PLEASE KEEP THIS DOCUMENT IN A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE PLACE
GET INVOLVED: CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS!
The 2010 Legislative Session began on Monday, January 11. Though this is a short session, we have a lot at stake, and will need your ongoing involvement.
The economic crisis has reduced consumer and business spending. State revenues are down, as Washington State, unlike most states, derives most of its income from the Sales Tax and the Business and Occupation Tax (a tax on gross sales of business). Thus there is a projected State budget shortfall of around $2.6 billion—a huge amount.
Without new revenue in the form of new taxes or the closing of tax loopholes, major cuts will be made. Our schools and students will suffer, our workloads will increase, and the purchasing power of our salaries will drop.
Even in times of economic crisis, school funding and educator compensation should not be cut. It is exactly the kind of economic investment we should be making for the future, and to revive the economy. Cutting school funding would be like eating our seed corn; the harvest of the future will be smaller.
WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR THIS SESSION?
1. COMPENSATION AND EDUCATION FUNDING:
· Improve and protect state and local funding for Washington’s public schools, colleges and regional universities.
· Protect existing K-12 and higher education funding and find new revenue sources.
· Confirm the Legislature’s commitment to restoring voter-approved I-732 cost-of-living salary adjustments to the full amount.
· Protect existing educator health and pension benefits and protect existing health insurance plan choices.
· Temporarily maximize local resources until the state budget recovers from the economic recession:
o Raise the levy lid by at least 4 percent for all districts.
o Maintain levy equalization in 220 school districts.
o Include I-728 and I-732 in the levy lid formula.
o Allow districts to collect the full levy amount approved by voters.
· Adopt the prototypical schools funding formula outlined in the Washington Adequacy Funding Study, including specific funding levels required to meet the intent of HB 2261.
· Approve equal compensation collective bargaining rights for community and technical college faculty.
2. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT:
· WEA members are advocates for the whole child. As education professionals, we know what our students need to succeed. Legislation dealing with evaluation, compensation, certification, professional development or struggling schools should reflect the professional expertise and wisdom of WEA members.
· Support continued improvements to the state student assessment system; eliminate any single test as a barrier to high school graduation.
· Protect existing K-12 and higher education funding and find new revenue sources.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
- NESPA will be asking you to take action—many times. Please do so!
- Contact your Legislators often. We’ll ask you to do so several times.
- Visit www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org regularly for updates and ways to take action.
