OLYMPIA — At the outset of the 2017 legislative session, Gov. Jay Inslee and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were well aware of the huge task they faced. While significant progress had been made the previous four years toward meeting the state’s constitutional mandate to fully fund basic education, the job was far from complete.
In his inaugural address in January, Inslee likened it to climbing a mountain. “Mountain climbers will tell you that every ascent has a crux move, the moment at which they face the hardest, most difficult pitch,” he told lawmakers. “For us, this is that moment.”
So how did they do?
They approved a new two-year budget that includes a K-12 funding overhaul that meets the state’s basic education obligation for the first time in more than 30 years. Besides addressing significant local inequities across Washington, the plan will increase salaries for teachers and other school staff and boost funding for teacher mentoring.
And as lawmakers head home, they have several other historic achievements to tout.
Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.