Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Leaders in Olympia right now are failing our constitutional duty to support education.

In the last six years, college tuition has doubled, and class sizes and teacher pay are near the bottom of all the states. High school graduation rates are in the bottom third in America. In Olympia I will cut spending and waste to help fund education. I'd work with colleagues to identify key areas, like tax loopholes and new funding plans, to help meet our constitutional duty.

My opponent recently had a chance to improve our children's education. In 2009, he voted against a bill that would have provided all-day kindergarten for all students, smaller class sizes for grades K through 3rd, the textbooks and technology expenses that schools need to operate, transporting students to and from school and other key elements of a basic education. Instead he voted for one-time accounting gimmicks by moving money away from social services that short change our children's future. When elected, I will work for permanent solutions that will benefit all our children and educators by following our state constitution. I'd start with closing a tax loophole for big oil companies that would have raised millions to expand all-day kindergarten and reduce class sizes. My opponent would rather have just had dinner with the oil company lobbyists.

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