Legislative fixes for education disappointing

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to deem the state legislative session getting underway this week as the “Education Legislature.”

Education will be front and center, particularly how best to fund it and hence live up to the directives of the Washington Supreme Court and this state’s constitution to make basic education our top priority. While that is a complex task, it shouldn’t be as difficult as legislators and others are making it out to be.

So far, to meet the requirements of the court’s 2012 McCleary decision, the state has spent more than $2 billion on education in the last 4-5 years. The Legislature’s biggest challenge now appears to be figuring out how much the state must pay to provide for teacher salaries.

Democrats have come up with a figure of $7 billion over the next four years. Where that money will come from is less specific, but could include closing tax loopholes and a new capital gains tax.

Republicans have released their plan, which is a set of “Guiding Principles” without any projected costs. Their plan would be to use existing state revenues, but in essence, pay for education first before any other funding requests are accommodated.

Those other requests will include providing mental health care, which is also a state constitutional mandate. And then of course, there’s infrastructure, governmental departments and on down the list.

There’s also the tricky educational issue about how to share revenue from property-rich school districts with those not so financially well off in order to make sure the educational playing field is level.

Education funding already consumes about 40 percent of the state’s budget. According to 2013 Census Bureau report on public education finances, Washington is about 28th in what we pay per student, $9,670; with $5,977 going to salaries and wages and $2,044 to benefits.

Tops on that list is New York at $19,000, followed by Alaska at $18,175. Bringing up the rear is Utah at $6,555, with our friends to the east in Idaho not far behind at $6,791.

Mechanisms for paying for education might be tricky, but what they would pay for shouldn’t be. That’s why it’s disappointing Democrats and Republicans didn’t have a more unified answer.

Basic education is defined in our Revised Code of Washington. The nuts and bolts under RCW 28A.150.210 state the responsibility of “each school district, with the involvement of parents and community members, shall be to provide opportunities for every student to develop the knowledge and skills essential to:

(1) Read with comprehension, write effectively, and communicate successfully in a variety of ways and settings and with a variety of audiences;

(2) Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, physical, and life sciences; civics and history, including different cultures and participation in representative government; geography; arts; and health and fitness;

(3) Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and to integrate technology literacy and fluency as well as different experiences and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems; and

(4) Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.”

There are more findings regarding what basic education details, including the value of vocational training, school-to-work opportunities and flexible career and guidance options.

But it shouldn’t be this hard to take what the RCW defines, determine what educators and support staff earn and put together a good cost estimate for funding purposes. Anything above this would need to be provided by local levy monies, should the residents of those districts express a desire through the ballot for the specific need.

And while we’re at it, let’s better define what type of product we expect out of all that money. The RCW provides a good start, and it’s not too much to ask for accountability not only from our schools, but also from our educators, our legislators and our parents of K-12 students.

Let’s get serious about funding basic education and be done with it. But let’s also know what we’re funding.