The Seattle teacher's union says its members have "considerable anger" about the proposed state budget and plans to delay implementing standardized math — but not writing — tests as high school graduation requirements. A letter from union leaders to Seattle lawmakers sent April 6 says the city's lawmakers need to live up to their liberal reputation.

Seattle legislators have long held the mantle of progressives, of liberals, of men and women who care about the voiceless people. Please find your voice again and stand with the school employees, parents and students of Seattle.

The letter was signed by Seattle Education Association President Wendy Kimball and SEA executive director Steve Pulkkinen. The budget arguments are not new. It is similar to what Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, said on the Senate floor when he voted against the so-called simple majority bill.

On the WASL, Seattle union leaders say the consensus to delay math tests as graduation requirements, but not do the same for reading and writing, is a sign of racism. The union says:

This is a story of Institutional Racism and Institutional Classism.

The letter says math tests are being delayed because they are failed by 51 percent of white students. But the same benefit isn't given to minority students failing other parts of the WASL.

Between 40 and 45% of children of poverty, many of whom in Seattle are children of color, are not passing the reading and writing sections of the WASL. These sections will not be set aside; these children will be denied a diploma.

There is no concerted funding initiative to support the needs of the students not meeting reading and writing standards. There is currently no active bill to set aside using the reading and writing WASL as the graduation requirement for the 40% of the Students of Poverty and Students of Color who are not meeting the standard.

This pure and simply is the definition of Institutional Racism and Institutional Privilege. SEA and SPS are working to eliminate the horror of Institutional Racism and Privilege wherever we find it.

The union wants the entire WASL "set aside as a graduation requirement until there is both the funding and the use of multiple measures that are necessary to treat all students equitably."

Expect to hear this come up on the Senate floor when Democrats try again to pass the simple majority bill for school levies.