PRI convened a highly successful second annual Washington State School Board Member Conference in Spokane on November 20.  The event, which was held one day before the start of the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) annual conference, drew 48 attendees representing 25 different school districts from across the state.

The conference was moderated by Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education.  In his opening remarks, he discussed the findings of his new PRI book The Great Classroom Collapse, which explores the implosion of reading and math skills and knowledge across America.  In addition, he talked about upcoming PRI projects such as the full-length documentary film, “Graduation Day,” which will be released in 2025.  Finally, he shared the results of the national PRI survey conducted by Echelon Insights on how voters view their own local school boards.

Following the opening remarks, attendees heard from a panel of education policy experts and a long time teacher who became an elected school board member on the collapse of academic standards in Washington.  Dr. Dan Goldhaber, director of the Center for Education Data and Research at the University of Washington, shared recent data trends in student performance on test scores and grade point averages, which shows a disconnect between rising grade point averages and falling test scores.

Liv Finne, retired education policy director at the Washington Policy Center, explored subject matters such as ineffective reading instruction which has led to a decline in student achievement in the core subjects.  Finally, Terry Tate, member of the Battle Ground Public Schools Board of Directors and longtime middle school math teacher, discussed professional learning communities and how they both help teachers and result in higher student performance.

Following a networking lunch, the afternoon program began with a panel discussion previewing education legislation in the upcoming 2025 legislative session in Olympia.  State Rep. Jim Walsh, who is a longtime observer of education trends in Washington state, discussed how the new Trump administration will bolster the education reform movement in the state.  

Julie Barrett, founder and president of the Conservative Ladies of Washington, gave her insights on upcoming education legislation and offered recommendations on how board members can add their input to the education debate in Olympia.

The day’s final panel discussion featured three school board members from across the state sharing their insights and experiences on how to make winnable decisions and gain credibility.  Trish Huddleston, member of the Woodland Public Schools Board of Directors, recalled her experiences testifying on education legislation in front of the Washington state legislature.  

Anniece Barker, member of the Central Valley School District school board, discussed her successful strategy in forcing her district to adopt a strong position supporting female athletes in girls’ sports.  Micah Valentine, member of the Kennewick School District School Board, talked about a set of action principles that proved successful for his district, including a resolution against critical race theory which won the unanimous bipartisan support on their board.

The day concluded with a wine and cheese reception, where school board members and speakers networked, made new alliances, shared best practices, and made plans to pursue strategies within the Washington State School District Association for conservative education reforms and priorities.