Thoughts on Education in Washington State.
A comparison with... Mississippi.Washington per student expenditure: $18,564 per year.
Mississippi: $12,093 per year.
Education:
Mississippi: Between 2013 and 2019, Mississippi moved from 50th to 35th in K-12 education rankings. In addition, since 2013,
Mississippi has led the nation in 4th-grade reading improvement, rising from 49th to 9th place. In math, the state has improved from 50th to 16th place. Even more impressive, adjusted for demographics, Mississippi scored first in the nation in 4th-grade math and reading, first in 8th-grade reading, and 4th in the nation in 8th-grade math.
Washington: Fourth-grade reading scores have been dropping in the state since 2015 and are now at the lowest level since 1994. Washington ranks 19th in 4th-grade reading and 27th in 4th-grade math.
Mississippi: Despite limited resources (2025 spending per student was $12,394), Mississippi ranks 25th for student/teacher ratio at 15:1.
Washington: Despite very high per student spending ($20,748 annually per student), Washington ranks 41st in student/teacher ratio at 17:1.
Mississippi: In terms of closing achievement gaps, black students in Mississippi rank 3rd nationally in 4th-grade reading scores, and low-income students in Mississippi outperform their peers in every other state.
Washington: The latest Washington State Board of Education report concludes that “educational outcome disparities based on race, ethnicity, and program participation are widespread.”
By any of these measures, Mississippi seems to be getting it right — while Washington appears to be heading in the wrong direction.
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