Feedback from Work Group on K-12 State Funding

From Neal Morton at the Seattle Times via Twitter - interesting reading:

• At the final meeting of a state work group charged with telling lawmakers how to fix K-12 formulas that pay for the adults working in school.  Editor's note: when there's link to entire report, I'll put it up.  It's due December 1.

• And as a reminder of how many students it takes in a "prototypical" school to generate enough funding for positions beyond teachers (Interesting that only elementaries get cash money for parent involvement staff even tho that's the age when parents typically most involved)

• A public survey got more than 3,000 responses, mostly from teachers and other folks working in education. Only four respondents took the survey in Spanish, which prompted some workgroup members to question how they can represent/amplify more diverse voices in their final report.  Editor's note: about one-third of respondents had written comments.

• https://twitter.com/nealtmorton/status/1195417525854461957?s=20 Teachers provided a little more than a third of all the responses. Among other educators who took the survey, school psychologists provided the most responses & in written feedback often said conducting tests for special education often takes priority over helping other students.  Editor's note: about two-thirds of comments came from school/district staff and one-third from parents, with a smattering of students/retired teachers.

• Overwhelming support on the survey to increase state funding for schools to hire staff dedicated to the mental, social, emotional and behavioral health of students.

• A little less than half of respondents consider it "very important" for the state to pay for training on racial literacy and culturally responsive practices (workgroup had trouble agreeing on how to define "racial literacy).

• Another popular item: More money from the state to lower class sizes.  Editor's note; this came in at 74%. 

https://twitter.com/nealtmorton/status/1195417525854461957?s=20https://twitter.com/nealtmorton/status/1195417525854461957?s=20