything was planned, funding was the only issue.

Likewise, aside from Garfield High School there are other schools in the Highline School Districts that have old text books, and little to no lab equipment. We are done asking for services that should have already been there, we are demanding and we will do as such. My role in AALF is in the education aspect, as well as health care we have systems of oppression failing us, and our group is a group of mixed professionals in the community working to change our current conditions actively. I have just entered my first year of medical school, and as a future physician my community healing and being given the accurate allocation of resources will be my goal.

Katie Piper, Seattle, WA
Teacher at Sammamish High School
Parent of 2 Seattle Public School students

Here is my vision of fully funded education, based on my experience as both a teacher and a parent in public schools in Washington.

• I would be able to count on having fewer than 30 students in my high school classes.
• Qualified para-educators would be available in classrooms where they are needed, and they would have the resources necessary to support students.
• Teachers would have the time necessary to collaborate in order to plan high quality instruction for the diverse learners we serve every day. This would be the cornerstone of a deeper professional development for teachers, rather than one or two days of “drive-by” PD per year that is not specific to a teacher’s assignment.
• Administrators would have budgets that would allow them the slightest bit of leeway, so that a small wobble in enrollment numbers doesn’t have to lead to drastic and painful funding choices.
• I would have enough textbooks for every student.
• Basics like art instruction and library books would be funded and available in every school, rather than becoming an extra funded only by PTAs in wealthier communities.
• Counselors would have reasonable caseloads, so that they could help attend to children’s mental health needs, as well as working on scheduling and helping students navigate college admissions.
• New teachers would be coached and supported as they navigate a profession with many competing challenges. This might reduce the burnout rate (currently 50% leave the profession in three years), which would surely turn out to be a smart investment.
• My children’s would have a full-length school day, rather than one that is arbitrarily 30 minutes shorter because of a failed local levy decades ago.

Quality public education is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and our best chance at reducing inequality. We simply have to start making funding choices that are in line with our values.

Megan Dunn, Everett School District

My vision for education is to amply fund education so that districts have enough money to pay all teacher, para-educators, support staff and administration. All supplies related to learning should be paid for, including extra curricular activities. All children have the right to a healthy classroom and minimum environmental standards should be enforced.

Lack of funding has resulted in districts doing what they can, a lack of achievement and school buildings that are falling into neglect. By having our buildings and structures go into disrepair, we are directly impacting achievement and development. All students and employees would benefit from a healthier school environment with reduced chemical exposure. Safe school chemical polices provide incentive, a clear framework and long-term change.

I support a state income tax or other change in the tax structure, connected to a reduction in sales tax in order to have a reliable base of funding.

Amy Knobbs, School: Green Lake Elementary School

My mother was the first in her family to go to college.  Education was her pathway to a better life and she became a high school teacher to help others.  I grew up believing in the power of education to allow the smartest and best ideas to come forth.

I want Washington’s schools to be able to brag that their students excel despite their economic background.  I want Washington’s schools to show the rest of the nation that it values its educators.  I want Washington to fully fund education.

Fully funding education would mean that PTAs would no longer contribute to funding administrative posts or providing computers or buying books.  An amply funded public school would not ask its parents to buy copy paper and scissors and pencils and glue.

If reading is important, I suggest providing a well-stocked library and a full time librarian.  If STEM is important, I do not think parents should be “raising the paddle” at auctions to fund technology. The Google’s Director of STEM Education Strategy, Kamau Bobb knows the  importance of equitable access to resources in education.

I often hear about the importance of accountability in schools, but handicapping schools by not providing the requisite tools and materials and then holding them accountable is mean and yields inaccurate results.  If we want to continue to flourish as a state that is respected and envied we need to invest fully in teaching all children.

At Green Lake Elementary we have a strong PTA.  There are many parent volunteers and we raise a substantial amount of money.  This time and money is used to hide how underfunded the school is.  The budget at GLES does not have any room for error.  I watch as our principal asks the PTA for a donation and yearly juggles positions and full-time/part-time staff percentages to maximize SPS and PTA funds.  She’s cheerful and resolute but it angers me that this is part of her job.

The PTA provides teachers with classroom accounts so they can purchase items for their classroom without having to use their own money or beg for funds from the PTA.  I watched the PTA-funded counselor comfort confused and grieving students after a sudden tragedy.  I love that our PTA helps so much, but saddened that all schools do not have equal or any PTAs or other outside funding sources.  I love our school.  I admire the optimism and tenacity and patience of our teachers, staff and administration despite the numerous obstacles that could be removed by adequate funding.

When Washington State commits to fully fund education it needs to deal with its extremely regressive tax system.  An income tax would help rectify the inequality of our tax system.  The percentage each person contributes in taxes should be equalized.  We all will benefit from a public school system that is completely funded.

To: Education Funding Task Force members
From: Joan Burton, former teacher, mother and grandmother

You are tasked with coming up with solutions to the Legislative 2017 deadline to find adequate school funding for basic education.

Suppose you as legislators received only some of your compensation from the state, and a significant “supplemental” portion came from a regular levying process from the voters in each of your districts.  Would the inevitably resulting pay disparities (from some districts’ voting for, and others against these levies) be fair?  Would they be an accurate reflection of your quality of work?  Would you and others in the future be less interested in seeking Legislative jobs?

1. Across the state teacher salary schedules and available school facilities differ vastly depending on school district affluence. Proof of this wide disparity can be found in the teacher shortage in low income and rural areas. Equitable funding means fair and equal distribution to all communities.

2. Staffing ratios for reducing class size range widely. More funding must be allocated for this purpose.

3. Many school districts have poor libraries and outdated or limited textbooks for class use. One district I taught in did not have enough of any single title for one class’ use, let alone five. Surplus books donated from University of Washington libraries’ discards helped fill out another rural school library.  Funds must be allocated for sufficient and current text and library books.

4. Building maintenance has been postponed for years in some school districts, with the result that roofs leak, mold infests classrooms, and broken windows are not being replaced. Regular building maintenance and anticipatory replacement funding must be budgeted for by all school districts. No one should have to go to a school in such conditions.

5. Cost of living salary adjustments are deferred again and again. In some districts teachers cannot afford to live near the schools they teach in. In other districts salaries and benefits are paid for by PTA fundraisers or outright parental solicitation for funds. In Seattle language immersion programs are mostly paid for by parents of the students, and International Baccalaureate programs are also subsidized by the parents. Once introduced by the districts, I believe the State of Washington should continue to cover the entire cost of these programs.

6. Many classrooms are so crowded teachers have to request extra desks and chairs to enable all their students to be seated. Better demographic analysis and planning should make clear before school opened what enrollment will be.

It is clear that the enormous disparities in school district funding across the state are not equitable or fair. Some communities can support far superior programs to others. Washington’s paramount duty is to make sure all students have equal educational opportunity.

Cristina Key, Seattle Public School parent

A successful public school system provides an adequate number of teachers in all levels of instruction–including evidence-based best practices and resources for general, gifted and special-needs learners. Schools or the district would inform parents how to access those resources and not make it difficult. Instruction would happen in modern or structurally updated facilities, including areas for play; all learning materials would be provided. Schools would provide nurses, libraries, arts instruction, ample recess time for K-5 and a social/emotional learning curriculum. That’s my vision in a nutshell.

Joanne Barker Schmitt

In addition to what Cristina Key said (above), schools would have modern instructional resources such as computers for every kid or class sets of computers in most classrooms, with computer labs available at all periods for those classes which only need periodic access. If we expect every child in our state to be college or work ready when they graduate High School, they need daily training in the use of modern and evolving technology. We can’t expect that training to happen at home, not every kid has internet access or a computer at home. Schools should be able to provide a computer and internet access for those students whose families can not do so.

The importance of funding “enrichment” subjects – by Rebecca Vaux

My name is Rebecca Vaux. I’m one of the board members and founders of Washington’s Paramount Duty. I’m an immigrant and I have two children in Seattle Public Schools.

When my older child, a sixth grader, started kindergarten, I learned that she had only had art and PE as “enrichment” activities, but no music. I was aghast. Was music not part of the standard curriculum for elementary school? Was this normal in the US? My American husband assured me it hadn’t been like that when he was in school. Later we learned: our school district has a formula for funding “enrichment” classes and if the student body is too small, the school doesn’t get funding for all subjects. These are discretionary funds and the school has to decide what it wants to pay for. Our daughter was in a new school – her kindergarten year was its second year of existence; it was a start-up. Our principal, faced with the choice, had opted for art over music. Later, when my daughter was in 2^nd grade, the school grew big enough to be allocated a music/drama teacher, too.

This situation encapsulates the problems with Washington’s approach to what a fully-funded basic education is – and what it ought to be. Talk to any parent, and they will tell you that they expect elementary school children to receive classes in art, music, drama, as well as PE and “academic” subjects. These should be basic subjects, offered to all. But these programs are expensive and there’s barely enough money to pay for the basic-basics. Our school district doesn’t fund all those subjects in smaller schools – some small elementaries have one multi-purpose teacher for different arts; some have no music or art instruction. Some richer schools have sufficient PTA dollars to pay for artists-in-residence, or poets-in-residence, or to make up for the shortfall in school district funding for “enrichment” activities. And this is in a relatively well-off district. And yet, my daughter and her classmates were short-changed by not receiving music classes, because at the time, our school was too small and our PTA too poor to pay for them.

To me, a fully funded basic education includes enough dollars to pay for every single child in Washington state to receive music, art, drama and other “enrichment” classes, along with PE and language arts and math and all the other academic subjects.

You’ll notice that I’ve put quotation marks around the word “enrichment”. This is because I fully believe that “enrichment” is the wrong term for these subjects. They aren’t of lesser importance than academic subjects. They are essential to the raising of well-rounded, creative, thoughtful children who go on to become well-rounded, creative, thoughtful adults.  And surely that is our ultimate goal, as people who care about the future of our society?

Moreover, providing these so-called “enrichment” subjects makes good sense from an economic perspective. Music and math are complimentary subjects – the data, both anecdotal and scientific – goes way back showing that there is a correlation between music and being strong in math. Art is a fundamental component of many professions: industrial design, engineering, graphic design, website design and management, to name but four. In a region that has a strong tech economy, and a strong aerospace industry, why would we not want to provide all our kids with art classes? Where will our next generation of designers come from if they don’t get the foundations in our public schools? Regarding drama, you might consider it a niche subject – a bit of fun for kids, not really important. But as a communications professional, I regularly tell my older child that she needs to take drama because one of the most important skillsets a student needs to learnis how to present themself: how to communicate to a group; how to hold an audience; how to tell a story. All these things are essential in the working world, and all are well learned through drama class.

In short, what you consider to be enrichment activities, I consider to be fundamental building blocks in a child’s education. Basic education needs to include them as part of its foundation, and Washington state needs to pay for it. In full.