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Despite the commitment of caring citizens across the state, education funding has been on the decline for two decades - and it's left our schools behind in the areas that hurt students most. Washington's numbers are simply shocking:
- 46th in the nation in class size
- 42nd in the nation in spending per student
- $2 billion less for schools this year because of the decline
in state funding
- A 45 percent increase in tuition & fees just in the past
five years for students striving to obtain a college degree
- $548 less spent per student in public schools than in 1992
- Since 1995, our state's contribution to public higher education
costs has fallen by more than 16 percent
- Dead last in compensation for public school teachers among
the five West Coast states, while college faculty salaries continue
to lose ground to inflation.
- In recent years, the share of family income needed to pay
college expenses, even after financial aid, has increased from
20 to 31 percent at four-year public colleges.
Now, imagine if we could put these bad numbers behind
us.
Taking the lead begins with your stories and fresh ideas
This year, we've launched a new campaign for a more dependable way to adequately
fund our public schools. It's called Take the lead
-- finding a solution to put our schools back on top and keep
them there. To build momentum for change, we must first build
awareness of the funding crisis' real impact. We're reaching out
to people all across the state, gathering stories that explain
how the quality of funding affects our children's future, as well
as ideas that will help restore our state's commitment to great
public schools. Click here now to share
your story and/or fresh idea. |
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Public judgment:
Make education a priority
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Who's taking the lead on public education? Parents. Seniors.
Community leaders. Business owners. Students, legislators
and, of course, WEA members. Hundreds of people turned out
recently at community meetings across Washington to learn
how far state education funding has slid, and to voice ideas
on how that must change.
See what they had to say in a 3-minute Flash
video story or as a Windows
Movie file. |
It's time for fresh ideas about public education.
A two-decade decline in funding has left Washington's
public schools trailing the rest of the nation in the areas that
hurt our children most. Today, our schools rank 42nd in spending
per student and 46th in optimal class sizes. Past funding solutions
have focused on incremental fixes and their limited incremental
impact. It's time for a whole new approach -- toward a more dependable
way to adequately fund our schools.
It's time to put our schools back in the
lead. New solutions will depend on collaboration and
fresh ideas from all who have a stake in the rewards of a successful
public education system in Washington -- from public to private
sectors, from business to labor -- and, most important, from you.
Please join us in 'taking the lead!'
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