[Photo of State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, credit OSPI website]
Washington set 90% literacy goal by 2027, but only half meet standards; Highline will spend $25K per student while two-thirds struggle.
As we approach the beginning of a new school year, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is publicly challenging what it calls a “false narrative” that students in the state cannot read or do math. But state and district data show that Washington is far from meeting its own literacy and math targets.
Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states must set ambitious long-term goals. In 2017, Washington set a 10-year goal of getting each student group to 90% proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math. As of spring 2024—seven years in—only half of Washington students met ELA standards.
Highline Public Schools, which spends more than the state average, is performing even worse. Nearly two-thirds of Highline students cannot meet state reading standards. Next year, the district will spend about $25,000 per student. While district leaders say they are prioritizing literacy, the results tell a different story.
On August 8, OSPI posted on Facebook: “Some groups are pushing a false narrative that ‘kids can’t read’ or that ‘kids can’t do math.’ … Combined, these messages undermine faith in public education while also questioning the intelligence of Washington’s 1.1 million public school students. Kids are smart. They need all of our support and encouragement.”
They included a short video, “Kids Are Smart” that chastised people for saying “kids can’t read.”
A second post on August 11 argued that an “outsized emphasis on state assessment scores” misrepresents student achievement, stating: “State assessments are just one metric. Written papers, projects, quizzes, and tests are other ways that educators track student learning each day.”
The comments on OSPI’s posts revealed deep frustration among parents and taxpayers. Ashley Fowler wrote, “Instead of gaslighting the parents and taxpayers that fund you, maybe try responding with solutions to the obvious flaws being presented in the system.”
Others defended the importance of assessments. Whitney Praise countered, “At this point, assessments are the only non-manufactured metric we can trust. Caring about our children’s educational outcomes is not relegated to certain groups. The scores are not a false narrative.”
David Whitlock added, “While I agree that test scores aren’t the only measure of learning, they’re still an important tool for accountability—especially when public tax dollars are involved. Families deserve the right to choose the school that works best for their child.”
Today, unDivided podcaster Brandi Kruse pointed a finger back at the State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, democrats, and union leaders. She said, “we’re not making fun of the kids…. we’re making fun of YOU. We’re not mad at the kids… we’re mad at YOU… We’re not talking down to the kids… we’re talking down to YOU…. because we give you $20,000 [per student] only to have them fail academically.”
With the state far from reaching its ESSA goals and large districts like Highline posting poor literacy outcomes despite high per-student spending, the clash over how to measure—and improve—student achievement is only intensifying.
