2015: Best year for K-12 education funding in decades

Washington’s education union is planning a series of one-day strikes protesting the Legislature’s work on education funding. See here for information on the strike.

What have lawmakers done for students this year?

• Greatest new investment in K-12 of any budget in state history
• Bipartisan efforts would invest in all-day kindergarten, K-3 class size reduction and fully funding costs of maintenance supplies and operations.
• 47 percent of the budget dedicated to K-12 education — a share not seen since the 1980’s.
• New spending over 3:1 for education, similar to 2013-15.
  • Follows 30 years when education was put behind growth in non-education spending by a 2:1 margin over education.
• This represents a fundamental shift in priorities not seen in 30 years, since the MCC started governing in the Senate in 2013.
• $2.7 billion total proposed spending increase for K-12 education bringing from $15.3 billion in 2013-15 to $18 billion in 2015-17.
• Additional $1.3 billion toward basic education addressing the McCleary decision.
• $440 million in additional teacher pay and benefits Including voter-approved teacher COLAs.
• Builds 2,200 classrooms to lower class size for K-3 grades
• Per-pupil funding will see a 33% increase since MCC came to be.

Putting adults ahead of children

• Washington ranks 8^th in the nation for teacher absenteeism.
• Progressive think tank, Center for American Progress, notes that “schools serving larger proportions of African-American and Latino students are “disproportionately exposed to teacher absence.”
• More time away from the classroom is detrimental to students.

Why now?

Education union announced teachers in 29 districts voted to stage a one-day strike protesting Senate proposals that harm students and blame teachers.

WEA misinformation claims:

• Claim: Senate Republicans voted to “shortchange” pay and benefits for teachers and school staff.

• Fact: Senate operating budget would bring teacher COLAs to voter-approved levels providing $440 million in additional teacher pay and benefits.

• Claim: Senate Republicans are likely getting an 11 percent pay increase.

• Fact: If so, all state lawmakers will receive a raise, which would be determined by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.

• Claim: Senate Republicans voted to increase class sizes – even for kids in high-poverty schools.

• Fact: Senate budget, like the House of Representatives’ spending plan, reduces class size for K-3 where it is proven to work and keeps grades 4-12 at existing levels. Senate also prioritizes class size and all-day kindergarten funding for low-income school districts.

Teacher strikes are illegal

RCW 41.56.120: Nothing contained in this chapter shall permit or grant any public employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his or her official duties.

Attorney General opinion: “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.”

The Seattle Times editorial: Teachers union should leave students out of lobbying the Legislature

“Instead of striking, teachers across Washington state should be celebrating … The union, which is consistently one of the biggest spenders in Olympia, knows the lobby game. It should keep its lobbying efforts there, and leave the kids out of it.”