I-1351 gives children better education
Here’s a fact that should embarrass anyone who calls Washington home: Our state ranks 47th out of 50 states in terms of class size. Put another way, we crowd more students into a classroom than all but three states. That’s a shameful indictment, especially for a state that prides itself on innovation and leadership in the information economy.
We can do better. By approving Initiative 1351 this fall, we can ensure that students of all ages, from all backgrounds, from all parts of the state, have the opportunity to learn and succeed in smaller classes.
Individual attention in the classroom is essential to student achievement. Every child has different needs, and teachers must be able to spend time and build bonds with every child to figure out what helps them succeed. In Washington’s overcrowded classrooms, teachers too often find themselves unable to provide the attention and support students deserve, and too many students lose interest and fall behind.
Detractors cynically claim that class size only matters for children in the early grades. Research, evidence and commonsense tell us that students at every level do better in smaller classes. Just as small class sizes are essential for beginning readers in primary grades, they are essential for high school students in subjects like math and science as they prepare for careers in the new, high-tech economy.
Critics of class-size reduction also argue we can’t afford to pay for reform. They ignore the real costs of overcrowded classrooms: our children’s future.
So how did we fall to 47th in the nation for class size? While most states have steadily invested in class-size improvement, lawmakers in Olympia have cut billions of dollars from K-12 schools, failing to meet their paramount duty under the state constitution to fully fund basic education.
Recognizing this failure, and siding with families who brought a lawsuit, the state Supreme Court ordered the Legislature to properly provide for students and schools.
During the trial, lawmakers assured the court they would act on a comprehensive plan to fully fund schools. This plan, they promised, would include class-size standards to ensure learning opportunities for all students. The promise has not been kept, little progress has been made more than five years, and lawmakers now have been summoned to a contempt hearing before the justices.
By approving I-1351 this fall, voters can intervene on behalf of students, bypass the political gridlock in Olympia and begin lowering class sizes for children in Washington.
I-1351 is a thoughtful, commonsense plan to get Washington up to par with the rest of the nation in class sizes. It will phase in reductions during the next four years, providing the state and school districts time to plan, prepare and budget. During the next two years, Washington’s improving economy is expected to generate an additional $2.5 billion in state revenue, allowing the Legislature to make responsible choices for our students and schools.
Recognizing that class sizes are often largest – and most detrimental to student achievement – in high-poverty communities, schools serving these communities would be first in line for relief under I-1351.
The initiative also recognizes that student success requires a team of skilled, caring adults building strong systems of support. I-1351 will increase funding for librarians, counselors, nurses, teaching assistants, student safety staff and others essential to quality schools.
I wholeheartedly support I-1351. Other prominent local supporters include Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Shelley Redinger. If voters approve I-1351 this fall, our community stands ready to carefully and responsibly implement class-size reforms so that every child has the opportunity to learn and achieve in an uncrowded classroom.