Another Year, Another Task Force
This editorial appeared in the PI on the 28th. It is one in a long line of pleas to the Legislature to fully funded education (or at least look at the funding baseline set up in 1976). From the editorial,
"Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed former state Treasurer Dan Grimm to head the state Task Force on Basic Education Funding this summer. The task force will produce a report for the 2009 Legislature on a more stable, adequate system of school financing."
2009? Okay, we've been waiting, I guess waiting another 18 months is nothing. What will these people say that no one else before them has said?
There is a PTSA focus day on Feb. 13th. Find out what you (yes, you) can do to convince the Legislature to take a look, now, at education funding. What is it that is holding them back? (By the way, there was moaning and groaning over SPS and its leadership. Okay, we have all new leadership. What's next?) My feeling is that I need to ask my legislators how THEY can convince the hold-outs to change. My own legislators are good on education but my feeling is there is a lot of resistance from the eastern part of the state.
Something's gotta give or nothing will change. People who posted opinions at the end of the editorial blame it all on unions and lack of discipline. Okay, are union demands holding back decent basic education and if so, how?
We have laws and policies on discipline but until they are enforced, across the board, you'll see the wide variation on behavior standards in the classroom. It's interesting because enforcing discipline is likely one of the cheaper fixes out there but is it one parents recognize as a barrier to better education?
"Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed former state Treasurer Dan Grimm to head the state Task Force on Basic Education Funding this summer. The task force will produce a report for the 2009 Legislature on a more stable, adequate system of school financing."
2009? Okay, we've been waiting, I guess waiting another 18 months is nothing. What will these people say that no one else before them has said?
There is a PTSA focus day on Feb. 13th. Find out what you (yes, you) can do to convince the Legislature to take a look, now, at education funding. What is it that is holding them back? (By the way, there was moaning and groaning over SPS and its leadership. Okay, we have all new leadership. What's next?) My feeling is that I need to ask my legislators how THEY can convince the hold-outs to change. My own legislators are good on education but my feeling is there is a lot of resistance from the eastern part of the state.
Something's gotta give or nothing will change. People who posted opinions at the end of the editorial blame it all on unions and lack of discipline. Okay, are union demands holding back decent basic education and if so, how?
We have laws and policies on discipline but until they are enforced, across the board, you'll see the wide variation on behavior standards in the classroom. It's interesting because enforcing discipline is likely one of the cheaper fixes out there but is it one parents recognize as a barrier to better education?
Comments
The Washington State Institue for Public Policy has already produced two preliminary reports for the task force. The links are at the bottom of the Basic Education Finance page you linked to.
The Initial Report to the Task Force and School Employee Compensation and Student Outcomes reports (both PDFs) make for interesting, if inconclusive, reading.
http://www.richsemler.com/
Volunteers wanted.