WashACE Blog

School Funding Decision Changes Budget Debate

But probably not this year. King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick's long (103 pages) analysis concluded that the state was not living up to its constitutional obligation to fund fully basic education. Here's the crux:

State funding is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable.  Local school districts continue to rely on local levies and other non-State resources to supplement state funding for a basic program of education.  Recent legislation addresses, but does not resolve, the perennial underfunding of basic education.  Accordingly, the State is directed to determine the cost of amply providing for basic education and a basic program of education for all children resident in the State of Washington.  The State must also comply with the Constitutional mandate to provide stable and dependable funding for such costs of basic education. 

He concludes with this:

The means of fulfilling this Constitutional mandate properly fall within the prerogative of the Legislature.

What that means exactly, I don't know. Erlick chose the Potter Stewart standard when it came to defining "ample." Or maybe an inverted Potter Stewart, more along the lines of "I know it when I don't see it." No one seems particularly surprised by the finding. The question now is whether or not it will be appealed to the state Supreme Court, which has seen more than its share of school funding cases over time.

Linda Shaw's Seattle Times reporting provides more context. 

"He left the remedy for whatever ails the system in the Legislature's hands, and we believe that's where it belongs," said Assistant Attorney General Bill Clark.

Clark also said it appears that the judge would allow the state to fulfill his order by carrying out plans in a bill passed last year — House Bill 2261 — which set 2018 as a deadline for a number of changes in how the state funds it schools. The bill also expanded the state's definition of what constitutes a "basic" education.

Key legislative leaders agree with the decision, as KING 5 reports.

"I absolutely agree with the court," said Rep. Ross Hunter, R-Medina.

The Chair of the Senate's Education Committee said the decision could help convince legislators, and the public, that more needs to be done to fund schools.

"That's really what we needed," said Senator Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, "We needed to be pushed by the courts to do that."

Sen. McAuliffe does not know if school funding reforms will require new taxes, but she said, "It provides us an opportunity to go out to the public and take the case to them."

The Columbian is out quickly with a good editorial. It's about setting priorities.

Now it’s up to the politicians to prioritize public education and meet the constitutional mandate without raising taxes.

We'll see how that works out.

Getting the Jobs Agenda Right

At WashACE, we're pro-job. Not a bold stance, I recognize. With state unemployment at 9.5 percent, I reckon everyone is pro-job. Nationally, we've seen the conversation shift - I think 'pivot' is the term of art - from health care to jobs. Particularly middle-class jobs. Particularly if they're in small businesses.

I'm not sure if unemployed workers are that picky about where they're next job comes from a small business or a large one. And, of course, a lot of small businesses exist primarily as corporate suppliers or service businesses that depend on the customer base provided by major regional employers. But, quibbles aside, it's good to see jobs back at the top of the legislative agendas here and in D.C.

Last week, Wenatchee World editorial page editor Tracy Warner wrote a good column on government's role in job creation.

I wish government could create jobs at will. A vote, a law, the stroke of a pen, and there you have it — tens of thousands of people returned to gainful employment. If that is not the way it actually works, sometimes that’s what they want us to think. If only it could.

After noting the particularly tough employment conditions today, Warner notes:

If government could create productive jobs at will it would do a lot more of it. More often, the taxing-and-hiring schemes cost more jobs than they create. If these plans worked we could be happily employed filling in holes government hired people to dig. But, if government can’t create jobs itself, it can create the conditions and help supply the means for private business to create jobs, the kind of jobs that produce more wealth than they consume. It’s been done.

Surveying the landscape of current legislative proposals he identifies some good and not-so-good ideas.

Gov. Gregoire wants tax credits for small businesses hiring new employees. She wants tax incentives for private investment. She wants streamlined permitting and regulation. This will lower the government-added cost of hiring. Make hiring new employees less expensive and you increase the odds people will do it.

Senate Democrats today endorsed the governor's tax break. (Link is to Publicola; not yet up on Senate site.) UPDATE: LInk on Senate site here.

Warner's skeptical of some other ideas.

The “green jobs” gambit, the idea that government can create an entirely new industry by subsidizing uneconomical forms of energy production, has not worked elsewhere and won’t work here.

...Other plans have little more promise. Adding $860 million to the state’s debt load to pay people to insulate schools is unlikely to have as much positive impact as promoters contend. It will save $190 million a year in energy costs, they say, but with energy prices so low in this state, large returns are not easily found. And borrowing such sums is problematical.

I share his skepticism. And I'm a little less confident in the small business tax break. People hire when it makes sense to hire from a business perspective. But it might help. Of more help would be action to reform workers' compensation and mitigate the extraordinary unemployment insurance tax increases that just hit employers here.

Warner's conclusion sums it up well.

The old-fashioned, less photogenic means of government job creation still work. Build on our infrastructure — transportation, energy, education, basic research. Do all to remain fiscally sound and minimize risk. Keep taxes on employment low and predictable. Do that first.

Do that. And don't do this.

Good Aerospace Commentary by High School Senior

Yesterday's Everett Herald had an excellent oped by Yoo Jung Kim, a senior at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo. Headlined "If Boeing leaves all Washingtonians lose," the commentary makes clear what's at stake.

The biggest losers, therefore, should a second line go to Charleston, will be our communities: the everyday people who benefit directly and indirectly from Boeing’s stability and the patronage of its employees.

The impact of the current Boeing crisis is far from isolated. Local politicians must facilitate an open line of communication — not just among professionals, Boeing, and members of the IAM, but with the community as well.

And there's this sharp business insight.

A second, non-unionized production site would slash the efficacy of the Everett International Aerospace Machinists’ (IAM) primary weapon: labor strikes. In addition, parallel competition between two plants will be good for big business, but not necessarily for the workers. If Boeing places a second assembly line South Carolina, the future of the aerospace industry in Washington — along with the stability of existing jobs — will be at the mercy of the Charleston plant’s future performance.

Well done.

Missing the Brass Ring in Education

As the governor lobbies for more money from the Obama administration, as reported yesterday by the Seattle Times' Andrew Garber, the probable loss of education assistance must smart. That second link is to a good editorial in The News Tribune this morning. The feds are distributing some $4.3 billion to states that demonstrate excellence in public education. The editorial looks at some criteria:

Essentially, a state would have to demonstrate that it can implement successful, student-focused reforms in the face of political obstacles, hidebound K-12 establishments and teachers unions.

Some of their core expectations:

 • A state must connect data on student performance to individual teachers. The logic for this is blindingly obvious: The data connection can not only help evaluate teachers, it can help evaluate the curriculum they use, the schools of education that trained them and the effectiveness of their principals.

The failure to make that connection cripples accountability all around. Washington doesn’t make it.

 • A state must reward high-performing teachers. For the most part, Washington does not.

 • A state must encourage educational innovation by not imposing a cap on the number of charter public schools – schools commonly organized and self-governed by teachers and parents. Washington imposes a cap: zero.

 • A state must have a credible way of stepping in and fixing failing schools. Washington doesn’t.

Not good. Also in The News Tribune is Education Secretary Arne Duncan's challenge to the nation's governors.  See also this post by Jason Mercier at the Washington Policy Center.

Special Session? We Should Know Today

Little came easy this legislative session. And that goes for discussions about whether to extend it to handle unfinished business. You'll remember that shortly after the clock ran out on the session, Gov. Gregoire said she'd call lawmakers back for a one-day session. (The link is to Adam Wilson's story in the Olympian.)

Details, like what were the must-dos and when must they be done, remained to be worked out. As time passed, urgency waned. Wilson reports that Tuesday the governor told Democratic leaders, "time's up." A decision needed to be made this week. The AP's Rachel La Corte summarizes the issues in a story the Everett Herald headlines "Gregoire may cancel special session." (Can you cancel something that's never been scheduled? Can you lose a friend you never had?) Briefly:

The three bills that have been discussed by the governor for a special session are:

• A plan to reduce state spending on a program that benefits "property-poor" schools, saving about $60 million, while allowing school districts to collect more money from property tax levies. That bill is seen as the biggest priority.

• A measure to clear the way for illegal immigrants in state prisons to be deported, saving the state more than $8 million.

• A criminal sentencing bill that expands the low and high end of the sentencing range, allowing more discretion for judges when sentencing offenders. This bill could save the state nearly $376,000 through 2011 because it is expected that sentences will be reduced.

But, she notes,

... House leaders have been lukewarm about rushing back to Olympia.

House Majority Leader is quoted as thinking September might be better, when legislators have to return to Olympia anyway.

Republicans, who seem to have little influence on the governor's decision, have been clear from the beginning that there's no hurry. That's particularly true for Sen. Joe Zarelli, who headlines his latest Budget Tid Bit "no special session to pass bad public policy." He's particularly opposed to the levy equalization measure. He desxribes

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1776 [as]a "reverse Robin Hood bill" that would adversely impact the majority of school districts in the state while benefitting a select minority.

Disagreement on the bill tied up lawmakers in the waning hours of the session.

In addition to the aforementioned issues, swine flu could emerge as a special session topic, at least a reason to bump public health funding.

It's always a bad idea to make predictions just before decisions are likely to be announced. But here goes: I doubt they'll be back soon.

WASL Gone?

At a press conference recently, new Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announced his plans for replacing the WASL. Dorn asserts that he has the authority to change the test without legislative approval.

Dorn consulted with legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire before making his announcement, but emphasized that he did not need their approval to make the changes. Under state law, the superintendent can, in consultation with the state Board of Education, develop and revise a statewide system to test proficiency in reading, writing, math and science.

Some disagree.

Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, called Dorn "pretty arrogant" for speaking about what he could and couldn't do without the Legislature.

"It's as if he's never served in the Legislature before," Hewitt said of Dorn, who was chairman of the House Education Committee. "Well, we're still controlling the budget, and we still make the laws in this state."

WashACE has strongly supported rigorous accountability requirements for the schools. Steve Mullin of the Washington Roundtable appeared with the superintendent at yesterday's press conference. His comments in this Spokesman-Review story effectively capture our conerns.

Mullin said that his group would oppose any changes that might make the WASL?less rigorous,�� even if it meant saving time or money.

At Wednesday?s news conference, Mullin spoke cautiously, saying the Roundtable appreciated being consulted on the matter, and that there?s plenty of common ground? in requiring a test for graduation, for instance.

But as far as other specifics, Mullin would say only that?I think there are potentially some parts of what he?s proposed that we may have continuing concerns about.��

We'll be watching closely. Meanwhile, watch the press conference.

Early Reactions to Governor's Budget

As she predicted, reactions to the governor's budget have been swift. While the scramble to understand the details will take us all a while, the broad brush strokes are enough to frame the likely debate.

As we posted earlier today, Sen. Joe Zarelli likes the approach Gregoire has taken, saying it puts the process on the proper course. Zarelli is ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. His counterpart in the House, Rep. Gary Alexander, also likes the direction.

I commend the governor for putting forth a balanced budget that does not raise taxes or fees.  House Republicans have long believed that increasing taxes or fees is not the right approach while families are struggling with everyday expenses and workers are losing jobs.

While there are certainly some details of her plan that we might do differently, the governor has offered a good first step in correcting the past four years of overspending. 

Alexander and Zarelli both emphasize the importance of building early savings into the 2009 supplemental budget.

AWB president Don Brunell issued a brief statement.Noting that AWB continues to review the budget proposal, Brunell emphasizes the groups support for her decision not to raise taxes on families and employers. He adds:

It is critical that Washington state look beyond the current budget woes and prepare for what happens after we emerge from this recession. Part of that discussion must include creating the conditions for a healthy business environment so that when we do emerge from the recession, Washington is positioned as a good place to create those jobs.

 

As devastating as the economic conditions may be, the recession is an opportunity to reshape the way government operates and position our state to attract and retain businesses.

The largest union representing state workers call Gregoire's plan dead on arrival. They say that approvingly, looking for legislative support for tax hikes.

?Our biggest concern is that everything should be on the table and that includes tax loopholes and revenue enhancements,�� Federation Executive Director Greg Devereux said.?If the economic parts of our negotiated contracts that were ratified two months ago can be suspended, why can?t a campaign pledge on no revenue increases be retracted?��

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown has reservations as well. She calls reliance on $1 billion in federal assistance a "glaring flaw" and, pointedly, does not pledge to resist tax hikes. Brad Shannon notes her concern in his Olympian story, which includes Alexander's assessment that the estimated federal money is a "reasonable assumption." Today's Wall Street Journal story on the Obama stimulus plan adds weight to the Gregoire/Alexander position.

The broad parameters of the package are known already. It will include a tax cut designed to pump $50 billion to $100 billion into the economy almost immediately; about $100 billion in aid to state governments, primarily to temporarily assume more of the cost of Medicaid, in hopes of staving off benefit cuts or tax increases; and funding in five main areas: traditional infrastructure, school construction, energy efficiency, broadband access and health-information technology.

Finally, both the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and the Washington Policy Center have posted first impression comments on the new budget.

Update University of Washington president Mark Emmert says the proposed budget would "seriously harm" the UW.

Bellevue Teachers Strike Ends

Good news Sunday night. Members of the Bellevue teachers' union voted to end their illegal strike and return to the classroom, accepting a contract agreement that boosted pay and curriculum flexibility. 

While it's good that agreement was reached relatively quickly, the successful strike again demonstrates the toothless nature of the laws prohibiting public employee strikes.

Two recent articles provide an intriguing frame for the dispute. Sunday's Seattle Times looks closely at the "push for perfection" that led to the now-controversial - or at least unpopular with teachers - common curriculum promoted by Mike Riley, Bellevue's acclaimed former superintendent of schools. It worked.

A $1.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006 allowed the district to pay more teachers to write curriculum for six core subjects, post it to the Web and add supplemental materials. Teachers' daily calendars and lesson goals were posted. Some teachers created videos to reteach difficult concepts.

Bellevue parent Susan Edmond remembers her daughter struggling with math three years ago as a freshman. She hadn't understood a teacher's explanation, but she went online and watched another teacher's video of the same lesson? over and over until the light went on.

"That's the beauty. Everybody is doing the same thing. It lets parents partner with teachers to make the kids more successful," she said.

But many teachers balked.

[A district teacher]  remembers a meeting at which teachers asked Riley when they could use their professional judgment to deviate from the set lesson plans.

"Riley told us that the judgment had already been made and we were to teach the lesson as written," [he] said.

Rob Prufer, a social-studies teacher at Newport High School, said Riley was an inspirational leader and a personal mentor to him, but he believes the superintendent began to view teachers as an obstacle to improving education.

Nonetheless, the district consistently ranks among the state's highest-performing public school districts.

And as Marysville school board member Michael Kundu reminds us in this Everett Herald op-ed, we still have a long way to go.

During the 2007-08 school year, only 39.7 percent of Washington's 10th-grade students met state standards in science. Fewer than half (49.3 percent) met math standards. While science percentages reflected a small (slow) increase over 2006-07 (science 36.4 percent, math 50.4 percent), and 2005-06 (science 35 percent, math 51 percent), math scores reflect a gradual decline.

Bellevue Teachers' Strike - Some Context

The brief note on the Bellevue School District this afternoon website pretty much says it all.

Public employee strikes are illegal in Washington, but the union has nonetheless called the strike to apply pressure on the District in collective bargaining. Negotiations continue with the assistance of a mediator from the Public Employment Relation Commission. Information about the issues in dispute and the District's contract proposals can be found on the District website.

The Seattle Times doesn't address the legal issue, but makes good substantive points about why the strike is wrong.

First, they point out the economic reality.

... the district's offer of an 8.1 percent pay raise over three years and an additional $1 million in health-care benefits? allowing a third of the teachers to pay nothing and others to pay between $6 and $62 a month? shines amid recessionary gloom. Yet, the Bellevue Education Association demands 14.1 percent raises. The district must say no.

The news story in the Times points out that compensation in the Bellevue district is already among the highest in the state. There may be - and probably is - an argument worth making about improving teacher pay in high-cost districts, but it ought to be explored in a more comprehensive conversation that includes performance pay, increased compensation for math and science teachers, and the like.

The editorial goes on to dismiss the union's demand for curriculum change.

Union cries that the curriculum imposes a one-size-fits-all standard are wrong. Parents ought to know when their children are going to learn fractions. This provides a counterbalance to education reform's emphasis on assessment. Classroom dynamics are constantly changing. Some students come to class half-asleep, others alert and ready to learn. Bellevue has said time and again that teachers can adapt the curriculum to fit individual needs...

Bellevue has spent the past five years creating the curriculum with a $2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation? an organization known for vetting academic initiatives. Meanwhile, the district continues to be recognized nationally for its quality schools and its emphasis on getting all students into high-level classes.

Education Week provides valuable context in its examination of how teachers are faring in states hit hard by budget woes. Bellevue looks pretty good.

The episode is sadly reminiscent of the WEA's rejection of grant money to improve math and science education. In Bellevue, you have a curriculum that works. So the union demands it be changed?

High-performing schools play a critical role in our state's economic competitiveness. We hope for a swift conclusion to this disruption of student education in Bellevue.

New WASL Report: Mixed Reviews

Release of the latest round of WASL scores provides some good news and some, well, needs improvement marks. As Debby Abe writes in The News Tribune, "It's not all gold stars for  WASL test results." She has a good discussion of the test - and the inevitable political implications - in a story worth reading in its entirety. Here are the bullets.

�� This fall?s incoming 12th-graders are setting a slightly faster pace at meeting new graduation testing requirements than last year?s seniors did.

�� Scores in science, the most recent addition to the WASL, rose 3 to 6 percentage points in the three tested grades. At least 40 percent of fifth-, eighth- and 10th-graders passed that section.

�� Reading and math scores appear to have?stalled out�� in most grades.

Linda Shaw's Seattle Times story also provides good context for understanding the latest results. She also get the Partnership for Learning reaction.

... the Partnership for Learning, a business-backed group that's long been a WASL supporter, said that even though most scores remained flat this year, improvements are in the works that will change that, especially the plans to significantly shorten the test in all grades but grade 10 next spring.

As Shaw notes, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson also celebrated Washington's top ranking on SATs. Here's Education Week's story on the SAT results - mostly flat with some questions.

The SPI web site has more on both here.