Throughout the state, teachers are staging one-day walkouts to protest the Legislature’s failure to fully fund K-12 public schools.  Our local teachers’ union (OEA) voted last month NOT to walk out on our students and schools.  Instead, they are organizing a rally at noon on May 17 at the ferry landing.  The purpose of the event is to demonstrate to Legislators and our community how important it is that our lawmakers abide by not only a recent Supreme Court decision (“McCleary”), but also our state constitution to make education the “paramount duty” in Washington.

In the McCleary decision, the Supreme Court judges said state officials have not fulfilled their constitutional duty to make ample provision for public education, and they provide guidance for the meaning of “ample:” ‘The state has not complied with its article IX, section 1 duty to make ample provision for the education of all children in Washington.’” The judges also noted a law enacted in 2009 (ESHB 2261) as one way the Legislature can define the state’s public education program: “The legislature recently enacted a promising reform package under ESHB 2261, which if fully funded, will remedy deficiencies in the K-12 funding system.” While some progress has been made on 2261, it has not been fully implemented.  The Court has given the Legislature until 2018 to do just that.

We the Orcas Island School Board support the event on May 17 as a way to demonstrate to our Legislators the importance of McCleary, and the funding of our schools under ESHB 2261. Some of us will be there joining teachers, staff, administrators, parents, students and other community members. We hope you will join too.  Don’t forget to wear red!

Orcas Island School Board