Stakeholders Want the Work Done Now

On Monday morning, the Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance held its first public hearing. The 14 members heard testimony from the whole education family about the need for them to complete their work within the timeline set forth by the Legislature. (E2SSB 5627) AWSP,WASA,WEA, WSSDA, and PSE presented a joint letter to the committee expressing their united concerns that funding needs to be addressed here and now.

Throughout the public comment, person after person expressed hope that this would be the funding task force that will provide stable and adequate funding for schools that align with the basic education provision in current law. Many of those who testified, as well as some of those on the committee, are frustrated because Washington Learns was supposed to address the funding issue, but they did not.

The thorniest issue the task force will address is instructional staff compensation. Among other elements that are required to look at are: pay for performance, knowledge and skill, cost-of-living issues, recognition of difficult assignments, recognition of professional level certificate.
To follow the work of the task force, bookmark: http://www.leg.wa.gov/Joint/Committees/BEF/

The first report is due by the end of 2007. There will be four meetings between now and then which should prove to be interesting.