Legislators to teachers: Have you seen the budget?

Teachers rally for funding around Clark County

As thousands of local teachers protested Wednesday in an attempt to send lawmakers a message to boost school funding, some Southwest Washington Republicans had a ready retort: Have you seen the budget?

“What has become clear is they aren’t aware of everything we did in the Senate budget,” said Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center. “I feel like there is a lot of misinformation and partial information.”

Rivers said her Olympia office was flooded with calls and she plans to host teacher town halls in the coming weeks.

Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, said the timing of the walkout doesn’t make sense to him.

“I think it’s an odd paradigm, of all the years (to strike),” he said. “They are going to get their cost-of-living adjustment, we’re going to reduce class sizes in K-3, that’s in both budgets.”

Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Felida, said “I’m really concerned they haven’t been given all the information. The things they brought up to me, the COLAs (cost-of-living adjustments), the class sizes, those are absolutely things we’ll address in this budget,” Vick said.

Rep. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said lawmakers have been “listening and have heard (teachers) and both budgets reflect that,” she wrote in an email.

This year, some noted, they are considering “historic levels” of spending.

The Republican-run Senate and the House, controlled by the Democrats, have proposed boosting education funding by $1.3 and $1.4 billion, respectively. Both budgets reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, but don’t address the upper grades. Voters last year approved Initiative 1351, to lower class sizes in grades K-12, which carries a hefty price tag. Both parties have also called for boosting teacher’s cost-of-living raises, although the Democrats’ proposal offers more.

Lawmakers failed to agree on a two-year operating budget during the regular session and are now in an overtime session.

Southwest Washington Democrats struck a different tone when reacting to the walkout.

“The unions are working as they should,” said Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver. “In fact, I would advise the only recourse the union has is withholding of its labor. Negotiate like hell, and if it looks like a strike needs to happen, that’s what needs to happen.”

Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, said she understands the frustration.

“When I was at a teacher’s rally, what I was hearing was how frustrating it is that young, bright people quit (teaching) after one year because they can go work at a bank and make more money,” she said.