LATEST BLOGS
Mark Janus headlines WPC Solutions Summit events
Over the past two days, hundreds of engaged citizens attended WPC’s 5th Annual Solutions Summit events in Western and Eastern Washington where they heard the story of Mark Janus.
Mark Janus is the man behind one of the most important legal cases of our time. His case, Janus v. AFSCME, which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, would end the forced unionization of public workers by giving them the right to reject paying a union for representation they may not want. The nine Supreme Court Justices who will rule on Janus next month will determine whether requiring public employees to pay union dues or agency fees for the privilege of working violates the First Amendment rights of those workers.
Read the entire blogHow to solve problems “around funding for services of autistic kids”
Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett) read my post about Lindsay Legg, the mother whose autistic son Noah was turned away by her local public school officials. (See KING 5 TV story here.) Rep. Sells shares my concern for autistic children and challenged me to “solve the problems around funding for services for autistic kids.” I am delighted to respond to his invitation and provide a positive solution for kids like Noah.
The public money for special needs children is there already. It’s just not being used in the right way. The legislature has just provided the largest increase in funding to public schools in state history, a $9.7 billion, or 75 percent increase, in less than ten years. Special education funding per student is rising next year to $18,000 per student. Lawmakers voted to impose a large property tax increase to provide these funds. This along with the other increases in funding the legislature has provided is a massive, unprecedented, and historic increase in school funding.
The problem is getting the money to the students. Most of Washington’s 295 school districts are highly bureaucratic, centralized, and unionized. A lot of the $22.7 billion the state provides is being diverted away from school classrooms and students. Central administrative office and other support functions consume on average 40 cents of every dollar, leaving little for classrooms. By comparison, private schools and public charter schools direct about 80% to 90% of their funding to teachers and classrooms.
Index Public Schools, which denied services to Noah, spends $36,000 per student and has more employees in administration than in the classroom.
Seattle Public Schools, the richest in the state, employs 3,200 non-teachers and 3,200 teachers, full-time. Seattle has 6,634 special needs students, but diverts about $50 million in special needs funding to administrators. (See page 65 of budget, here.)
My answer to Rep. Sells’ very good question is to end the practice of diverting money out of special education services and direct these funds to parents. Give the money directly to parents like Lindsay, in the form of an Education Savings Account. Lindsay would deliver more of the benefit of these resources to Noah, and in a way suited to Noah’s needs, and not for the convenience of school officials.
Read the entire blogThe Court’s ruling in Carranza v. Dovex will grow Washington’s rural urban divide
A recent ruling from the Washington State Supreme Court is indicative of the growing rural urban divide in Washington state. The Carranza v. Dovex decision, which narrowly passed 5-4, is symptomatic of a Court comprised primarily of urban judges unfamiliar with farming operations and rural Washington.
The majority’s interpretation will make it difficult for agricultural employers to use alternative compensation systems, like piece-rate pay. ignoring the benefit of piece-rate pay for farmworkers. Instead, the majority aligns itself with special interest groups that have aggravated disputes between farmers and their employees, to the detriment of many Washington families.
Washington state can fix the rural urban divide by having our justices represent more than one region. A voter approved change would ensure three judges are present on the court representing Eastern Washington, thus promoting a diversity of ideas and backgrounds within the court.
Read the entire blogWPC IN THE NEWS
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