Gregoire unveils plan for nurturing students

Gov. Christine Gregoire laid out a sweeping plan Monday to raise academic achievement and help all Washington children move through a seamless educational system from preschool through college.

Now all the plan needs is the money to make it happen.

The report released by Washington Learns, chaired by Gregoire, was applauded by educational-advocacy groups for its vision in addressing fundamental problems facing education, such as introducing programs that would help close the achievement gap between white students and students of color, zeroing in on math and science, and personalizing education.

But many also criticized the plan, the outgrowth of a study that began 18 months ago to examine the way the state pays for education. While the 56-page report submits dozens of ideas and recommendations, it doesn't spell out how to fund the new programs. The educational issues were too complex, and there simply wasn't time to take on the equally difficult mission of funding, Gregoire said.

"I admit to you I didn't appreciate the enormity and challenge of the task," Gregoire said. "I thought we'd start with how much money would it take and where do we want to spend the money." Now she has asked members of Washington Learns, a coalition of political and education leaders seeking ways to revamp the state's school system, to continue their work and help develop a financial plan, she said.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson sat on the Washington Learns steering committee. She said she has submitted to the governor a $1 billion funding proposal — that's how much it would take to fund all of Washington Learns' K-12 proposals, Bergeson said, although she doesn't expect the state to fund it all at once.

"No one in the K-12 system thinks you can solve the problem in two years," Bergeson said. "To do it right will take some time."

Washington Learns looked at the three basic areas: early learning, K-12 and post-secondary — including college as well as community college and vocational school.

The report includes a list of goals to be accomplished in 10 years, including giving families access to high-quality, affordable child care; ensuring proficiency in reading and math among all third-graders; and instilling in all high-school graduates the abilities needed to enter a post-secondary program or college.

The recommendations are laudable but 10 years is a long time to wait, said Paul Rosier, executive director of the Washington Association of School Administrators, who sat on one of three Washington Learns advisory committees.

"The fact is, we don't have enough funding to meet the needs of the kids in our current system," Rosier said. "The system identified by the state constitution as having a paramount duty to our kids is not going to go away while the political agenda is ironed out over the next 10 years."

State Rep. Glenn Anderson, R-Fall City, who was on the Washington Learns steering committee, was the lone vote against sending the report to the Legislature. Anderson submitted a minority report, arguing Washington Learns dodged the funding question.

"The report is long on vision and short on substance," Anderson said. "It's a great speech, but where's the dough?"

Gregoire said she is committed to working with the Legislature to come up with a "significant down payment" in the 2007-09 budget that would set up initial funding for the programs, but the report doesn't address which programs would receive money first.

University of Washington President Mark Emmert said he believes the report sets a strong tone for the coming legislative session. The report calls for tuition to increase no more than 7 percent annually at public colleges and universities, alongside increases in the state's contribution to higher education. It also calls for Washington to compete with other top-performing states, and for the Legislature to fund public universities and colleges at 60 percent of what those states set aside for their institutions.

"I think the report lays out a good comprehensive plan," Emmert said. "Enacting them is going to require significant funding. And we're going to have to work with the governor to have that happen. There are no guarantees in the political world."

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637

or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com