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EDUCATION

EFF provides research and commentary on education reform efforts and current practices in our education system. Our goal is to establish student-centered education in Washington state by providing educational choices for all parents, children, and teachers, in a safe environment, where high academic achievement can flourish.


Objectives for public education reform

    The primary relationships fostered and protected are among parents, teachers and children in individual school settings. Other institutional relationships are secondary.

    Parents are allowed to choose the school that best meets the needs of their children.

    Schools are highly autonomous and competition for students is encouraged.

    The management of each school is allowed maximum flexibility is in allocating resources and rewarding achievement. The management is also responsible to ensure academic achievement and financial accountability.

    Accurate information about cost and academic performance for each school is readily available to parents, teachers, policymakers and the public.

    A good teacher is in every classroom and the learning environment is safe and orderly.

    Emulation of successful schools, teachers and management practices is promoted.

    Schools have a clear, focused academic mission and are organized to deliver it.


Strategies

  • Deregulate schools to basic health, safety and civil rights standards.

  • Mandate that 90% or more of allocated education dollars follow each student to the school chosen by parents.

  • Change teacher licensing requirements. An adult with a degree in a necessary field (English, history, computer science, business, etc.), who does not have a criminal record, and who has demonstrated the ability to teach students, should be able to do so in Washington state public schools.

  • Prohibit mandatory unionization of schools.

  • Abolish tenure.

  • Redefine core academic standards and mandate scientifically valid and reliable testing.

  • Require annual academic and fiscal performance audits of each school.

  • Allow flexibility in the teacher salary allocation model.

 

Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools managed and operated by a charter school board in accordance with a five-year charter that meets the terms specified by law. They include new schools and “conversion” schools (traditional public schools that have been converted to charter schools). Charter schools are exempt from most state regulations governing traditional public schools, but must comply with all the rules specified by law, and must meet the standards of academic achievement specified by law...more


What's New:

In the news


Click image to view streaming video.
I-884: The one-percent solution
King 5 News | August 1, 2004

Report: Fewer taking GED test
CNN.com | July 26, 2004

Panel approves plan for more higher education
News Tribune | July 23, 2004

Job demand shifts higher-ed focus
The Daily News | July 23, 2004

In Our View: Cream of the Crop
The Columbian | July 20, 2004

Oregon ponders education costs
The Seattle Times | July 20, 2004

Click here for more news

 

More on Education:
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507
Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874
Email: effwa@effwa.org


Election Reform


Grassroots Washington

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Health Plan 4 Life

Ten-Minute Citizen

WashingtonVotes.org

ChoosingLiberty.org

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)
(360) 786-7886

Despite the arrogance of some state officials, Washington's constitution is clear: "All political power is inherent in the people..."

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