Legislators tardy

The March 9 article on teacher evaluations stated that the state will offer evaluation templates for school districts to choose from. Since I am a retired teacher, I have been following the articles on evaluation closely. A constructive, well-done evaluation is welcome to educators when the goal is to help students reach their individual potential. Hopefully, these templates will be a step in that direction.

How ironic it was then to see that the Legislature could complete their budget in the scheduled time. Teachers have 180 days to educate 20 to 30 students per day. There are no extensions in the number of days allowed for any reason. Surely the Legislature, which dictates educational decisions, should be held to its time limit without extensions. The article on the special session has a quote from Gov. Chris Gregoire stating “They need to go home and get away from each other. Tensions are high. People are tired. It’s hard to get them to focus.”

Educators are held to deadlines and completion dates throughout their entire careers. Is it not time to ask the same of our legislatures?

Carolyn Olson

Davenport, Wash.