By Rep. Cathy Dahlquist
For The Courier-Herald
As I prepare to head back to Olympia on Nov. 28 for a 30-day special legislative session, how we educate our children in light of the budget situation has been on my mind.
This month, I attended the 2011 National Summit on Education Reform in San Francisco. There were nearly 750 attendees from states around the country sharing ideas on how to transform education, state by state, to make sure our kids receive a 21st-century education.
Of the many topics of discussion, there was a focus on school accountability, incentivizing student achievement, retaining the best teachers and expanding choices for parents and students. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who passed meaningful reforms that led to real results in his state, was in attendance. As a former Enumclaw School Board member and an active participant on the House Education Committee, I was excited to learn about “out-of-the-box” ideas other states are considering and implementing to help our students and teachers perform at the highest level.
My hope as we head into the special legislative session is lawmakers commit to prioritizing state spending and making sure there is accountability in the education system. Why is this important? For one, the state constitution tells state leaders that education is the state’s “paramount duty.” Second, we can no longer afford to send more money to schools without the accountability to know that what we are spending is fostering a better learning environment and to make sure dollars spent in the classroom are being used as efficiently as possible.
We need to take a look at what is working around the nation – new ways of achieving even greater goals for our students.
One solution may be to meet all students at their academic level by providing some digital, or technology-driven, learning solutions in the classroom. This would free up class time by allowing those students competent in a particular area to move ahead, freeing teachers to help students who need more instruction. Technology in the classroom can bring down costs and allow teachers to spend more time with kids who need the extra instruction most.
The fact is school district employees’ salaries on average make up 85 percent of school district budgets. This leaves just 15 percent of school budgets that are continually being cut. At this point, I believe there is nothing left to cut in that 15 percent without eroding student learning and performance.
Another solution may be to offer pay incentives to those teachers that have proven they make a difference in student achievement. While a complicated proposal, any such measure that would have to be carefully negotiated to ensure the best and brightest teachers are recognized and rewarded fairly in school districts statewide.
Setting benchmarks for our education system and sticking with the standards we set is critical. We begin by deciding the outcomes we want, and then work backward to what changes must be made to achieve those goals.
Our budget reality dictates the status quo is no longer acceptable and that we must set aside the notion that “more money equals a better educational outcome for students.” We must revisit how we reward teachers for their success and how we integrate technology in the classroom for a more individualized education. Together, these ideas and others could be a recipe for greater success at lowering the dropout rate and closing the achievement gap.
Legislators understand difficult choices will be on the table when the Legislature convenes next month, but as we look for savings and efficiencies at every level of government, I hope we start looking at new ideas that don’t cut education funding but, rather, maximize it.
Rep. Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw, is serving her first term as a state representative in the 31st Legislative District. She is the assistant ranking Republican on the House Education Appropriations and Oversight Committee. She also serves on the House Education, Rules, and Technology, Energy and Communications committees.
