Gov. Gregoire’s proposed budget includes cuts of more than
$1 billion in early learning, K-12 and higher education funding.

What does a $1 billion cut in education mean for children and families?  Here’s a peek.

  • Larger class sizes: As many as 1,400 teachers across the state could lose their jobs. The budget proposes a $178 million cut to Initiative 728, which schools use to lower class sizes by hiring more teachers.
  • Support for community partnerships cancelled: Library funding, reading and tutoring programs, after school programs, hands-on science and math opportunities, and numerous other K-12 enhancements are no longer funded; others are reduced to save $48 million.
  • Lost wages for teachers: State funded pay increases for educators under Initiative 732 would be suspended to save $350 million.

None of these budget cuts are set in stone yet; the Washington State Legislature convened January 12, 2009 and will be in session for 105 days to pass the next state budget.  Washington State already underfunds our schools – we are 45th in the nation in spending per student, and 46th in the nation in class size.  Contact your state representatives and senator today — know that we cannot afford cuts to an already underfunded public education system.  If you don’t know your legislators’ names you can easily find them on http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.

ADD RIGOR TO OUR SCHOOLS.  Two pending bills, House bill HB 1410 and Senate bill SB 5444, would greatly improve our public schools by reforming the way public education is funded in our state and redefining “basic education” as a moderate college prep course load that would prepare kids for technical or community college and help them meet requirements of most universities. They would require a six-period day and more teachers for advanced math, science and language.  In 2006-07, only 17% of Seattle Public Schools graduates met entrance requirements for four-year college, in part because most, maybe all, four year universities require applicants to have taken six academic classes per day, but our state only funds five classes per day.  You can learn more about HB 1410 at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1410&year=2009, and more about SB5444 at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5444&year=2009.  In addition to information about the bills, these websites will tell you which legislators are sponsoring the bills; by following the links to a legislator you can email them directly and let them know your support these bills.

MODIFY OR ELIMINATE UNFUNDED STATE MANDATES.  There are dozens of education mandates that the state requires, and in the bill SB 5890 the state Senate education committee is looking at modifying or cutting some of these requirements – this would give schools some flexibility in how to spend the (limited) money that they get.  One of the topics the committee discussed last week was cutting the requirement for PE classes, which will have a direct impact on the schedule changes that Eckstein is discussing.  Learn more about bill SB 5890/let legislators know your thoughts at http://dlr.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/default.aspx?Bill=5890&year=2009