Lawmakers reach agreements on key education bills

Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by Mike.

Parents, educators and students have a lot to celebrate this morning. On the final day of the 2010 legislative session, lawmakers reached agreements on key education bills.

Thank you to legislators and especially parents and education advocates who worked so hard on behalf of kids this legislative session.

Basic education funding bill

Lawmakers took the next step in implementing last year’s historic education reform bill (House Bill 2261) by approving the Quality Education Council’s recommendations in House Bill 2776. The legislation:

• Establishes a new and more transparent school funding formula;
• Lowers class sizes in kindergarten through third grade and increases funding to cover maintenance and operations costs; and
• Revises how the state pays for pupil transportation costs.

Thank you to Rep. Pat Sullivan, Rep. Marcie Maxwell and Rep. Skip Priest for your hard work to begin fully funding basic education.

Race to the Top reforms

Washington is in a better position to win a $250 million federal Race to the Top grant thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 6696. The bill will also improve Washington’s public schools by:

• Adopting the State Board of Education’s guidelines on turning around consistently low-performing schools;
• Revising teacher evaluations and creating new principal evaluation criteria; and
• Expanding teacher preparation and recruitment pathways.

Thank you to Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, Sen. Eric Oemig and Sen. Curtis King for your work on this bill.

Early childhood education

Our state’s youngest learners received tremendous support from Olympia in House Bill 2731 and Senate Bill 6759. The bills reaffirm the state’s commitment to ensuring kids start kindergarten ready to succeed. The bills:

• Expand pre-school programs for three- and four-year olds across the state;
• Protect funding for early learning by making it a new state entitlement program; and
• Consider the establishment of a program of early learning in basic education.

Thank you to Rep. Roger Goodman, Sen. Claudia Kauffman and Rep. Ruth Kagi for being champions for kids.

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Oh what a night!

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by Heather.

Today, the last of the 60-day 2010 legislative session, was a big day for education. First, in the late afternoon, Senate Bill 6759 passed both chambers. Then, this evening we had rapid final passage of three other bills, Senate Bill 6696, House Bill 2776 and House Bill 2731 (last of the night). Together, these four bills will bring meaningful reform to our state, and improve opportunity and education for all kids.

To all of the parents, students and citizens who advocated for kids this session, THANK YOU for all of your time, energy and hard work! We certainly could not have done this without you.

Now that it’s Sine Die, I think I am going to go watch something besides TVW.

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Spot on, Olympian. Prekindergarten must be part of basic education.

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Bonnie.

If you see George Scarola in Oly this week, pass him some Gatorade. As you can see on our blog and legislative action page, we are powering through our 2010 ed reform marathon. Including preK in basic education is a key element to our 2010 education reform agenda.  So, what’s happening this week to ensure preK becomes part of Basic Education?

Today: Monday, January 25th, 3:30 pm
House Ways and Means Committee
House Hearing Rm A
John L. O’Brien Building

Action: Support HB 2731. This is a strong bill that includes preK for at-risk children in basic education as of 2012.

Wednesday, January 27th, 8 am
Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building

Action: Support SB 6759 with concerns. We commend Sen. Kauffman for her leadership on this issue, but we strongly suggest an amendment to the bill to include preK  in Basic Education from the outset. In the past three years, four key government groups have come to the same conclusion. The time for pondering and planning is over. Now is the time for action!

Click here to see a chart comparing the different preK legislation currently in committee.

Take Action! Email your legislators and urge them to make progress for kids and schools this session!

Prekindergarten must be part of basic education

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published January 24, 2010

The 2010 legislative session is a pivotal time for early childhood learning in this state. Lawmakers must include the prekindergarten years as part of basic education and continue to fund programs that prepare children and families for the early school years.

Other kindergartners came totally ill-prepared for the academic and social challenges that faced them.

While that’s still true today, great strides have been made in the past decade to raise the public’s awareness about brain development and the need to focus on those early learning years.

Molly Boyajian is director of early learning initiatives for Thrive by Five, a public/private partnership focused on the prekindergarten years. She says, “Investments in the early years is cheaper, better for the kids and more successful. If we get it wrong in the beginning with kids, it’s hard to go back and fix it later on.”

Science and the study of brain development verify that.

Research shows that 85 percent of the brain’s core structure – size, core, growth and much of its hard wiring – is developed by age 4. Yet in those pivotal years, less than 9 percent of the public’s investments in education and development is done, Boyajian said.

In 2006, state legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire understood the need to put more emphasis and money in the early years when they created the state Department of Early Learning. It’s a Cabinet-level agency with 172 employees, most of whom are employed in the licensing arena.

The creation of the Department of Early Learning was a big step forward. For the first time there’s coordination among educators, social workers, parents, child advocates, physicians and other providers, working in collaboration to ensure that developing young minds get the attention they deserve and that children are prepared to meet the academic, social and emotional challenges that lie ahead of them.

“The research is clear – the education a child receives before the age of 5 is crucial to that child’s future academic success,” said Chris Korsmo, executive director of the League of Education Voters. “The more we invest in our children in those years before kindergarten, the more we are giving our children an advantage to compete during the rest of their school years and beyond.”

The first major assignment for the Department of Early Learning was to create a statewide plan that identifies key programs and strategies that help kids succeed. It could be a nurse who visits the family and talks to parents about proper nutrition. It could be a counselor who identifies a learning disability before the child shows up at the schoolhouse door. Or it could be a social worker who sees to it that an at-risk child living in poverty is enrolled in a Head Start program.

The state’s 10-year plan is in draft form and should be ready for adoption by late spring. That, too, is a positive step forward and having the plan in place, and spending priorities set should boost Washington state’s chance to receive part of President Barack Obama’s $1 billion Early Learning Challenge Fund. Obama along with Democrats and Republicans in Congress get it. They understand that investments in early childhood education pay huge dividends later on.

While not a national leader, Washington state is nonetheless well positioned to land its share of the federal pot of money. When matched with state dollars, that’s money that will help kids succeed.

The Legislature can boost Washington’s chances of financial success by signaling the state’s long-term commitment to high-quality prekindergarten learning. Lawmakers can do that by including prekindergarten learning as part of the state’s definition of basic education. Gov. Gregoire was right last year when she vetoed a section of the new basic education law because it did not include all students. Washington’s law must be inclusive and guarantee early childhood education to all, not just at-risk or targeted populations.

Lawmakers also must continue to press for certification of preschools to ensure that there are consistent standards of excellence. Certification can, and must, serve as a check on quality programs. Strong assessment and measurement tools are part of the solution, as are continued funding for proven early childhood education programs and coordination of efforts between the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Early Learning.

Korsmo, from the League of Education Voters, was right when she said, “If we take a few steps now to invest in our state early education program, we are poised to qualify for those federal dollars. That would be a historic opportunity for our state and our children. We want to make sure all children in our state are afforded the same opportunities during the most critical time for brain development in their lives.”

Lawmakers have the opportunity to do just that.

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PreK Now. It’s Basic!

Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by Bonnie.

Today LEV Foundation board member Janet Levinger testified in support of HB 2731 - including preschool for at-risk 3- and 4-year olds in basic education. I have pasted it below. Janet was joined by 20 parents, providers, sheriffs (yes, there were two!) and child advocates who also testified in support of including preschool in basic education. At least 15 people also signed in to support 2731 without testifying.

Thank you Janet for standing up for Washington’s youngest learners.

Good afternoon. For the record, my name is Janet Levinger. I am here today as a community volunteer and child advocate. I currently serve on the boards of United Way of King County, Social Venture Partners, the League of Education Voters, Child Care Resources, and the Bellevue Schools Foundation. I am also on the advancement and communications committees of Thrive by Five Washington.

I am here today to speak in support of HB 2731 and applaud your vision to include PreK in basic education. I also like the mention of infant toddler programs in HB 2867.

Ever since I joined to Child Care Resources board - 13 years ago this month - my husband and I have focused our philanthropy and volunteer time on improving outcomes for all children by ensuring they have a strong state in life. Here’s why:

Imagine yourself as a 5-year-old. It’s your first day at school. You have a new lunch box and a new backpack and you’re all excited. But when you get to school, you have a hard time. You have trouble sitting still to listen to a story. You fight with other kids over a toy. You get in trouble with the teacher because you can’t wait until the end of circle time to play with the blocks. Other kids laugh at you when you don’t know how to write your name and have trouble holding onto a pencil. By the end of the week, the teacher now that you are one of the kids who is not ready for school and she can guess that you are one of the kids who will not graduate from high school.

Imagine yourself as a 5-year old - and you are already projected to fail.

My husband and I invest in quality early education because is shows that it makes a huge difference for kids.

Kids in quality programs enter kindergarten with a solid foundation of social skills and learning skills. They are less likely to repeat a grade, to be placed in special education, to commit a crime, or to become pregnant as a teen.

My husband and I invest in quality early education because it is a good investment for our community.

Research from prominent economists has shows that for every dollar invested in high quality PreK saves taxpayers up to $7 later. Not only are there savings from remedial and juvenile justice programs, but over the long-term, these kids are more likely to graduate from high school, gain stable employment, and contribute positively to our community.

Protecting PreK under basic education would ensure that the program could not be cut and that all eligible children would be served.

I grew up in Iowa and when I was 10-years old, my family moved to a new house. We were one of the first in a new development. My mother planted all sorts of trees - but they were scrawny twigs when she put them in no bigger than I was. I asked her what she was doing and she told me she was planting trees so we would have shade from the sun, apples to pick in the summer, and privacy from our neighbors. I remember looking around from our prairie hilltop and noticing that we did not have any neighbors and I thought she was crazy. But of course she was right. Over time, the small plants she carefully watered and pruned sheltered us from the sun, gave us fruit, and offered us privacy from the neighbors who did move in.

I know it’s hard to think 5, 12, or 20 years ahead. But I hope you will be like my mother and have the foresight to know that caring for our children now will bring many benefits in the future. Imagine that 5-year old - we can offer her a hopeful future instead of failure.

Including a program of early learning in Basic Education will guarantee that our limited resources are focused where the can make the most difference in the life of every child, and to our community.

Thank you.

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pre[k]now recognizes Washington’s forward momentum on early learning in basic education.

Posted on 23. Oct, 2009 by Bonnie.

pre[k]now just released a new report: Vote Count - Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2010.

The report recognizes the Legislature’s work in the 2009 Legislative Session to include a program of early learning for at-risk children in the new definition of basic education. They briefly describe the work of the December 1st Drafting Team, the group of government agencies and early education advocates (including LEV) to develop recommendations to Gov. Gregoire for next session, including adding voluntary, universal preschool for all four-year-olds in basic education.

Want to learn more about how Preschool for All in basic education would ensure all children are ready for school and ready for life?

• Want to tell early learning leaders that you agree with [pre]know? Go to a local town hall near you in the next two weeks.
  
• Click here for a one-page description of Washington Preschool for All.
• Click here to show how this program would serve all at-risk three-year-olds by expanding ECEAP, all four-year-olds with universal preschool, and all kindergartners with full-day kindergarten.

Cutos to Sen. Oemig and McAuliffe for their great quote and support. Here is the full text from pre[k]now’s report:

In Washington, the high-quality Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), which served 6 percent of the state’s four year olds in 2008,12 will suffer a funding cut of nearly 3 percent for FY10, reducing enrollment by about 170 children. Despite the cut, lawmakers attempted to preserve some momentum in the state by bringing pre-k into the state’s definition of basic education. Though the bill did not include funding provisions, the new language stated that early learning for at-risk children should be included in publicly funded education, just like kindergarten or first grade, and seemed to signal a real intent on the part of state legislators to provide high-quality pre-k for more children.

In a last-minute move that caught early childhood advocates and lawmakers entirely by surprise, the governor vetoed the legislation, citing a concern that the change did not define pre-k as a basic educational requirement for all children. Though the veto was disappointing, the governor did follow up by asking state education agency leaders to develop a proposal for the 2010 legislative session to ensure that all children have the benefit of early learning. Lawmakers and the governor will need to communicate and collaborate effectively to bring that plan to fruition, but should they do so, Washington could be on the path to offering pre-k for all four year olds - a smart strategy for the state’s economic future.

Washington State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe (D) and Eric Omeg (D), chair and vice chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee: “Our students, educators and teachers deserve better, and we can’t give that to them without changing the way we invest in our schools… We must include early learning as a cornerstone of our school system.“

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A Day in Olympia

Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by Xuan.

Yesterday, I went down to the QEC meeting along with fellow LEV staff and had the opportunity to sit in on the council meeting. I had never been to anything like this before, let alone to the capitol!  I had a great time watching our education leaders discuss the future of 2261. I even got to take a picture with the Frank Chopp. He will be hosting a discussion with the PTSA on Thursday September 19^th, where students will have an opportunity to speak. Pretty cool huh? I know I’m planning on attending.

After sitting in on the meeting for a bit, Maggie and I set out to track down our state representatives and to tour the campus. We visited all the major buildings and spent some time in the Temple of Justice library. Our representatives weren’t present, but we left notes urging them to do everything they can to help implement the suggestions of 2261.

Overall, it was a fun (and hot!) day spent at the Capitol. Thank you to everyone on the QEC and keep up the good work!

To see the full photo tour of our trip around the Capitol, check out our facebook album

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Surprise veto and bitter disappointment

Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Bonnie.

Today was supposed to be a happy day for me, the LEV team, and all of us who fought so hard on behalf of kids this session.

At LEV, George, Lisa, Chris and I have been working on including early learning in the revised definition of basic education for two years now. It started as a bit of a dream. An idea that had more research behind it than many current programs in the definition of basic education - but that seemed too difficult to pull off. We worried about political will, legality, funding, etc. etc. By some miracle, including early learning in the revised definition of basic education made it in the final recommendations of the Basic Education Finance Task Force AND through the legislature. How? Team work.

I’ll be honest, in the beginning the advocates were pretty silo’d. There were early learning folks and K-12 folks. But, something happened to change that and I believe it was this legislation. Suddenly legislative chairs at PTA Focus Day were prioritizing early learning in their letters to the editor and speeches, and early learning advocates were speaking to the importance of a robust definition of basic education. All advocates became P-16 advocates. This legislation forced all of us to understand the solid case for early learning. It became common sense - the program to invest in especially during a recession.

Today the Governor ended this work with a surprise veto that resulted in bitter disappointment.  As I mentioned, I arrived to the Capitol this morning ready to celebrate promise and possibility. And, there is much to celebrate. She did sign most of the bill, which is a historic step forward.  However, we also had some bad news in the form of a surprise announcement. Right before the signing we learned that the early learning component of the bill was going to be vetoed by the Governor.   As people slowly figured out what was happening, you could hear people gasp in the hall and wonder what occurred.  No one knew beforehand including key legislators or staff. We don’t really know what happened to cause this.  I personally believe it had little to do with kids.  Adults have a terrible way of getting in the way of progress for kids.

There is something I do know though. We won’t give up. Including early learning was a key component of the legislation. There is solid research and much of it that demonstrates that children who are at-risk, who receive early learning intervention, will do better in school and life. In short, high-quality early learning could prevent the achievement gap before it starts.   As more children enter kindergarten ready to succeed, the pace of the entire class can pick up.  The bar is raised for every child, which is what every child needs.

Including early learning for at risk children was a cornerstone of a “kid” focused bill. I am more than disappointed in Gov. Gregoire’s action today. I’m shocked, heartbroken, and ready to take action.

Stay tuned …

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2261 up soon!

Posted on 20. Apr, 2009 by admin.

Basic education reform bill (2261) is coming up for a vote soon. How do I know? Twitter!

Up next: 2331 Homeless services doc fee, 2339 Parks opt-out, 2356 Student achvmt fund, 2362 Ed employees (I-732), concur w/ 2261 basic ed

Watch on TVW online…

House Floor Debate
The Washington State House of Representatives convenes for regular floor session on pending legislation in Olympia (evening session). Audio / Video

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Seattle Times op-ed by Sen. McAuliffe and Sen. Oemig

Posted on 15. Apr, 2009 by admin.

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Watch Basic Education hearing in Senate

Posted on 25. Mar, 2009 by admin.

Standing room only this morning. Ninety people have signed up to testify.

Live blogging updates on the way!!!

Quick highlight from this morning: Sup. Randy Dorn said that 42 school districts (14% of districts statewide) are on the brink of insolvency. Mary Jean Ryan followed up by referring to our education system as a house of cards that is about to topple.

Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee Public: ESHB 2261, ESB 6048 - Concerning the state’s education system.

Audio / Video

Audio

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