As parents of young children, my husband, Manny Hochheimer, and I have big dreams for our young boys. For our family, those dreams begin with making sure that our children receive the best education they can. We knew that we were making the right decision when we relocated four years ago to Spokane from Denver. We discovered a community rich with education, civic and business institutions, and leaders committed to students and their learning. These leaders understand that a high-quality education system is critical to ensuring a strong home-grown regional workforce and state economy. Spokane is doing well by our students. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for our state. For nearly four decades, Washington’s policymakers have spent much time, money and intellectual capital trying to overhaul our state’s education funding system – task forces, studies, work groups, legislative efforts – and yet we lack a plan for ample, equitable and stable funding.
Ocasio, Vange, Op-Ed, “Education key, but state funds lag,” Spokesman Review, March 21, 2015.
