OEA ratifies contract; RIF defunct

The Olympia School District will be able to return all its RIFed teachers this year, thanks to the new contract overwhelmingly ratified by the Olympia Education Association last night.

Some of the major changes for the next contract year include...

* A reduction from 30 staff development (optional training) building, District, and teacher-directed hours to 12 teacher-directed hours.

* Reduction to 177 student days; 3 days out of the 180 in the school year are now non-student training days.

* A cap on overload payments at $866,0760

* 3 additional "optional day" hours (to mitigate a portion of the pay cut)

* School's out June 15, 2012, absent any snow days

The three non-student days are at least a little closer to the furlough the state didn't provide.

All in all, this is good news. Not great news--cuts are cuts--but good news.

liveblogging the WEA Chinook Legislative Forum

4:56 p.m.
Why am I at the WEA Chinook Legislative Forum?
a. To hear legislators talk about the issues.
b. To grab my local representatives by the collective earlobes.
c. To avoid the deluge outside.
d. All of the above.

5:34
Oh. I guess it was snacks and chit-chat until 5:30. Guess I could've rolled in a half hour later. Gary Gerst emcees, asking folks to "keep it rolling."

5:37
In attendance: Brendan Williams (22nd), Sam Hunt (22nd), and Kathy Haigh (35th). Gary Alexander is rumored to be on the way. (And he showed up.)

5:40
A question: what should we expect in the upcoming session?

Kathy Haigh: "I think it's going to be short." "Another $2 billion down, and no significant funding coming from the feds.... It's going to be significant cuts.... We should all be keeping a close eye on [the] health care issue." If the feds stepped in to fund our "Apple" health care for kids, that'd help. ECAP is the "absolute wrong place" to cut from. I-728, 732 are (still) at risk. Levy equalization funds won't be touched. Higher Ed--expect another tuition increase, even letting schools set their own tuition rates.

Brendan Williams: "At the risk of sounding like a liberal Democrat..." The legislature could have raised taxes, but "the votes were bought to keep that from occurring." "I did not vote for [728 and 732] to be suspended." Cutting programs from K-12 education is "the pricetag for political careerism." "It's time to meaningfully distinguish ourselves, with all due respect, from the opposition."

Gary Alexander: "Unlike my friend to the left, I think our first challenge is to see what we can do to reduce the budget. Government will not pull us out of the recession." "We can't continue to cut around the edges... We have to go back and talk about what our priorities are: public health, public safety, and public education.... This may mean the elimination of entire services... that can be replaced by the private sector." "We have to basically produce results that will be sustainable on a long-term basis." I'm not going to vote for a policy that doesn't have any funding."

Sam Hunt: For years this state has kept the crazy old aunt in the closet... our broken tax system.... We have a "crazy tax system." "The sales go down and the caseloads go up every damn time you look at it... We've cut all the edges, we've cut all the low-hanging fruit." "I have some hope that the feds will help with Title I, and health care."

5:57
Question for Gary Alexander: Where do we cut?
Things that aren't basic public health, safety, or education: Public health care assistance that isn't matched by federal dollars. Privatize state liquor control board, state printing operations. (Question: Is that enough to find $2 billion? Answer: I don't know.)

6:04
Loopholes are discussed. Sam Hunt notes that it was the Lieutenant Governor's move to declare closing a loophole a "tax increase" that shut down debate at the outset. Kathy Haigh notes that we can't necessarily bank on a tax increase that won't take effect until after passing a plebiscite next November.

6:07
What about the recommendation to close the Maple Lane juvenile school?

Sam Hunt: It was unfair to put the option, Do we close Green Hill or Maple Lane? "I was very happy to see that the consultants' study recommended closing neither one; there was no cost savings to closing either one."

There's some further crosstalk on this issue, but I'm not an expert in these matters.

6:14
What's going to happen to the last remaining LID day?

Weeeeelllllll.....

6:16
David Johnston, OEA, discusses HB 2261, which broadened the definition of basic education--but without any attached funding. (It's the bill Alexander referred to earlier, having voted against it because of its precipitous ratio of expectations to appropriations.) Now that we're "living under it," what will the Legislature do to fund it--or will they repeal it?

Kathy Haigh: if we fund it, it has to be prioritized. Funding will come out of GAU and healthcare for those in poverty, some of the places in the budget where we have the "least accountability."

Brendan Williams: I doubt it'll be funded by its target date, 2018. "I'll bet your PAC $500" that it won't.

6:28
There's a discussion about Physical Education and obesity. I'm sitting in a chair clickety-clacking at a keyboard, so I'm not going to opine, simply out of fear of hypocrisy.

6:29
Kathy Haigh: "Everybody should do the Thriller dance at 8:05."

6:34
Sam Hunt talks about the "Core 24" provision, another unfunded mandate. Teachers aren't thrilled by it. He then answers a question about income tax--talking about a potentially more equitable tax system, a chance to reform a structure that hasn't been seriously debated since Booth Gardner was in office.

7:00
A few questions and comments came up after that, but my laptop battery decided it was done.

I may post some concluding thoughts in a while. That is, if the gale outside hasn't made mincemeat of the grid.

OEA recommends school board candidates

The Olympia Education Association's Candidate Interview Team recently interviewed the three candidates running for election to the Olympia School District Board of Directors: Allen Miller, Mark Campeau, and Eileen Thomson. In this unusual election season, all three are running for the first time after having previously served via appointment to their respective positions--and all three are running unopposed.

Allen Miller
The OEA Candidate Interview Team recommends Director Allen Miller for the Olympia School Board District 2 position. Director Miller expanded on his written responses during an interview on October 15th at the OEA office. He emphasized the importance of open communication, trust, respect and collaboration as key elements in his role as a Board member and across groups and interests in the district. Director Miller stated that he would use the District’s Strategic Plan to guide his decisions on policy and the district budget. In budget development, Director Miller listed his priorities as, first, keeping future cuts as far from the classroom as possible, and second, employing a transparent, inclusive process. Director Miller invited communication from teachers and suggested that email was the best way to contact him with questions or concerns. We encourage Director Miller to take a more proactive role in reaching out to faculty and staff across the District.

Mark Campeau
The OEA Candidate Interview Team recommends Director Mark Campeau for the Olympia School Board District 5 position. Director Campeau responded to questions during an interview on October 15th at the OEA office. He identified the importance of the Board’s role in providing clear, strong policy leadership as a key element in improving student learning. Director Campeau felt that the District’s Strategic Plan was a good guiding document for the Board to use in its decision-making processes for budget and policy issues. He emphasized the need for adequate resources to allow teachers to meet the needs of their current students. He stated that he had enjoyed visiting buildings and talking with teaching staff and emphasized the importance of hearing from a variety of sources about concerns and successes in the District. He plans to continue his visits. Director Campeau included maintaining class size and programs focused on improving student learning as key considerations in the budget development process. We applaud Director Campeau for his efforts to build relationships with faculty and staff across the District.

Eileen Thompson
The OEA Candidate Interview Team recommends Director Eileen Thompson for the Olympia School Board District 3 position. Director Thompson responded in writing to questions from the Candidate Interview Team. In her responses, she included open access, improved communication and improving student learning as critical elements to be addressed in her role as a member of the Board. Director Thompson felt that the District’s Strategic Plan should serve as the guiding document for her decisions on the Board. In the budget process, she emphasized maintaining an open, inclusive process and keeping future cuts away from the classroom as priorities. Director Thompson stated that she has enjoyed spending time in buildings and welcomes communication with staff members. We applaud Director Thomson for her efforts to include new voices in the District conversation.



For the second election running, the OEA Candidate Interview Team included myself, Sharyn Merrigan, and Dan McCartan.

Jeff Nejedly shares his thoughts

I spoke with Jeff Nejedly, who's running against Frank Wilson for the District 1 seat on the Olympia School Board, and he gave me permission to post this publicly. All blockquoted words are his, unedited except for a removed phone number.

Hello Jim,



I was told by a teacher friend of mine about some of your comments posted on your blog, and went to your web page as well. I’m wondering why you think that I am in favor of pay for performance? I don’t recall this question being asked in the OEA interview. As a manager at the Dept. of Ecology, I am given merit based raises for Growth and Development. I can see why some might consider merit based pay for Principals, as school managers (of course not based on student scores). I personally would have to investigate if and how this has worked (or not) in other high functioning districts like ours, to see if I would support such a proposal.



I do not support Merit based pay for teachers. Although I would think this would be obvious to most, given my background as a teacher’s son who stood on picket lines with my father in Wisconsin, I am adamantly against Pay-For-Performance in any form for teachers. I am also keenly aware of how underpaid teachers are, and as a state worker and manager, I support annual increases in base pay based on time in service which equates to experience.



I was told that the OEA endorsement of Frank was due to his school involvement. I have been very involved volunteering in my children’s schools both in the classroom, school improvement projects, and PTA fundraising. Additionally, my wife was Fundraising chair and PTA Vice President for Boston Harbor, and chaired many other student activities at BHS. My wife also served on the Budget Advisory Group 2005-2006. Additionally, I have been to the majority of Board meetings in the last 2 years, and have learned a great deal.



I have serious concerns when the number of administrators grows in a year (2006) that the BAG is told that they need to carve $2Million off the budget to prevent the significant shortfalls that we are seeing now. I have concerns with the increase in other administrative costs that OSD is experiencing at this same time. It would be terrible to see teachers let go (as happened in 2004) due to budget shortfalls, at the cost of more administration.



I’m also concerned that the Math Adoption Committee was made so political by the district administration. In the past this committee would have been made up of teachers only. No administrators and no hand-selected parents (one was a principal’s wife!). The folks who will be teaching the curriculum should be able to fully weigh in on a decision of this type, as has always been the case in the past.



I opposed the middle school curriculum adoption, not only because the curriculum was weighted too heavily with one teaching style, but more importantly because of the process involved in the adoption. It has cost me politically, but that is fine, since my ultimate goal is not political, but an open, honest, and accountable school district administration. This would benefit the teachers in this district, as well as the students.



Since you’ve met with Frank several times (per your blog) and as of yet haven’t attempted to meet or even talk with me, I realize that you have already made up your mind on which candidate you are supporting. I send you this information, in hopes of clarifying the record.



Sincerely,

Jeff Nejedly

www.jeffnejedly.com

I'd like to thank Jeff for his thoughts. Although I have made up my mind, I realize that other voters haven't, and should consider all the relevant facts when doing so.

Three things I should point out: in his first paragraph, Nejedly apparently refers to this post. As readers can see, I was talking about Russ Lehman, who, although he supports Jeff Nejedly, does not share all of Nejedly's views. (I was answering a question about what concerns I had about some of Lehman's--not Nejedly's--positions.)

Second, there's a simple reason I didn't contact Nejedly after the OEA interview process, when I first met him. After members of the committee labored through the difficult decision to support one candidate over another, and once the choice was made, I was asked to speak with Wilson about specific teacherly issues, to act as an informal liaison between the union and its endorsed candidate. Thus, I never imagined that my (small, informal) role in the process would go beyond that. I met with Frank a few times and blogged about the experience--it only confirmed that we had chosen well, especially since we couldn't make a bad choice between the two. Once the school year started, my political activities tailed off considerably.

I support Wilson because of his proven ability to build bridges and work with opposing sides through controversy, because of his kind and thoughtful personality, because of his willingness to reach out and actively seek opinions from those who aren't being heard, and because of his remarkable and highly-regarded career as a volunteer and participant in our schools. I wish I could vote for him. Too bad I live in the wrong district.

Now, back to breakfast.

this year's strange and confusing School Board races

Commentator msndis asks some good questions about the WEA's funding lawsuit against the state, and its relation to the current Board races. I'll answer each in turn.

Have you (as a union member I assume) talked to Russ Lehman about this?

Yes, I'm a (low-ranking) union member. No, I haven't personally spoken to Russ Lehman about why he pushed for the lawsuit without taking steps required by the WEA; my knowledge of the situation comes from discussions with union leaders. If they have more specific comments about the situation, they're free to speak up.

If the union is so in favor of this idea, why aren't the teachers actively working on this? Has the union been working with Nafziger, Parvinen and Barclift on this? If so, why hasn't it been suggested by one of them at a Board meeting? As you know, they do have a majority and can pass anything they'd like.

Since the issue was first floated, the situation has changed immensely. First, Shirley and Lehman voted against the "simple majority" resolution (a resolution strongly supported by the union). Second, Lehman and Shirley surprised the Board with a "merit pay for principals" plan, backed neither by the principals nor the union. Third, Lehman sent a threatening email to the union insinuating that the Endorsement Committee (of which I was a member) had base motives for choosing Frank Wilson over Jeff Nejedly. The strange turn of events, combined with bad timing (now that the campaign has heated up and the crush of the school year is full on), has put the lawsuit issue on the backburner, at least as far as I can see.

Part of the lawsuit issue is that, at this point, the District's joining is largely symbolic, since there are already several other plaintiffs. Add to that a tight budget and the intense personal feelings on both sides, and I'm not surprised that the combination of personal and situational factors had led to the present impasse.

It appears to me the union wants to have the status quo maintained and back the board members who have the majority but aren't doing anything to help the union.

Most people forget that, up until recently, the Board had voted unanimously 90% of the time, largely agreeing on the direction the District should go, and the Board's role in that process. It should be added that all the current Board members have, at various points, disagreed with the union. But there are disagreements, and there are disagreements.

What do Barclift, Nafziger and Parvinen do that benefits the teachers in the district? I'd like specific examples.

Parvinen is a bit of a moot point, since she's leaving, and her replacement, whether Wilson or Nejedly, will be a different voice on the Board. Barclift and Nafziger...

• By and large, have trusted teachers' and administrators' judgment in instructional and curricular issues.
• Have advocated at the state level for a more stable funding structure for basic education.
• Have supported a Strategic Plan to streamline the budget process, reduce waste, and set priorities.
• Have supported competitive pay for principals and for our Superintendent.

There have been areas of disagreement between the union and Barclift and Nafziger, but always in good faith.

Now, what do Lehman and Shirley do that doesn't support teachers? I'd like specific examples.

They have...

• Proposed merit pay for principals, despite the objections of principals, the District, and teachers. The scheme, brought out of nowhere at a late budget meeting, and since promoted in The Olympian, is not only counter to the aims of the principals in our district, but is a likely first step toward merit pay for teachers, which brings up all sorts of equity concerns.
• Proposed increasing collaboration time, at untold cost to the district, without asking teachers whether they need more time taken away from classroom instruction, instead of further compensating the time we take over and above the school day. (I don't need more collaboration time to finish the stack of journals I have to grade this weekend.)
• Voted against the simple majority resolution because it was "hyperbolic" and had "poor grammar," even though the resolution comes from the Washington State School District Association and, to this English teacher's eye, was a little clunky, but conceptually sound.

This isn't to say that Lehman and Shirley are anti-teacher, or that Barclift and Nafziger are saints. In fact, the OEA's endorsement of Wilson and Barclift was made based on their experience and capabilities, and not on the political wrangling that came to light after we decided, with Board members lining up on either side. I can't emphasize enough how difficult our decision was, considering the strengths of the candidates in this year's election. Wilson, Nejedly, Gentry-Meltzer, and Barclift are all good people--sometimes I think that, as the campaign intensifies, we forget that.

I can only hope that, no matter the outcome, all involved can put the past in the past, and work toward strengthening what's already one of the best districts in the state.

Back to grading stacks of journals.

school board blogging

Not by me, but by Rich Nafziger, responding to the press release by Russ Lehman and Bob Shirley. (The upcoming school board election is turning into one of the more heated in recent memory, as at-odds Board members line up behind opposing candidates.)

On a more positive note, Nafziger also has thoughts on how to "make the best [district] better."

For the record, the OEA endorses Frank Wilson and Carolyn Barclift. I sat on the endorsement committee, interviewing Wilson and Barclift and their opponents, Jeff Nejedly and Lucy Gentry-Meltzer. The decision in each case was difficult--all seem like genuinely good people with a real desire to reach out to the community. We made our choice having no idea that we would get stuck in the middle of a crossfire between competing visions.

[Nafziger link via Emmett O'Connell]

voter guide for District 4 candidates now online

If you're voting in the August primary for the Olympia School Board District 4 race, you've probably received your guide by now. Still, just to be sure, the Thurston County Auditor offers it online as well. Here are the candidates' statements [pdf].

I see a lot of readers are looking for information on the three candidates--incumbent Carolyn Barclift and challengers Tom Hill and Lucy Gentry-Meltzer. Surprisingly, none of them has a website, which, in the 21st century, is unbelievable.

I'm here to fill in the gaps. I'm also curious: what would you like to know about the candidates that you're not necessarily finding elsewhere? Email me at the address listed at right.

Also, I should note that the Olympia Education Association endorses Carolyn Barclift for the District 4 position.

watch the Olympia School Board District 4 candidates

Not sure which candidate you should choose in the Olympia School Board District 4 primary? Watch them square off in a League of Women Voters forum. tctvjohn has the video. For the record, the Olympia Education Association endorses incumbent Carolyn Barclift. (Challengers are Tom Hill and Lucy Gentry-Meltzer.)

school board race gets personal

But not in a bad way, as The Olympian profiles the three candidates vying in the primary for the Position 4 seat.

Barclift, an Olympia police officer, has been pressing the district for years to change its budgeting process to look at the entire budget and prioritize items based on a strategic plan. Now that the district is getting closer to using that process, she wants to see it through....

Gentry-Meltzer, a freelance theater designer and educator, said she thinks that after eight years with the same person in the District 4 seat, it’s time for someone new....

Hill, Olympia’s permit/­inspections manager, building official and development engineer, said his school board experience in California plus the problem-solving skills he has honed at work would be beneficial as the school board faces new challenges.

It should be noted that the Olympia Education Association endorses incumbent Carolyn Barclift.

Frank Wilson endorsed by Olympia Education Association

The official blurb:

Frank Wilson is a strong and passionate supporter of public education, with glowing accolades from teachers and administrators who have seen his commitment as a classroom volunteer, PTA officer and Site Council member. Frank's approachable demeanor, cooperative spirit, and willingness to listen make him well suited to serve the community. The Olympia Education Association is proud to endorse him in his campaign for Position One on the Olympia School Board.

The warm, personal, human side: I've met with Frank Wilson a couple times since the OEA chose to endorse him. We've talked about life in the classroom, issues in the district, campaigning in the 21st century, and camping in western Washington.

The requisite disclosure: I sat on the committee that interviewed and chose whether to endorse candidates. I also wrote the blurb.

a tricky question

The union had another round of School Board candidate questioning today, interviewing Lucy Gentry-Meltzer and Tom Hill, both challenging Carolyn Barclift in the upcoming primary. I don't have much to say yet, other than to note a question we didn't ask: What would you do if high school protesters covered in fake blood crashed a school board meeting?

interviews with school board candidates

Watch this space--I'll be posting unofficial commentary on OEA interviews with a couple school board candidates who've agreed to undergo interrogation. The first round is this afternoon.

Update: So far we've met with two opposing candidates for Position 1, Jeff Nejedly and Frank Wilson. Both are in the race for the first time, having worked extensively with parent organizations and other volunteer groups, and both feel strongly that better communication with staff and parents is their fundamental concern.

Once the OEA decides on a course of action, I'll post a more detailed look at the two. For now, I can just say that it's been fascinating to work with other area teachers in designing the questions and evaluating their answers. It's also interesting to see how different people handle interviews--which questions they run with, which questions trip them up.

the Olympia School District and the eternal budget crisis

This isn't new news, but it's news again. After a new report, conflicting pressures from an advisory board mean that the district is going to have to come up with its own plan to trim excess from the budget.

An Olympia School District administration budget proposal slated to be unveiled later this month could be different from the advisory group proposal and likely will cut deeper, district officials said Monday. Superintendent Bill Lahmann said he expects to recommend phasing in the $1.7 million in cuts during the next two years rather than cutting the entire amount this fall.

Budget advisory group members and Olympia school board members both said they had concerns about adding higher fees for sports. Under the proposal — which would require school board approval before it was implemented — pay-to-play fees would increase from $30 to $40 per sport for middle school students and from $75 to $90 per sport for high school students.

You can bet that as the OEA interviews school board candidates for the upcoming election, we're going to ask about those cuts.

one year of 5/17

One year ago I started this here blog, working with David Johnston to establish an unofficial online presence for the Olympia Education Association. Over 365 days it has evolved into a jogging commentary on educational issues both local and statewide, a small part of a growing community of edubloggers.

I emphasize "small," because I honestly haven't had time to make the blog everything it could be--family, teaching, and my other blogging obligation leave little space on the cafeteria tray. But the spirit is still willing, and the goal--thoughtful, honest opinionating--is still intact.

I'm optimistic that as more upcoming teachers are comfortable with Web 2.0, our influence in shaping the discourse can only increase. I haven't abandoned the idea of a collaborative effort, either. If you're interested in a Washington state-focused educational blog (I'm talking to you, Ryan, and TRP, and Jeff, and The Goddess, and whoever else is out there documenting the good fight), drop a comment here or send me an email. I might even be contacting you in the future, so watch out.

a date with the bargaining team

Yesterday afternoon the Olympia EA hosted an informal gabfest over drinks and hors d'oeuvres at Mercato, to hear about pressing issues, but also to give members at least some sense of the complexities and compromises inherent in negotiation.

Before opening up a forum, the bargaining team shared strategy and its operating maxims. Though I won't list them here, I will say that, surprisingly, given some of the discussion, all of the maxims are framed negatively--"Don't do this," "Don't allow that." I tend to find positive goals more encouraging and less of a defensive stance, so I'd encourage the team to think about reworking them as positive statements.

I'll add more thoughts once I've thoroughly digested everything in my notes.

Oh, and word on the street is that I blog about local union activity, as well as a range of state and national educational concerns, offering pithy commentary and sage advice to the masses. But don't tell anyone.

House budget released; Lobby Day bears fruit

Yes, I'm going to give us credit for the successes in the fresh House budget:

K-12. The plan fully covers Initiative 728, with $238 million for class-size reduction and another $30 million to add 200 teachers in grades K-4. It includes $350 million for I-732, which mandates annual cost-of-living increases for teachers, and $50 million to ease pay disparity among districts. It includes bonuses of up to $10,000 for nationally certified teachers.

The proposal includes $60 million for additional special education spending, $5 million for technology, $25 million more for pupil transportation and $23 million to improve staffing of non-teaching school personnel.

All-day kindergarten is included, at a cost of $51 million, for children in high poverty areas.

Math and science programs would get $68 million, including money to hire 700 new teachers.

Dropout programs would get $8 million and a program for struggling 12th graders would get $12 million.

Gainsharing and the Rule of 85 are still wilcards, as those bills are stalled in committee and have until Thursday to make it out. Oh, and here's why we get credit:

Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, chairwoman of the newly created subcommittee, said the budget plans reflect the best thinking of people in the field.

"The folks in the classrooms and on the ground really helped us understand how we can drive resources to the programs to make the most difference for our teachers and students," she said in prepared comments.

I remember certain teachers speaking with Rep. Haigh about those same concerns.

the briefest summary of all

Lobby Day in three sentences:

A squad of WEA members from the Olympia area visited with their local legislators on Presidents' Day. They advocated for smaller class sizes, all-day kindergarten and improved compensation. "I'm interested in learning more and getting more involved," said Cindy Roaf, president of the Shelton ESP.

Lobby Day in one word: fun.

lobby day for the WEA

Here are some things we'll be chatting about with the legislators this lovely Lobby Day. Via email:

Smaller class sizes will improve student achievement
Parents, teachers and students all know that small class sizes help students learn. Research shows it, too. With fewer students, teachers can give students the personal attention they need and deserve. For WEA's 80,000 members, smaller class sizes are among the top three priorities for this legislative session. Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed spending $90 million on new class-size-reduction programs. That's a good start, but nowhere near enough: Washington's class sizes are 47th in the nation (pdf). Yet some lawmakers reportedly want to spend even less than the governor proposed for smaller class sizes. That's a bad idea, and it will make it even harder for our state's students to meet high academic standards. In coming weeks, WEA members will be sending their legislators a clear message: Investing in smaller class sizes will improve student achievement. Invest more, not less, on smaller class sizes.

Protect gainsharing
The proposals to reduce educators’ pensions now have bill numbers.
House Bill 1771/Senate Bill 5779 eliminate gainsharing. Senate Bill 5668 and House Bill 2116 eliminate gainsharing for future school employees. WEA opposes all of the bills and any attempt to repeal gainsharing.

Gainsharing benefits education employees in retirement Plans 1 and 3 and increases their monthly pension checks. Gainsharing benefits about 50,000 WEA members, said Dave Scott, WEA vice president....

ESA bill would pay for experience
Education staff associates (ESAs) should get salary credit for their years in the private sector. ESAs include school counselors, nurses, psychologists and therapists -- people who are well-paid in the private sector. In most cases, though, they start at the lowest salary level when they join a school staff. State law doesn't recognize their private-sector experience as a factor in salary funding. That makes it more difficult to find people to fill those positions....

Fix and fully fund the so-called NCLB, teachers say
Two teachers testified this week about a memorial urging President Bush and Congress to fix and fully fund the ESEA, the so-called No Child Left Behind Act. It's up for reauthorization this year, but it's never been fully funded. It also has major policy flaws.

"You have the opportunity to use this legislation to send a message to Congress about education reform," Suzanne Mayer told the House Education Committee. Mayer is a middle school teacher from the Highline Education Association. Spokane EA member Idalia Apodaca also testified on House Joint Memorial 4012.

Keep the high standards, but fix the WASL
The WASL should not be used as a high-stakes test that prevents students from graduating, WEA representatives testified this week. WEA supports the state's high academic standards, said Mary Lindquist, but opposes using the WASL as a barrier to graduation. The WASL should be one of several assessments used to measure whether students should graduate, she told the Senate education committee.

Lindquist, Mercer Island EA president, testified about Senate Bill 5165, which would delay using the math WASL as a graduation requirement. She encouraged lawmakers to delay all sections of the WASL and to use the time for a complete review of the WASL-based assessment system. The state must also provide adequate school funding for smaller class sizes and other needs, she said. WEA supports Senate Bill 6023, which offers students additional assessment and instruction options after failing the WASL once. Lindquist said SB 6023 is good for students and gives them flexibility.

Status of the various efforts: every single bill listed above (go to http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature, choose "bill search" and type in the number) is in committee.

As I note on my other blog, I'll have the full report later.

Olympia School District faces cuts--again

On the heels of increased spending, the district finds itself facing a potential shortage:

Under a 2006-07 budget totaling about $74 million, the Olympia School Board approved about $1 million in new spending. The budget set aside money for a new math curriculum, a high school counselor, several special education services and more. And that new spending made sense because the money went toward high-priority needs and because the district's reserve fund remained at a healthy 6.2 percent despite the additional costs, Lahmann and other district officials have said.

But if the school board doesn't make reductions in the 2007-08 budget, the district is expected to spend about $2 million beyond the revenue it takes in that school year, cutting the reserve fund in half. And the following year, projected spending would exceed revenues by another $3 million, leaving the district with a $531,000 deficit.

Staff raises, increases in health insurance and fuel costs, and more are expected to cause a revenue shortfall in years ahead, particularly as the district tries to purchase new curricula across the K-12 system, which can cost up to $1 million per subject.

"We're in a terrible position," Olympia School Board President Russ Lehman said. "We just have terrible choices, and this is all coming at a time when the requirements of education reform in Washington state are now being implemented in earnest. ... It's just terrible timing."

It is unfortunate--but then, this board voted against joining the funding lawsuit, which at least would have pressured the state to ease the situation. Lehman would have set aside $5,000 for the task--a small amount, but enough.

Note to the board: it's not too late.