During the recent election, Washington State Against Common Core, a citizens’ group of teachers and parents concerned about education reform, developed and administered a survey of 2014 primary and general election candidates. Candidates’ positions on Common Core reforms (including the standards, high-stakes testing, and data mining) and whether they would support legislation to repeal the Common Core State Standards and withdraw Washington state from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) were requested. You may view the survey responses from the primary election here and from the general election here.
Below are the newly chosen members named to the Washington state House education committees for 2015 and their responses to the survey. Read their own words (or lack thereof) by clicking on the responses below.
So, what does it mean when representatives of the people serving on education committees ignore contacts from citizens groups with concerns about education reforms? Washington State Against Common Core sent up to nine requests for a response to our survey.
Education Committee
Republican
Magendanz (Ranking) – GENERALLY SUPPORTS CCSS; WILL NOT SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Muri (Assistant Ranking) – NO RESPONSE
**Stambaugh (25th-Assistant Ranking) – NO RESPONSE
Caldier – NO RESPONSE
Fagan – NO RESPONSE
Griffey – GENERALLY OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Hargrove – NO RESPONSE
Hayes – NO RESPONSE
Klippert – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
McCaslin – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Democrat
Santos (Seattle), chair; – NO RESPONSE
Ortiz-Self (Everett), vice-chair; – NO RESPONSE
Reykdal (Tumwater), vice-chair – NO RESPONSE
30th District Representative (to be appointed) – NO RESPONSES FROM ANY 30TH LD REPS
Bergquist – NO RESPONSE
Sam Hunt – NO RESPONSE
Kilduff – NO RESPONSE
Lytton – NO RESPONSE
Orwall – NO RESPONSE
Pollet – NO RESPONSE
Springer – NO RESPONSE
Higher Education Committee
Republican
Zeiger (Ranking) – NO RESPONSE
Haler (Assistant Ranking) – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Hargrove – NO RESPONSE
Rep Jeff Holy – NO RESPONSE
Stambaugh – NO RESPONSE
Van Werven – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Democrat
Hansen (Bainbridge Island), chair; – NO RESPONSE
Pollet (Seattle), vice-chair – NO RESPONSE
30th District Representative (to be appointed) – NO RESPONSES FROM ANY 30TH LD REPS
Bergquist – NO RESPONSE
Reykdal – NO RESPONSE
Sells – NO RESPONSE
Tarleton – REFUSED TO RESPOND
Early Learning & Human Services Committee
Republican
Walsh (Ranking) – REFUSED TO RESPOND
Scott (Assistant Ranking) – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Dent – NO RESPONSE
Hawkins – NO RESPONSE
McCaslin – OPPOSES CCSS; WILL SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Democrat
Kagi, Chair – NO RESPONSE
Walkinshaw, Vice Chair – NO RESPONSE
Farrell – NO RESPONSE
Ortiz-Self – NO RESPONSE
Sawyer – NO RESPONSE
Senn – SUPPORTS CCSS; LIKELY WILL NOT SUPPORT LEGISLATION
Please feel free to send your representatives our survey questions and forward their responses to us at stopcommoncorewa@gmail.com.
The Underground Parent 