2007 Policy Agenda:
establishing a blueprint for prosperity
Overview
Washington state
is benefiting from a growing economy. Employment has returned to
pre-recession levels and state revenues have been rising. Unless
decisions are made now, however, that build instead of borrow from a
prosperous future, Washington will return to a cycle of fiscal
shortfalls and competitive disadvantage.
Policymakers
must acknowledge the realities of the global marketplace and our
state’s sobering long-term fiscal projections – currently masked by
a short-term surplus – and develop a focused blueprint for the
future. The projected slowdown in state revenue growth, due to the
softening real estate market and other factors, make this
particularly critical.
The Washington
Roundtable calls on state leaders to practice fiscal restraint,
limiting bow wave (the cost of maintaining services into the future)
and reigning in unsustainable health care spending growth that is
crowding out funding for other priorities critical to the long term
prosperity of the state. We also urge policymakers to improve the
quality of K-12 and post-secondary education and continue the
progress made in recent years to upgrade transportation
infrastructure.
Adopt a biennial
budget that is sustainable and directs resources to services most
critical to ensuring a prosperous future.
-
Leverage the
Priorities of Government framework to ensure the 2007-09 biennial
budget is results-based, prioritizes education and transportation
and does not increase the bow wave.
-
Align growth
in state health care spending with the long-term state revenue
growth rate so that unsustainable increases no longer crowd out
funding for services like education and transportation.
-
Rebuild the
state budget reserve to five percent of the general fund biennial
budget.
Strengthen public
education to position Washington state as the standard for
world-class quality.
-
Create school
readiness indicators and a uniform rating system to evaluate the
quality of early learning settings and state funded providers.
-
Maintain and
expand upon WASL graduation standards to ensure students are
prepared for college and work.
-
Improve
teacher credentialing in math and science and reduce out-of-field
placements.
-
Increase
requirements to ensure achievement of Algebra II at a minimum by
the end of high school.
-
Identify or
create state-approved curricula in math with incentives
for use, including aligned course materials and professional
development.
-
Implement the
Science Matters plan to engage students in effective and relevant
K-12 science education.
-
Provide all 11th
graders access to the Washington Math Placement Test or a similar
exam to assess readiness for college-level math and facilitate 12th
grade course-taking decisions.
-
Strengthen
higher education to benefit students and the economy.
-
Increase
baccalaureate degree production in high demand fields,
particularly in math, science and engineering.
-
Improve state
funding for higher education, including tuition flexibility.
-
Enhance state
investments and improve commercialization of university research.
Provide Central
Puget Sound with the tools required to address high-priority, high
impact transportation projects.
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