The WASL money must be followed

The Thursday article about the candidates for state superintendent of public instruction candidates (“Teachers union tries new tactic to defeat schools chief,” Associated Press) and Terry Bergeson’s comments on education funding leave me confused.

The assessed value of my home has doubled in the past three years, even though a fire rendered it uninhabitable for two of the three years. It’s a stretch to say that property tax revenues are down, and are having an effect on education funding. I have read reports that the cost of administrating the WASL runs in the millions, and because of the new grade levels being added every year, those costs are expected to double in the next year or two. Is it worth spending millions of dollars to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind to receive $500,000 in federal money? Seems like Bergeson, and our state lawmakers, should a have special session to learn applied math.

I would enjoy some objective reporting about these issues, rather than the “Teachers union tries new tactic to defeat schools chief.” I’m sure with a few basic math skills, and a bit of analysis, there’s a good story to be found if you follow the WASL money.

Deborah Cummings

Snohomish