LEV urges NO vote on Initiative 985
Posted on 30. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Michael
The education community urges a NO vote against Initiative 985.
“I-985 claims to reduce traffic congestion, but its major effect will almost certainly be to take away money from classrooms,” said Lisa Macfarlane, co-founder of the League of Education Voters. “Our schools need every dollar they currently get to prepare our children for college, job training programs and the workforce.”
“We believe I-985 would result in unacceptable cuts to K-12 education, health care and other programs that are important to children,” said Laura Bay, President of the Washington State PTA.
Why vote NO on I-985?
The paramount duty of the state is public education.
I-985 would take away more than $100 million a year from the state’s general fund which is used to pay for education, health care and social services, and public safety.
Instead, Tim Eyman’s initiative would spend that money on transportation. Currently, user fees such as the gas tax and tolls pay for highway projects. This would be a seismic shift in funding priorities for our state.
A roadblock to quality education.
I-985 is a roadblock in the way of improving Washington’s education system and preparing all children for college, job training and the workforce.
Our state’s general fund is already stretched thin. If I-985 is approved, it will threaten funding for:
- Expanding all-day kindergarten;
- Reducing class sizes; and
- Increasing enrollments at our state’s colleges and universities.
Visit www.no985.org for more information about why voters should oppose I-985.
In the interests of children and schools, we urge a NO vote against I-985.
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Don’t miss out on one of the most important Elections in a generation
Posted on 29. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Michael
Only 35 days remain until the Nov. 4 general election! That means, the last day for online or mail-in voter registrations or transfers is Saturday, October 4. If you’re not registered to vote, or need to update or check the status of your registration, here’s what you need to do:
Already registered to vote:
- Check your voter status by accessing MyVote.
Registering for the first time in Washington:
- If you have a valid driver’s license or state identification card, you can visit the Online Voter Registration website.
- If you don’t have a valid ID, you need to fill out a mail-in voter registration form and postmark it by Saturday, October 4. Download one of these forms in your language preference (English, Chinese, Spanish, Cambodian, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Vietnamese) and mail it in today.
Updating your voter registration:
- Visit MyVote and enter your name and birth date to get access to the online address change form if you have moved to a new residence within the same county.
- If you have moved to a different county, your address must be updated using the Online Voter Registration website.
For more information, visit the Washington Secretary of State’s website.
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LEV urges NO vote on Initiative 985
Posted on 29. Sep, 2008 by Lisa.
The education community urges a NO vote against Initiative 985.
“I-985 claims to reduce traffic congestion, but its major effect will almost certainly be to take away money from classrooms,” said Lisa Macfarlane, co-founder of the League of Education Voters. “Our schools need every dollar they currently get to prepare our children for college, job training programs and the workforce.”
“We believe I-985 would result in unacceptable cuts to K-12 education, health care and other programs that are important to children,” said Laura Bay, President of the Washington State PTA.
Why vote NO on I-985?
The paramount duty of the state is public education.
I-985 would take away more than $100 million a year from the state’s general fund which is used to pay for education, health care and social services, and public safety.
Instead, Tim Eyman’s initiative would spend that money on transportation. Currently, user fees such as the gas tax and tolls pay for highway projects. This would be a seismic shift in funding priorities for our state.
A roadblock to quality education.
I-985 is a roadblock in the way of improving Washington’s education system and preparing all children for college, job training and the workforce.
Our state’s general fund is already stretched thin. If I-985 is approved, it will threaten funding for:
- Expanding all-day kindergarten;
- Reducing class sizes; and
- Increasing enrollments at our state’s colleges and universities.
Visit www.no985.org for more information about why voters should oppose I-985.
In the interests of children and schools, we urge a NO vote against I-985.
Lisa McFarlane
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Tell OSPI what you think about proposed revisions to science standards
Posted on 25. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Michael, updated Oct. 6
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction would like to hear feedback from you about proposed revisions to our state’s science standards. You’re invited to attend a public forum to hear more about the proposed changes and give your comments.
SEATTLE
October 7th 6:30 - 8:00pm
Stanford Center Auditorium 2445 Third Avenue South
VANCOUVER
October 15th 6:30 - 8:00pm
ESD 112 2500 NE 65th Avenue
RSVP to Shaina.Cochran@k12.wa.us or 360-725-4961
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State Board of Education to meet in Pasco
Posted on 23. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Heather
The State Board of Education is meeting at ESD 123 in Pasco September 24-25. Tomorrow’s portion of the agenda is heavy on accountability.
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Join us in supporting education champ Hans Dunshee, Tue., October 7th in Seattle
Posted on 23. Sep, 2008 by Lisa.
Join parents, community and business leaders, and education advocates who support the re-election of Rep. Hans Dunshee, one of our state’s strongest leaders for children and schools in Olympia.
| Jerry Bender Chris Korsmo Adair Dammann Patrick Dunn Paul Rosier Ricardo Sanchez George Scarola Lucinda Young Sandra Schroeder Rosemary Wolf Molly Boyajian |
Kim Cook Pat Dunnoly John Burbank JW Harrington Gary Kipp Melinda Mann Michael DeBell Bill Freund Bob & Kathy Roseth Earl Hale Steve Nielsen |
Grace Yuan Hannah Lidman Lisa Macfarlane Kurt Guenther Rod Regan Stephen Lindstrom Ruth Lipscomb Cliff Traisman Marilyn Watkins Randy Parr Barbara Mertens |
Bernal Baca Kelly Munn Wendy Rader-Konofalski Mary Lindquist Bonnie Beukema Simone Boe Sarah Cherin Mike Ragan Kursten Holabird Marcia Fromhold Jeff Gombosky |
A champion for kids, schools and colleges.
Come meet the legislator who’s been named a Champion of Education by the League of Education Voters and received a perfect legislative score by the Children’s Alliance.
Tuesday, October 7th
5:00 to 7:00 PM
League of Education Voters Office
2505 3rd Avenue, Suite 326, Seattle (MAP)
Street parking available. Paid parking lot one block away.
Suggested donation $50
Please RSVP to molly@educationvoters.org or (206) 728-6448
 |
Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish) is a long-time champion of kids and education. As past Chair of the House Capital Budget, he built the best budget for school construction in two decades. As the current Vice Chair of House Appropriations, he consistently pushes for better funding for education, from early learning through higher education. |
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Candidates for Superintendent debate tomorrow
Posted on 22. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Michael
With just over 40 days left until Election Day, here’s a great opportunity to see what separates the two candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction. This office oversees K-12 education in Washington State including one million students, 295 school districts and more than 2,100 schools.
Superintendet Terry Bergeson and candidate Randy Dorn will debate in Seattle Tuesday from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at First Place School (172 20TH Ave). The debate-style forum is sponsored by the Equitable Opportunity Caucus and Minority Executive Directors Coalition. RSVP to Theresa at (206) 325.2542 or email tguerrero@medcofkc.org.
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Higher Education Coordinating Board Meeting - September 17 and 18
Posted on 19. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Molly
I attended the HECB meeting earlier this week. The agenda for the two-day meeting consisted of one part work session and one part Board meeting.
The work session on the first day included committee reports on several key areas of the HECB’s Strategic Master Plan. First up on the agenda was the report on Policy and Demographic Analysis which sought to examine the state’s demographic and participation trends in those pursuing post-secondary education in order to identify target populations in the future.. The findings were not surprising. Based on the data, students from low-incomes families, students of color and people of working age (18-34) are prime demographic groups in need of more post-secondary education opportunities. There was discussion on possible policy recommendations to provide incentives for these target groups: expansion of dual-credit programs, establishment of a College Opportunity Incentive Network (COIN) that would coordinate individual policy efforts to encourage post-secondary education (GET for every student, Navigation 101, college students as mentors, etc.), and greater emphasis on teacher preparation.
Looking at the projected demographics was a very interesting and complex conversation which segued nicely into the Economic Needs Assessment presentation. This conversation centered primarily on getting students to pursue degree programs that will meet the economic employment demands for the next 10 years. Some of the preliminary conclusions from the committee were that there will be tremendous need in STEM programs (those that involve extensive math and science), construction, and health sciences and services; there must be a proactive and coordinated effort with education and workforce policymakers to ensure that the workforce is prepared for the jobs of tomorrow; and that those already in the workforce have the opportunity to gain the skills and education to stay competitive.
Finally, there was an update on the status of institutional performance agreements. So far, all six institutions (UW, WSU, WWU, EWU, CWU and TESC) have submitted proposals and appear to be committed to the process. The next challenge will be for all of them to reach an agreement.
The second day of the meeting consisted of discussion and approval of CORE 24 – the State Board of Education’s proposal for a new set of high graduation requirements. However, the bulk of the day was dedicated to the Higher Education Operating and Capital Budget requests in the upcoming legislative session. With the economy in upheaval and the budget forecasts predicting a large deficit, there is significant worry that higher education funding is at risk this session. Given the revenue projections for the state, the Board examined two alternative funding levels to help evaluate and prioritize expenditure requests for the proposed 2009-11 biennium. The two levels are:
Level 1: Sustaining Quality, Access and the State’s competitiveness; and
Level 2: Building a foundation for Excellence.
It is clear that the Board realizes the need to protect maintenance level funding, but values building the infrastructure necessary for higher education in Washington State to remain relevant and competitive. Finding the balance between these two concepts will most likely be on the top of the agenda when the Board meets again in October.
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WASL workgroup meeting — September 22nd
Posted on 19. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Heather
The agenda for the September 22nd WASL Workgroup meeting is now available:
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O’Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Work Session:
- Follow-up from previous meeting.
- Commercially developed tests and experiences in other states.
- Multiple choice questions - discussion with Dr. James Popham.
- WASL performance audit - discussion with Legislative Auditor.
- Diagnostic assessments.
- Public comment and discussion on the work group’s next steps.
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PESB: Day 2
Posted on 19. Sep, 2008 by admin.
Posted by Heather
Thursday’s portion of the Professional Educator Standards Boardmeeting began with a look at the finances of the PESB. Transportation costs are up, and the PESB, like everyone else, is feeling the effects in its budget. The PESB isn’t running up a huge deficit, but Jennifer Wallace said the PESB will be asking the Office of Financial Management for some additional dollars for FY 2009 because of rising costs.
Later, Ms. Wallace presented on the PESB’s Goal 1 – a state-level system for assessing educator preparation program quality. A large chunk of this is done through site visits and PESB approval of programs. As the committee working on this moves forward, Ms. Wallace said the following are things to think about:
- What should ongoing site visits look like?
- To what extent should data items be included in site visit reports?
- How will the PESB weight items for approval?
- Should types of programs offered be a consideration?
- Is it better to collect information from programs annually?
Members of the board provided feedback, the most interesting focused on a potential “high-performing” label for preparation programs. Some members of the board cautioned against it, and others thought it a good idea if the bar for earning the distinction was raised (eg. earning “exemplary” in categories, rather than just meeting standard).
Corrine McGuigan, OSPI, returned to present on the implementation of Standard V – a new certification standard that requires candidates to provide teacher and student evidence to demonstrate mastery. July 2009 is the deadline for the PESB to approve preparation programs’ implementation of Standard V, and OSPI is working on data reporting templates to provide preparation programs. OSPI is currently raising awareness of Standard V to preparation programs, ESDs and professional organizations. Ultimately, the goal is for all teachers, teacher leaders and school support staff to know about Standard V and the importance of evidence of student learning.
The final agenda item before the board moved into executive session focused on Professional Certificate programs and their differences (ProCert is what teachers must pursue within their first seven years in the classroom). Mary Jo Larsen, OSPI, looked at all of the programs offered in the State and reported on their commonalities and differences. ProCert programs are based on the same WAC framework, but do vary in scheduling and additional portfolio components. Some programs are more flexible in terms of course requirements, while others prescribe specific courses to all candidates.
Final thoughts on the two-day meeting: The PESB is opening up possibilities to change the way Washington recruits and trains teachers. Given the other action in Olympia (State Board of Education, Basic Education Finance Task Force, budget session) the PESB may have its work cut out for it in the next year — I foresee a potential cage match over the importance of pedagogy in teacher preparation and some intense discussion on alternative routes to teaching.
