Key Takeaways
— Between 2012 and 2024, Washington’s education spending increased significantly, jumping from $13,775 to $19,163 per student per anum, a 39% increase, adjusted for inflation.
— State data show that in 2023, public schools failed to educate 49% of students adequately to standards in English, 61% of students adequately in math, and 57% adequately in science.
–Fourth-grade students in Washington saw a significant decline in math and English proficiency. Between 2013 and 2024, Washington students fell from 10th in the nation in math proficiency to 27th. In English proficiency, students fell from 15th to 18th in the nation.
–Eighth-grade students in Washington also saw a significant decline in math and English proficiency. Between 2013 and 2024, Washington students fell from 7th in the nation in math proficiency to 24th. In English proficiency, students fell from 8th to 17th in the nation.
–The number of non-teacher public school employees grew at a faster rate than certified teachers, increasing by 28% between 2012 and 2024. Today, nearly half (49%) of Washington public school employees are not certified classroom teachers.
–While public school enrollment increased by only 7% from 2012 to 2024, alternative education options expanded at a much higher rate. Homeschooling increased by 76%, and full-time online public school enrollment grew by 36% over the same period.
These facts from the WA Policy Center show that spending is not translating to excellence in education in Washington State:
–Rules implemented by the state have driven an increase in administrators at the expense of human resources in the classroom.
–Our failure to prioritize reading, writing and math has detracted from the ultimate goal of producing educated, self-sustaining adults for our state and country.
By decreasing administrative requirements, and removing government from our schools, we can return the education of our children to local schools and improve the ability of our students to succeed!
Mississippi (formerly ranked near the bottom) has leapfrogged Washington State in education excellence, while we have dropped from 5th place (as recently as 2019) to 26th place for K-12. Let’s find out what is working and apply it here.
WE CAN DO BETTER!
Links:
Washington Policy
