"It took King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick 100 pages to say what everyone has sensed for a long time. But when he says it, it carries a lot more weight.
“This court is left with no doubt that under the state’s current financing system the state is failing in its constitutional duty to make ample provision for the education of all children,” Erlick wrote in McCleary v. State of Washington.
It was the ruling that advocates for public education have been hoping for, and they celebrated. Politicians from the governor to candidates for the Legislature issued statements professing their love of education and commitment to its support.
You probably couldn’t tell from their comments that most of these politicians have had opportunities to follow the constitution and haven’t. They didn’t mention that they knew – or should have known – that each new program created and expanded would compete for dollars with what the constitution calls the state’s paramount duty.
And now, these same politicians who could have acted but didn’t have been given the task by Judge Erlick to fix things. That’s why this seemingly sweeping victory might end up being much less than that."
“This court is left with no doubt that under the state’s current financing system the state is failing in its constitutional duty to make ample provision for the education of all children,” Erlick wrote in McCleary v. State of Washington.
It was the ruling that advocates for public education have been hoping for, and they celebrated. Politicians from the governor to candidates for the Legislature issued statements professing their love of education and commitment to its support.
You probably couldn’t tell from their comments that most of these politicians have had opportunities to follow the constitution and haven’t. They didn’t mention that they knew – or should have known – that each new program created and expanded would compete for dollars with what the constitution calls the state’s paramount duty.
And now, these same politicians who could have acted but didn’t have been given the task by Judge Erlick to fix things. That’s why this seemingly sweeping victory might end up being much less than that."
