WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Lytton appointed to Joint Select Committee on Education Accountability

Olympia –State Rep. Kristine Lytton (D-Anacortes, 40th district) has been appointed by Speaker of the House Frank Chopp to serve on the Washington State Joint Select Committee on Education Accountability (JSCEA).   The JSCEA is a bipartisan House-Senate panel charged with, according to the Legislature’s website,

  • Identifying and analyzing options for a complete system of education accountability, particularly consequences in the case of persistent lack of improvement by a required action district;
  • Identifying and analyzing appropriate decision-making responsibilities and accompanying consequences at the building, district, and state level within such an accountability system;
  • Examining models and experiences in other states;
  • Identifying the circumstances under which significant state action may be required; and
  • Analyzing the financial, legal, and practical considerations that would accompany significant state action.

Lytton, who is currently wrapping up her freshman term in the Legislature, is vice chair of the House Education Committee.  Before beginning her stint in Olympia, she served two terms on the Anacortes School Board and served with the Anacortes Schools Foundation, the Senior College Board and the PTA.

“We’ve known for a long time, and the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision reaffirms, that educating our children is the Legislature’s number one responsibility,” she said.  “That’s the primary reason I came here [to Olympia], to help Washington have the best students, teachers and schools in the nation.  We know our funds are limited, and every dollar we spend needs to be focused on student achievement.  Lawmakers, and our education system, need to be held accountable for how we do this vital job, and I look forward to working with my fellow committee members toward that end.”

The JSCEA will provide an interim report to the Legislature in September, and a final report with policy recommendations will follow in September 2013.