Local teachers got a chance to let lawmakers know what they think of state education reform plans during a recent meeting in Anacortes.

Sen. Kevin Ranker of San Juan Island joined two lawmakers who oversee the Senate education committee and about 50 teachers.

“There’s no substitute for hearing first-hand what teachers experience in the classroom,” Ranker said. “Their input should help drive what we do in Olympia.”

The group met for about two hours at the Northwest Educational Service District office in Anacortes on Aug. 19. Teachers and school officials came from San Juan, Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish Counties to talk with the legislators.

“A lot of teachers are concerned about compensation and certification, but the overriding concern was about how we go about funding the world-class education that our children need and deserve,” Ranker said. “This is why the reform bill is so critical. Even during this recession we need to be looking forward and figuring out the best investment for the students in our classrooms.”

Sens. Rosemary McAuliffe of Bothell and Eric Oemig of Kirkland, chair and vice-chair of the Senate’s education committee led the nine-city listening tour. After the start of the school year, Ranker plans to visit classrooms in his legislative district.

“Before we start our next legislative session in Olympia next January, I want to make sure I have the most up-to-date and unfiltered facts on what our teachers are experiencing in their schools,” Ranker said. “We took a big first step with our reform bill this year. Now the challenge is to keep the process moving forward.”

The education reform bill is House Bill 2261.