This article was published at The Washington Policy Center on Oct 6, 2026: https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/is-mccleary-really-to-blame-for-washingtons-budget-woes During a recent debate on repealing the state income tax, opponents of I-645 claimed that the state budget's rapid expansion is driven by the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. K–12 funding has grown rapidly since that decision, but since 2019, spending on everything else has expanded nearly three times as fast, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total state budget growth. The Supreme Court formally ended its oversight of the McCleary decision in June 2018. McCleary enforced the state’s … [Read more...]
Mississippi ‘miracle’ catapults 4th-grade reading scores from bottom into top 10 by getting back to phonics
From The Blaze by Joseph MacKinnon Mississippi has a winning approach to childhood literacy that other jurisdictions might want to adopt. In 2013, Mississippi ranked 49th out of the 50 U.S. states in grade four reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — the largest continuing national assessment of American students' knowledge and capability in math, reading, science, and writing. In what has repeatedly been dubbed a "miracle," the state made its way up the list — to 29th in 2019 and then 10 spots higher to ninth place nationally for reading scores last year. According to the NAEP, black students in Mississippi ranked third nationally … [Read more...]
Is School Choice a Free Market Solution?
This article was published at Real Clear Wire Proponents of school choice often use the term "free market" to woo conservative voters and politicians. I've been helping families choose other education options for decades. One of the first things we teach in debate class to tens of thousands of students each year is that a proper definition of terms is critical to success. Understanding the definition of a free market is vital in evaluating if state-sponsored choice will achieve its goals. Is school choice a “free market” solution or something else? School choice activists have defined a free market as when the government gives everyone the same amount of money to spend at any … [Read more...]
Mastery Based Learning: A Globalist Agenda in Our Schools
Brought to you by Conservative Ladies on their substack Yesterday morning the Senate Early Learning & K12 Education Committee had a work session where they heard presentations about Mastery Based Learning/Competency Based Learning (the two are interchangeable per the committee chair, Senator Lisa Wellman). Pure globalist agenda. Not hiding anything. It's out there for all to see. Here are my (Joy Gjersvold) take aways from the yesterday’s work session that I believe all parents and taxpayers funding this need to know. Mastery Based Learning (MBE) It's happening. Period. The state knows best for your children (so they think). You should plan for more government as … [Read more...]
Vancouver School District – Proposed “Equity Policy”
Today’s article comes to us from a concerned member of the public. He shares information on and his opinion about the proposed “VPS Equity Policy”. Give it a read and share with people you think will find it informative and useful. Here's a link to the page at the district website: https://vansd.org/equity-initiative/ Here's a link to the VPS Board decision to adopt an equity policy: https://vansd.org/school-board-approves-equity-resolution/ On the Proposed Draft “VPS Equity Policy” The Language of the Draft Policy is straight from Neo Marxism. Racially Discriminating and educationally bereft of the legal principals of equality embraced by the Declaration of Independence, … [Read more...]
Fixing America’s Broken School Calendar
If you've followed our blog you've seen us address the topic of school calendars. We've presented information about 4 day school weeks and other ways to improve outcomes and make better use of money. Today we bring you an article we think will stimulate your thought process. Written by: Hayley Glatter, Emily DeRuy, and Alia Wong Originally published in: The Atlantic We asked education experts how much time they think kids should spend in class. Here's what they had to say. Nothing is perfect, but what if it could be? Back-to-school season is in full swing, and despite the crispness of new notebook paper and the allure of Friday night lights, it’s hard to ignore the … [Read more...]
Washington State School Directors Association – The lobbying arm of School Boards
The WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) is a group that represents all Washington State School Board Directors as a lobbyist with the Washington State Legislature. WSSDA coordinates and recommends Policy's and Procedures for School Boards to adopt as well as recommending updates. WSSDA holds several meetings each year that one (or more) school board directors can attend to be "trained" as well as vote on the items WSSDA should lobby the legislature on during the next calendar year. Each school board must pay a fee to be a member (the State requires it) So, how about some facts? How much does each school district pay to belong? Open this file and find … [Read more...]
School stops enforcing Obama’s trans bathroom policy after parents pulled kids out
From an article at LifeSiteNews ... HOWELL, Michigan, June 6, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) -- A Michigan school district has stopped the practice of allowing members of one biological sex to use the restrooms of the opposite sex after parents pulled their two sons out of elementary school over the issue. Last week, Matt Stewart's nine-year-old son told him, "There was a girl in the boys’ bathroom" with him and other male elementary kids. When Stewart called the school, the principal told him the Obama administration's federal guidance on transgender students forced them to allow transgender students in the bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers of their chosen gender, and not their … [Read more...]
Schools and transgender/gender self-identifying – Battle Ground School District – supports transgender access
We live in ever changing times. Traditional values and moral standards are being tossed aside. In December 2015, in Washington State, a group of 5 people, appointed by Governor Inslee's administration, decided that males and female's who "think" of themselves as the opposite sex should have the right to use the restrooms, locker rooms and showers of the sex they "identify" with rather than being required to use the facilities associated with their physical equipment. This group made no allowances for predators. They also chose NOT to go to the legislature so lawmakers have yet to take any action. A non-elected group of appointees, not accountable to the public, have entirely changed the … [Read more...]
Labeling Students: Not College and Career Ready
From Stop Common Core in Washington State ....... For years it seemed like there was a major move away from labeling students. We may be back to labeling students. Students now may be labeled “College and Career Ready” or “Not College and Career Ready”. Will labeling a student as “Not College and Career Ready” be more harmful than the kinds of labels used in the past? In the video below, Matthew Johnson, a teacher at Frederich High School, in Frederick County, Maryland, speaks to his board of education. He takes a strong stand against a policy he sees as being wrong. Students in his district that do not score well enough on the PARCC assessment will have “Not College … [Read more...]