I moved to Washington State from the Washington DC area just over a year and a half ago. Excited about coming to Washington State, we expected a cleaner environment, a safer place to live and better schools. Although we have found all three,  imagine my dismay when I found out that Washington state ranks near the bottom in funding for its children’s education. This is a state that boasts Microsoft, Google, Amazon and many other world-reknowned companies. We have some of the brightest minds in the country living and working here. Why can’t we fund education for our children?

My children attend a wonderful school (Arrowhead Elementary) in Kenmore, Wa., a suburb of Seattle. I am very involved in my school's PTA and volunteer in the classroom. But that is not enough. Our schools, teachers and administators are committed to educating and nourishing our children and do a splendid job with the limited resources they have. It is now time for the State to do its share in funding our children's education. Give the schools the necessary funds to allow our children to reach their full potential.

McCleary v. State in 2009 was the most important court case in decades for Washington public school students. During the McCleary trial, the State assured the Court that the 2009 education reform and funding law, ESHB 2261, is the promise that K-12 public education will be fully funded by 2018. (However, public school funding has actually decreased since 2009.) The Court did not allow that promise to stand without the power of court orders to ensure it became reality. In fact, the Supreme Court took the strong step of retaining jurisdiction over the case after it issued its ruling, stating “What we have learned from experience is that this Court cannot stand on the sidelines and hope the State meets its constitutional mandate to amply fund education.” The Court ordered the State to demonstrate and report on its progress every year. 

In January 2012, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the State of Washington is violating the constitutional rights of children by failing to live up to its “paramount duty” to amply fund the education of all K-12 students. The Court ordered the Legislature to make steady, real and measurable progress each year and to fully fund K-12 public education by 2018. 

In December 2012, the Supreme Court told the Legislature: “The report submitted at the conclusion of the 2013 legislative session must set out the State’s plan in sufficient detail to allow progress to be measured according to periodic benchmarks between now and 2018.” The Court said that “the phase-in plan should address all areas of K-12 education identified in ESHB 2261, including transportation, MSOCs (Materials, Supplies, Other Operating Costs), full time kindergarten, and class size reduction. Given the scale of the task at hand, 2018 is only a moment away – and by the time the 2013 legislature convenes a full year will have passed since the Court issued its opinion in this case.”

The Supreme Court issued another report Jan. 9, 2014, ordering the Legislature to come up with a plan by April explaining how the state will fund schools through 2018.

The Washington State Legislature is in session right now and is supposed to be working on the State’s 2013 budget that must catch up to the steady, real and measurable progress ordered by the Court. It seems the gridlock of Washington DC is also prevalent here in Washington State. The state legislators continue to drag their feet in implementing the changes mandated.

Time is running out and we need to tell our state legislators how important education is for our children and our children’s children. 

Please sign my petition and share it with everyone you know. Our future is dependent on our children. 

For more information on the McCleary Ruling please go to http://waschoolexcellence.org/