The Color of Money (A Coloring Sheet)

From TRAP (Teacher Retention Advocate Parents):

Is the Washington State Legislature REALLY planning to ignore the McCleary Ruling for another session? Is the House and Senate - once again - refusing to uphold their paramount duty to fully funding public education?

Here at TRAP Headquarters, the Legislature's continued defiance of the Constitution makes our blood boil. In fact, we think it's a crime. 


 Funding public education should be JOB ONE this legislative session.

Olympia, TRAP is putting you on notice. The Color of Money - McCleary Crime Scene Coloring Contest is our contribution to the funding fight. We plan to drawing attention to the longest running - public education destroying - crime spree this state has ever seen.

Governor Inslee says fix this mess by 2017. TRAP says: Fully Fund McCleary Now!


Download this black and white coloring sheet and sent it to your legislator (or to the address listed and they will be delivering them to Olympia. ) 
‪#‎colormeshamed‬ ‪#‎ignorethis‬

 


From the TRAP press release:

What is The Color of Money ­ McCleary Crime Scene Coloring Contest?Here at TRAP Headquarters, the Legislature's continued defiance of the Constitution makes our blood boil. In fact, we think it's a crime. Funding public education should be JOB ONE this legislative session.

We’re having a coloring contest because all of the usual methods of getting our legislators to fix this mess have failed.

Olympia, TRAP is putting you on notice. The Color of Money ­ McCleary Crime Scene Coloring Contest is our contribution to the funding fight. We plan to draw attention to the longest running ­public education destroying ­ crime spree this state has ever seen.

Governor Inslee says fix this mess in 2017. TRAP says: Fully Fund McCleary Now!

Why a coloring contest?

Because our elected officials are refusing to listen to the pleas of school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students. The usual political channels aren’t working.

Because, in the grand tradition of political satire, we are calling out the foolish ways of our elected officials. TRAP will not sit by as a complacent accomplice, while our children are made to suffer in under resourced schools.

Because we want to make sure ART ­ in all its forms ­ is on the forefront of every discussion concerning school funding.

How Does The Color of Money ­ McCleary Crime Scene Coloring Contest Work?

TRAP is asking parents to join us as we color in the money for our resource starved public schools.

What’s the goal? To help our elected officials straighten out their priorities ­ before they end up in jail.

Participation is easy. Visit our Facebook Page and download a coloring sheet. Grab a box ofcrayons and some friends. Consider having a color­in at your home or school. Get creative. Have fun.

Comments

Benjamin Leis said…
Its fine to be disappointed that McCleary hasn't been resolved. But I'm not participating in any advocacy effort that doesn't clearly specify how they think the funding should be actually accomplished. Given how large the shortfall is: let's assume the most commonly floated value of 2-4 billion dollars out of what is only 38 billion per 2 year budget, its going to take hard choices to make up the difference.

You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't want schools to be adequately funded in principle but

1. Do you want an income tax or some other mechanism to fund it?
2. Do you want to use the existing revenue sources and if so what will you cutback?
3. Are you planning to redistribute local levy dollars?

etc.

There are too many ways this could go very wrong without clearly knowing what plan I'm helping to pass.

Ben, we can absolutely talk about it.

1. I think an income tax IS the best route but I doubt it could pass (either in the legislature or via initiative.)

That said, if there were a coalition of the willing (that is willing to hold the legislature's collective feet to the fire), I'd work for it.

What other mechanisms:

-capital gains tax

-cutting back on large tax breaks to big businesses
(As I have been saying to senators, "Look, Boeing and Microsoft consistently complain about the lack of prepared grads. Cutting PART of their tax break will fund education and give them the workers they long for. It's all part of the greater good where they get the workers they want, their business flourishes because of that and Washington State has citizens who work to build a strong economy.")

-what about that Opportunity Fund that they want to use for charters? It doesn't have a lot of extra money but you certainly could use some of that lottery money for K-12.


2. No, I will NOT pit group against group. I was in Senator Mullet's office the other day where he bemoaned having to take money from social services. We all looked at each other and there was a "no."


3. Redistributing levy dollars - from what I have seen - would be very trickier and I think someone's district would get hurt in the end. I don't want to see any district have to struggle over the outcomes of McCleary which should lift all boats.

That many legislators are trying to push this one makes me even more suspicious.

But see, this isn't MY job. It's the people who got themselves elected to the legislature. Why aren't they doing this?
Ms206 said…
This is ridiculous. The Supreme Court needs to set a deadline for the Legislature!
Patrick said…
The court has set several deadlines for the legislature! The legislature like to listen to the whoooshing sound as they blow by.

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