The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) is holding a two-day meeting in Spokane tomorrow and Thursday to discuss the Board’s priorities for the 2023 session of the state legislature, and other items.

I was shocked by what is left out.

The SBE agenda makes no mention of urging the legislature to help students regain the academic learning they lost when Governor Inslee closed their schools for nearly two years. The data from the November 2021 administration of the state tests show 70 percent of students failed in math, and 50 percent failed in English.

This is an education crisis, and the State Board of Education is acting as if it does not exist.

The 1.1 million public school students of Washington state deserve better.  

Members of the public can comment through Zoom at 11:45 tomorrow and Thursday morning by signing up in the Chat beforehand.