Seattle Press on Line - How is Washington's Education Climate?

Teacher Ted

How is Washington's Education Climate?

By Ted Lockery

Apr 04, 2001 -- Boeing’s decision to move its headquarters out of Washington State is a classic example of passive-aggressive behavior that we see acted out daily in our classrooms, schoolyards and playgrounds. It’s similar to a Norman Rockwell sandlot baseball scene: a disgruntled boy turns away from his bewildered and hapless pals, "It’s my ball and I’m not playing!"

According to a Boeing spokesperson, Washington State doesn’t do enough to foster a "business climate." By relocating its headquarters, the company is telling the state legislature and Governor Locke that unless the "rules of the game" are changed, Boeing is going to take its business elsewhere.

Now I’m not a meteorologist but it’s pretty clear to me that what Boeing means by "business climate" includes tax exemptions, lowering labor costs, and fewer regulatory restrictions. Makes sense. Lower costs=increased profit. What’s good for Boeing is good for Washington State.

How, though, would this corporate, trickle-down logic apply to education? What would it mean for Washington State to foster an "education climate?"

The answer is quite clear. The first step in fostering an "education climate" in this state would be for the Legislature to enact the "will of the people" by fully funding the two education initiatives passed last November. I-728, supported by 72 percent of the voting public, calls for additional funding to implement the Education Reform Act and reduce class size. I-732, passed by 63 percent of the voters, establishes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all school employees. While average real income in Washington rose 41 percent between 1992 and 2000, and the cost of living increased by 25 percent, teacher salaries in the last eight years have only increased by 12 percent. Out of the 100 largest school districts in the country, Seattle is fifth from the bottom in teacher salary.

Voters overwhelmingly recognized the need to address the current teacher shortage and high rate of turnover by approving the COLA and additional funding for smaller class size. They understood that it is in the best interest of the students (and of Boeing for that matter) to increase the teacher-student ratio and to attract and retain highly qualified educators. The Legislature, however, is telling us that they can’t fund these initiatives and is even threatening to cut social services, cut existing education funding, and to shift the cost of medical benefits to local school districts and their employees—hardly a forecast for an "education climate."

With Big Business posturing to quit on the state, who among our elected representatives is going to stand up and read from the State Department of Revenue’s publication "Tax Exemptions 2000," and point out that in the last biennium (1999-01) more revenue was exempted than collected? Who is going to stand up to those who won’t fully fund I-728 and I-732 and remind them that in the next fiscal year the High Tech Business and Occupation Tax Credit will cost the state $43 million, the High Tech Sales Tax Deferral $93.6 million, and the Interstate Transportation Equipment (Airplanes) Sales Tax Exemption $203 million?

It’s time for the Legislature to eliminate tax exemptions that don’t serve the public interest, and to ensure that public education is protected from those who want to play by their own rules.

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