D o you share our concerns about the numerous Democratic proposals this year that retreat from the strong academic standards for our high school graduates?

In the early 1990s, Republicans and Democrats together supported the creation of state academic standards, assessments and accountability for student success. Since then, the Legislature has continued the march to strengthen high school graduation requirements.

It is not legislators who set the academic bar higher – it is the world economy. All our students are now competing for jobs with their peers from China, India and even Poland. Our students must meet this challenge head-on – and the Legislature, we believe, needs to support them to be successful.

This year, unfortunately, Democrats are sending the wrong message by introducing legislation that marches our state in retreat from its important academic standards and, therefore, abandons the students we are committed to serve.

Democrats are sponsoring measures that would delay the use of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) for a graduation requirement until 2014, eliminate the WASL altogether as a graduation requirement, and use a student’s GPA and “collection of evidence” to count instead of a statewide uniform assessment. Of course, high school courses and grades will always count.

The question facing us now is: Should we continue to graduate students from high school who cannot read, write and solve eighth-grade math problems?

We do not believe we have that luxury. Today, without these basic skills, a student cannot succeed as an auto mechanic, computer technician or at most any other job paying more than minimum wage.

Sadly, these new proposals from some of our Democratic colleagues convey a lack of confidence in our students and their teachers. We believe our students and teachers can meet and even exceed our academic standards.

There are hundreds of incredible stories of success in meeting these standards. One principal testified, saying, “Our focus is not just on teachers teaching; now it is all about students learning.”

When House Republicans traveled to Spokane and around the state on a listening tour last year, we heard over and over that we must keep our academic standards in place and support students in achieving them. Did people have concerns about the WASL? Yes. Did people want to abandon strong academic standards? No.

So the challenge we face now is how, after 14 years of bipartisan education reform, do we ensure all students in the class of 2008 graduate with at least the skills to read, write and solve eighth-grade math problems?

Several Republican proposals spell out solutions: providing teachers individualized, immediate, cost-effective computerized diagnostic tests; allowing immigrant students to complete their high school diploma in a community college surrounded by students their own age (instead of testing them in a foreign language as the governor proposes); and accepting other national tests (like the SAT and ACT) as additional ways to measure math achievement.

We also support WASL remediation that gives students who are struggling extra instructional attention through classes, tutors and expanded summer school programs.

We ask that all legislators, parents, students, teachers and taxpayers join us in continuing statewide support for strong academic standards. Also, help us provide additional tools to make certain every student succeeds. Students in other countries are doing it.

We cannot do anything less!