Making the most of education investment: maintain standards, target early learning, scrap 1351

By: Richard S. Davis
12:00 am
November 26, 2014

The headline summarizes some recent editorial observations. And nicely comports with budget realities.

The News Tribune takes a strong editorial stand in support of academic accountability.

At a time when the world is demanding more of high school graduates, Washington’s public schools shouldn’t be demanding less.

Washington and many other states are phasing in the rigorous learning goals of Common Core along with tests to determine whether students are meeting those goals. This will raise the bar for high school graduation.

The editorial disagrees with Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn call to back away from high school graduation exams (paywall). The key point:

But the idea isn’t to torture or shame students – it’s to prepare them to succeed in a world that imposes its own high stakes tests and tends to be cruel to adults who couldn’t be bothered to do their schoolwork. Insisting that kids meet serious standards can look brutal at times, but it’s tough love. The real brutality is to leave the bar too low – to give students the illusion that they are preparing for trades or college without requiring them to master the necessary skills.

While reasonable arguments can be had over the effectiveness of No Child Left Behind or the Common Core standards, the solution clearly does not lie in a reduction of demands placed upon students. Those students will face high-stakes tests throughout their lives, be it in college or at a job interview or in a challenging part of their chosen profession, and it is the school system’s obligation to prepare them for such tests. Accepting mediocrity guarantees mediocrity, and Dorn’s proposal is an example of the educational system lowering its standards for misguided reasons.
In addition to staying the course with respect to academic standards, it’s important to make sure money is spent wisely. The Everett Herald editorial board believes that includes investing in early learning. Few would disagree with providing pre-K support to children most at risk of entering the public schools unprepared for classroom success.
Tight money requires lawmakers to set priorities. Which has led to more calls to suspend Initiative 1351.
The Seattle Times notes the negative effects of the initiative on homeless students. And the Everett Herald lists other pressures on the budget, include early learning programs and higher education, concluding,
It’s likely that many voted for Initiative 1351 thinking, as the state Supreme Court did, that they could show their own contempt for a legislative body that has dragged its feet in meeting its obligations to fully fund education. But we don’t believe they wanted their vote to complicate that process and possibly jeopardize other important work and needs in the state.

With that message sent and — we hope — taken to heart, the initiative should be suspended.

It may take a while, but it will be done.
 Categories: Budget , Categories , Economy , Education.
Tags: Budget , class size , class size reduction