Teachers, parents and others invited to discussion about state’s education reform efforts

State Reps. Deb Wallace and Tim Probst seek community guidance about changes that will affect generations of students and teachers

September 22, 2009

Vancouver, WA – A comprehensive overhaul of our state’s K-12 funding system is underway as a result of legislation passed earlier this year in the state legislature.

The reforms will affect generations of students and state Reps. Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver) and Tim Probst (D-Vancouver) want to ensure that parents, teachers, students and others are not only aware of what’s planned, but have a chance to provide input as key details are decided. That’s why they’re hosting a series of Community Action Forums that will give citizens a chance to learn how the legislation will affect students and teachers, share ideas, ask questions and provide feedback to policy leaders.

“When we passed House Bill 2261, we committed to the most sweeping changes to our K-12 system in 30 years,” says Wallace. “Our education funding system is woefully out of date and these changes are long overdue. While we laid out key goals in the legislation, much remains to be decided in terms of implementing the changes. That’s where our community can play an important role as we move forward.”

“The people who best understand what will work and what won’t are the people who spend their days in our classrooms and with our students,” says Probst. “As we begin transforming our system, we want to make sure we’re making the right changes. At the end of the day, it all comes down to helping every one of our students receive a top-notch education.”

House Bill 2261 includes a new definition of “basic education,” the legal definition that determines what the state is required to pay for. The new definition includes all-day kindergarten, more class time for high school students, additional support for special ed programs, and more. The legislation also:

• Requires a new funding model intended to increase transparency and simplify the budgeting process.
• Creates work groups that will recommend how best to spend local levy money, hire and compensate teachers, and more.
• Requires the Board of Education to create a comprehensive system for improvements targeted at challenged schools and districts that have not demonstrated sufficient improvement.
• Assigns the Professional Educator Standards Board to create performance standards for teachers.

What:          Community Action Forum – Transforming our state’s K-12 education system and boosting student success
When:          Forum focused on general K-12 system reforms – September 29 at 6:30 p.m.
                   Forum focused on teacher issues – September 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Where:         York Elementary (9301 NE 152nd Ave, Vancouver)

For more information, contact Wallace’s Vancouver office at 260-6110.