The Issaquah School Board voted unanimously to support two bills supporting education reform at a special board meeting Feb. 5, despite the protests of the Issaquah Education Association union members.
House Bill 1410 and Senate Bill 5444 arose from 2005 recommendations by the Washington Learns Steering Committee, and 2007 recommendations from the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance, intended to review and update Washington’s basic education system.
A handful of district teachers voiced their concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting, citing issues such as: supporting a bill that’s not finished and uncertainty as to where funding is coming, among other things.
Neva Luke, president of the Issaquah Education Association, said the group asked board members to vote against the bills, which many felt were more promises than actions.
“This bill does have some good parts, but it also has some very serious issues,” she said to applause. “The work that we’ve done, the passion that we’ve put in, and the years that we’ve spent in education, is demeaned in this bill. Because we’re being told, ‘Our system is broken, and you haven’t done enough’.”
While not all details of the bills are hammered out, current changes include:
• Implementing Core 24 graduation requirements, which increases credit requirements for graduation from 20 to 24, and provides state resources to meet the requirements.
• Recognizing the need for continued professional development opportunities for teachers.
• Providing equity for historically disadvantaged children.
• Correcting arbitrary funding disparities among districts.
• Moving teachers from a seniority-based compensation system to a performance-and-evaluation based one.
• Maintaining local control over school district affairs, but implementing accountability systems to ensure accountability to parents, taxpayers and the Legislature.
• Phasing in educational plans and changes, and resources to fund them.
The Board’s resolution of support states that “these changes will demonstrably improve P-12 education in our community and throughout Washington state and ensure that graduates of the Issaquah School District are able to compete in a global market.”
“Endorsing those bills was so good for the kids of Issaquah, because not only will it fix our funding shortfalls from the past, but it moves us into the 21st century,” said Kelly Munn, a PTSA member and education lobbyist. “And we really need to get there, because the state of Washington is really behind the 8 ball.”
That shift into the future was a major point for school board members.
“Presently, basic education is not what any of the board members, any of the parents in this community would be pleased with,” said Superintendent Steve Rasmussen. “It only covers a five period day, no counselors, no librarians, no health services … it was implemented in 1977, and computers were not part of classroom instruction then. So it’s really important that as this new definition is being developed, that we get to weigh in on that heavily.”
