In Part 2 of a two-part series, Dick Rylander and Larry Roe address the question: What is Washington state’s paramount duty under the law and state constitution? Dick Rylander & Larry Roe for Clark County Today Original article can be found at: Opinion: Washington’s paramount duty to public education - ClarkCountyToday.com Basic education has been defined by the state many times over the years. In 2009, several bills, including HB 2261 and HB 2776, were passed by the Legislature. These bills define the basics of basic education. They apply only to Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) and even though early learning and higher education are important, they are not included in … [Read more...]
The Basic Education Bait-and-Switch
I had a chat with the Gemini AI at Google and asked it to go into "Expert Mode" and provide citations for it's findings. Following is that report for your consideration. The opposition narrative regarding school levies in Washington often centers on the tension between Washington state’s "Paramount Duty" to fund basic education and the local districts' use of enrichment funds to fill structural gaps. The following narrative outlines the arguments used by fiscal conservatives, taxpayer advocates, and legal critics to suggest that districts are bypassing the spirit—and sometimes the letter—of the law. The core of the opposition argument is that school districts use Enrichment … [Read more...]