According to Barack Obama, "we cannot be satisfied until every child in America--and I mean every child--has the same chances for a good education that we want for our own children." Right now, Washington ranks 45th per-pupil spending and 48th for class sizes in the nation. With only 62% of all students in Washington graduating from high school with a regular diploma in four years and fewer than half of African American and Hispanic students graduating in four years, we must demand more for the children of our state.
In 2009, the federal government set aside an historic $4.35 billion to promote innovation and improvements to America's public schools through a national competition - "Race to the Top."
Don't let Washington idle at the starting line when 40 other states are competing for what is best for their kids and schools. Sign the petition urging your state legislators to put student achievement first and make Washington competitive to win $250 million in federal Race to the Top funds.
Dear Legislator,
As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to put student achievement first and help reform Washington's public education system.
Please support two sensible amendments to Senate bill 6696:
* Establish a common state evaluation model with a logical pilot phase and implementation timeline.
* Establish student academic growth as a significant factor in teacher and principal evaluations.
I urge you to stop idling at the starting line, weighted down by a bill that is not strong enough, and get in the Race to win much needed federal funds and make student achievement a top priority.
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Unless we intervene, the next generation is likely to fare worse than their parents for the first time in our nation's history. Global competition and automation have led to the loss of tens of millions of U.S. jobs in the past generation. For children to succeed in today's fast changing world, we must equip them to be proficient in core academic subjects, effective communicators and team players, and capable of learning quickly.
You are in a position to increase Washington's chance at winning $250 million in federal Race to the Top grant funds. The Governor's proposed legislation leaves too many unanswered questions, unfunded mandates on school districts and does not have the best interests of students in mind.
Washington public schools need your attention.
