Education, our paramount duty
The State of Washington must live up to its paramount constitutional duty to make ample provision for the education of all Washington children. This was affirmed in February by a King County Court.
I was born and raised in Washington and educated in our public schools; I went to a public university; I then taught in a public high school; I’m an executive in our public community and technical college system; and in 2007 I was elected to a public school board. The public owns our education system, and that public includes you, me, and all of our fellow citizens. In our democracy, WE THE PEOPLE get to select our legislators to make critical funding decisions on our behalf. If our elected leaders are failing to make the right investments in our public education system, then we as citizens are failing to elect the right people.
We need a new dialogue about public education that does not begin with blame – ours is not a failed system, it’s a remarkable system that does need modernization. No country in the world takes a broader segment of their population and educates them to adulthood. I did not wish to live in country or a state that selects its elite students by 4th or 8th grade, leaving the rest destined to a life without options; that is not America; that is not Washington State!
Our greatest aspirations for our children and our schools is not something we fall victim to, it’s something we get to choose. We have chosen to invest less and less over time in our schools, and we must take honest responsibility for that. We can argue about quality, educational standards, effective assessment, and more, but the facts are the facts when it comes to investment. Washington now spends 40% of its state General Fund budget on our public education system; that is down from over 50% just thirty years ago. If we had continued our investment at historic levels, our public school system would have $1.5 billion more per year. $1.5 billion more means lower class sizes in our elementary schools, competitive salaries for our faculty and staff, intensive intervention for struggling learners, more advanced classes for students who are exceeding standard, and more technical education options for the tens of thousands of kids who are deeply interested in learning but want a hands-on experience.
Despite our current shortcomings, I am optimistic! Even today, education is still a great investment – it generates a positive return on the dollar for individuals and society. Consider that a high school graduate earns $7,000 more per year on average over a high school dropout; that’s $300,000 in additional income over a working lifetime and that’s the difference between depending on state subsidies versus being self sufficient. And a community college graduate earns $7,000 more per year than a high school graduate; that’s an additional $300,000 over a lifetime and that’s the difference between renting your whole life or owning your own home and building equity. Get bachelors, masters, Ph.D. or a professional degree and the benefits are even greater. Never has it been more true that the more you learn, the more you earn! For society, the benefits of a well educated populace are enormous: Higher income levels which means a higher tax base to fund parks, clean air, clean water, public safety, and more; less dependence on the welfare system; lower absenteeism at work; less demand on the criminal justice system; and less demand for acute medical care.
Let’s stop blaming teachers, schools, or “the State”, for failing to achieve the system we desire. Let’s look in the mirror and face one basic truth: We won’t get the schools we want until we elect leaders who will make it their personal paramount duty to FULLY fund our education system, from pre-school to higher education.
Our only chance at remaining competitive in a global economy is to raise educational attainment levels for ALL students; to do this we MUST bring back the investment mentality. We have to put our precious resources where they get the best return on the dollar – our schools! With strong schools, comes a stronger economy. Let’s invest in education so we can create family-wage, life sustaining jobs for our children and grandchildren!
Elect me to the State Legislature and you will have not only an experienced steward of your tax dollars, but someone with a deep background in public education who will take the personal and political risk to fully fund our schools, and thus fully realize our potential. For me, there is simply no greater cause!
Chris