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PDC Complaint Against UW College of Education Dismissed

The University of Washington got some good news late last week regarding a complaint filed several months ago with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).

Last February, Rep. Glenn Anderson (R-Fall City) filed a complaint with the PDC alleging that a recent publication of the College of Education “Taking Measure: Does Modern Math Education Add Up?” was an attempt by the UW to lobby the state legislature on proposed math learning standards as provided by 2SSB 1906 (chapter 396, Laws of 2007).

As the UW Director of State Relations, I responded to the complaint on behalf of the University during the 2008 session.  We denied that the publication in question constituted lobbying.  In addition, we pointed out that the report in question is part of a regular series of publications that the College of Education has produced for several years around a single educational issue, the most recent report focusing on math education.  The purpose of these publications is to share university research on an important educational policy topic with the educational community, state legislators, business groups and the general public.

On July 2, PDC Executive Director Vicki Rippie sent this letter, dismissing the complaint against the UW filed by Rep. Anderson.  Commission investigators concluded that the publication in question was part of the College of Education’s normal practice of making its research available to a broad spectrum of interested parties and that no evidence was found that the report constituted prohibited lobbying.