Separate and still not equal: K-12 Funding in WA

  On this Martin Luther King Day, as I sit reflecting about the contributions Dr. King made to equalize our society and impact our most vital resource, our children, I realize that in education “separate but equal” still exists.   We are ignoring the problem of the growing chasm between the wealthy and poor school districts.  Without leveling the funding formula, districts like Bellevue, Bainbridge, and Issaquah will continue to excel and districts like Clover Park will continue to struggle.  We can no longer afford to ignore the growing disparity and we certainly can’t afford to delay addressing this issue until 2018.  A generation of students is going through the public education system now, and they deserve to be addressed now.  Our court has tasked the legislature with developing a basic education program and fully funding it through regular and dependable tax sources.  The time to do so is now. We once asked Dr. King to wait for equality, and we are currently asking the youngest and least protected members of our state to wait for equality.  We need a new civil rights movement for our children; they can’t wait.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com//2012/01/15//the-future-of-our-childrens-education.html?storylink=fb#storylink=cpy