Washington Policy Center Blog

Well-off liberals already have school choice

"I just couldn’t sacrifice my son." The title of a piece by former Washington Post assistant editor David Nicholson says it all (Washington Post, Oct 21).  Rather than put his child in the city’s failing schools, he sold his house and moved to the suburbs. So we do have public school choice in America:  the choice program is managed by real estate agents, and your choices are determined by how much house you can afford.

That leaves children of low-income families to languish in failing urban schools.

The reason well-off liberals so strongly oppose education reform is that, for them, there are already plenty of education choices. Nationally, 21% of public school teachers send their children to private schools. Liberal Seattle has the highest rate of children attending private schools, nearly 30%.

If, among other things, urban public schools had better math standards and curricula, then middle-income families would not move away from them. Yet the governor has signaled her opposition to raising standards in math. I understand a group of concerned teachers and parents, Wheresthemath.com, tried to meet her and she refused, even though her Washington Learns report, on page 25, recommends that the OSPI identify no more than three curricula for elementary, middle and high school which are aligned with international standards, TIMMS.

So the stated educational goals of state leaders are contradicted by their actions. The legislature and the governor canceled WASL math standards for the next five years, meaning 340,000 seniors will graduate and be sent on their way without having to master math skills. All the statistics show that fuzzy math has handicapped the learning of thousands of students.

-Liv Finne, WPC Adjunct Scholar for Education

Auditor releases Educational Service Districts performance audit

Today the State Auditor’s Office released its performance audit of the state’s 9 Educational Service Districts (ESDs). According to the auditor:

This audit revealed many things about how ESDs serve school districts and students. Two items in particular stand out: The auditors found Washington ESDs on average serve more school districts and students than ESDs in other states and that school district officials and teachers strongly appreciate the services ESDs provide.

The audit report details commendations, or things ESDs are doing well, and recommendations for ESDs to improve their efficiency and business practices. The commendations point to the ESDs’ provision of programs that school districts do not have the resources to develop. The recommendations identify measures that could potentially free up $9.4 million over five years to provide even better services and programs. The recommendations identified an additional $5.3 million in revenue opportunities for ESDs. The cost savings and operational efficiencies identified in the audit could give ESDs greater financial depth within their existing financial framework . . .

The audit field work and analysis revealed that in general, the ESDs’ operational goals are not linked to budgets or strategic plans. In many cases no system is in place to track progress towards operational goals.

The recommendations in this audit provide the ESDs with the tools to offer targeted services that are clearly aligned with their individual strategic plans and with statewide strategic plans. Developing statewide strategic plans will require the ESDs to work with each other, the school districts and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

The cost savings and operational efficiencies identified in the audit will give ESDs greater financial depth within their existing financial framework.

Read the audit summary here .

Paramount duty?

In the midst of a lawsuit by the Washington Education Association against the state for “inadequately” funding schools and thus failing the state’s paramount duty as stated in the Constitution, it appears teachers in the Bethel school district believe the best way to fulfill their paramount duty to students is to keep the school doors shut by engaging in an illegal strike.

The Tacoma News Tribune quotes Clover Creek Elementary School teacher Danielle Edmonds saying, “We’re really doing this for the parents, and the community and the children,” Edmonds said. In order to get high-quality teachers, we need that “TRI” (more pay for work outside the school day) package and we need class sizes manageable so we can instruct their children … in the best way we can.”

That’s a new one. The teachers are engaging in an illegal strike for the parents.

While the state’s teacher unions have claimed that the law concerning strikes is unclear, the Attorney General weighed in unequivocally in 2006 saying: “In Washington, state and local public employees do not have a legally protected right to strike. No such right existed at common law, and none has been granted by statute.”

Back in 2002 in the case Issaquah School District vs. Issaquah Education Association, King County Superior Court Judge Joan Dubuque said the following when granting an injunction to end that illegal teacher’s strike (courtesy EFF):

“…It is this court’s determination, after reviewing the Supreme Court precedents of this state and well as the laws of this state, that teachers do not have a right to strike, and what is going on is an illegal strike at this time.”

She went on to say:

“Under our state constitution, Article IX, Section 1, it is clear that the state has indicated and said expressly that the paramount duty of this state is to provide a public education. There is statutory authority implementing that paramount interest of the state, and that is mandatory education provisions that we have for all children. As I have indicated, our Supreme Court, in decisions ranging from 1958 forward has affirmed, has reiterated, and has expressly stated the fundamental precept that there shall be no public employee strikes, and there has been no legislative action by the legislature to overrule this common law.”

She concluded:

“At common law in the state of Washington, our Supreme Court has spoken at least three separate occasions, and has made it abundantly clear: Strikes by public employees are illegal. Port of Seattle was decided in 1958; Roza was decided in 1972; Burke and Thomas were decided in 1979.”

As for the issue driving the Bethel teacher’s strike, TRI, the Attorney General may want to comment on whether he thinks what is being requested is legal. A good review of the TRI controversy here: Skirting the law on teacher pay raises

iStudents

Today The Seattle Times reports that Seattle Public Schools are offering high school students a great incentive to study and improve their WASL test scores. What might the incentive be--better college opportunities?...a brighter future?...a sense of personal achievement? Nope.

In a program partially funded by an anonymous donor and the City of Seattle, students who spend five weeks in a WASL summer prep course will receive a free iPod.

Interesting how Seattle recently had to run a ballot initiative just to pay for road maintenance, yet there's money for this sort of thing. But I digress.

This is just one example demonstrating how many public schools in WA have fallen away from their core and constitutionally-mandated function: educating students. Now we buy their time with free gadgetry.

K-12 education is the largest single expenditure in the state budget. In 2006-07 the total budget for public schools is $13.4 billion. In 2006 the state spent $9,500 per pupil--one of the highest rates in the nation. The rate of education spending has increased well beyond the rate of student population and general state population growth. Yet about only half of that money is spent on classroom instruction. The rest is consumed by a vast and complicated bureaucracy that gives principals little control over their own budgets and staff.

If public schools focused resources on their core mission--educating students--they wouldn't have to offer electronic amusements as an incentive to study and improve test scores.

"It remains to be seen whether an iPod shuffle will be enough to entice high-school students away from jobs and other summer activities.

Indeed. But maybe, just maybe, they're on to something here:

"Students may come for the iPod, Miller said, but last year those who completed the classes left with more confidence and a better attitude about school."

Rock on.