Brainstorm school reform
Published 1:49 pm Saturday, July 7, 2012
School’s out, and so is the Legislature. So what better time for all interested parties to be working on ways to reform public education in an effort to reduce costs to help fulfill the state’s obligation to its students? And that would be to fully fund basic education, using a sustainable funding source, as ruled by the state Supreme Court, in case anyone forgot.
People rightfully expect the candidates for governor to offer a realistic plan, which they haven’t yet, but it’s unfair to act as if this is suddenly a new, election-year problem, or a one-person job, with a one-answer solution. Everyone needs to be the grownup. New funding is needed. So are reforms.
As of Friday, it appears the charter schools initiative will make the ballot — for a fourth try with voters. The reflexive opposition by Washington Education Association (hey, after three times they have this anti-charter stuff down) is just the same-old, same-old — an unwillingness to consider this one idea, even though the schools are championed by the Obama administration, and 41 other states allow them.
In more school news Friday, The Herald’s Jerry Cornfield also reported that U.S, Department of Education officials have exempted Washington from pieces of the federal “No Child Left Behind” law, including a provision for all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn said, “This decision is welcome news that gives our state the opportunity to implement bold reforms around standards and accountability….” OK. Bring on the bold reforms.
The math and reading provision is being replaced with a focus on “opportunity gaps,” according to the OSPI. Subgroups of students (such as black, Hispanic, Asian, special education, students receiving free or reduced-price meals) will need to have the difference between their scores in 2011 and 100 percent cut in half by 2018.
That being the case, here’s one idea then: Designate as many schools as needed, charter or otherwise, to give those very students mentioned above the chance to go to school year-round. In June, The Herald’s Amy Daybert wrote about Snohomish County public schools’ free lunch programs. The Everett School District alone served 15,000 meals last summer. Joanna Peeler, the district’s food and nutrition manager, noted that in addition to the nutrition, the lunches and snacks offer a social opportunity for kids who might otherwise sit at home all day.
Offering year-round learning opportunties, and much needed food, to students who need to make up ground educationally, makes intellectual, economic and moral sense. Like preventive medicine, financial gains will be realized down the road if we make innovative choices now for our students who are most in need.
