Dear neighbor,
A large focus of this legislative session – and most every session – is education. The Washington State Constitution is clear that providing a basic education is the paramount duty of the state. As you’ve probably heard many times, the McCleary decision has made that even clearer than ever.
Just what is ‘McCleary’ anyway?
It’s a term used in just about every budget conversation at the state Legislature. But what do people mean when they refer to McCleary and the McCleary decision?
“McCleary” refers to a Supreme Court decision that found the state is not adequately funding basic education. In their ruling, the Court ordered the Legislature to fully fund K-12 education by 2018. But in that same ruling, the Court also agreed that the plan we put in place in 2009 – House Bill 2261 – was the right plan to get us back on track.
So when you hear people say we need to meet our “McCleary goals” or “McCleary obligations,” what they’re really saying is that we need to fully fund basic education.
 To do this, we need to invest an additional $4.5 billion into our K-12 funding system. We made progress on that goal last year by adding just under $1 billion to basic education funding. The initial 2013 House Democrats budget proposal would have allocated $1.4 billion – enough to be considered “on pace” with meeting our goal.
That plan required closing a handful of outdated, expensive, and unnecessary corporate tax exemptions to increase funding for basic education and get closer to our goals. However, the House and Senate were not able to come to agreement, which resulted in fewer dollars going into our basic education system. Fully funding basic education is our top priority – and our Constitutional duty – so we will continue conversations about our options. But one thing is for certain: we cannot reach our McCleary goals through general spending cuts. If we’re going to fulfill our obligations as a state to ensure all children receive an opportunity for a basic education, we need to also ensure everyone is paying their fair share. |
Click on the box for a presentation by non-partisan legislative staff with much more McCleary information.
Improving education from start to finish
McCleary isn’t our only educational focus, though. Success in school relies on more than success in the classroom, and we are making sure Washington kids have healthy environments to live, learn, and grow up in. This week we passed several measures, with my “yes” note, with that goal in mind.
Washington has nearly 7,500 child care facilities that serve about 174,000 children. Research shows that high quality childcare does wonders. HB 2377 will help assure high-quality childcare that provides us with the desired outcomes: greater academic achievement, increased graduation rates, lower incarceration rates, less poverty, and less reliance on government assistance.
 Hungry kids can’t learn – it’s that simple. Evidence has shown that a lack of nutrition can be detrimental to academic development. HB 2536 will create a “Breakfast After the Bell” program to help our students begin their days with adequate nutrition. Nearly half of our state’s one-million public school students are already eligible for free and reduced meals at school, but this program has left out the most important meal of the day. As we work to meet our responsibilities of improving education, it’s important to provide healthy and quality learning environments for our children.
Our students’ education needs are as diverse as the students themselves. The best opportunities to succeed are those tailored to each unique segment of Washington children. HB 2166 will direct the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to collect data associated with students from military families. Military families move around a lot, providing challenges to school-age children who frequently move from one school to another—often across states. We want to better serve the students, however long they are in our state. Many high-achieving, low-income students don’t receive information about available resources that could help them get into college. Modeled after a program that produced a dramatic increase in successful applications to top schools, HB 2694 will ensure Washington colleges reach out directly to these successful students. |
Update on my bills
 My bill to address barriers for students to participate in the Running Start program, HB 2396, is no longer being considered. However, while that bill is “dead”, the intent of the bill is still alive and moving as language from the bill was amended onto another education-related bill, 2SHB 2383, on the House floor.
In researching this issue, I found that a lot of students aren’t represented in dual programs such as Running Start. Students of color and low-income students often face barriers to the Running Start, and information about the program isn’t consistently communicated to all students. As amended, 2SHB 2383 directs the Washington Student Achievement Council (Council) to make an analysis of the Running Start Program, including a review of the barriers students face in participating in the program, and identification of best practices for making the program accessible and preparing students academically for the program. In addition to accessibility issues, the Council will look at the degree completion outcomes of students who participate in the program. The Council must also include strategies and policies to reduce variability of participation in its report to the Legislature. 2SHB 2383 passed the House and is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee on February 26th. You can track this bill at www.leg.wa.gov. |
Thank you so much for reading my legislative updates. I’m interested in your feedback, suggestions and concerns, so please let me know what’s on your mind via email or phone, or come visit!
Sincerely,
