HEA

Washington’s public schools are facing a severe shortage of certificated staff and education support professionals.

Members of the House Education Committee were told that there are three main factors in the educator shortage: workload, support and compensation.

The good news is, Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed $4 billion K-12 budget makes substantial investments in all three areas. His budget calls for 10 days of professional development, expanding mentorship programs and significant pay increases for teachers and ESP.

The governor’s budget is a great starting point for future budget negotiations between the state House and Senate. We encourage you to email your local legislators in the House and Senate and urge them to build on Gov. Inslee’s excellent proposal.

Some legislators already are dismissing the governor’s budget, and incredibly, Republican legislators on the state’s Education Funding Task Force even said there’s no need to increase salaries beyond current levels. That’s just wrong – and our legislators need to hear why. Please contact them. Contact your Legislator

Gov. Inslee showed leadership and courage with his K-12 public school budget, and legislators should follow their lead. Tell your legislators to start with Gov. Inslee’s budget and go even further —our students are worth it!