King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick today gave a much-needed boost to PSE and other proponents of education reform by ruling that the state is failing to adequately fund basic education. Read the judge’s decision
here (click on McCleary v. State).
There is mounting concern with the current budget and economic crisis that continuing efforts to reform education would get lost in the shuffle this year.
Lawmakers must seize upon the momentum started last year with the passage of
HB 2261, which created a new framework for funding our schools and ending the addiction to local levies.
State Supt. of Public Instruction
Randy Dorn echoed this point today:
“As a former teacher, principal and current chair of the Quality Education Council – the implementation arm of last year’s Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2261 – I am painfully aware of the state’s underfunding of basic education. The bill is a first step, but it doesn’t go far enough to amply fund education or eliminate our reliance on local levies.”
Through the
Stepping Up for Smarter Safer Schools campaign, PSE has been making the case in recent years that state funding for education has failed to keep up with changes over the past 30 years, including paying for school safety, new technology, and the delivery of instruction.
The lawsuit over adequate funding was brought by the
Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS), a coalition of over 70 organizations committed to improving the quality of public education.
John Erlick ruled in favor of NEWS on all major components of the lawsuit.
The
League of Education Voters called today’s ruling “
A home run ruling for a million kids.”
Lawmakers are debating a number of bills related to education reform, including:
Posted by:
Rick Chisa on 2/4/2010 at 3:26:00 PM