What Election Results Mean for Education
GOVERNOR – CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
Incumbent Chris Gregoire was reelected as Washington’s Governor for a second term. Gregoire has been both a strong advocate for increased investments in K-12 education and a strong defender of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Both of these positions likely will be tested in the second Gregoire administration, as the Governor must close a budget gap currently expected to exceed $3.4 billion for the 2009-11 biennium and deal with a number of legislators who expressed a desire to either replace the WASL or eliminate the assessment graduation requirement altogether. While Governor Gregoire has worked closely with the business community on these issues in the past, she will feel pressure from some of her strongest supporters, including the Washington Education Association, who have different priorities for our K-12 system.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION – RANDY DORN
Challenger Randy Dorn defeated three-time incumbent Terry Bergeson in the race to become Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. Dorn was the beneficiary of some $400,000 in independent expenditures made by the Service Employees International Union, as well as the strong support of the Washington Education Association, and it remains to be seen what impact these supporters will have on a Dorn administration. A former principal, legislator and school employee union representative, Dorn ran as a strong critic of the WASL. He indicated that he supports maintaining an assessment graduation requirement, but calls for replacement of the WASL with some other form of test. If he moves forward with this proposal, he is likely to enjoy a receptive ear from a number of legislators who similarly have become disenchanted with the WASL. Partnership for Learning and other stakeholder groups will be actively engaged in making sure that any proposed changes do not weaken the state’s commitment to real-world expectations for our students.
U.S. PRESIDENT – BARACK OBAMA
President-elect Obama will face multiple challenges as he enters the White House. Education has not been a center-stage issue in the presidential campaign, but Obama has consistently indicated his support for increased investments in education to provide more opportunities for more young people. While it’s unclear what specific education initiatives Obama will take up when he enters office, he has promisingly spoken in support of performance and differential pay for teachers and has repeatedly stressed the need to improve math and science education and to recruit more qualified teachers. An immediate priority will be revision and reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as the No Child Left Behind Act. While most support the goals of the law to focus on every group of students, the law has a number of critics for its inflexibility and lack of federal funding to carry out the requirements it places on the states. What remains to be seen is how much presidential horsepower will be applied to these issues in 2009 and beyond.
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The State of Washington's Budget
The 2009 legislative session will be dominated by the slumping economy and the yawning state budget gap. The State will face a projected $3.4 billion budget deficit in the 2009-11 biennium, and it could have been worse. If Initiative 985, Tim Eyman’s transportation proposal, had passed, it would have pulled another $600 million out of the general fund over the next five years.
This serious budget deficit will have important implications for the K-12 education system. The legislature’s Joint Task Force on Basic Education Funding will be making its recommendations to the legislature before the end of the year and may be including the State Board’s “Core 24” proposal for higher graduation standards. Lawmakers will be feeling the pressure to address the structure of K-12 programs because of pending legal action challenging the adequacy of the state’s current basic education funding model.
Partnership for Learning will be working with the Washington Roundtable, College Work Ready Agenda, and other organizations to ensure that existing resources arre focused on high priority areas, such as increasing the supply of highly qualified math and science teachers, and are accompanied by appropriate accountability for results.
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Education Measures Across the Nation
Though Washington’s ballot featured no direct education measures this year, a number other states sought to bolster education funding and test the public’s support of performance pay for teachers. Below are the nation’s top education measures, as well as election results.
ALABAMA
Re-establish the rainy-day Education Trust Fund for up to 6.5 percent of the general education budget—or $435 million for this year—in case of a budget emergency.
PASS 56.6%
ARKANSAS
Fund scholarships and grants in certain Arkansas public and private two- and four-year colleges and universities in the state by authorizing lotteries.
PASS 63.3%
COLORADO
Would increase revenue for Colorado Community Colleges by expanding gaming limits.
PASS 58.8%
Would increase revenue for college scholarships by increasing taxes paid on oil and natural-gas companies.
FAIL 41.4%
Would direct revenue into P-12 education, instead of into taxpayer rebates, in the case of a revenue surplus.
FAIL 44.8%
FLORIDA
Would enable supplemental community college funding by allowing counties to levy optional local sales taxes, subject to voter approval.
FAIL 43.5%
MAINE
Increases funding for college-tuition-finance programs, community colleges, and local schools by dedicating 11 percent of the gross gambling income.
FAIL 46.0%
MARYLAND
Would finance public education with authorized slot machine gambling.
PASS 58.6%
MISSOURI
Establishes a new elementary and secondary education improvement fund using proceeds from and increased casino-gambling tax.
PASS 56.2%
OREGON
Would put limits on the amount of time non-English-speaking public school students could be taught in a language that is not English.
FAIL 45.9%
Would base teacher pay raises on “classroom performance” and prohibit districts from giving raises based on seniority.
FAIL 39.9%
Would redirect roughly $100 million annually from educations funds for law enforcement, criminal investigation, and forensics.
FAIL 40.5%
SOURCE: National Conference of State Legislatures
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