To truly fix the state’s schools, the Washington Supreme Court might want to take a few cues from New Jersey, writes Jen Graves at the Stranger. Graves interviewed Michael Rebell, an author and teacher at Columbia University, about a time 40 years ago when the Garden State faced a school-funding pickle every bit as sour as the one Washington faces today. In 1976, the state Supreme Court had ruled that the legislature had failed to meet constitutional mandates for funding schools. “Then, New Jersey's State Legislature provided a plan... but no funding,” Graves writes. “Sounding very familiar?” So the court shut down every school in the state. What happened next? Well, read Graves’ story. There are interesting lessons there for Washington, all these years later.
To fix school funding, high court might need the ‘atomic option’
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By Greg Hanscom
Greg Hanscom is formerly the executive editor of Crosscut and KCTS 9 public television. In his more than two decades as a journalist, Hanscom’s writing has run the gamut from inner-city schools and ur
Greg Hanscom is formerly the executive editor of Crosscut and KCTS 9 public television. In his more than two decades as a journalist, Hanscom’s writing has run the gamut from inner-city schools and ur