Maybe all this is of interest only to education insiders but there's more today on Washington state's potential for scoring more education stimulus money from the Obama Administration.

In addition to the cash already doled out, the administration set aside $5.3 billion worth of carrots to states that start reforming their schools. The feds want new data systems to measure student progress, systems to make sure each classroom has a competent teacher trained in the subject matter, adoption of high standards and a plan to turn around the lowest performing schools. Obama also wants states to offer charter schools as an option to traditional schools.

A complex set of application criteria is coming out of Washington, D.C. and education officials are trying gauge whether their states will make the cut.

Gov. Chris Gregoire said earlier in the summer that Washington hasn't done enough yet to be eligible. While passage of House Bill 2261 was a good start, much of the reform work is yet to be done.

Then the League of Education Voters issued a report saying the state has done plenty toward reforms and should apply. That caused state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to issue a statement saying that he has always intended to apply for money.

Here's his statement:

From: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Re: Race to the Top money

A recent editorial by The Everett Herald as well as a report by the League of Education Voters might have created some confusion that I want to clear up.

Washington will be applying for Race to the Top money.
The exact requirements needed to receive the money have yet to be announced. But, as I’ve said many times before, we are confident about our chances based on what we’ve heard from the U.S. Department of Education.

While Washington voters have said no to charter schools, this state features many schools that are similar to the charter school philosophy, such as Aviation High School in Des Moines and the Tacoma School of The Arts. We have a system in National Board Certification that is more popular every year and rewards teachers for additional work. Our new data system tracks students by year and by class, our standards are top-notch and our assessment system is one just a dozen fully approved by the federal government.

Second, there is no penalty for applying. We’ve been told that all applications will be reviewed carefully, and applicants will be informed of where they fell short if they don’t receive money in the first round.

The application is due in the fall. When we have more details, we’ll make them available to you.

An incumbent on the Tacoma School Board looked as if she may be losing her seat in early primary election returns Tuesday night.

Tacoma school board member Connie Rickman trailed four challengers Tuesday in her re-election bid for the board’s Position 2. A total of six people are in the running for the school board seat.

Rickman didn’t answer a call to her home Tuesday evening. Calls to her cell phone went straight to an automated voice message.

Late Tuesday, former Port of Tacoma Commissioner Jerry Thorpe had gathered the most votes of all the candidates, followed closely by neighborhood activist Catherine Ushka-Hall.

The two candidates who earn the most votes in Tuesday’s primary will advance to November’s general election. Pierce County election officials are to release final results from the primary at 2 a.m. today.

Also trailing in the race Tuesday were Chris Van Vechten, an online journalist and former state legislative aide; Amy Bates, a prevention specialist with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department; and Deb Blakeslee, a former voter outreach coordinator for Alliance of People with Disabilities.

The race for Rickman’s seat on the Tacoma School Board attracted more candidates than any other contest in Pierce County this year.

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Which is the opposite of what Gov. Chris Gregoire has said.

Race to the Top is the special $5.3 billion pot of money set aside by the Obama Administration to encourage states to reform their education systems. Gregoire has said she doubts the state would be eligible because it hasn't met many of the criteria set up – making sure each classroom has a competent teacher, improving achievement in low-performing schools, having a good data collection system to measure results, offering charter schools.

Gregoire said perhaps the state would be ready for a second round of funding if the next session of the Legislature acts on some of these issues.

But a report by The League of Education Voters asserts that the state meet minimum eligibility and should apply for funds now.

"In the wake of the WASL and AYP results announced last week showing flat scores and little progress in closing the achievement gap, Washington State needs this funding more than ever to improve our schools and increase student achievement," LEV said in a statement. "And despite some rumors to the contrary, Washington does meet the minimum application eligibility requirements for the Race to the Top Fund. A bold application would make Washington a legitimate contender for this funding, which would give a much-needed boost to the state's education system."

"While almost every other state in the nation is discussing how to compete in the Race to the Top, Washington State seems to be engaged in a Race to the Sidelines," said Chris Korsmo, executive director of the league.

This is the lawsuit in which a bunch of school districts are claiming that the state is not performing its "paramount duty" to fully fund basic education. It's what one staffer called "the really big, giant lawsuit."

It is the 3rd round in a series of similar lawsuits. So far, the Legislature seems to have won the opening rounds. Well, sorta. The Supremes have said the Legislature gets to define exactly what "basic" education is, but once it has that definition, it must fully fund it.

It's a lot easier to follow the rules if you get to set the rules, too.

Aug. 31 is the start date for this round of court action. Trial is expected to last 3 weeks.

Got this news release today from Network for Excellence in Washington Schools:

The public school finance lawsuit brought against the state by a coalition of school districts, statewide and local civic organizations, and education associations goes to trial on Aug. 31 in King County Superior Court. We are lining up advance one-on-one interviews/briefings for political and/or education reporters with Mike Blair, president of the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS), either by telephone the week of August 10 or in person between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at the offices of Foster Pepper law firm at 1111 3rd Ave., Suite 3400, in downtown Seattle. Let me know if you’d like to arrange an interview.

Here is a link to the plaintiff's friends' page (NEWS).

Needless to say, whatever happens at the Superior Court level is bound to be appealed by the losing side all the way to the state Supreme Court. So, we're nowhere near a final resolution. Not sure there is a final resolution here.

It will be a three-week trial.

The 82,000-member Washington Education Association also is asking folks to inundate lawmakers with mailings during the final 10 days of the session.

Here's a link to the WEA page. Scroll down for the "show me the money" clip.

Union leaders were none too happy when the Senate passed House Bill 2261 earlier this week.

TNT columnist Peter Callaghan posted this item shortly before the bill passed.

The League of Education Voters sent this out yesterday.

News Release: April 16, 2009

Remarks from education advocates on the passage of ESHB 2261

Education advocates celebrate the passage of the basic education finance reform legislation, ESHB 2261, by a vote of 26 to 23. Our broad-based coalition includes Washington State PTA, League of Education Voters, State Board of Education, Washington Stand for Children, Washington Roundtable, TechAmerica, Partnership for Learning, Black Education Strategy Roundtable, numerous school boards and superintendents from across the state, and countless others.

Outlined below are quotes from the various coalition members.

Mary Jean Ryan, Chair, State Board of Education

“The State Board of Education strongly commends the Senate for taking this historic action. This is exactly the demonstration of leadership that the children of Washington State deserve. We urge the House to concur with this revised bill. This action will propel us forward. We are now committed and accountable to ensuring all students leave high school, college, or work ready. After too long a wait, Washington's educational system is once again moving in the right direction."

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The state Senate is set to take up a sweeping education reform bill this afternoon, a day before a self-imposed deadline. The bill, thought dead several times this session, would broaden the definition of basic education and begin to require the state to pick up more of the tab for public schools.

Once the definition is phased in, the state would be obligated under the state constitution to pay for it. The hope is that once the state pays its legal share, local levy money could be used for enhancements rather than basics.

The bill has the support of most education groups, both within the school system and without. All major parent groups have been pushing for the bill. The state teachers union is opposed but unions representing building staff are in support as is state schools chief Randy Dorn.

House Bill 2261 is the much-changed remnants of the report of the Basic Education Finance Task Force which met for 18 months to look at how the state pays for schools.

A new version will be attached to the bill today. If it passes, the House would have to approve the changes. House leaders, as well as Gov. Chris Gregoire, have been involved in writing this version.

The bill was given a boost when the Obama Administration set aside a pool of stimulus money for states that began reforming their schools. In a letter to governors, new Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said states should take steps to make sure all schools have highly qualified teachers, move toward increasing standards for graduation, have rigorous assessments, and improve achievement in low-performing schools.

The bill would:

– increase minimum instructional hours.
– phase in funding so high schools could offer students the chance to get 24 credits and six classes per day;
- include transportation in the definition;
– include highly capable in the definition;
– include early learning for at-risk kids in the definition;
– create a prototypical school model for funding schools and school districts, replacing an outdated method that has been found unconstitutional by a King County judge;
– create work groups to look into changes in how local levy money is spent, how teachers are hired and paid and how early learning will be expanded;
– assign the state Board of Education to create a system to deal with schools and districts that continue to fail to improve;
– assign the Professional Educator Standards Board to create performance standards for teachers.

The changes would be phased in and fully implemented by 2018. That date has continued to move into the future as the economic crisis has worsened.

State schools chief Randy Dorn led a press conference this morning to push the Senate to pass the House version of a basic education finance bill before Friday.

House Bill 2261 is opposed by the Washington Education Association but supported by just about every other education group from superintendents to parents to minority student representatives. It is what is left of the report of the Basic Education Finance Task Force and broadens the definition of basic education and of what the state is legally responsible to pay for.

Friday is the deadline for the Senate to act on House bills. So far the Senate has been pushing a much-weaker bill that has little of the teacher and school accountability measures in the House bill. But in the last few days, Gov. Chris Gregoire has gotten more involved. One reason is a poll of federal money that is available to states that move to reform schools - not just put stimulus money into the current system.

"I'm encouraged by the work that has gone on the last 48 hours," Dorn said. But he also said he would refuse to take part in any more task forces or studies.

"We're either going to do this and mean it or we'll be mediocre," he said.

Mary Jean Ryan, the chairwoman of the state school board, called the bill "historic but not radical." She said the bill would help the state defend against a lawsuit that claims it is violating its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education.

"The prudent course to take legally is for the governor and the Legislature to pas the strongest legislation possible," Ryan said.

Added Cheryl Jones of the Black Education Strategy Roundtable: "It is urgent. It is compelling. And it has to happen now."

Among the groups represented at Wednesday's press conference were the PTA, the League of Education Voters, the Public School Employees Union, the Service Employees International Union Local 925, Stand for Children, the Urban League, Paternship 4 Education and the Washington Technology Industry Alliance.

That is, budget-writers spent almost $3 billion in federal stimulus funds, took $800 million from building projects and plowed the money into other state programs and spent most of the $700 million Rainy Day savings account.

"We are using federal money, which has been a godsend," said Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

She said the House budget proposal would be balanced, but she expects a tax package to be put to voters at some point, perhaps providing additional funding for education and-or long-term care.

"It's very likely that a proposal will come," Linville said. "(But) the revenue package is not something we're pinning all of our hopes on."

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State Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, soon to become state agriculture secretary under Gov. Chris Gregoire, is the prime sponsor of House Bill 1292, the measure to allow a few schools to cut back to a shorter week.

The bill is before the House Education Appropriations Committee today. It would let as many as five school districts, with fewer than 500 students, get waivers from the State Board of Education on the requirement for 180 days in the school year. Students still would have to receive at least 1,000 hours of instruction.

Proponents say a four-day week would easier on rural students, especially those who have to travel long distances to get to class, and could save money on fuel, food, utilities and maybe employee salaries. The school worker unions testified against the bill. Their members might see their hours cut by 20 percent.

Here is the bill report for HB 1292.

And I don't mean "brats" in a pejorative sense. I've met too many former military dependents who wear that label as a merit badge.

Just an interesting factoid I picked up today while perusing bills that are up for hearing before the House fiscal committees. House Bill 1075, sponsored by Rep. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, would make some changes to the interaction between schools of other states and the students that come to Washington because their military parents have been transferred.

And with Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base and other military installations, there's a good chance those students will be transferred to Clover Park, Lakes or other Pierce County schools.

The bill report says about 30,000 of the 1 million students in Washington are sons and daughters of military personnel. So there's a lot of interaction between our school districts and those from other states.

I noticed one of the changes in the bill is that local school districts no longer would have the discretion about what grade to place a transfer student, as they do today. Students coming here would be put in the same grade that they left in the other state, regardless of their age.

Here is the bill report on HB 1075.

Sen. Patty Murray's office put together a breakdown of the many, many things in the federal economic stimulus package that President Obama is expected to sign on Tuesday. I've rewritten parts of her Friday news release with comments and observation.

Comments and correction that can shed more light on this are most welcome. Please.

From a state government point of view, it appears that less than $2.5 billion of the $7 billion or so that Washington will get from the feds over the next 30 months will help the Legislature deal with its own $7 billion-plus operating budget deficit. Money for Hanford and the BPA doesn't do state budget-writers any good, at least, not in the short term. (There's the job-creation aspect over the long haul, but that won't help plug the gaping hole in the 2009-11 budget.)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes at least $6.7 billion in funding for Washington state, plus tax cuts, tax breaks for people who buy cars, trucks or houses this year, money for food stamps, extra cash for retirees and vets, more money for college Pell grants, and on and on. Keep reading to the bottom. Some of the stuff I don't understand, but you readers do.

The following is a list of some of the investments, tax cuts and grant programs that will benefit Washington state. All figures are for Washington state unless otherwise noted.

INCOME TAX CUT: It's $400 for singles, $800 for couples. You won't notice it until the end of May, when between $8 and $16 less will be taken out of your weekly paycheck. It would appear to run until May 2010.

ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX: According to the Congressional Research Service, 348,000 Washingtonians would be protected from the Alternative Minimum Tax in 2009. (I don't know a thing about the AMT.)

FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT: This bill includes an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers who purchase their homes between January 1st and December 1st, 2009. But adjusted gross income has to be less than $75,000 ($150,000 in the case of a joint return).

SALES TAX DEDUCTION FOR VEHICLE PURCHASES: The bill provides most taxpayers with a deduction for State and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase of new cars, light truck, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles through 2009.

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