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COMMENTARY December 20, 2004 OSPI blames legislature, auditor, districts (anybody!) for teacher fraud A recent investigation by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) and KIRO 7 News showed that several teachers in our state have been cheating taxpayers and students by using fake degrees to obtain pay increases. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has decided on a “blame anybody but us” response. In a recent letter to EFF, deputy superintendent Marty Daybell wrote: “OSPI relies on individual school districts to submit valid data. . . . The State Auditor’s office is charged with auditing these documents. . . . Funding was not appropriated and therefore [an oversight system] was not created.” The state constitution clearly states that “the superintendent of public instruction shall have supervision over all matters pertaining to public schools.” (Article 3, Section 22) OSPI should stop pointing fingers and do its job. That said, we can think of a better way to solve the fraud problem than the $1.3-million-dollar “centralized records repository” that OSPI can’t afford. We strongly urge the agency to promote a teacher compensation model that pays teachers based on demonstrated effectiveness in the classroom, rather than seat-time and degrees. Students deserve excellent teachers who can demonstrate the academic value they bring to the classroom. Excellent teachers deserve excellent pay, and ineffective teachers should be removed from the classroom, regardless of where they received a degree. Adopting a flexible, performance-based teacher salary and evaluation structure
will require action from the legislature. We hope OSPI will promote this
important reform. In the meantime, OSPI can take a little more responsibility
for “matters pertaining to public schools” by immediately sending
a list of accredited institutions to all school districts to combat fraud
and ensure accuracy in the current system. Contact: Marsha Richards | Director, Education Reform Center | 360.956.3482
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1 Part Honesty; 2 Parts Arrogance At a March 23, 2005, House Appropriations hearing on a bill to gut the voter-approved I-601 spending limit, Rep. Jim McIntire (D) asked a supporter of I-601’s two-third supermajority requirement for the legislature to raise taxes the following question: "Can you name a time when we [legislators] have actually not just set it [supermajority requirement] aside by majority vote? I mean, this is in many respects a procedural motion that has no bearing. It’s a statutory constraint that cannot constrain any legislature that chooses as a majority to set it aside . . . have we ever used a supermajority [to raise taxes]?" - Rep. Jim McIntire (D - 46) Despite the arrogance of some state officials, Washington's constitution is clear: "All political power is inherent in the people..." |
