BP BHEAD INT H

TO THE HONORABLE MIKE LOWRY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, THE HONORABLE JUDITH A. BILLINGS, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, AND THE CHAIR, WASHINGTON COMMISSION ON STUDENT LEARNING:

We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

WHEREAS, There is a national consensus that public education in our state and nation is often not adequate to prepare our students for attaining productive and independent lives in the 21st Century; and

WHEREAS, Logic, common sense, and experience mandate that we transmit to upcoming generations the knowledge of the past as the lessons of history create a perspective on human existence and an understanding of the world in which we live ... "To know nothing of what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child" ; and

WHEREAS, We must ensure that our children are given a meaningful opportunity to be grounded in the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of our culture and those ideas and events that produced the birth of our country and its rise to becoming the greatest nation in the world ... "A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."; and

WHEREAS, The "restructuring or "reforming" of our schools, using experimental programs that have not been proven to be cost-effective and beneficial in creating a literate society, can defeat the true reform of education called for by parents and other citizens and prove an unwise expenditure of limited tax dollars; and

WHEREAS, Consideration of scholarly, scientific research, and schools with a proven record of excellence, can lead us to responsible, valid decisions on education reform; and

WHEREAS, An adequate curriculum should include the implicit teaching of:

(1) Self-reliance, self-discipline, and respect for self and others;

(2) Personal responsibility;

(3) Good citizenship;

(4) Good character;

(5) Respect for, and obedience to, legitimate authority;

(6) The importance of the work ethic and integrity in achieving personal goals;

(7) The existence of absolute values of right and wrong;

(8) Total abstinence from destructive behaviors;

(9) The importance of the family as the basis of society; and

(10) The importance of establishing a stable marriage before childbearing; and

WHEREAS, An adequate curriculum should include the explicit teaching of:

(1) A solid core academic curriculum that can truly be described as being rich in content, tough, solid, and stringent;

(2) Reading skills taught using the intensive phonics method, a method that research has proven best develops reading literacy and dramatically decreases the need for remediation;

(3) Reading comprehension using selections that are challenging and exciting with compelling and appropriate narrative, i.e., myths, fables, tales of heroes, drama, prose, poetry, as well as examples of graceful and elegant use of the English language;

(4) Classical literature, which embodies the wisdom of the ages and teaches our cultural heritage;

(5) Essay and theme writing;

(6) Penmanship;

(7) Basic arithmetic skills with an emphasis on mental and written computation and memorization as well strategies for solving complicated math problems;

(8) Math and the sciences with basic concepts taught in the elementary grades;

(9) Geography, beginning with the United States;

(10) History and civics including American history, Western civilization, principles of American democracy, and world history;

(11) Economics, with an emphasis on the benefits of the free market economic system in comparison to other economic systems;

(12) Foreign languages;

(13) Computer literacy;

(14) Fine arts; and

(15) Physical education, fitness, and health; and

WHEREAS, Our goal is "To make the best that has been thought and known in the world current everywhere.";

NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Honorable Mike Lowry, Governor of the State of Washington, the Honorable Judith A. Billings, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chair, Washington Commission on Student Learning, ensure that educational reform of the public schools is consistent with this resolution so that Washington students have a meaningful opportunity to achieve a position of academic excellence that would place Washington students first in the nation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Mike Lowry, Governor of the state of Washington, the Honorable Judith A. Billings, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chair, Washington Commission on Student Learning.