And a new King 5 tracking poll of 718 Washington residents, shows state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry Bergeson, trailing challenger Randy Dorn. Bergeson received 32 percent in the poll while her challenger Randy Dorn received 43 percent.

An earlier poll had Dorn trailing Bergeson by a few points.

Stay tuned. I've asked Bergeson and Dorn how they'll press for education needs while the state faces a multi-billion budget shortfall. I'll post the answers as they come in.

Terry Bergeson is the most useless official there is. She does not care about the students, she cares about her salary and job security because she is mostly likely just as usesless doing something else.

Wasn't Dorn the one who tried to pass legislation last summer that would only benefit him and his lobbyist buddy by giving them sweetheart retirement deals? And now his union is trying to circumvent campaign laws?

Is this a pattern?

We don't need someone who lacks integrity at the helm of OSPI. We don't need a selfish crook making decisions about our children's education.

Policy debates surrounding public education largely tend to be about additional needs and wants. For one, education advocates are secure in the knowledge that the state Constitution requires lawmakers prioritize education above other budget needs. But then there's reality. Washington state faces a deficit of nearly $3 billion. How does the state schools chief deal with that?

Candidate Randy Dorn would immediately cease administering the WASL. He is correct in saying this would save millions. But left unsaid is that at least some of that money must be invested in a new test to remain in compliance with federal education laws. Non-compliance could result in the feds holding up their potion of education funding, much of which goes to low-income children and others with special needs. A Dorn superintendency would also be front and center in the debate over education funding, reminding lawmakers of education's central place in the Constitution.

Bergeson starts her discussion about the state's pending deficit and education reform with this status check: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked Washington 7th in the nation for quality of public education and an A for Return on Investment .

Flattering, but how would Bergeson hold the line on education spending while continuing to make gains? Similar to Dorn, Bergeson would push education to the top of lawmakers' priority list. Her logic: investing in education reduces the need for expansions in juvenile justice, child welfare etc.

The dividing line btwn Bergeson and Dorn is the WASL. Bergeson would not jettison the test, in part out of concern of the millions required to purchase and start up a new test.
Instead, a new assessment plan will reduce the cost and time needed to administer the WASL starting this spring �in fact the time required for the WASL will be nearly cut in half.

Bergeson goes on to discuss improvements in math achievement to reduce the percentage of students taking costly remedial courses and investing more in struggling students to help them become successful, and less expensive to teach.

Lynne talking here: Dorn and Bergeson have intriguing ideas. I'm worried about the start and stopping of assessments. This state seems to veer like a drunken sailor when it comes to education ideas. But the WASL is costly. If expenditures for the test can be cut in half, whomever is state schools chief ought to strongly consider that.