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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Time’s running out for pre-K in the Senate

Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by Bonnie.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Session is nearly over. It could finish with a solid step forward for early learning OR more talk without action. Right now, it could go either way. Last week, the House passed a robust bill (SSB 6759) that would pave the way for increased access to affordable preschool for kids across Washington. Now it’s up to the Senate to take action.

Thousands of kids are crossing their fingers hoping the Senate will stand up for kids and support quality early learning. We only have three days to influence the final outcome.

We need YOU to make it happen.

The final legislation must include these key elements:

1. Improve K-12 outcomes across the board and close the achievement gap by offering all eligible at-risk children with quality preschool as soon as possible;

2. Protect funding for the state’s comprehensive preschool program (the Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program); and

3. Develop a blueprint to provide quality preschool opportunities for all children in Washington State.

The House took a position last Friday and passed a bill that includes all three. Please ask your state senator to support high-quality preschool

Want more specifics on the bills?

The Senate version of SB 6759 creates an implementation group to look at how we can get from a program that serves only the most at-risk children to one that offers quality preschool opportunities to all children. The bill charges state officials and community partners to be very thoughtful and deliberate about the next steps and what we need to do to take them - and how such a program could work with the state’s overall program of basic education.

The House passed a floor amendment that improves SB 6759 by adding two key elements (from HB 2731). First, it would protect the current funding levels for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) preschool. It also makes sure that all children who qualify for the program get served as soon as possible and it asks the Department of Early Learning to report with recommendations about what other groups of children might also need the program right away.

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Make early learning a top priority

Posted on 02. Mar, 2010 by Mike.

Preschool and early learning programs such as the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) help prepare children to be successful in school.

State lawmakers are considering legislation (House Bill 2731) to protect current funding for comprehensive preschool programs for three- and four-year old children. It would also set a goal of full implementation of an early learning program based on ECEAP standards and eligibility criteria by the 2017-18 school year.

View the video below about early learning and then call your state lawmakers at 1-800-562-6000 to support early learning for educationally at-risk children.

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LEV board members testify in support of early learning

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Mike.

This morning, the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6759. The bill would begin work to include early learning in basic education.  Doing so would elevate Washington’s commitment to the preparation of young children for kindergarten.  Studies show that children who show up ready for kindergarten are more successful in school and life.

Bonnie Beukema, deputy director, helped organize a group of early learning advocates to submit testimony on the legislation.

LEV Foundation Board member Yaffa Maritz testified that:

As a researcher, I understand the critical importance of the early years to cognitive development. Dr. Pat Kuhl’s research from the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences on language development proves that kids from diverse backgrounds come to school with huge differences in the richness of their vocabulary. These are significant differences - more than million words. These differences put at-risk children at a great disadvantage right from the start.

Since we can’t very easily change home environment, we can at least as a civil society offer equal opportunities as early as possible for kids to help close the inequality gap.

Ensuring that every child in need attends quality preK would help close the inequality gap and help ensure children arrive to kindergarten ready to succeed.

Click here for Yaffa’s full testimony.

Janet Levinger, who serves 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, said:

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 investments would ensure that the program could not be cut and that all eligible children would be served.

Click here for Janet’s full testimony.

And, Emma Margraf submitted a copy of her testimony to the committee.  As a new foster parent, she has a unique perspective on the importance of early learning.

If all at-risk children were guaranteed quality preK, my foster daughter would be leaps and bounds ahead of where she is right now. There would be no waiting lists. Parents and caregivers would not need to struggle to find quality. The State would save a lot of money. And, guess what? At-risk children would be much further ahead - where they deserve to be.

There are 19,000 other children in foster care in Washington State with stories like hers, and they need us to support them with real education FROM THE START in order to become productive citizens. Without our hard work right now, they won’t have the foundation to be the people they want to be.

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Emma Margraf testimony in support of early learning in basic education

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Mike.

Good morning. For the record, my name is Emma Margraf and I am a new foster parent to a 14 year old here in Olympia.

I am here in support of SB 6759 and applaud you for your leadership on this issue. The time for action is now - all kids, especially children at-risk, need quality preK.

I know without a doubt there is no time to waste to reform the education system - and that should begin with quality preK for at-risk children.

This belief has become clear to me as I see my 8th grader suffering everyday to catch up and develop the social, emotional and cognitive skills she so desperately needs. My foster daughter suffered a plight not known to many children. For all intense and purposes, she had no foundation for learning from birth to five and she suffers the consequences every day. She was one of the at-risk children who fell through the cracks of the system until it was almost too late.

Right now, we still have time - but the clock is ticking each day. In three short years, she’ll be out on her own in a job market that demands that she has a skillset — a fact that won’t disappear because she was so deeply neglected for so long. And so I am working doubletime to get her the skills she’ll need in the face of a system that puts change off until next week, next year, or the next meeting. What am I doing? I am building the foundation for learning that should have happened from birth to five. I’m teaching her basic social skills. How to talk to peers. How to sit still. I’m giving her a sense of attachment so she can develop trust. I am teaching her basic numeracy skills - including the order of the months and days. We have a lot of work ahead of us - but we’re both charging ahead despite the challenge and high cost to me personally and the system.

If all at-risk children were guaranteed quality preK, my foster daughter would be leaps and bounds ahead of where she is right now. There would be no waiting lists. Parents and caregivers would not need to struggle to find quality. The State would save a lot of money. And, guess what? At-risk children would be much further ahead - where they deserve to be.

There are 19,000 other children in foster care in Washington State with stories like hers, and they need us to support them with real education FROM THE START in order to become productive citizens. Without our hard work right now, they won’t have the foundation to be the people they want to be.

Thank you.

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Janet Levinger testimony in support of early learning in basic education

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Mike.

Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee
Wednesday, January 27th, 8 am
Senate Hearing Rm 1, Cherberg Building
Public hearing on SB 6759

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 SB 6759 and applaud Sen. Kauffman’s leadership on an issue that is critically important to me personally.

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 it 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 investments 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 they can make the most difference in the life of every child, and to our community.

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Yaffa Maritz testimony in support of early learning in basic education

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Mike.

Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee
Wednesday, January 27th, 8 am
Senate Hearing Rm 1, Cherberg Building
Public hearing on SB 6759

Good morning. For the record, my name is Yaffa Maritz. I am here today as a psychotherapist, a mother of 3 children, co-founder of Listening Mothers and Reflective Parenting Programs,, a board member of the League of Education Voters., I am on the  Advisory Board of the Infant Mental Health program at UW and Thrive by 5.  I was also reappointed by the governor for a second term to server on CCF (The Council for Children and Families).

I am here today to speak in support of SB 6759.  I commend Sen. Kauffman and Sen. Oemig for taking a leadership role on this issue and urge you to move forward to develop a continuum of quality preK programs, especially for at-risk children.

I have two points I’d like to share with you today.

First as a psychotherapist, I understand how critical the early years are to social emotional growth. My true passion is engaging with families of young kids. This passion led me to co-found the Listening Mothers program 15 years ago, whereby I work with mothers to foster healthy attachment with their babies.

We know beyond all doubt that kids who are emotionally secure are more resilient and therefore more successful. We also know that emotional security is a byproduct of healthy relationships.

Children who grow up in chaotic home environment with multiple stresses, where parents are at their wits end most of the time, often do not have someone emotionally available to make meaning out of their behavior and therefore become insecure and do not learn a very important skill: Self Regulation and Modulation. Without leaning to calm their emotions, these kids will not be able to have impulse control, pay attention in classroom, be resilient under stress, or follow directions therefore will lack all the  important skills needed to succeed at school.  In an experiment in a lab, 5 and 6 years old were put in a tempting situations, a plate of marshmallow was set in front of them and they were instructed not to touch it while the experimenter went out of the room.

Those kids who were able to control themselves at age 5 were shown to do better on the  the subsequent standardize tests at 4th grade and 7 grade even on the SAT!

The earlier these kids will be in a formal school setting, i.e. preK, the better. The predictable and enriching class environment and the emotional availability of the teachers will enhance their potential to succeed. 

Second, as a researcher, I understand the critical importance of the early years to cognitive development. Dr. Pat Kuhl’s research from the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences on language development proves that kids from diverse backgrounds come to school with huge differences in the richness of their vocabulary.  These are significant differences - more than million words.  These differences put at-risk children at a great disadvantage right from the start.

Since we can’t very easily change home environment, we can at least as a civil society offer equal opportunities as early as possible for kids to help close the inequality gap.

Ensuring that every child in need attends quality preK would help close the inequality gap and help ensure children arrive to kindergarten ready to succeed.

I urge you to take action today by passing SB 6759 in this committee.

I will close quoting  Dr. Jack Shonkoff  from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University: “Do it because it is the right thing to do”

Yaffa Maritz, Mercer Island, WA (41^st LD)

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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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We have the plan, now we need an investor

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Bonnie.

This morning, early learning leaders released a 10-year statewide Early Learning Plan to provide all kids the support they need to arrive at school ready to succeed.  The immediate question is “how do we fund it?”

We may have found a major investor.  The federal government is poised to create a new $1 billion Early Learning Challenge Fund for select states to develop birth-to-five programs that boost kindergarten readiness.  Our state is well-positioned to compete for these grants, but we need to take action in 2010 to secure a win.

In its latest report, LEV Foundation is proposing five actions for the 2010 Legislature to capitalize on the opportunity to compete for future Early Learning Challenge Fund grants.

1.  Protect early childhood education investments in these tough fiscal times;
2.  Continue developing the Quality Rating and Improvement System to ensure more kids participate in high-quality early learning programs;
3.  Include high-quality pre-Kindergarten in the state’s definition of Basic Education;
4.  Invest in birth to three programs, such as home visitation; and
5.  Accelerate the integration of early care and education data into the K-12 longitudinal database.

Here’s what you can do to improve Washington’s early care and education programs.

• Read LEV Foundation’s latest report on Early Childhood Education to learn about our opportunity to secure critical federal dollars.

• E-mail Gov. Gregoire about your support for early learning.

• Leave a comment on our blog about your thoughts on our latest report.

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