At its monthly meeting on Monday, the Vancouver Education Association leadership council issued a strongly worded no-confidence vote, based on a survey of more than 300 Vancouver teachers.

The vote was accompanied by a blistering rebuke of the controversial Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Bergeson has championed the state’s standardized exam since its inception in 1993.

“Terry Bergeson has not been a friend to students or teachers in the state of Washington. It seems that the only school funding she supports is directly tied to the WASL,” said Ann Giles, VEA president, in a prepared statement.

“The WASL is not being used for the purpose it was designed, it costs too much to administer, it takes too much time away from instruction, and it has caused harm to children for too long.

“This test has negatively impacted students for 12-15 years, an entire school career. Terry Bergeson and the WASL need to go,” Giles said.
Bergeson is running this year for a fourth term as the state’s top education official.

Last month, the Washington Education Association endorsed an opponent, former Richland School District Superintendent Rich Semler. Semler is an outspoken critic of the WASL.

Since then, there’s been a mounting effort to undermine Bergeson’s re-election hopes.

At least 28 more WEA affiliates have issued votes of no-confidence or have demanded major changes. The Evergreen Public Schools union declared a no-confidence vote last week.

Battle Ground teachers are likely to soon join in, said BGEA President Ellen Joslin. A survey of Battle Ground teachers shows 77 percent favoring a no-confidence vote, Joslin said today.