According to the recent state Supreme Court ruling on McCleary v. Washington, the state is not complying with Article IX, Section 1 of our state’s Constitution, which requires the Legislature to “make ample provision for the education of all children in Washington.”
The Court noted that a full definition of “basic education” includes “the basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy and meaningfully participate in this state’s democracy.”
While recognizing K-12’s priority in the decision, the long-range impact could be a game-changer for higher education as well, because the court acknowledged that a “basic education” must include meaningful employment skills and knowledge. Increasingly, higher education provides that training.
Why? Because 67 percent of all jobs in Washington will require some postsecondary education or training.
In fact, according to a 2008 report by the Council on Competitiveness, roughly half these jobs call for “middle skills,” attained through education beyond high school but less than a four-year degree. Middle-skills jobs are projected to remain the largest portion of our state’s jobs for the long term. Simply stated, a high school education will not qualify students for the vast majority of the state’s jobs. It’s an inescapable conclusion that middle-skills credentials -- a large part of the mission of community and technical colleges -- are “the basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy.”
So what? Why should taxpayers care, especially when we have huge deficits?
The answer, as Adam Smith wrote in 1776, is that the wealth of nations is directly correlated to the development of its human capital. In the 21st century, when people increasingly work with brains instead of brawn, more people carry the means of production between their ears. Management guru Peter Drucker labeled this “knowledge work.”
A knowledge worker does the “nonroutine” work that has increased as our economy shifted from manufacturing to services, solutions, information and design. A knowledge worker, generally a technologist or technician, uses applied theory. Welders, machinists, nurses, dental hygienists, auto mechanics, nuclear technicians, IT specialists and first-responders are middle-skills workers prepared by the community and technical colleges in our state. They represent about half of the 67 percent of jobs in the economy requiring credentials past the high school diploma. Of the other half, 41 percent uses the community college for the first credits toward baccalaureate degrees.
Some disagreement is certain with limited state resources. Nevertheless, it is difficult to argue that community and technical colleges are not part of “basic education” when the gold standard of employment preparation is applied. Without this pool of prepared knowledge workers in our state, the industries they support, from Boeing to Microsoft to thousands of local businesses, will leave or fail.
The state Supreme Court’s landmark decision forces a much needed redefinition of “basic education.” This has always made sense as the economy has dramatically changed. Until about 1900, “common schools” provided a “basic education” through the eighth grade for our agrarian nation. Industrialization and urbanization transformed the U.S. through the 20th century, when high school became the terminal credential for preparing the bulk of American workers. Today, as we face unprecedented 21st century challenges from China and other international competitors, the definition of a “basic education,” one that gives students the opportunity to learn the “basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy,” must include a large portion of higher education.
Officials in Olympia are contemplating a sales tax referendum aimed at “buying back” the cuts proposed for our state’s colleges and universities. Alternately, a proposal more in line with a 21st century education would keep higher education in the protected base funding while recommending some different areas of state budget to be “bought back” by taxpayers. If CBC, for example, is reduced another 13 percent, as is currently proposed, it will have lost almost 40 percent of its state funding in three years.
Clearly, the definition of “basic knowledge and skills” needs revisiting.
Fewer dollars mean fewer knowledge workers at the historical moment when our economic well-being needs them most.
Education, an engine that helps create the middle class, must be a top priority of government because the return on investment equals job, jobs and more jobs for our state.
-- Rich Cummins is president of Columbia Basin College in Pasco.
