Shelley Redinger: Let’s work together to improve education

When I learned that our local education union had decided to vote on joining a statewide rolling walkout on our schools, I communicated my opinion to all staff and the community. My opposition to this was clear: It disrupted instruction for students and inconvenienced families.

Due to the hard work of our staff and support from our parents and community, Spokane Public Schools has made incredible gains the past five years. We have implemented full-day kindergarten in every elementary school. Our educators are implementing new curriculums while undergoing the most comprehensive teacher evaluation system ever established. The extended school day beginning this fall will add nearly three weeks of instruction for elementary students. Our district graduation rate now exceeds the state average and our focus for improvement continues. While these examples describe improvements to basic education programs, state funding has not covered their full cost.

As the state Legislature enters its second special session, the message we send also must be clear: It’s time for legislators to come together. They must provide a timely and complete implementation plan for an equitable system of K-12 funding. Progress was made toward improved funding during the current two-year budget cycle; however, the significant reliance on local levies to fund basic education programs remains unconstitutional.

The Washington Supreme Court ruled in the McCleary decision that the state must fully fund K-12 public education by 2018. The Legislature was given six years to implement adequate funding. We are in year three of that ruling, and both sides of the aisle are working on solutions to the Supreme Court orders. Since my arrival in Spokane as superintendent, I have and will continue to work with them for full funding of basic education.

For the most part, lawmakers are in agreement that state funding must increase for basic education. However, given the complexity of school district funding, to include state, local and federal sources, it is understandable that the final funding plan will not occur in a single legislative session.

There are 295 school districts in the state; one funding model does not fit all. Each district has its own socio-economic makeup, local tax base, available teaching space and cost of living to attract and keep the best teachers. Looking for the allocation model that meets the needs of all districts and meets the standards of basic education set forth by the state constitution means that difficult conversations are taking place in Olympia. Add to this equation the usual maintenance funding necessary for transportation, prisons, and social and health services in our state, and one can begin to appreciate the complexity of the issue that our elected representatives are facing.

While I still do not condone the actions the union made last week, I fully agree with and support the concerns expressed by teachers and staff regarding the need for timely progress toward ample education funding. During this second special session of the Legislature, I urge you to engage your state legislators and ask them to complete their funding plan for the state’s public K-12 system. The desired change will come through the collective voices of parents who want better education for their children, business owners who want a more prepared workforce and neighborhoods that want a strong and properly funded public education system.

It is essential that we continue the gains that our public schools have achieved over the past several years by working together – educators, parents, legislators and community partners. If we work together we will bring about the necessary improvements that are vital to a strong public school system serving Spokane students.