Many Democrats are concerned that diverting money from the state's general operating budget could take funding away from education and other services. Locke and others want to wait for a blue-ribbon commission to present a comprehensive menu of ideas for lawmakers to consider. This issue is no more pronounced than in south Snohomish County's 1st Legislative District, where Lynnwood landscaper Leo van Hollebeke is taking on Democratic Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Rosemarie McAuliffe of Bothell. Republicans generally back charter schools and private school vouchers. Van Hollebeke says both ideas would give parents more options, and would push public schools to do a better job or risk losing students.
Republicans also support holding teachers accountable by implementing performance-based pay.
McAuliffe and most Democrats say vouchers and charter schools would drain money from public schools. They also oppose performance-based pay, saying it tends to hurt morale, but may support higher pay for teachers more for getting additional training. As a result, the teachers union is one of the largest contributors to Democratic candidates. Additionally, more Democrats favor making it easier for school districts to pass levies, by requiring approval from a simple majority of voters instead of 60 percent. P-I reporter Lise Olsen contributed to this report.