WASHINGTON HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND PERSISTING OPPORTUNITY GAPS IN THE COUNTRY
Historical understanding of the educational system informs us that public education was never tasked to educate all. We aim to eliminate the institutionalized racism and classism of the public education system because we believe that each and every child in our state deserves access to a high quality education.
This is no small task. Washington has one of the largest and persisting opportunity gaps in the country, meaning that barriers to academic opportunity for kids from low income communities and communities of color are still so great that we can effectively predict a child’s grades based on their race, family’s income level, and zip code.
We don’t doubt the opportunity gap exists in Washington:
- Inequitable funding between low-income schools and high-income schools within the same school district creates a system of separate and unequal educational opportunities.
- Rising rent and mortgage prices have created a poverty flight from Seattle to other areas of King County. This creates housing instability, upheaval of a student’s normal regiment and misunderstandings of poverty trauma among teachers.
- Racial disparities within disciplinary practices in school buildings and school districts show that black and brown students get disciplined more often for the same infractions than their white counterparts – causing black and brown students to be out of the classroom more often.
We must take action in closing the persisting opportunity gap in Washington. Our education system should support each and every child in reaching their full potential, not just a privileged few.
The barriers to opportunity that our kids face cause them to fall behind in school, jeopardizing their future success.
We must take action in closing the persisting opportunity gap in Washington. Our education system should support each and every child in reaching their full potential, not just a privileged few.
The Factors
Children from communities of color simply do not have access to the same level of resources as other students. For example, in Seattle Public Schools, nearly 60% of white children have access to the highest performing public schools in Seattle, while only 8% of black children have similar access. Also, only one in four elementary schools in Southeast Seattle are considered high performing, compared to 67% of elementary schools in the rest of the district.
Washington State’s school funding system fails to account for the greater needs of districts serving predominantly low-income communities. Wealthier schools that can raise substantial supplemental funds through PTSA groups receive the same level of state funding as schools in low-income neighborhoods, where fundraising opportunities are far more limited. As a result, underfunded schools struggle to cover even basic educational necessities, leaving little to no resources for essential enrichment programs like music, drama, and sports. This funding disparity deepens opportunity gaps and limits students’ access to a well-rounded education.
It’s not just money that is distributed inequitably. Senior-level teachers with established performance records are more likely to have long-term assignments in higher-performing schools. Conversely, schools in low-income communities have far more turnover among teachers and a far greater chance of newer, less experienced, and under-qualified teachers being assigned to these schools.
According to Seattle Public Schools, Hispanic students were three times as likely to be expelled and African American and Native American students were four times as likely to be expelled as white students. Inequitable discipline is cited as a primary contributing factor in the high drop-out rate among children of color.
According to recent reports, more than 30,000 students are homeless in Washington State and several hundred thousand more struggle in deep poverty. We know that homelessness and poverty has a devastating impact on a child’s ability to consistently attend school, much less succeed in school.
A child’s ability to learn and thrive in school will have consequences that last a lifetime. Indeed, education is directly linked to increased economic opportunity as well as improved health outcomes.