School districts have huge amounts of money

Many people were shocked when Senator R. McAuliffe opposed the bill she sponsored. Seattle Times SB 5246 would have modified state teacher evaluation to be in line to get a waiver from President Obama’s No Child Left Behind Act and qualify Washington for $38 million in federal funds. Why would the senior senator vote against her bill, so it was defeated?

The WEA. The leaders and lobbyists of the state teachers’ union opposed any connection of the evaluation of teachers with the results of their students’ learning. It would have included a component of student test scores. 

But why throw money back to President Obama? The Washington State Supreme Court says the state is not providing enough…? Because the school districts have a huge amount of money. Huh? In the Olympian newspaper:

“When you look at OSPI documents as to the huge amount of money that is rolled over by school districts every year in Title I, they will be able to still provide the services that their students need,” WEA lobbyist Lucinda Young told a Senate budget panel March 3.

So they have plenty of money. No, she didn’t say “plenty," she said “huge amount." A few dozen millions of dollars? Didn’t notice it.

We won't forget this when reforms are rejected because the education establishment just needs more money.

Via Liv Finne at Washington Policy Center.