Time for Washington to settle on a long-term plan to fund education

KEEP your eye on the swaying watch ... you're getting very, very sleepy.

Washington state's education cuts weren't as bad as they could've been. We're pursuing federal Race to the Top funding. Reforms outlined in a new state law are being vetted in working groups, and legislative action taken on their recommendations. There's plenty of activity, and things are ticking along just as expected. Now ... I'm going to count backward, and when I reach zero, you'll believe education reform is taken care of.

Stop. What's just as important is what didn't happen.

Like a résumé full of pedigree and lots of experience, Washington's education-reform efforts look good on paper. Everything you see on the list belongs there, but can you tell what's missing?

A quick analogy: Everyone wants to retire someday, but without long-term planning, retirement sneaks up until ample funding is almost impossible. Then, you must either provide huge lump sums right before your deadline, or you simply cannot fund it, and must shelve your golden years' dreams. Planning retirement activities is fun and exciting; planning how to fund them is less so. Without a long-term funding plan, however, the rest is just wishful thinking.

So what didn't happen this legislative session? Long-term planning for funding education. Such a plan, crafted with input from stakeholders across the state, was embodied in two companion state bills, HB 2746 and SB 6740.

The two bills would have vetted that plan or come up with something better. The bills — and the plan — required no significant funding for education this year; they both simply pushed for a solid, sustainable, future-looking, affordable education finance plan. The bills used an existing working group, already tasked with examining education funding, as the ready-made and cost-effective vehicle. The Senate bill made it out of committee, the House version did not. Neither was passed into law.

Why didn't either bill pass? It wasn't for a lack of material support. Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, introduced the original bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, and Skip Priest, R-Federal Way — bipartisan support from known education stalwarts. The Senate bill was introduced by Democrat Sen. Steve Hobbs and sponsored by Democratic Sens. Rosemary McAuliffe, Eric Oemig, Randy Gordon and Paull Shin.

Our state needs a long-term plan for education reform, not an election-term stopgap. Some argue our education system is sufficient, just as good as it was 10 years ago, and that we're already doing what we must. To them I would say: Dust off that business plan from 10 years ago, and tell me whether it's competitive enough for today's environment. Regardless of whether we stand still in education, others around us — other states, other countries — will not.

We need to prepare our students for an ever-changing, competitive arena of life, learning and work. Just as with retirement, investments or our children's future, last-minute attempts at fixes are rarely robust or sufficient to make up for years of neglect.

Make long-term education funding a mandate during this year's election discussion. Ask every would-be or incumbent legislator: Do you support finding a long-term solution to amply, and sustainably, fund education reform? If elected, will you act to do so in the coming session?

Be wary if they dangle a pocket watch in front of you, and soothe, "these things take time."

Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens is a Democrat. This oped misidentified his party affiliation.