Posted November 13, 2006

"The final report from Washington Learns underscores the fact that improving our public schools and increasing student achievement is an enormous and complex undertaking. The Steering Committee has made a good start in laying out a vision and addressing some of the issues facing K-12 education, but it is clear that much more will need to be done before the state is living up to its constitutional duty to ensure all children are learning.

"It is encouraging to see that Washington Learns is calling on the Legislature to redefine Basic Education and make a significant down payment toward the cost of implementing the goals set forth in the report. At our recent Legislative Assembly, WSSDA members overwhelming endorsed redefining Basic Education as our association’s number one priority in the coming session of the Legislature.

"The Washington Learns report places a great deal of emphasis on accountability. School board members welcome and support accountability. Public schools are among the most scrutinized government entities in our state, both in terms of expenditures and performance.

"At the same time, our association strongly believes that the Legislature must redefine Basic Education before layering more accountability measures on public schools. It’s just common sense — how can we be held accountable for something that isn’t yet defined? And how will the Legislature hold itself accountable for fully funding Basic Education without a clear definition?

"Finally, we hope that the Legislature will accelerate the timelines for the objectives and action steps laid out in the Steering Committee’s report. As it stands now, many of the proposals suggested in the report may not be realized until after our current class of kindergartners are about to graduate from high school. Washington is already a dozen years into education reform; another decade is too long to wait.

"The coming session of the Legislature will provide a rare opportunity to step up and make some real progress in fixing the structural and resource issues that have been plaguing our K-12 education system for many years. WSSDA and our colleagues throughout the education community are eager to work with lawmakers as we continue our efforts to build the world-class system envisioned by Washington Learns."

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