- Promising Education News from the Washington Legislature
- Basic Education Finance Bills and Reform: What Might the Impact be for Teachers?
- Maintaining High school Assessments Critical to Students' Future
Promising Education News from the Washington Legislature
There has been some encouraging legislative news in education over the past few weeks. Last Monday, the Senate Education Committee amended two bills that were of significant concern to us. The first, Senate Bill 5260, previously included language that called for eliminating the WASL as a requirement for high school graduation. That section was struck from the bill. The second bill, Senate Bill 5498, previously included language that delayed implementation of the math and science requirements slated for 2013. The amended version keeps math and science as scheduled.
Clearly, it's still early, with two-thirds of the session left to go and two weeks until the first cut-off, anything can happen. However, at the Partnership, we are increasingly encouraged that our concerns regarding implementation of the graduation requirements are being taken seriously by key legislators and that the governor continues to be a very helpful advocate on these issues.
Basic Education Finance Bills and Reform: What Might the Impact be on Teachers?
Although the Basic Education Finance bills (Senate Bill 5444 and House Bill 1410) proposed by the Basic Education Task Force (BETF) are large and complex, they represent an incredible opportunity for education reform by providing funding for the State Board of Education’s CORE 24 proposal and rewarding teachers for boosting student achievement. The bills have, however, raised many questions on the effects they will have on Washington teachers. Thankfully, BETF Member Sen. Fred Jarrett has put together a list of frequently asked questions about the bills to help citizens and teachers better understand the potential impact of the proposal.
Q. Does this bill make the state one big school district?
A. No. It makes the accounting system, implementation and results transparent for local voters while still allowing individual school districts to allocate resources to best accommodate local conditions.
Q. Are you taking away any part of teachers' pay?
A. We don't propose to take pay. We intend for the state to pay the TRI pay currently funded by local levies and increase compensation to competitive levels in the labor markets the teacher teaches in.
(TRI pay is compensation in addition to the state's salary schedule,
paid from local levies, for "time, responsibility and incentive.")
Q. Does the bill take away TRI pay?
A. No. The BETF proposal does not eliminate TRI pay.
In the BETF proposal, TRI pay is "bought back" by the state and becomes a part of the state salary apportionment. We eliminate "R" and "I", leaving only "T." When we looked at the data around TRI pay, what we learned was that it correlated very closely to cost of living or housing costs. That suggested to us that the local bargaining process had correctly forced local districts to adjust the flat state apportionment for salaries to a more reasonable level for the districts based on local economic conditions. So, in fact, local levies are inappropriately funding basic education.
Q. What is the proposed evaluation system?
A. The movement from student to resident and from resident to
professional would be based on a rich peer evaluation. Individual
teacher compensation increases significantly when teachers receive
certification through peer evaluations. Peer evaluations would involve
multiple measures of performance, including in-class visits and reviews
of lesson plans, student work, and possibly video of actual teaching.
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) would oversee this
system.
The PESB and the colleges of education have expressed concerns about some of the elements of 5444 and we are working with them to correct deficiencies and improve the career ladder. Our intent is to build on the work they are doing, not drive off in a different direction.
Q. Will this bill require accomplished teachers with advanced degrees to go through National Board Certification in order to attain the highest salary?
A. Experienced teachers with investments in education and degrees will continue to be paid under the current system unless they choose to migrate to the new system. The proposal suggested a ten year period for dual compensation, but that's an arbitrary number. We do not expect that there will be a disadvantage for teachers in the old system, though the additional compensation for the National Board Certification may provide motivation to make the change.
To find out more, read State Board of Education Chair Mary Jean Ryan's editorial on the basic education bills in the Seattle Times, view a comparison of the two sets of basic education proposals by the League or Education Voters, and learn about the issues surrounding Washington education finance through Funding Washington Schools.
Maintaining High School Assessments Critical to Students' Future
Despite the promising efforts mentioned earlier by the legislature to defend Washington’s assessment system, there remain two proposals that would eliminate or delay high school assessments as a graduation requirement for Washington students.
Although House Bill 1341 is intended to create savings that could be used to “motivate students to pursue postsecondary education,” the bill would eliminate the high school assessment as a graduation requirement. And, though in 2007, the legislature delayed the implementation of the math and science high school assessment as a graduation requirement until the class of 2013, HB 1646 would further delay the requirement to the class of 2014 and potentially further out—if decided by the State Board of Education.
Both proposals send the message to students that the state isn’t serious about making sure they master the skills needed to succeed in college, work and life.
Year after year, more and more students are succeeding and passing the high school assessments. Last year, 93 percent of graduating seniors met the requirement, and the number one reason for seniors not graduating on time was a lack of necessary credits--not the high school assessment. Our state has made the commitment to Washington students that attaining a high school diploma means they are ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead—be it in a job, apprenticeship training or college classroom. Eliminating the high school assessment or delaying the math and science assessments as a graduation requirement would renege on this commitment and weaken Washington’s promise to provide a meaningful diploma to its students.
A Conversation with Superintendent Randy Dorn
A Community Lunch
In November, voters elected Randy Dorn for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. How does Dorn see his leadership style and how has he been approaching the transition from 12-year Superintendent Terry Bergeson? Can we expect new directives and funding coming from the other Washington to help? And how does he plan to make sure we have the global education to match Washington's global economy? To answer these questions and yours, join us as we meet the new Superintendent!
Date: Thurs. Feb. 26, 2009
Time: noon to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Washington Athletic Club, Seattle, WA
To RSVP visit: City Club's website.
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teachers and principals: Where's the Research?