posted Feb 17, 2012 4:50 PM by Rena Peterson
On Feb. 16, the Washington state Economic and Forecast Council reported that revenue projections had increased by $96 million compared to previous projections in November. Below is State Superintendent Randy Dorn’s statement on how the projections, among other recent issues, should impact education funding:
OLYMPIA - February 17, 2012 - It has been a long time since I’ve heard good news on the economic front, so the revenue forecast, coupled with a projected decrease in caseloads, creates great potential for the students in our state.
As I have said many times already: there should be no further cuts to education. But the good news -- with the January Supreme Court decision, McCleary vs. State, that the state isn’t meeting its Constitutional obligation regarding education funding -- allows me to add to my initial statement.
Not only should there be no further cuts, we should begin investing more in education. The Supreme Court said as much in McCleary. We cannot afford to go backward any longer. To make real changes and real reform, we need to provide ample resources. Our educators have been doing more with less. Now we need to allow them to do more with more.
I understand that the current resource picture makes it difficult to make significant forward progress, and I understand that the budget isn't balanced and that legislators have much work to do. For the current budget, I’m simply asking that we put education first -- in accordance with the constitutional requirement -- and make no further cuts.
But make no mistake: we need to make new investments soon -- with or without additional resources. I call on legislators either to find new revenue or prioritize spending for the following investments as soon as possible:
State funding for full-day kindergarten for all students. The cost is estimated to be an additional $130 million for next year.
Lower class sizes in Grades K through 3. This essentially restores the enhancement that had been provided to school districts for additional teachers in the early grades. This will help us sustain the gains we make by implementing full-day kindergarten and help struggling students get the help they need to not fall behind. Lowering class sizes to an average of 22 students is estimated to cost $120 million next year.
Fully fund student transportation. This is a basic need. Full funding will allow districts to reprioritize their local funding to support basic education enhancements, including music, art, sports and other extracurricular activities, and programs that meet individual needs of students, including linking students to social and health services. Funding student transportation fully is estimated to cost $110 million next year.
Fund basic technology supplies, materials and operating costs. Technology is increasingly a part of our everyday world, but our schools aren’t keeping pace. An initial investment of $50 per student would double the funding we currently provide for this function. No matter where the funding goes, it could make a big difference for our students, and our state being competitive in today’s world. Fifty dollars per student equates to about $50 million.
As a former legislator, I know how difficult it is to prioritize the many needs of our citizens. But it is clear in our Constitution, and in McCleary, that funding basic education is not an option. It is a requirement and a moral imperative. The students of Washington deserve it.
About OSPI
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Randy Dorn, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts and nine Educational Service Districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
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posted Feb 15, 2012 2:14 PM by Rena Peterson
The following is from a blog post by Linda Hanson, a former WA State PTA President and superlative advocate;
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Half Way Point, Teacher Evaluations
Washington state legislative session is officially at half way point! Last night at 5pm was the deadline for each chamber to vote on bills to be referred to the other house. Now all bills passed in the Senate move to the House committees and House bills passed move to the Senate committees – and the process begins again.
Today the February forecast will be released, and then we will see budget proposals from the Senate and House. The budget is the largest issue facing the legislators this short session – and remember, no bill is actually dead until Sine Die on March 8th.
Towards the very end of the Senate floor session Senator Rosemary McAuliffe presented the Teacher Evaluation bill, 5895. This bill sets new guidelines for principals in evaluating teachers, and requires teacher feedback in principal evaluations. A great deal of closed door compromising happened yesterday before the bill made it to the floor for debate and vote. Governor Gregoire even attended the floor debate in person – a rare occurrence.
The measure builds on the four-level rating system established two years ago by the Legislature. But this time, the state will offer evaluation templates for school district to choose from instead of having local teachers and administrators design the system.
Now the bill moves to the House – to be heard in education committee hearings before it moves any further in the legislative process.
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posted Feb 8, 2012 9:06 AM by Rena Peterson
This was our children's first political rally! It was powerful for them to have such an intimate experience of our government in action. They also got to experience the importance of Freedom of Assembly, allowing them to make a connect with so many of the political gatherings that are happening in our communities. I urge you to head down to Olympia to let your legislators know our "paramount duty" is education while giving the kids an irreplaceable civics lesson!
PTA
Call to Action: Go to the Rally in Olympia, Feb. 20th!
Ride a free tour bus chartered by our LWPTSA
Council - join
fellow parents and PTA members across Washington for the annual Focus Day in Olympia, the rally on the
Capitol steps!
On Monday Feb 20th school is closed for Mid-Winter Break over
President’s Day - bring your kids and friends!
Busses leave at 7:30 AM SHARP from the Redmond Town Center eastern parking
lot off 170th Ave NE, at the former Larry's/Top Food grocery store, between
Cost Plus and Bartell Drug. Busses will
return at about 4:00 PM. More bus info at Lk Wa
PTSA Council, and Focus Day event info at
WSPTA.
Your help
is needed to shape 2012 Washington’s legislative priorities in another very
difficult economic climate. Join in the public rally,
meet with legislators, receive updates on key issues, and network with fellow advocates
- we do make a difference when we show up at the Capitol with many WSPTA friends!
Going? Please
confirm your bus seat RSVP
via e-mail – provide your last name, the number of adults and kids, and whether
you would also like to join others meeting with your legislators.
Please also register with Wa State PTA so
they may know how many people to expect. You can also purchase optional brown
bag lunches from this site. Dress for
cold weather, we’ll go rain, snow or shine (additional general
info from past Focus Days).
Questions? Contact Jason Rothkowitz, advocacy@lwptsa.net
(written by Bryon Shutz, legislative advocate & LWSD father)
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posted Jan 18, 2012 5:19 PM by Rena Peterson
From Ramona Hattendorf, Washington State PTA Government Relations Coordinator
Hearing re-cap: Innovation and charter schools, transformation zone
Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee
Jan. 18, 2012
-
A work session on Washington’s Innovative Schools and a public hearing on SB 6041, lighthouse school programs; and SB 6202, establishing alternative forms of governance for certain public schools
-
TVW video:
2012 Designated Innovative Schools
Overview of TAF Academy
Charter school, transformation zone chart
-
-
Dear advocates,
Innovation was the theme at this morning’s gathering of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. First senators heard an overview of the state’s designated Innovative Schools and a presentation by the TAF Academy, a public-private partnership that operates STEM-focused schools in Federal Way and Renton. (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Then the committee held public hearings on SB 6041, expansion of STEM Lighthouse Programs to include three elementary schools. Lighthouse schools model STEM programs and provide technical assistance to other schools and communities that want to create similar programs. The Legislature provided $150,000 in the 2010 Supplemental Operating Budget to fund the technical assistance.
Improving math and science education, particularly in elementary schools, is our No. 2 priority and WSPTA provided written testimony in support. Senate bill report for SB 6041.
Finally the committee heard testimony on SB 6202, a bill that would allow a limited number of charter
schools to operate in Washington, with a focus on improving academic achievement for educationally disadvantaged students. The bill would also establish a statewide school district, called a “transformation zone,” that would take over the lowest-performing schools and transfer management of them to private non-profit learning management organizations. Senate bill report for SB 6202.
Nationally, PTA supports the concept of charter schools – with qualifications. Our focus in Washington is to make sure any proposed legislation reflects PTA principles (per National PTA’s position) and drives innovation and accountability (per WSPTA’s platform position taken this fall). We do not have a position on transformation zones. We have not taken a position for or against SB 6202 or its companion bill in the House. At this time we are providing feedback that would better align proposed legislation to our principles. WSPTA provided written testimony to the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. (Included below)
The committee heard from two panels – one for and one against. Speaking for were the League of Education Voters; a Whitworth College (Spokane) student who graduated from a charter school in California; two educators; and a former educator and parent. A representative from the Washington Roundtable, a business group, also spoke in support. Speaking against were the Washington Education Association, the Washington School Directors Association, the Association of Washington School Principals, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Testimony and questions focused on the charter school component of the law and not the transformation zone. A preliminary fiscal impact statement notes implementation costs of more than $33 million, starting in 2013-14.
· A companion bill, HB 2428 is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee this Friday, January 20, at 1:30 p.m.
· Also slated for a hearing at this time is HB 2606, a bill submitted on behalf of Gov. Gregoire that would establish laboratory school partnerships to “bring together Washington's institutions of higher education and low-achieving public schools to collaborate and implement plans to accelerate student achievement and deepen the knowledge and skills of educators.”
Related WSPTA 2012 priorities: Educational opportunities; public charter schools;
Members are encouraged to advocate for any or all the issues on our legislative platform; staff will devote the most time and resources to the higher ranked issues. 2012 legislative platform.
The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee members are:
rosemary.mcauliffe@leg.wa.gov
christine.rolfes@Leg.wa.gov
steve.litzow@leg.wa.gov
tracey.eide@leg.wa.gov
joe.fain@leg.wa.gov
nick.harper@leg.wa.gov
andy.hill@Leg.wa.gov
steve.hobbs@leg.wa.gov
Curtis.King@leg.wa.gov
sharon.nelson@leg.wa.gov
rodney.tom@leg.wa.gov
Senator McAuliffe is chair; Senator Rolfes is vice chair and Senator Litzow is the ranking minority member.
-------------------------------
Washington State PTA testimony, Jan. 18. 2012
To: Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee
Re: SB 6041, lighthouse schools; and SB 6202, alternative forms of governance for certain schools
SB 6041, lighthouse schools
Improving math and science education, particularly in elementary school, is our No. 2 priority and Washington State PTA thanks you for considering the bill. We support.
-
6202. Alternative forms of governance for certain public schools
Washington State PTA believes great educational outcomes are possible for all students, including students of color, students of diverse cultural or linguistic backgrounds, lower income status and students with special needs. Members are keenly aware that our state has entrenched gaps, and on behalf of the association I would like to thank you for considering new ideas and approaches.
As an association, we are still evaluating this bill, especially its creation of a statewide “transformation zone.” A proactive approach is appealing. However, it is not clear how a transformation zone would align with the required action process laid out in SB 6696 – 2010’s landmark reform bill. SB 6696 injected family/community engagement into school turnaround, and its absence in this bill is missed. Lack of community input into just how instruction and services will change is a big concern to us. Meaningful change and clear communication can’t happen if families are shut out of the decision-making process.
As for the charter school component of this bill, nationally PTA acknowledges public charter schools as one avenue to school reform and we have qualified support for them. Our focus is on ensuring they are well-governed, responsive to local need, and focused on working with families to meet the instructional needs of students. Fundamentally, charter schools need to be an asset to a community and welcoming to all students. PTA position on charter schools
In regards to this proposal, we would look for more streamlined governance (do we really need another commission?); stronger provisions for shared decision-making with families; and clarity on the closure process for failing charter schools.
We would also look for a mechanism by which charter schools could share best practices with neighboring schools, and assurances that decisions about charter schools would take into consideration impact on the surrounding school district.
In discussion of charter schools among members, concern about services to students with disabilities repeatedly came up, as did concern about funding. Support for allowing charter schools, meanwhile, centered on the success that certain charter schools have with children affected by the achievement gaps. If Washington chooses to go this route we want the best charter law possible.
Related Washington State PTA platform positions:
Public charter schools
Educational opportunities
Children in our persistently lowest achieving schools need viable choices; and students affected by the education gaps need enhanced academic supports. Again, thanks for considering and advancing new ideas to achieve this.
Sincerely,
Ramona Hattendorf
Government relations coordinator
Washington State PTA
www.wastatepta.org
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posted Jan 12, 2012 8:51 PM by Rena Peterson
WSPTA top priority issues (all voted onto the platform in 2010):
1. Improving basic education – this includes implementing and funding a new definition that emphasizes and supports college and career readiness and that improves the system of delivery (ESHB 2261, SHB 2776 and E2SSB 6696)
2. Math and science instruction
3. Phonological awareness screening and reading instruction
4. Changing layoff policies to include more than just seniority
5. Fund education first in the state budget process
6. New, research-based model for teacher compensation that emphasizes rewarding teacher effectiveness in improving student learning.
Our supported issues are:
- Improve food quality in breakfast and lunch programs (2010)
- Make physical education/health a core subject (2010)
- Adopt strategies to eliminate achievement gaps and improve educational opportunities (new, 2011.)
- Increase access to early learning and all-day kindergarten; improve transitions and supports pre-K to grade 3 (new, 2011)
- Eliminate barriers to K-12 highly capable programs (new, 2011)
- Renew support for the federal juvenile justice act and adopt strategies to improve our state system (new, 2011)
- Drive innovation and accountability by allowing public charter schools (new, 2011)
- Create consistent school speed zone and school warning signage across all districts, counties and cities (new, 2011)
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posted Jan 12, 2012 8:06 PM by Rena Peterson
PTA Public Charter School Forum
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Washington Middle School Cafeteria
You are invited to attend the WA State PTA Forum on Public Charter Schools
hosted by Region 6 PTA. The event includes a review of the PTA Charter Issue
that was passed this fall, National PTA policies on charter schools, WA State PTA
resolutions/issues that will impact any prospective bill with pro and con
presentations.
The format includes pro and con presentations and questions from the audience.
Presenters include: · Ramona Hattendorf: Government Relations Coordinator, Washington State PTA
· Olga Addae: President, Seattle Education Association, (Teacher’s Union)
Con Speaker
· Beth Sigall: Lake Washington School District, PTA Member, Pro Issue Submitter
· Dr. Wayne Au: Assistant Professor, Education Program, UW- Bothell, Editor,
Rethinking Schools, Con Speaker
· Robin Lake: Associate Director, Center for Reinventing Education, UW Bothell,
Pro Speaker
Moderated by C.R. Douglas, Political Analyst, Q13 Fox News
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, from 6:30 – 8:30pm
Washington Middle School Cafeteria
2101 S. Jackson St, Seattle 98144
From S. Jackson Street go south on 20th Ave South, take first left onto S. Weller St,
(going around the Franz Bakery). At 20th Place South, parking lot is on your right,
school entrance is to the left.
Questions: contact Heidi Bennett, WA State PTA Region 6 Legislative Chair
heidi@bennettdirect.net
REGION 6:
Seattle, Shoreline
Northshore &
Vashon Island
link to information on Washington State PTA website: http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/index.html
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posted Jan 10, 2012 7:35 PM by Rena Peterson
Legislative Update
January 10, 2012
On Thursday, January 6, 2012, the state Supreme Court
announced the decision regarding the priority of funding of basic
education. The Court’s decision affirmed
that the state’s “paramount duty” is to fund basic education. The following is from Cathy Renner, Region
2, Legislative Chair; she does an
excellent job of explaining the basics of the ruling and what it means for our
children now.
Rena Peterson
Kids
in Washington State got a big win with last week's Supreme Court Decision and
we need your help seeing it through. The high court's decision aligns
perfectly with WSPTA's number one priority legislative issue which
is Following up on Education Reform Efforts. We have a huge advocacy
opportunity here and I don't want us to miss out on it!
Most
of you will be having a general meeting in the coming month and I would like to
ask you to set aside 5 minutes of that meeting to do a "Take 5 for
Kids" card campaign on this issue. If you are unfamiliar with this
process or unsure how to proceed, I have attached a document that was included
in your leadership packet that explains how to give this simple type of report
at a general meeting. The information to give your members at this meeting is
as follows in red:
In a clear win for children, the Washington State Supreme Court
ruled unanimously today that the state was violating its constitutional
paramount duty to amply K-12 education. The ruling
This is a historic victory, however, this is not necessarily a
done deal. We have a huge opportunity this session because of the verdict
in the lawsuit. There is a lot of "grayness" in the verdict.
Some attorneys think that the verdict means that cuts to education can
still happen. Other attorneys think that the verdict means that cuts
can't happen. Our legislators will need to hear from us. They need our
help figuring out what to do about the verdict. They need to know that we
support them funding education. They need our help.
The high court’s decision validates all of the work Washington
State PTA members put into the passage of ESHB 2261 in 2009 and SHB 2776 in
2010, and with our work this past year to protect all-day kindergarten, highly
capable funding and an intact school year.
This decision sets the stage for the next step – finding a
stable, adequate source of revenue to meet the needs of schoolchildren.
THE RULING
Not only did the high court point out that ample funding is
“considerably more than just adequate,” the court ruled the state was
consistently giving districts less money than actual costs. It identified ESHB
2261 as a “promising” reform package that if fully funded would remedy
deficiencies in the K-12 funding system.
It reiterated that “ample funding for basic education must be
accomplished by means of regular and dependable tax sources.”
Finally, the court said it would stay engaged to help facilitate
progress in the state’s plan to fully fund basic education by 2018.
Ask
your members to write a couple sentences on their cards stating that it is
imperative that the legislators honor the verdict. If they want to tell
them "how" to do this, they should do that too...could be raising
taxes, could be cutting something else - frankly it will have to be everything
we can think of.
The
legislature is in a pickle and they need to know that the really, really,
really hard stuff they are going to have to do is backed by their community.
Thank
you in advance for taking the time to do this at your upcoming meetings and to
make things easier, after you have collected the cards from your members
contact me and I will come to you and collect the cards and hand deliver them
to our legislators as I will be making trips to Olympia at least once every two
weeks in during this legislative session. Another option is to bring the
cards with you to the Region 2 Mid Year Conference on February 11th and drop
them off with me there. If you would like to include your own cover
letter with your cards please feel free to do so, but if not, I will simply
include the cover letter I have prepared. If you have any questions or
concerns at all, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Cathy
Jo Renner
Region
2 Legislative Chair
Washington
State PTA
everychild.onevoice
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posted Nov 27, 2011 12:53 PM by Rena Peterson
I have included here the information that
directly impacts K-12; our children's school day. Remember, there is no
mention of higher education here. The financial health of our
universities is a significant piece of this issue as well. It is outside
the scope of these updates, but I can point you to some meaningful information
regarding these issues. Let me know if you would like that information.
Please read through this. It is so
important you understand how directly the decisions being made right now will
impact your child(ren) and well as all our children.
Rena Peterson
legislative@mybenfranklinpta.org
The biggest news is the governor's proposed cuts
to education. After issuing her proposal on Oct. 27th, the governor and
her staff began to look at revenue and "fine tune" the cut proposals.
This process continues and it is important to let your legislator and
governor know where you stand on the proposal. The attached email
describes the proposed cuts to children in greater detail and also has links to
see the entire budget information.
The cuts being proposed influence all educational
programs from early learning through university level. The cuts proposed
that influence WSPTA priorities is $592 million. This is an outline of
the cuts that will directly impact K-12 education (the other cuts are to areas
that influence social programs known to impact student learning):
K-12 …
($422.4 million reductions)
This figure includes pay cuts
to staff. Staff cuts were itemized separately in the governor’s proposal. It does
not include delay of June apportionment payment to school districts.
· Reduce
levy equalization payments by 50 percent - $150 million
LEA
goes to school districts with higher school property tax rates. Some
districts could make up for some or all of the reduction by seeking to increase
their local voter-approved levies; others will not be able to. (Note:
Technically not “basic education” but covers essential operating costs.)
· Increase
class size by two students in grades 4 to 12 - $137.0 million
Boosts
class size ratios of students to teacher as follows: grades 4–6: from 27 to 29;
grades 7–8: from 28.5 to 30.5; and grades 9–12: from 28.7 to 30.7. Will result
in fewer teachers, thus increasing class sizes.
· Shift
bus depreciation payment from October to August - $49 million
Delays
state payments to school districts for bus replacement by 10 months.
· Reduce
National Board certification bonuses - $8.4 million
Reduces
bonuses from $5,000 to $4,000.
· Alternative:
Revise state attendance policy - $6.4 million
Changes
policy that considers a student withdrawn after he/she is absent unexcused for
20 consecutive days. Five, not 20 days will more accurately account for
students who have dropped out of school and for whom the state continues to
provide funding to the school district.
· Eliminate
or reduce small grants and projects - $9 million
Terminates
a number of grants and projects administered through OSPI: Promoting Actual
Student Success (PASS), Readiness to Learn, Beginning Educator Support Team
(BEST), principal and superintendent internships, career and technical
education start-up grants, Building Bridges, STEM Lighthouses, nonviolence
training and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). Cuts by 20 percent LASER,
Washington Reading Corps, Leadership Academy, College Readiness, Achievers
Scholars and IT Academy.
· Reduce
staffing for small high schools - $5 million
Shrinks
staffing formula for high schools serving fewer than 300 full-time students
from minimum of nine full-time teachers to a minimum of eight.
· Reduce
OSPI state administration by 10 percent - $600,000
· Impose
additional 1 percent salary reduction for K-12 employees (one year) - $37
million
Reduces all K-12 salary allocations by 1 percent,
effective for the 2012–13 school year.
· Reduce
monthly state allocation for K-12 employee health benefits - $20 million
Reduces
state allocations to school districts for employee health benefits from $768 to
$745 per month
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posted Nov 27, 2011 12:49 PM by Rena Peterson
[
updated Nov 27, 2011 12:50 PM
]
Click on the attachment below to see how your state educational tax dollar is spent. How many misconceptions did you have about where our money went? I know I was surprised to learn that more money is budgeted for Utilities & Insurance than Curriculum & Textbooks and Security & Central Office has 5 times the budget Professional Development does.
Rena Peterson
Legislative VP
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posted Nov 27, 2011 12:19 PM by Rena Peterson
[
updated Nov 27, 2011 12:51 PM
]
Most of my update is taken from "Focus on
Schools: 2011 Legislative Session" on the Washington State PTA
website: http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/session_2011/index.html .
I have also attached an informative summary on where our state education dollar
goes.
I urge you all to take a look through the
document since it has detailed information with many links to the groups
working on the different issues. In addition to explaining what was
accomplished, it highlights the work on WSPTA priorities, even when those
priorities didn't result in legislative action.
Here is a VERY brief summary of changes that were
passed:
Prototypical school funding model:
This model illustrates the resources needed to
fund a typical school. Districts decide how to distribute the funding and
are not bound by the model.
Early Learning
It is considered essential but not part of the
definition of basic education. Senate Bill 5427 will expand WaKids, a
program to gauge developmental progress in kindergarteners to identify needed
instructional support. The state is pursuing federal funds through the
Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge to build a early learning program.
You can provide a letter of support for these efforts by going to WAChallenge.org .
Evaluations
No legislative action on this issue. The
salary plan originally outlined in the basic education funding reform bill did
not make it into the final bill. The final bill set up a work group to
design a new salary allocation model. The state is half way through the
Teacher and Principal Evaluation Pilot (TPEP). This fall districts
are trying the evaluation systems. In summer, the state superintendent
will make recommendations to the legislature. The TPEP oversight
committee is researching and making recommendations on a number of issues that
will address student growth, evaluator training, and inter-reliability.
Common Core Standards
This summer, Common Core Standards were adopted
by the state with a four phase implementation strategy. These adopted
standards will change the graduation requirements, with some starting with the
class of 2013 (currently 11th graders). Assuming these standards remain in
effect, all the changes will impact the current elementary school students.
Outside of WSPTA, groups (League of Education
Voters, WEA, AFT of Washington, etc) continue to push education reform, with a
special focus on preserving funding levels, levy equalization, challenging
I-1053, and addressing the "last in, first out" basis used to
determine which teachers will be cut as school budgets are reduced.
Rena
Legislative VP
Franklin PTA
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