Ready for Excellence
Ready for Excellence is about providing the resources and tools our schools and educators need to prepare our kids to complete college and/or job training, attain a living-wage job and succeed in life.
Making Education Reform Real
LEV is working closely with policymakers to ensure the landmark education reform bill, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2261, is fully implemented. We are also in contact with education advocates about the latest news on ESHB 2261. Click here to join our electronic mailing list.
2010 Session
LEV is supporting House Bill 2776, which would begin implementation of the historic education reform bill. The bill is based on recommendations by the Quality Education Council.
The Quality Education Council
The Quality Education Council (QEC) was created by the Legislature in ESHB 2261, the major education reform bill passed during the 2009 session. Its purpose is to develop strategic recommendations for implementation of a new definition of Basic Education and the financing necessary to support it. Superintendent Randy Dorn chairs the Council.
About ESHB 2261, the Education Reform Bill
- ESHB 2261: What’s Next?
- LEV 2261 Implementation Timeline
- LEV’s A Way Forward: Five Proposals To Transform Washington Education Finance And Drive Gains In Student Achievement
- Work groups created by ESHB 2261
- Committee members appointed to ESHB 2261 work groups
- Media Archive
For the first time in 30 years, we’ve re-defined basic education to include the tools our educators and schools need to prepare our kids for college, work and life.
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2261 on May 19, 2009, which marks the beginning of the movement to redefine and fully fund “basic education” so all children receive the support they need to succeed in college, job training, work and life.
A broad-based coalition of parents, business leaders, community members and education stakeholders worked closely with legislators for months to pass the landmark education reform legislation. The reforms, which begin in 2011 and will be fully implemented by 2018, will:
- Expand the school day so high school students can take more math, science and world language courses to graduate with 24 credits;
- Redefine basic education to include all-day kindergarten, highly capable education, transportation and other academic programs and support services students need to succeed in school;
- Make school funding more transparent for school leaders, lawmakers and parents through the use of a “prototypical schools” model; and
- Direct the State Board of Education to develop an accountability system and intervention measures targeted at challenged schools and districts.
In a surprise veto, the governor removed the section that included early learning in the revised definition of basic education. The governor disagreed with the approach to provide early learning for only at-risk children. However, the governor pledged to work with policymakers to provide early learning opportunities for all children. This issue continues to be a top priority of ours and we will work to make early learning part of basic education next session.
