Joanna Hyatt: When will Washington stop holding back underprivileged students?
By Joanna Hyatt
Parent choice in education is finally having its day, as evidenced by the latest legislation in Utah, Arizona and Iowa. Each of these states has taken steps over the past year to allocate millions of dollars to open up opportunities for students to attend schools where they will thrive, socially and academically.
The governors of Illinois and Pennsylvania, both Democrats, have also voiced their support. And in a poll conducted by RealClear Opinion Research in June 2022, 68% of Democrats supported school choice, alongside 82% of Republicans. Across the political aisle, people are starting to realize that improving access to educational options is one of the most effective ways of substantively supporting underprivileged and underserved students.
Except in Washington state.
Recently the Washington House Committee on Education held a public hearing on HB 1615, which would establish education savings accounts for over 94,000 students. Priority would be given to those students in households at or below the federal poverty level, with a disability, or currently enrolled in a public school that has been identified as needing improvement.
In other words, it would provide options and hope to thousands of students across this state who cannot currently afford it.
As of this writing, not a single Democrat on the Education committee has signed on to sponsor this legislation. OSPI has opposed the bill, claiming it will take money away from students in already underfunded schools.
Yet funding isn’t the problem. Washington ranks 15th nationally for public school funding, first on the West Coast. The Washington Policy Center released a report this month showing that per-student spending in our state has nearly doubled in ten years, to $18,000 per public school student. This is more than the tuition of most private schools in Washington.
What are we getting for this high price tag?
Based on numbers from OSPI, a scant 15% of our Black students meet state standards in math and 35% meet standards in English and language arts. The numbers hold roughly the same for Latino students. Low-income students perform 30 percentage points lower than their peers in higher income brackets.
This massive deficiency in basic academic concepts is heartbreaking for how it limits these students’ future opportunities.
These results should be embarrassing and shameful for OSPI and union leadership. We, the taxpayers, currently spend $18.8 billion dollars a year on our public education system in the belief that investing in the next generation is worth the cost.
It’s therefore not a lack of funding that is hurting our students. It is a lack of access to greater opportunities.
Thirty different studies have looked at the impact that private school options have on the academic outcomes of public schools. Twenty-nine studies found that when educational options were expanded for families, nearby public schools saw an improvement in their own performance. The thirtieth study found no significant impact.
Last spring, another study came out showing that without question, school choice helps public school students see an improvement in test scores for reading and math, as well as lower rates of suspensions and absences. Those most positively affected: students with a low socioeconomic status.
Anyone serious about seeing the students of Washington state thrive, regardless of race, gender, physical or financial abilities, will support expanding educational options. This doesn’t involve a new tax, but simply a better use of the current funds. The funds are there, but our students from impoverished families are being blocked from having the same access to educational opportunities as their more financially secure peers.
Other states are proving that their students come first in education, and they are heroes because of it.
Who will be the heroes of Washington state?
Joanna Hyatt, of Spokane, has worked in nonprofit advocacy work for 15 years, with an emphasis on youth and women.