I live in Kirkland, in the 48th Legislative District, and I am a volunteer through Page Ahead as a storyteller to five kindergarten classes and one first-grade class in a poverty area in south Seattle. Compared to our elementary schools in the Kirkland area, this district has very little to support these kids.

The storytelling and reading efforts have many statistical measures indicating student improvement. Sounds good, right?

But when you go to the classrooms and see the kids trying to stay awake – the ones who have difficulty concentrating because they are hungry, the ones who come in a mishmash of clothing because they can’t afford more, or the ones who are obviously sick and have not had treatment – you begin to wonder about not only educational funding, but also the family food and health needs.

This school district has one of the highest “movement” rates of any in our state, i.e. parents who are constantly having to move to cheaper housing, or to get jobs elsewhere, etc. Tax support declines each time.

I can attest to the quality of the teachers and the administration in this school district. They are committed, determined and focused on growing each student into a successful citizen. They give of themselves enormously for very little recognition. Every student is important to them.  They have very few resources.

Funding education more strongly (a court requirement) is necessary – but tying it to the reduction of social services (specifically hunger and health-related services) makes no sense.  The Hill/Tom combination professes “prudence” and responsibility, but instead resists the obvious inequality of taxation, closing of loopholes and preys upon political gain.

Contrary to the Hill/Tom effort, we can have both – better education funding, and save social services if we focus on closing tax loopholes and redirection of subsidies to the education and social services arena. We are citizens of our entire state; we need to think beyond just Kirkland and consider that the next brilliant idea for our education, economy, and governance may come from just one of the students that our current system is making it more difficult to succeed.  Just one student – I have 143. Imagine! This – as one of the presenters in the rally indicated – is really an “easy” decision.

It’s time our legislators thought about the needs of our citizens rather than being Pollyannas and looking for publicity that might move them to the next political position.

Bill LaMarche, Kirkland