Gov. Christine Gregoire sent a letter to legislative leaders Thursday that gives more details about what she likes and doesn't like about the education funding bills in the House and the Senate.

She agrees the state needs to change the definition of a basic education, which it is constitutionally required to fund. She agrees that definition should include more help for struggling students as well as higher graduation requirements for high-school students, and full-day kindergarten. She opposes including early learning, and services for gifted students. She also repeated her opposition to changing the definition until the state has the money to pay for the new programs.

The League of Education Voters, which strongly supports redefining basic education this year, then work to find ways to pay for it, responded:

"We believe the governor is missing the opportunity to make systemic reforms that will help every child succeed in school, such as including early learning in basic education - the single best investment we can make to reduce the achievement gap and improve overall student achievement.

"We support a comprehensive re-definition of basic education, otherwise we risk continuing this endless cycle of cutting school budgets during downturns and filling in the holes when our economy improves."