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Struggling students need
deficiencies addressed, more options
By Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum
Many of us have heard the
stories or been personally affected by them. I’m talking about students
who are failing in our schools.
Too many students are not reaching academic standards. The most glaring
deficiencies are in math and science, which is of particular concern
given the demands of our global economy.
Changes made to our education system in 1993 were intended to prevent
such predicaments. These reforms and other approaches by self-proclaimed
“education governors” have not produced intended outcomes. Last year’s
10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) results in
math and science illuminate these failures.
It is time for new education solutions.
A starting point must be to ensure rigorous curricula while supporting
students who fall behind. I’m supporting a bill that would do exactly
this – and more.
House Bill 2030 would create a uniform testing system, separate from
the WASL, which would determine whether students are retaining academic
standards. These tests would correlate to every class and identify
students’ basic academic proficiencies and deficiencies.
Addressing deficiencies is at the heart of student improvement. This
proactive approach lets parents and teachers know which areas they need
to focus on to help students on the WASL.
The measure would also examine math and science standards. This would be
done through the Board of Education with a goal of designing courses in
math and science that have the appropriate content at the correct
levels.
Results in reading and writing for the WASL are more promising. Students
and teachers are responding to these academic standards with progress.
There is always room for improvement, however, and lawmakers continue to
consider new ideas.
Like many of you, I’m not a fan of the WASL – but there is not a
collective will in the Legislature to eliminate it. I wish we could, but
as long as we have it we must try to improve it. I think House Bill 2030
will.
We must also recognize some students do not test well but have potential
in professions. The Legislature is determining how rigorous career and
technical education programs can be applied to testing and graduation
requirements. Our students need more options, and new and enhanced
career and technical education programs can be viable alternatives.
The state’s paramount duty is education, as identified in our state
Constitution. Yet this mandate is not reflected in our state budgeting
process.
I’m supporting legislation that would require all appropriations for
K-12 public education to be enacted into law ahead of the state
operating, transportation and capital budgets. Simply put:
House Bill 1019 would fund education first by putting K-12 public
schools at the front of the line.
As I consider all education legislation, I’m guided by what my district
teachers and administrators have always wanted: local control. I believe
strongly in local control because the one-size-fits-all strategies that
sometimes come out of Olympia do not always work best.
Teachers and administrations know how to best reach their students and
it is important they are allowed latitude. But local control must be
synonymous with accountability – without one, schools cannot have the
other.
Another guiding principle is the understanding that children’s first and
most important teachers are their parents. Education starts at home and
begins when a child is born. I cannot stress these points enough.
Our students face significant challenges that cannot be overcome without
the help of everyone. Education benefits all of our communities in a
myriad of ways, and we must collectively rise to meet our challenges. If
we are going to ask more of our students, we should ask more of
ourselves. Whether it is spending extra time reading to children,
volunteering at schools, or passing along education ideas to lawmakers,
we can all be a part of the solution.
Rep. Bill Hinkle represents the 13th Legislative District
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