Republicans declared ‘Education Day’ in the Washington state Senate

State Senate Republicans are claiming victory after passing nearly a dozen education bills on Wednesday. Democrats say the package is full of hollow promises that do little to address the under-funding of Washington’s public schools.

The bills include measures to give principals more control over teachers transferred to their campus, to create a letter grading system for rating our public schools, and to help students meet third grade reading standards.

Republicans declared it “education day” in the Senate. Democrats, like Senator Christine Rolfes, argued the bills still don’t address the Supreme Court decision requiring the state to fully fund education.

“Grading schools A through F doesn’t even come close to meaningful reform,” said Rolfes.

Senator Steve Litzow with the Majority Coalition said that now they have set up a system to close the achievement gap, the next step would be to create the funding to support it. On Thursday, Republicans plan to vote on a proposal that adds funding to lower performing schools.

Democrat Senator David Frockt said that’s putting the cart before the horse.

“Senator Rolfus has a bill, 5573, that would fully fund and put us on a path towards implementing the McCleary Task Force Recommendations. That bill has not even gotten a hearing,” said Frockt.

In the McCleary decision, the State Supreme Court said Washington has not been fulfilling its constitutional duty to fully fund education. They ordered the legislature to find the money by 2018.

The package of education bills passed by the Senate Wednesday faces an uncertain future in the Democrat-controlled House.