Initiative 1495, to provide for curriculum transparency in public education
Key Findings
Initiative 1495 is an initiative to the legislature that would require school districts to make certain teacher and staff training materials available to the public.
If the measure gains enough signatures lawmakers can adopt it next session, propose an alternative or take no action.
If lawmakers do not pass the initiative it will be placed on the November 2023 ballot, possibly with an alternative.
The initiative is a response to recent laws passed by the legislature that require controversial CRT training sessions in K-12 public schools, public universities and medical schools.
Failure to attend CRT sessions can result in termination for school teachers and university faculty, and expulsion for medical students.
Some public employees have expressed concern about a hostile work environment and whether mandated CRT sessions violate state and federal civil rights protections.
Initiative 1495 would not change existing state law, but it would provide information to lawmakers and the public about whether to make changes in the future.
Introduction
A group of concerned citizens called Let’s Go Washington is gathering signatures for a proposed people’s initiative to the legislature, Initiative 1495, which would require curriculum transparency in public schools related to mandated teacher and staff training. Initiative sponsors need to collect 324,516 valid signatures (8% of the votes cast in the last election for governor) to submit Initiative 1495 for consideration in the 2023 legislative session. The signatures must be received by the Secretary of State’s office by December 31, 2022. If the measure qualifies the legislature must debate and consider the initiative during the session. Lawmakers have three choices:
- They can enact the initiative into law as is (the governor’s signature is not required);
- They can take no action, in which case the initiative is forwarded to voters on the November 2023 ballot. If voters approve the initiative it becomes law;
- They can pass their own alternative version, in which case both versions, the original and the legislature’s, will appear on the November 2023 ballot. Voters will first decide if either version should become law and, if so, indicate on the same ballot which one should pass.
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