Gov. Inslee’s response to letter from the U.S. Department of Education today informing state that Washington’s request for continuation of its ESEA waiver has been denied.
“Today’s news from Secretary Duncan is disappointing but not unexpected. The loss of this waiver could have been avoided if the state legislature had acted last session. The waiver provided districts flexibility to use nearly $40 million in federal funds to support struggling students. Loss of that funding means those districts now face potential impacts that could include laying off some of Washington’s tremendous teachers or cutting back on programs that serve at-risk students. I hope districts will work to mitigate impacts on students. I know that despite this setback Washington teachers remain fully committed to serving our students.”