Education: waiting on reform

THE state Legislature must accomplish mission impossible this session. In the worst budget cycle in decades, lawmakers still must pass reform legislation that propels schools into the 21st century.

The price tag will be in the billions, but not now. This is a decades-long investment.

Education-reform bills in the state House and Senate would essentially redefine basic education. Early learning would be included, not for every child, but for those who need a head start on learning. Early-childhood education is the single best investment toward reducing the achievement gap and improving overall student achievement.

All-day kindergarten would be included in the new definition. This is a matter of fairness and equity. State funding for kindergarten has expanded recently from half-day only to cover all-day kindergarten but only for poor children. Others are left to pay for this essential out of levy funding.

If it is part of a basic education, it ought to be paid for by the state.

The modern definition would include transparent school budgets and rational funding formulas.

Gov. Christine Gregoire warned lawmakers to pass a bill that includes clear intent to pay for these items. The governor's concern about unfunded mandates is worth emphasizing. Lawmakers must also reconsider more than $1 billion in education-spending cuts proposed in the 2009-11 budget. It will be impossible to move forward on education reform if budget cuts move the system backward.

Passing a bill is important while the longer discussion takes place. It is critical to have a structure in place for future, flush years. The public needs to understand what 21st-century education looks like and what taxes will fund.

The current definition of basic education is outdated because it doesn't include technology or security. Those things are paid for by an increasingly reliance on local levies. School districts with low property values do without. Levies have become too much a part of basic education, creating a chasm between districts that can raise funds and those that cannot. This is not the equitable and quality education envisioned for Washington's 1.2 million public schoolchildren.

Students in the Highline School District deserve an education on par with students on Mercer Island. The biggest investment we can make in our children and community is education. Improving outcomes for people facing poverty, a lack of health care or unemployment begins by improving their education.

Our support of reform is mirrored on the federal level. Billions of dollars for programs like Head Start and newer reforms are included in the recent economic-stimulus package. Washington will not be the only state ramping up early-childhood programs or embarking on new changes.

Another reason to update: The current definition of basic education allows for curriculum adoptions every 18 years. More frequently than that and districts must pay for it themselves. This is unconscionable.

Time to redefine a good education and get on the road toward making it happen.