Tag Archives: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Schoesler criticizes Reykdal for wanting to cancel state testing of students

Sen. Mark Schoesler opposes a suggestion by Washington’s highest-ranking elected education official that the state should cancel the testing of student learning levels.

During last week’s Washington State Board of Education meeting in Spokane, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said that using tests to assess the true level of learning students are receiving “means nothing” and that, if he decides he has the authority, he plans to cancel state testing of public K-12 students.

At about the 1:00:57 mark of this TVW video of last week’s meeting, Reykdal said, “I am trying to figure out if I have the authority to exit us (from testing) on my own, or if that needs something else.”

Schoesler, who represents eastern Washington’s 9th Legislative District and is the father of a public-school teacher, criticized Reykdal for wanting to pull the plug on state testing of students to assess how much they have learned.

“In just over the past two years, student learning in Washington has been severely disrupted due to COVID-19, which caused so many of our students to fall behind,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “And now Superintendent Reykdal, the top elected education official in our state, wants to cancel state testing of students? The Legislature should decide on whether to keep such testing in place. Getting rid of these tests would be a disservice to students and parents. We need student assessment of learning more than ever to see how students are doing and where they need to improve.”

Schoesler said one of Reykdal’s reasons for eliminating state testing of students, that colleges don’t look at them in admitting students, is wrong.

“Contrary to what SPI Reykdal suggests, our state has never implemented assessment tests so that colleges can see how students are doing. These tests have been conducted so that we have objective measures for reading, writing and math. How can we know if Washington students can read, write and do math at their grade level if we don’t assess them? Parents and taxpayers deserve to know if their children can read, write and do math at grade level, as well as how their children and their schools compare with other students and schools. If we eliminate these state tests, how else will we assess how well students are learning?”

This link, provided by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, shows the state and federal tests that Washington K-12 public school students take.

Schoesler leery of SPI’s new plan to reduce timber revenue for school construction

Schoesler also voiced concerns with Reykdal’s new plan, announced today, to reallocate funding from the state’s K-12 Common School Trust, which is partially funded by timber revenues to help fund construction of public schools in Washington. During a news conference today, Reykdal said timber revenue from timber harvests in rural communities would stay in those communities.

“While I appreciate Superintendent Reykdal’s concern about long-term funding of school construction projects in Washington communities, I’m concerned how it would impact rural school districts, as well as some urban districts” said Schoesler, the Senate Republican leader on the Senate capital budget. “It is important to know that some rural areas, such as Franklin County, have no timber harvests. Pasco, located in Franklin County, has been one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state. Statewide, timber harvests have decreased 50%, which has really hurt small towns.

“What I wanted was for our state’s schools superintendent to show how his agency would spearhead more efficiencies with school construction projects in our state so taxpayers can receive the most value for their tax dollars. Besides efficiencies, we should harvest more timber from state lands. Unfortunately, Superintendent Reykdal once again is not sufficiently addressing our concerns about seismic and tsunami problems facing some school districts,” added Schoesler.

Senate Republicans share K-12 Educational Recovery Priorities plan with Inslee, Reykdal

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing the suspension of the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year for more than 1 million Washington K-12 students, members of the Senate Republican Caucus have created a five-point plan to address the current situation facing students and teachers and how best to proceed.

The K-12 education plan, along with a cover letter from Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler, were sent late yesterday to Gov. Jay Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.

“Two of our caucus members who serve on the Senate’s K-12 education committee, Senators Brad Hawkins and Keith Wagoner, led the effort in crafting a realistic plan that addresses immediate concerns and those that will await schools as the 2020-21 academic year approaches in a few months,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “We hope Governor Inslee and Superintendent Reykdal will read and carefully consider the ideas expressed in this plan that are in the best interests of Washington students.”

In the cover letter sent to Inslee and Reykdal, Schoesler wrote:

“The Senate Republican Caucus is proud of the steps our state has taken in recent years to satisfy the McCleary Decision on basic education, funding our K-12 system at record levels and providing more equity for students across our state.  As a result of bipartisan efforts, our K-12 investments now represent 51 percent of the $54 billion operating budget. This is a substantial contribution from taxpayers, including many families with students in our schools.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the ongoing disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these families and students are struggling under the current restrictions and limitations placed upon them. Even in areas with excellent internet access, there are reports of extremely low participation rates by students.  With over one million public, private, and home school students in our state, we must do everything we can to meet their needs, ensure continuity in their academic progress, and provide a return on significant taxpayer investments.

“As you and your staff continue to focus on our state’s health and safety as well as the reopening of the economy, we urge you to keep in mind the health and academic needs of the staff and students associated with our basic educational system. In the spirit of helpful and open communications, please review the attached K-12 Educational Recovery Priorities from our caucus and consider this document in your current and future planning efforts.”

The Senate Republicans’ K-12 Educational Recovery Priorities plan covers five areas:

  • School districts should focus on delivering instruction

The number one priority of every school district should be the delivery of educational content. Districts should consider partnerships with local utilities and service providers to establish internet serviceability to deliver online instruction, in addition to any paper content. All students should receive a commensurate amount of high-quality instructional time remotely as they would from in-building instruction.

  • Resume traditional instruction in classrooms as soon as reasonable

As soon as reasonable and safe to do so, public and private school boards should be allowed to decide whether their schools can resume instructional activities under the traditional, in-classroom model. The state should assist districts by developing model policies and procedures for COVID-19 testing, sterilizing, and response, placing emphasis on the highest risk populations. This approach will better ensure consistent, equitable, and robust instruction. Internet-based remote instruction could supplement in-building instruction as a viable model for future years.

  • Consider impacts on marginalized students and adjust the school calendar as needed

To better meet academic needs for this school year, students should be permitted to regain instruction lost into July. Districts could also consider beginning future school years on August 1st to assist students in regaining their overall growth and long-term academic progress. Focus should be given to under-supported students who are marginalized and have lost greater opportunities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Consider impacts to school funding and cost of local bargaining agreements

Delivering instruction is a staff-intensive business. As such, staff costs can approach 80 percent or more of a school district budget. Given the economic uncertainty associated with COVID-19 and the future funding from the state, it would seem prudent for school districts to freeze additional spending, including commitments on bargaining agreements not yet extended.

  • Support graduating seniors as they transition to their colleges or careers

Given the interrupted instruction graduating seniors have received, higher education institutions, state employment agencies, and military branches should provide additional support and guidance to these young adults transitioning to their colleges or careers. Additional support could include tuition assistance for summer coursework, waivers for standardized test deadlines, and additional academic advising or career planning.

 

Schoesler blasts Legislature’s passage of bill requiring sex ed to be taught to kindergartners

Sen. Mark Schoesler was sharply critical of the Legislature’s final approval today of Senate Bill 5395, which would require Washington public schools to teach comprehensive sex-education classes, starting in kindergarten.

The Senate today voted along party lines, 27-21, to concur, or agree, to the bill as amended by the House of Representatives on Thursday, following a six-hour debate that ended at 2 a.m. The bill as passed by the Legislature would require every public school to provide “comprehensive” sexual health education (CSHE) to each student by the 2022-23 school year, and require comprehensive sexual health education be provided to students in grades 6-12  in the 2021-22 school year.

“The teaching of sex education is an issue that should be up our local school districts to decide. It should not be mandated from Olympia, especially when it’s causing such an uproar in many communities across Washington,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville.

“In my many years as a legislator, I haven’t seen a bill cause such a negative reaction from the public, especially parents and educators,” said Schoesler. “Just this week I heard from three school superintendents who were opposed to this bill. One reason why they oppose this bill is because it might be an unfunded mandate placed on school districts. This is one of the most commented-on issues I’ve seen. I’ve received more negative emails and phone calls on this bill than any other bill before. These weren’t automated emails that so many legislators receive but rather were sent by people who saw the six-hour floor session in the House earlier this week that lasted until 2:15 in the morning. These people have grave concerns over this bill and so do I.”

Schoesler noted that during its coverage of the House floor action on the bill, TVW had to put the following words across the screen: ‘MATURE SUBJECT MATTER – VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.’

“When you have to have that kind of warning on your TV screen for a bill before the Legislature, that tells you how inappropriate this bill is and why it should not have been passed by the Legislature,” Schoesler said.

The sex-education bill, which was requested by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for final consideration. No bill-signing date has been scheduled.

“If people oppose this bill, they should contact the governor’s office and ask that the governor veto it. If this bill is allowed to become law, it will force our school districts to teach sex education to students as young as kindergarten. The Legislature chose not to listen to people on this bill. Hopefully, the governor will listen and will veto it,” Schoesler said.