How Did This Happen?
The Republicans convinced the Democrats to add two more spots to the state senate education committee, expanding it from eight to 10 seats.
Last time we checked in, the committee was evenly split—four-to-four— between pro-teachers’ union votes and the (Secretary of Education) Arne Duncan crowd that wants to tie teacher evaluations to student assessment. (They’d also like charters if they had their druthers.)
The two new members, Sens. Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens) and Joe Fain (R-47, Auburn) side with the Duncan bloc; shorthand—they’re fans of the Waiting for Superman movie. That math puts the union bloc in the minority, six to four.
You’ll remember, Hobbs had initially tried to get on the committee, but had been left off.
Score one for Stand for Children—the activist group that’s promoting Waiting for Superman—which spent $21,000 on Hobbs’ election in November (the union spent $5,000 against him).
And while SFC didn’t spend money on Fain, the union spent over $13,000 trying to beat him in November and over $30,000 trying to elect his opponent, incumbent Democrat Claudia Kauffman, who lost.
Just like that? Hey, we want two more members so we can push education our way - you, too? - great!
Thanks to Michelle B. for the tip.
Nice how that works out.
Comments
Can the Legislature allow charters by majority vote, or does it take a supermajority?
cavewoman wannabe
Attemping strategies other than group whines means you're not part of the group.
bipartizan phantasy
Your point is well taken, tho'...not much action, but lots of talk. That goes for political action, and for action in the schools. If citizens and parent/guardians were more involved with public schools AND writing letters, organizing, etc, this sort of crap would be much less likely to happen.
will you roll up your noble sleeves and show me the scars from standing with harry in crispin's day? cearly, you are more noblerer and more better and more selflesser than base me, and I hold my life cheep.
seriously - do you notice how you blame us underlings and NOT our inept & incompetent "leaders"?
the leaders of the bad guys ARE doing their jobs - maybe more peeons would help our "leaders" fight if our "leaders" weren't so craven and so incompetent? maybe, excepting the few us of engaged in this thing called community engagement, maybe we the people are getting the craven "leaders" we deserve?
bipartizan
-skeptical -
Is there any square inch of the public commons remaining that isn't already corrupt? Dumb question, I know.
[My word verification is "dumbplex"]
Nobler, better, selflesser...maybe...if one is keeping score, which I'm not. I just wish ALL the parents/guardians/citizens of this city, and the state, could give a couple hours a week to be involved in public education. Some can't. Others can but don't. Are those that do "beter"? Well, in my opinion, yes, better than those that can but don't.
Second, any legislation still has to get through Frank Chopp's shop.
Third, we'll be making a concerted effort to see to it that more teachers and like-minded parents than ever go down to Olympia to testify. If you're a teacher, you may want to save a personal day or two to go down to Olympia.
Fourth, the legislature can still create mischief, but they're limited by budget constraints.
Fifth, the opposition wants us to be fearful. Be confident. And organize, organize, organize.
I told him (and Sherry and Peter) that we can all debate whether we want them, if they work, etc. BUT we have no time or resources for them right now.
We don't.
Does OSPI or any other government entity have the staff to organize a charter system? There is tremendous start-up costs to this kind of thing. Where would that come from (and no, not from some grant because we are looking for sustainable money)?
And, charters are not the short-term solution to the education problem (at least not in Washington state). It's not about needing innovation and removing the shackles of union restrictions (that's sarcasm there); it's about what is happening in Everett and Renton.
It may look like just the right time to bring in charter legislation but selling it is yet again going to be tough.
No one is in the mood to spend money.
Ed reformers seem to have a troubling disdain for the democratic process.
My full 4 cents on this are here: Is Washington State government trying to jump on the ed reform bandwagon of failure?
--sue p.