Good and Bad News from our Public Schools
Becca J Verda | Published on 3/13/2025
The audience for the panel on civics education at the League’s meeting on February 22 was encouraged by hearing how our schools are educating students about democratic government.
Sehome High School civics teacher Shannon Eubank, Meridian Middle School social studies teacher Kristin Garlatz, and Ferndale School District Superintendent Kristi Dominguez described projects that get students excited about acting as involved citizens. All three have promoted a culture of open and respectful discussion of difficult topics.
These experienced leaders were asked how new teachers are helped to develop civics lesson plans and successful class projects. It appears that teacher development and school libraries that provide important support are not funded by the State. Both must rely on highly stretched local funding, which has been going to needs that are perceived as more urgent. Clearly, there are problems with the State’s current school funding formula, which leaves districts short of money for special education, teaching materials, heating, maintenance, and transportation, let alone teacher development and school libraries.
For more on this topic, see www.waschoolfunding.org.
Kristi Dominguez is one of a group of twelve superintendents organized by the College of Education at the University of Washington that has been studying school funding formulas in other states.
This group is close to arriving at a specific proposal for Washington that would fund schools based on their student head-count weighted by factors such as special needs or local poverty. As our League’s Civics Education Committee learns more about this effort, we’ll keep our members informed. Some day there may be a bill before the Legislature that we might urge LWVWA to support.
