Governor Gregoire wants just one state education agency
January 8, 2011
Governor Gregoire announced her plan for consolidating all the state education agencies under one head, whom she would appoint. According to a Seattle Times Article, “…. Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposal to create a single education department covering preschool through college,…”
The News Tribune article quotes Representative Dammeier of Puyallup as saying, “The concept I would be concerned about is creating a mega-agency, kind of a DSHS for students,” he said, referring to the Department of Social and Health Services. “It’s hard for me to see at this point how that’s going to improve outcomes for students in Puyallup or anywhere else.”
CURE agrees with the representative’s statement.
We don’t need another mega-agency. Creating more bureaucracy and moving control away from the local school districts will worsen the situation while not solving the many serious education problems facing students, teachers, and administrators. Mega-departments such as Washington’s DSHS have been notoriously fraught with continuous problems.
Millions would be spent for more students to go to college. However college is not the best choice for everyone. In addition, in some districts up to 75% of those high school graduates who choose college are unprepared for college level work and must take remedial classes. More emphasis should be placed on improving rigor for K-12 education.
“Alignment” is not necessarily a good thing. Aligning an ailing K-12 education with Early Education and Higher Education will just spread the weaknesses in K-12 education downward and upward. Currently, the non-alignment between K-12 and higher education is what enables us to see that high school graduates haven’t acquired the knowledge necessary to enter college.
At the lower end, expanding early education and control over daycare for children from birth ensures that the government will educate your children “seamlessly” from age 0 to around 20— a giant step for the nanny state.
Above all, CURE considers such a consolidation to be unconstitutional. The Washington State Constitution states, under Article III regarding the Executive, “Section 1, Executive Department. The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and a commissioner of public lands, who shall be severally chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and place of voting as for the members of the legislature.” (emphasis added)
Tags: early learning, lifelong, reform
Governor Gregoire announced her plan for consolidating all the state education agencies under one head, whom she would appoint. According to a Seattle Times Article, “…. Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposal to create a single education department covering preschool through college,…”
The News Tribune article quotes Representative Dammeier of Puyallup as saying, “The concept I would be concerned about is creating a mega-agency, kind of a DSHS for students,” he said, referring to the Department of Social and Health Services. “It’s hard for me to see at this point how that’s going to improve outcomes for students in Puyallup or anywhere else.”
CURE agrees with the representative’s statement.
We don’t need another mega-agency. Creating more bureaucracy and moving control away from the local school districts will worsen the situation while not solving the many serious education problems facing students, teachers, and administrators. Mega-departments such as Washington’s DSHS have been notoriously fraught with continuous problems.
Millions would be spent for more students to go to college. However college is not the best choice for everyone. In addition, in some districts up to 75% of those high school graduates who choose college are unprepared for college level work and must take remedial classes. More emphasis should be placed on improving rigor for K-12 education.
“Alignment” is not necessarily a good thing. Aligning an ailing K-12 education with Early Education and Higher Education will just spread the weaknesses in K-12 education downward and upward. Currently, the non-alignment between K-12 and higher education is what enables us to see that high school graduates haven’t acquired the knowledge necessary to enter college.
At the lower end, expanding early education and control over daycare for children from birth ensures that the government will educate your children “seamlessly” from age 0 to around 20— a giant step for the nanny state.
Above all, CURE considers such a consolidation to be unconstitutional. The Washington State Constitution states, under Article III regarding the Executive, “Section 1, Executive Department. The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and a commissioner of public lands, who shall be severally chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and place of voting as for the members of the legislature.” (emphasis added)
Tags: early learning, lifelong, reform