Stressing the need for a greater focus on student outcomes, Rep. Cathy Dahlquist co-sponsored two bills that would allow for public charter schools and revamp teacher evaluations to ensure the best and brightest are teaching in classrooms statewide.

“These bills are focused on the students and their educational outcomes. Together, they take the adults out of the equation and make sure that every child, regardless of his or her economic situation, background and heritage has an equal opportunity for a quality education,” said Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw. “We can no longer put off ideas that make learning more dynamic and child-centric. Right now, the delays on addressing the achievement gap and chronically failing schools are leaving thousands of children behind. These bills speed up the process of change in failing schools and how we address teachers who may be better suited for a different career.”

There are some circles satisfied with keeping the status quo or looking for lawmakers to delegate their state Supreme Court mandate to treat education as the “paramount duty” it is and, instead, send it to a vote of the people, explained Dahlquist, a former member of the Enumclaw School Board.

“I have had a great experience in my local schools with my children, and what I hope to do with these two bills is give every child the same education experience as mine,” Dahlquist said. “It’s time the Legislature steps up and addresses the staggering dropout rate and consistently failing schools. As for the notion that the public should vote on these bills, we are their representatives. Parents want the flexibility to center learning to the child, not be forced to put a shoe on a foot that it doesn’t fit. These bills tell the public we will not gamble with education. Our students, parents and educators deserve swift action that yields the positive results we all want for our children.”

House Bill 2427 is the measure that would implement revised teacher and principal evaluations and House Bill 2428 would establish alternative forms of governance for certain public schools.