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Evergreen Freedom Foundation
P.O. Box 552
Olympia, WA 98507
(360) 956-3482
www.effwa.org
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Only the educated are free.
- Epictetus
PREMIERING...
A note from the Editor
This is the first edition of The Education Reformer, a bi-monthly e-newsletter published by EFF's Education Reform Center. ER will keep you up-to-date with the latest research, observations and commentary on hot education issues in Washington state. Please feel free to redistribute or reprint this email and any of the EFF-authored articles at any time, with proper credits. Meanwhile, we welcome your thoughts and questions and hope you enjoy!
HOW MUCH DOES WASHINGTON SPEND ON EDUCATION?
by Marsha Richards
Not a day goes by that I don't hear the mantra: We need more money for public schools! And you know what they say...repeat a line often enough and loud enough and people will begin to believe it.
Do we need more money for our public schools, or do we just need to start spending current dollars better? It's a fair question, and one we'll discuss in detail over the coming months.
For now, here is the simple fact: Washington taxpayers spend an average of $9,454 per student, per year on the state's K-12 public schools. This figure includes local, state and federal funds, and factors in the cost of building schools and paying interest on bonds. (Our critics say it's "not fair" to count school construction and debt interest, but we think it's perfectly appropriate to be up-front about the total bill.)
When someone denies the truth about spending, as many do, you can refer them to the Superintendent of Public Instruction's simple budget breakdown.
THEY WANT YOUR MONEY
Quick Fact
Reports published by the Public Disclosure Commission show us there are 45 registered education lobbyists roaming the legislative halls in Olympia this session. In addition, there are 61 registered teachers' union lobbyists. Is the union really in it for kids and teachers? We don't think so, and you won't either after you read our expose'.
YOU SAY "NO," THEY SAY "YES"
by Marsha Richards
Ten state legislators are sponsoring a bill that claims allowing regional cost-of-living salary increases for teachers “is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions.”
HB 1484 would permit school districts to run school levies that permanently increase property taxes by as much as $0.75 per $1,000 assessed value (about $165 a year for a house worth $220,000). The new tax would pay for regional cost-of-living salary increases (on top of the increases provided by Initiative 732), and more education programs (as defined by Initiative 728).
The bill violates or overrides three constitutional provisions put in place to protect taxpayers...
HOW MANY KIDS LEFT BEHIND?
by Marsha Richards
Last fall, Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson released the names of schools that failed to make “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) in the 2003-04 school year, as required by federal law.
The good news: The number of low-performing schools dropped significantly from 436 in 2003 to 281 in 2004.
The bad news: Most of the progress can be credited to lower standards, not higher academic achievement. In fact, some of the now-passing schools even regressed academically.
WHAT WORKS?
Successful reforms for K-12 schools
It's easy to be discouraged by the state of our public education system, but the good news is: it can be fixed! EFF's goal is to establish a student-centered education system in Washington state where parents are in control, dollars follow students to their classrooms, and onerous, unnecessary bureaucracies and regulations are eliminated. Washington legislators should aggressively pursue these policy recommendations to improve our state's K-12 public schools.
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