Auburn Pta Voters Guide '08.

Auburn PTA Voters Guide '08 This Voters Guide provides Candidate perspectives on WSPTA's top Legislative Priorities. It shares Candidate views on our Priorities with both PTA members and the general public. WSPTA's top Priorities for the 2009 Legislative Session, as passed by our Legislative Assembly are: • • • • •

Basic Education Funding Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education Washington State Assessment System Improvements The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation

Find more about WSPTA's perspective on these Issues at our 2008 Issues Guide, www.wastatepta.org/leg/Issue_Guide_08.pdf (pages 5, 8, 14, 12, and 10). We asked Candidates to share their views on our top Priorities and on K-12 education in general. Candidates who didn't submit their statement after three requests are represented by a "no statement submitted" in the Voters Guide. We invited Candidates in the 30th, 31st, and 47th districts to submit statements on Oct 12th with an Oct 16th deadline.

Candidates statements for Auburn Legislative Districts follow.

Click here to find your District 47th District (Kent, North Auburn) Representatives: Position 1: Geoff Simpson Position 2: Pat Sullivan

map Mark Hargrove Timothy Miller

31st District (South Auburn, Enumclaw, North Pierce) Representatives: Position 1: Ron Weigelt Dan Roach Position 2: Christopher Hurst Sharon Hanek

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30th District (Federal Way, South East Auburn) map Representatives: Position 1: Michael Thompson Mark Miloscia Position 2: Carol Gregory Skip Priest Candidates' Invitations

The above candidates are presented in the order in which they appear in the Secretary of State's '08 Elections filing webpage. Party preferences are intentionally omitted. Candidates put in roughly 50 hours composing and expressing their views on our WSPTA top Priority Issues. We probably put in around 100 on our end. We hope you find this presentation of your Washington State Legislature Candidates perspectives useful.

pat montgomery-

Auburn Council of PTAs Advocacy Chair [email protected]

253/735-6791

Auburn Council of PTAs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization

47th District for Representative Position 1: Geoff Simpson Every child in our state deserves a great education that adequately prepares them to face tomorrow’s challenges. In fact, our constitution says public education is the “paramount duty of the state.” As a father of three schoolaged children, I intimately understand the desire to see our children receive the best education possible. That is why I have worked hard to make sure our schools have the resources necessary to allow our children to succeed. We all know that teacher quality is one of the most important elements in determining whether students will succeed. Therefore, it is critical that we put policies in place that allow us to attract and retain the best and the brightest to teach our children. At minimum, this means providing teachers with wages that are competitive with what they would earn in private industry. It also requires giving them access to high quality professional development, so that they can continually improve their teaching skills. We must ensure that we have in place a culture that gives our children the best opportunity to succeed. That is why I support policies that encourage small class sizes, early childhood education and programs designed to support individualized learning. Strongly linked to this is the need for an assessment system that is diagnostic in nature and provides timely results so that deficiencies can be addressed quickly and effectively. It is our job to make sure that every child is prepared for life after high school, whether they choose to pursue further education or enter the workforce. That is why I support strong academic standards, especially in the foundational subjects of math, science, reading and writing and have fought hard to provide more money to our schools for vocational education. Students should leave our public schools with a solid foundation of knowledge that they can build upon the rest of their lives. As a committed public servant, and as a father, the health of our educational system is very important to me. That is why I look forward to continuing to fight for strong public education during the next legislative session. Together, we can ensure that every child in Washington State receives the high quality education that they deserve. Rep. Geoff Simpson Website: www.votesimpson.com

47th District for Representative Position 1: Mark Hargrove •

Basic Education Funding

Although we currently spend $11,500 per student per year, at Auburn High School this year, because a few math books needed to be replaced, the department could not afford enough calculators for their classrooms. I fully support efforts to get more of that money to the school districts and schools themselves where they can best decide how it is spent. I expect that additional funding will be possible by acting on audits of our needlessly bureaucratic education system which will yield similar savings to those already found in other areas of our government. •

Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education

I have an engineering degree from the Air Force Academy and taught high school level math at the Air Force Academy Prep School. My wife and daughter both teach high school math at Auburn High School. I fully appreciate the importance of math and science education. But, when seven states were offered millions of dollars for improving advanced math and science education, our state was the only one to decline the offer because of the monetary rewards for additional work or excellence. Our priorities are way out of whack. •

Washington State Assessment System Improvements

Teachers, parents and students have all expressed their frustrations to me that weeks of the school year are spent teaching how to pass the WASL. And once the test is taken and graded, how do we know if our students are getting the best results possible, if we have no other results from other states with which to compare? I am open to discussing alternatives, but it may be that we need to switch to a proven, standardized test. •

The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework

The pain of repeating a class may be far better than going to the next course without understanding the previous one. The same concept is true of high school graduation. I am convinced that in the long run, students and our country will be better off if we insist on high standards for graduation. Colleges should once again be able to trust that a student who has a high school diploma really is ready for college. •

Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation

While a certain amount of a teacher’s motivation comes from his desire to teach, simple supply and demand economics requires that our teacher pay structure have the flexibility to attract, motivate and retain the variety of teachers needed in our schools. www.hargroveforhouse.com

47th District for Representative Position 2 Pat Sullivan Basic Education Funding. This simply must be the top priority for the 2009 Legislature. We cannot expect our students and teachers to do more without giving them the resources necessary to do the job. At the same time, we need to develop a better system of accountability to ensure that our new investments are making a difference. We also need to make school funding more transparent and understandable. As a member of the Joint Basic Education Funding Task Force, I look forward to making meaningful recommendations to the Legislature and then working to make sure those recommendations are enacted into law. Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education. Our math and science test scores clearly show that we are struggling with math and science education. While we have made some advances in the past few years by improving our state standards and requiring OSPI to determine which curriculum is best aligned with those new standards, there is much more work to be done. First and foremost, we must attract talented new math and science teachers into the profession to meet the current demand. We must also continue to address the curriculum issue by providing tools to districts to ensure that they have materials fully aligned to our standards. Lastly, we must improve professional development and give our teachers the time necessary to collaborate and plan their coursework. Washington State Assessment System Improvements. As a member of the WASL review task force, I look forward to making common sense recommendations on improving our existing assessment system. We were successful last session in shortening the elementary and middle school WASLs and moving to end-of–course assessments in math. I believe we also need to focus more attention on classroom based assessments and diagnostic tools that will provide useful tools to our students, teachers, and parents. The state also must provide the resources necessary to ensure that districts and schools are able to integrate these new tools into their assessment systems. The State Board of Education’s Core 24 Framework. In order for our students to compete for jobs in the global economy they must have the skills necessary to be successful. The Core 24 framework will move our education system forward and ensure that our students are ready to move on to whatever their goals are after high school – a four-year university, vocational education opportunities, apprenticeships, or moving directly into the workforce. Core 24 will only be successful, however, if we make necessary investments in our K-12 system so that every student has the opportunities that will help them succeed. Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation. First, we need to increase the base level pay for new teachers. We need to attract the best and the brightest into the teaching profession. Next, we need to provide opportunities for veteran teachers to mentor those that are entering the system and pay them to do so. We also need to recognize and reward school buildings that are doing a great job and recognize regional cost differences for teachers that are teaching in high cost areas. www.votepatsullivan.com

47th District for Representative Position 2 Timothy Miller Basic Education Funding: The primary function of our state government is to fund education. This represents 38% of our annual budget. It is essential that education remains a priority and is funded properly. It is important that the funds are effectively managed and are distributed in a way that will best impact the students’ daily instructional environment and learning. We must cut wasteful spending and redirect those dollars to fund programs that contribute to a total well rounded educational experience for our children. Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education: Technology is a vital part of our daily lives and our children must be ready to face the challenges ahead. Science and Math are an important curricular component to this, and must continue to be at the forefront of our educational system. We need to look to new and innovative ways to adapt these curriculums to address these modern challenges, including increasing the availability of advanced technological tools, and creating a connection between math and science skills to the careers of tomorrow. Washington State Assessment System Improvements: We must develop a fair and comprehensive way of holding our students and teachers accountable to a high and consistent standard of learning. The way we assess this must be fair and just. The current WASL testing system is not the answer. It takes too much time from classroom instruction and forces teachers and districts to “teach to a test” rather than focusing on the education of students. With the cooperation and input of both parents and teachers we can create a more effective way of measuring important educational benchmarks. The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework: The main function of our educational system is to prepare our students to become contributing members of society. Core 24 will guide our high school students to think about future goals and challenge them to focus on their high school education in obtaining these goals. Currently students can easily complete 20 credits by their junior year. Raising the credit requirements to 24 will have little effect on the budget as this number of credits is already being offered to students. Students would be held to a higher standard and will not have the option of failing classes and still expect to graduate in four years. Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation: Teachers are on the frontline of our educational programs and play the most important role on our students’ education. We must entice highly qualified professionals into this field, and a competitive rewarding compensation is essential to this. Increased wages need to go hand in hand with increased standards. Reviews need to be put in place with parent, district, community, administrative, and teacher co-operation. Where teachers are not progressing and not rendering the quality of service desired they need to be directed to a different occupation. The state could pay extra compensation for teachers that gain specialized certification in key areas of need or reimburse costs of the extra training teachers must take to gain such specialized certifications. www.millerforchange.com

31st District (Auburn, Enumclaw, North Pierce)

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IRS non-profit organization regulations prevent us from submitting only one candidate's statement in a two-candidate race. Only one of these two candidates submitted a statement. We regret that we are therefore unable to present the other candidate's statement.

31st District for Representative Position 1: Ron Weigelt www.weigelt4rep.org

31st District for Representative Position 1: Dan Roach

www.dan-roach.com

Auburn Council of PTAs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization

31st District for Representative Position 2: Christopher Hurst As a member of the House of Representatives, I sponsored and voted for the constitutional amendment that repealed the super majority vote requirement for school levies, which was always one of my top priorities. Actions speak louder than words. When the time came, I voted yes! Education has always been one of my top priorities and I have the record in Olympia to prove it, over and over again. Our investment in public schools is an investment in the future of everyone. Unlike my opponent who sent her kids to private religious schools, I proudly sent my kids to public schools. I also understand the principle of the separation of church and state when it comes to education. My opponent, although she joined several PTAs, is actually listed as a “Point Person” for the radical extremist organization called the “Positive Christian Agenda”. Their leader ran the Ashcroft for President Campaign here some years ago and was state director of Social Conservatives for Bush-Cheney. This group's agenda has nothing to do with supporting public education in any shape or form. When talking to education people or ordinary folks, my opponent always lists her affiliations to public school organizations like the PTA. But when giving a speech to the Gig Harbor Republican Women’s Club on August 18, 2004, she said, “We need to break the complacency and trust in public education.” She also described public school books and classes as “dangerous”. I don’t think public education is dangerous. That is the biggest difference in this race between my opponent and me. I fully support the PTA’s position paper on the definition of Basic Education Funding believe that we need a separate education budget with a dedicated funding source, so there is no confusion with the operating budget. That is how we get the public at large to support proper funding for basic education. I voted to strengthen math and science curriculum in this last session. We will continue to refine this process when the legislature meets in January and I agree that this matter is urgent. I fully support properly evaluating a teacher’s skill and experience and paying them accordingly. Finally, I support the CORE 24 framework concept and believe that one size does not fit all. See more of my positions or background at www.christopherhurst.org.

31st District for Representative Position 2: Sharon Hanek I commend the Washington State PTA for being at the forefront of strengthening Math and Science when they co-sponsored the math symposium at the University of Washington in April 2006. This was the beginning of improving math in our State. The PTA’s commitment has been instrumental in moving toward positive solutions. I have spent much time in Olympia over the past five years testifying and working with various legislators on education issues. Auburn has not felt the pressures that some other districts have because Auburn has made better choices in their textbooks and methods of teaching. Over the past years of watching legislation in Olympia I observed a trend of increasing one-sizefits-all controls over local school districts along with unfunded mandates. I want to preserve the ability of local schools to make decisions that best fit their students. Two recent bills that were passed could result in having every school in the state choose one of three state recommended books each for math and health. There is concern that these choices will not align with the goals of Auburn School District and may limit the financial ability of the district to provide alternative opportunities. Expanding basic education funding and graduation requirements to be 24 core classes are positive concepts but both could also result in less moneys being directed to educating children in basic reading, writing, math and science content skills. Some schools are concerned that mandating the teaching of non-academic classes may have the unintended consequence of decreasing money for academic classes and decreasing the time available for students to expand their horizons on electives. Decisions should be carefully made. I also have numerous concerns over the current Washington Assessment of Student Learning. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation study has rated Washington State standards with an “F” in Math and English. (pg 115 – “State of the State Standards” www.edexcellence.net/doc/State of State Standards2006FINAL.pdf) I was one of two parents who testified to try to save the norm-referenced ITBS and will continue to strive towards a better system of assessments. Each test has a different purpose and the school districts should have adequate funding to purchase the best fit for their students, teachers, and parents. I look forward to working with the Auburn PTA and local families to bring forth a high quality education system that fits both our students and the community. Sharon Hanek Candidate for House of Representatives Distr. 31 Pos. 2 PO Box 8055; Bonney Lake, WA 98391 www.SharonHanek.com [email protected]

30th District for Representative Position 1:

Michael Thompson

I have always held the belief that funding for the sake of funding is never the answer. The best approach has always been to find and create the solutions and then fully fund the overall project with those solutions in place. That being said, we need to look at all 5 topics as symptoms of a larger problem. To address this I have put together a plan that will address the problems we have in the system today. The first thing we need to do is bring control of our educational system back to the local level. Who knows best what your child needs, the politician in DC or you? The answer to that question tells you that we need to hold control as close to the parental level as possible. By getting the federal government out of our schools, we can put in place the best system for assuring the highest level of academic achievement for our children, while addressing all of their needs. We need to put in place International Baccalaureate standards as the graduation requirement. This will raise the level of education to international levels and better prepare our children for their future. The core principles in this system carry through the entire educational system with an emphasis on math, science, history, technology, humanities, physical education, arts and languages. To fully fund schools, the state needs to open the voucher system and attach the needed money to each child. This will fund each school based on enrollment, with attendance as the control mechanism for final payment. Once the voucher system is in place and used correctly, the state needs to open the door to charter schools and home schooling as viable alternatives to public schools. At this point we allow parents to decide which school best addresses their child’s needs and give them the ability to enroll their child in the school that best educates him/her. This could be a choice between different public schools, charter schools or even home schooling. By opening this competitive environment, schools will open addressing the needs of handicapped and special needs children. It will also raise the level of education, lower the dropout rate, and move toward a 100% graduation rate. Funding is addressed through the voucher system and then it is up to each school/district to administer that money to pay the expenses in all areas.

Michael Thompson 206-219-9078 www.ElectMichaelThompson.com

30th District for Representative Position 1:

Mark Miloscia

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Basic Education Funding: We need to fully fund education and clearly and regularly update the definition of funding and build the political will to develop sustainable funding sources. This will cost billions and we will not solve this unless must find ways to reduce the high growth for government services for the elderly and families, for healthcare, and for the criminal justice system.

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Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education I fully support the PTA statement.

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Washington State Assessment System Improvements While I agree with the PTA statement, it doesn’t go far enough and will not affect much change unless we have a quality performance system that reacts correctly to the assessment results. Schools, administrators, stakeholders must integrate quality management principles (Baldrige Assessments, Lean Six Sigma, etc) into all aspects of their management planning, executing, assessment, and improvement systems. We need to implement the Baldrige Criteria.

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The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework While I agree with the goal “…to prepare (all) students for meaningful work and/or college…” this is a pipedream unless we address the increasing percentage of low wage, no benefits jobs being produced in our state. Even in good times, wages are dropping for 60% of all workers. Without good living wage jobs, we are condemning our graduating children to poverty.

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Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation I fully support the PTA statement.

30th District for Representative Position 2:

Carol Gregory

Commitment to Education I’m proud to have worked at so many levels of our education system. I have worked with students as a teacher, with parents as director of the Highline Schools’ community engagement program, with state policy-makers for State Superintendent Judith Billings, and with teachers as the President of the Washington Education Association. I am committed to education. The investments we make in our education system now will have a profound impact on our country’s future. Basic Education Funding We have an inequitable school funding system and the legislature has failed to fully fund basic education. The Federal Way Schools project a $12 million shortage next year. Statewide, we are $800 million-$2 billion short. My opponent voted against the education budget for the past four years, and his recent proposal fails to address the core issue: solving our funding crisis. I will be a staunch advocate for a long-term solution to education funding in Olympia. Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education We have to prepare our kids to compete in the global economy, and we’re falling behind in math and science. I will support implementing the State’s recent improvements to the math and science curriculum. I also believe that attracting excellent teachers will make a significant difference not only in math and science but in every subject. I can’t see why my opponent voted against more training for teachers and increased pay for those certified in math and science. Washington State Assessment System Improvements When I’m talking to voters at the door, I hear about the WASL more than any other education issue. I can see why. I support reforming the WASL so that the test is diagnostic and results are timely in order to help students improve. If we use the WASL as a public accountability test, then the results should be accessible to parents and comparable to national standards. The State Board of Education’s Core 24 Framework I support high standards, including the Core 24 framework. Implementing this program is contingent upon full and sustainable funding for basic education and these increased requirements. Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation The most critical component in student learning is quality teaching. That requires qualified teachers in the classroom. I would support a compensation package that makes teacher salaries comparable to other professions with similar education experience. www.FriendsOfCarolGregory.com - 206.409.1274

30th District for Representative Position 2: Skip Priest Basic Education Funding. The current basic education funding formula lacks transparency and is unnecessarily complex. Often, legislative funding initiatives penalize rather than provide necessary support to school districts like Federal Way and Auburn. As a Basic Education Finance Task Force member, I believe we are long overdue in providing a comprehensive, systemic approach to amply and uniformly funding our public schools. Recently, Rep. Hunter and I presented a draft proposal to the WSPTA Legislative Assembly designed to achieve this goal. Co-authored by Representatives Sullivan, Jarrett, and Anderson and Senator Tom, it represents a bi-partisan effort to ensure that every child in our state has the opportunity to succeed in the 21st Century. Our presentation, as well as the proposal itself, can be found at our website-www.whatittakesforkids.com. Strengthening Math and Science and Curriculum and Education. The evidence is clear that more needs to be done in the area of math and science standards and curriculum. Local school districts need flexibility when deciding with parents on appropriate curriculum for their students. However, I believe that the state should provide additional financial incentives to districts to purchase recommended curriculum to help promote accountability. In addition, the state should help meet teacher shortages in these critical areas by creating innovative compensation tools such as loan forgiveness that will help attract new teachers to hard-to-staff fields. Support Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation. Our proposal builds a new compensation system that rewards teachers for improving their skills and ensures that salaries are competitive in the labor market. In addition, it addresses other critical issues such as "grandfathering" inequities and regional cost of living adjustments. Support State Board of Education CORE 24 Framework. I support the State Board's Core 24 approach to graduation requirements. As a career and technical education champion, I applaud the State Board's recognition of the importance of quality CTE programs. To be successful, the state will necessarily have to fund seven periods, ensure that teacher shortages in math and science are addressed and provide additional help to districts with high poverty and ELL challenges. Washington State Assessment System Improvements. Last session, the legislature passed a bill introduced by Representative Sullivan and myself (ESHB 3166) that shortened and simplified early grade testing and replaced the 10th grade math WASL with algebra and geometry end of course tests. These were important steps for improving the system. However, more work needs to be done, particularly in the area of special education, to make the system work for kids, parents and teachers. As a member of the WASL task force I will continue to work with the WSPTA and other interested groups to see these improvements occur.

Auburn PTA Voters Guide '08 - Candidates' Invitation

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We asked Legislative Candidates to share their perspectives on PTA's top five priorities, with the following email. We followed up with a confirming phone call and emails insuring that they received their invitation to participate: Dear {Legislative Candidate}, On October third, 240 delegates from around the state chose five top priorities for PTA member action around the '09 Legislative session. Many of Auburn PTA Council's 1,200 members will likely vote in the upcoming election. Many are quite concerned with education issues. With 14,500 students in the Auburn School District alone, there is good reason for them to be concerned. With five days remaining before ballots are mailed, we would like to share your perspectives on education with your Auburn and Pierce County PTA constituents. Between now and Monday the 20th, we will assemble a 'Voters Guide', with you and your opponent's views on the following '09 WSPTA Priority Issues: •

Basic Education Funding

Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education

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Washington State Assessment System Improvements

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The State Board of Education's Core 24 Framework •

Rational Approaches to Teacher Compensation

You can find more of WSPTA's views on these five Issues at our 2008 Issue Guide, www.wastatepta.org/leg/Issue_Guide_08.pdf (pages 5, 8, 14, 12, and 10). These are our perspectives, but we're more interested in your views on these issues. We very much hope that you will address these topics directly in our 25th District Voters Guide. Our timeline: •

Wednesday (Oct 15th): Email Candidate Questionnaires

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Thursday: Phone candidates' campaign offices, confirming delivery, and asking them to participate in the Voters Guide

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Sunday midnight: Deadline for candidate responses

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Monday (17th): Assemble responses into your 25th District Auburn PTA Voters Guides. Tuesday and following: Distribute Voters Guides as broadly as possible to Auburn and Pierce County PTA members, local media, and members of the general public.

We've only room for one page of response each, about 400 words. We'll format it to fit, but many more words than 400 will require printing it in a smaller font. Please feel free to include links to your website. We very much look forward to you and your campaign's participation in our 2008 Auburn PTA Voters Guide. Best of luck in the election, and the 2009 Legislative Session.

Auburn Council of PTAs is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization