Education funding proposal receives traction is very interesting as it relates to “paramount duty.”
Lets see, reform, the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc; to change to a better state, etc; improve by alteration, substitution, abolition, etc; to put an end to abuses disorders, etc.
Sen. Christine Rolfes’ (D-Bainbridge Island) bill, SB-5573, to implement a two-year spending (not reform) plan. Her bill would reduce class sizes down to 17 students in K-3 grades. All school district union agreements have class size established, on average, at 20-23 students per class. The union agreements also have a clause that teachers receive added pay for every student over and above that which is established in their agreement.
Unions do not care what lawmakers set class size at because it only increases the salary of teachers. Additionally, by cutting down on class size the district will be required to hire another 180 day teacher, with a very high salary, extremely highly bloated benefits package all funded by taxpayers.
The bill also will cause more time to be funded by taxpayers for bilingual students, what ever that means, English is the law of the land.
Her bill creates a time line for implementing all-day kindergarten. That is already established and required to be in force by 2017. What the good senator should be doing with this bill is banning the all-day kindergarten tuition fee in her district/statewide that discriminates against families that cannot pay said fee, which happens to be in a “tuition free K-12 state, at $3,500 cost per student in South Kitsap School District.
Additional, training for teachers and principals, are they not qualified for the jobs they hold (added cost for taxpayers to fund)?
Sen. Rolfes stated, quote, “We need to fund the reforms that we’ve already done,” unquote. So lawmakers have already made changes in education that will fall on the backs of taxpayers for more money as that statement alludes to.
The bill also requires “mental health training for educators” If that is specifically for the educators that is excellent because a growing number of teachers with mental health issues are assaulting their students. If it is to educate people in the field of mental health, a program that requires 4-8 years for a degree, then that is a taxpayer funded liability.
I see no reform, by definition; however, I do see huge expanding taxpayer liability funding about to happen here.
Larry L. Mann | Port Orchard
