State House passes Race to the Top legislation

Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by Kelly.

The State House has passed legislation to help Washington win a federal Race to the Top grant and begin fully funding basic education (E2SSB 6696). The bill now goes to the state Senate for concurrence.

Now, parents and educators need to contact their state senators to urge them to support Senate Bill 6696 as it passed in the House. This plan will begin fully funding basic education as they promised in House Bill 2261 and help Washington win a $250 million Race to the Top grant.

Here’s why it’s urgent you contact your state senator. Currently, the Senate is making:

• No commitment to begin fully funding basic education as they promised in last year’s House Bill 2261. Yesterday evening, they passed legislation that ignores HB 2261 by rejecting key recommendations of the Quality Education Council.
• No commitment of state dollars to make real the required education reforms necessary to help Washington win a Race to the Top grant.

Tell your state senator to support Senate Bill 6696 as it passed in the House. This bill adopts Race to the Top reforms and keeps our commitment to begin fully funding basic education.

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Support reforms to put an effective educator in every classroom and school

Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by Kelly.

You have an opportunity to make a difference for children by supporting strong Race to the Top* legislation that will put an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective leader in every school in Washington State.

Here’s how you can take action:

1) Speak up at your town hall meeting.

Attend your town hall meeting this Saturday, February 20th and urge your lawmakers to support strong legislation to help Washington win a Race to the Top grant.

Pass out 50 copies of this editorial by Renton School District’s superintendent that explains why our schools need a system to ensure every classroom and school is led by an effective educator.

2) Are You(r kids) Represented?

We want to know what you would tell your lawmakers about education at these town hall meetings. Share your thoughts and we’ll post some on our Are You(r kids) Represented? webpage. Your story could inspire others to speak up. Click here to share your story here.

3) Send a message to your lawmakers.

If you can’t attend your town hall meeting, or if one is not scheduled, please urge your lawmakers to support strong legislation to help Washington win a Race to the Top grant that will ensure every classroom and school is led by an effective educator.

Click here to send your lawmakers a message.

Thanks for taking action!

*Lawmakers in Olympia are working to pass Senate Bill 6696, which will improve Washington’s ability to win a federal Race to the Top (R2T) grant of up to $250 million. LEV believes lawmakers should pass a stronger version of the bill that incorporates the goals outlined in this editorial by Renton School District’s superintendent to help our state win a R2T grant.

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Give your legislators something to think about this weekend!

Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by Kelly.

Even though the weekend is starting soon, education is on our minds. That’s because next week is education reform week in Olympia. Lawmakers will hold several public hearings on key legislation that will move education reform forward and improve student achievement.

Let’s give our legislators something to think about this weekend!

Send an e-mail message to your legislators. Tell them you support legislation that will accomplish these three goals.

1. Move education reform forward-let’s implement the first steps outlined in historic legislation passed last year (House Bill 2776).

2. Make early learning for at-risk children part of basic education-it’s the best way to close the achievement gap (House Bill 2731).

3. Win a Race to the Top grant-let’s innovate our schools and accelerate education reform (Senate Bill 6696 and House Bills 3059, 3035 and 3038).

Your e-mail message will remind legislators that there IS an opportunity this session to make progress for kids and schools, despite the budget crisis.

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Richland Senator Listening Tour

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by Kelly.

(This is a guest blog by Karen Albers, a Richland community member.)

We held a successful ‘Education Reform Listening Tour’ in Richland on Wed, Dec 16. As soon as I received the word from Kelly Munn of our date, I contacted my school board and we all went to work. This may sound unusual to some, but parents and the community enjoy a unique partnership with the Richland School District. Even our own 8th district Senator, Jerome Delvin and his legislative assistant helped promote the event!
Since Senator McAuliffe and Oemig flew here, we had an opportunity to showcase our school district before the event. RSD superintendent, Dr Jean Lane, arranged for the senators to listen to a presentation by Jason Lee Elementary teachers on using data to track student performance and they received a student led tour of Delta High School, a STEM school.

Hanford PTSA and the Chief Jo PTSA organized a “meet, greet and eat” reception for the senators. Parents, teachers, school superintendents and board members, and legislators enjoyed a relaxing time while exchanging ideas and pleasantries.

The main event commenced at 5:00 pm. I’m not sure of the exact number, but I would guess that we had about 35-40 attendees. Following introductions by the senators, the floor was opened for questions. Both Senator McAuliffe and Senator Oemig responded to the individuals at the microphone. The first question of the evening (evidently a perennial favorite) was asked by a teacher regarding why there aren’t any teachers on the “Quality Education Council.” The next question had me concerned that the teachers were going to monopolize the evening, especially since this particular teacher came across abrupt with her disrespectful tone and commentary. But that quickly changed when the superintendents from some of the smaller school districts lined up at the microphone to talk about LEA and how its reduction/elimination would have devastating effects on their school districts. Although Senator’s McAuliffe and Oemig were probably well aware of the arguments to preserve LEA funding, I believe the issue becomes significantly more real when they hear testimony provided by the affected stakeholders. Senator Oemig agreed with the parent raising the issue that the school transportation “as the crow flies” formula needs to be fixed. Another parent asked a two-part question concerning quality teachers’ compensation for incenting/retaining and as well as performance/merit based pay. I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed in the non-committal response regarding tying teacher compensation to outcomes, but was assured that there is a committee looking into equitable teacher compensation. A WSU Math professor offered two points: high schools are not doing a good job at preparing students for college level math and that we do not need to continue to throw money into proving the achievement gap disparities using high stakes testing since it has been well documented and proven. A school board member raised his concerns about high stakes testing and to replace them with multiple measures. One parent humbly requested that the senators stay focused on the children as they try to work with the current budget.

Questions about LEA and budget cuts were a given, but I was surprised that there weren’t any questions about CORE 24 (not a favorite topic among many local high school principals), Race to the Top funding (since that’s been a hot topic in the media) and early learning (another program suffering major cuts due to budget). Of course the elephant in the room (briefly mentioned by a teacher), was the question regarding a ‘dedicated revenue source’ for education, to which Senator Oemig responded that it usually evokes a ‘robust’ discussion.

All too often we focus on the differences between the ‘east side’ and ‘west side’ of Washington. But education is a common denominator for all of us. I hope that Senator’s McAuliffe and Oemigs’ trip to Richland provided them with a better understanding and appreciation for the issues that are important to us, and I hope that we have a better understanding and appreciation for the daunting task ahead of them once the legislative session reconvenes in January.

Karen Albers

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Lobbying Legislators - Tips from Rep. Ross Hunter

Posted on 16. Nov, 2009 by Kelly.

Kudos to Stand for Children for a very informative, useful workshop this Saturday! Rep. Ross Hunter gave a really informative session on “How to Lobby Your Legislators”, he thought he didn’t have an hour worth of material! (Those of you who know Rep. Hunter are laughing right now). I wanted to share his thoughts, for some of you, most of this is old news, but there is stuff in here worth repeating and a few things were new to me.

Build a relationship with your legislators. They will listen more, are more likely to read your email, and are more influenced by people they know. (Just like us…we listen to the people we trust)

Communicate primarily when the legislators are not in session. During the session they get to meet with people in 15 minute slots at best, they are lucky to remember your name and your main issue at the end of the day. The legislator can meet with you easily outside of the session, 2-4 meetings a week they usually have, it’s much more personal, and there is much more time to really understand the issues.

Rep. Hunter receives roughly 20-30 emails a week outside of the legislative session. But during the session he receives hundreds, thousands. He can’t read them all, so they tally them based on what the “ask” is. During the session, if he can read any email at all, he will read email from those he already has a relationship with.

“Ask” for what you want. Don’t make him guess; he needs to know what it is you want. Don’t be afraid to ask, everyone else will.

Be polite. Don’t do all caps in email, don’t do all lowercase, make it easy to read otherwise. Don’t yell, don’t get mad. This is about relationships; try to get him to understand with facts, stories.

The Gateway to the legislator is through their Legislative Assistant. The Legislative Assistant makes the appointments, discusses issues with the legislators is basically the force that keeps the legislator on task, focused and informed. Always be polite and respectful, they can be incredibly helpful to you.

Thank them! This is a great way to build the relationship. Take the time to tell them that you appreciated what they did and tried to do. Thank yous will influence the relationship.

Keep working with legislators you don’t agree with. This is hard, but important to do. (I personally have to work on this with my own Senator – because we have such different views, I’ve kind of given up. I need to keep trying)

Letters/cards are very effective. They are more difficult to handle, how to respond, have to open, bulky. So, they make more of an impression.

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What do all great parents need to know?

Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Kelly.

Join LEV Foundation for a conversation with world-renowned Stanford Professor Carol Dweck on Nov. 12th at Seattle Public Library to find out how to help maximize your child’s potential whether your child is 6 months or 16.

Conversation with Dr. Carol Dweck

Thursday, November 12th from 7 to 9 PM
Seattle Public Library
1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle
FREE public event

RSVP to Kelly at info@educationvoters.org or via our Facebook event page.

And, Lisa Brummel, Senior VP for Human Resources at Microsoft Corporation and co-owner of the Seattle Storm Women’s Basketball Team, and Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner, founder of MomsRising, will join Dr. Dweck for a lively discussion about how to foster a growth mindset in education, business and sports.

Dr. Carol Dweck is one of the world’s leading researchers in motivation and renowned author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

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Tonight: Two events, one tough decision

Posted on 28. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

You’ve got two choices tonight in Seattle to help shape the future of education in our state.

Option 1: K-12 Education Listening Tour

Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Van Asselt Elementary Library
(at African American Academy)
8311 Beacon Ave. South, Seattle 98118 (MAP)

State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig would like to hear your personal stories about your child’s experience in Seattle Public Schools. They’d like to hear what’s working and what’s not.

Here are some questions to think about:

• What does your school need to improve academic achievement for kids?
• Is your child receiving the support he or she needs from teachers and school staff?
• Do you feel your child is receiving the education he or she needs to attend college or a job training program?

Option 2: Early Learning Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, October 28th, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The New School at South Shore in the library
4800 S. Henderson Street, Seattle (MAP)
Download the Event Flyer (PDF)

Bette Hyde, the Director of the Department of Early Learning, Nina Auerbach, CEO of Thrive by Five Washington and key staff from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction want to hear your personal stories about preschool, childcare and early learning in Washington State.

Here are some questions to think about:

• Is the cost of childcare going through the roof?
• Do you believe it’s time for preschool to be part of basic education?
• Do you think full-day kindergarten is key?

Let us know which event you plan to attend.   RSVP to info@educationvoters.org.

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You’re invited to an education town hall with Senate education leaders in Seattle

Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

What’s your child’s experience with the quality of education at his or her school? What’s happened as a result of state budget cuts? What are your thoughts about the education reforms passed this year?

Parents and community members are invited to give feedback on these questions and much more at an Education Reform Town Hall with two key education policymakers, State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig. Your ideas and personal stories will help shape policy and legislation during the 2010 legislative session.

Education Reform Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Van Asselt Elementary Library
8311 Beacon Ave. South, Seattle 98118 (MAP)

If you can attend, please RSVP to Kelly at  info@educationvoters.org.

Why should you attend?

Senators McAuliffe and Oemig are members of the Quality Education Council, the workgroup that will build an education system that gets every child Ready for Life.

They want to hear your feedback on the vision to implement education reforms that will strengthen Washington’s public schools. These changes will better prepare our students for college, job training and the workforce.

Who should come?

Parents and community members who have a stake in the future of Washington’s public schools should attend this forum.

This is a great opportunity to talk to two of our state’s education leaders before they begin crafting education policy during the 2010 legislative session.

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You’re invited to an education town hall with Senate education leaders

Posted on 20. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

What’s your child’s experience with the quality of education at his or her school? What’s happened as a result of state budget cuts? What are your thoughts about the education reforms passed this year?

Parents and community members are invited to give feedback on these questions and much more at a series of Education Reform Town Halls with two key education policymakers, State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig. Your ideas and personal stories will help shape policy and legislation during the 2010 legislative session.

Education Reform Town Hall Meetings

Wednesday, October 21st from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Northshore Junior High
12101 NE 160th Street, Bothell 98011 (MAP)

Thursday, October 22nd from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Federal Way Public Academy
34620 9th Ave S., Federal Way 98003 (MAP)

Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Van Asselt Elementary Library
8311 Beacon Ave. South, Seattle 98118 (MAP)

If you can attend, please RSVP to Kelly at  info@educationvoters.org.

Why should you attend?

Senators McAuliffe and Oemig are members of the Quality Education Council, the workgroup that will build an education system that gets every child Ready for Life.

They want to hear your feedback on the vision to implement education reforms that will strengthen Washington’s public schools. These changes will better prepare our students for college, job training and the workforce.

Who should come?

Parents and community members who have a stake in the future of Washington’s public schools should attend this forum.

This is a great opportunity to talk to two of our state’s education leaders before they begin crafting education policy during the 2010 legislative session.

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You’re invited to a listening tour with Senate education leaders

Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by Kelly.

State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe and Eric Oemig want to hear from you. They are kicking off a statewide Education Reform Listening Tour beginning on the Eastside–and you’re invited.

Education Reform Listening Tour

Thursday, October 15th from 7 to 8:30 pm
Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus
24635 SE Issaquah Fall City Road, Issaquah

If you can attend, please e-mail info@educationvoters.org to RSVP.

Can’t make the 15th?  Then mark your calenders:
Oct 21st - Northshore
Oct 22nd - Federal Way
Oct 28th - Seattle
Locations and Times TBD

Why should you attend?

Senators McAuliffe and Oemig are members of the Quality Education Council, the workgroup that will build an education system that gets every child Ready for Life¹.

They want to hear your feedback on the vision to implement education reforms that will strengthen Washington’s public schools. These changes will better prepare our students for college, job training and the workforce.

Who should come?

Parents and community members who have a stake in the future of Washington’s public schools should attend this forum.

This is a great opportunity to talk to two of our state’s education leaders before they begin crafting education policy during the 2010 legislative session.

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