TVW Air ScheduleIf you miss Arun Raha already, don’t worry: He gives an economic outlook in today’s show. Also: We’ve got details on the education reform package and one of the programs that replaced Disability Lifeline.
Tags: Disability Lifeline, economic outlook, education reform
On this week’s edition of The Impact, host Jessica Gao outline the major themes of the opening days of the 2012 session, including the various job creation proposals. Plus, why the state’s Supreme Court Chief Justice is doing temp work in county court.
Tags: education reform, jobs package, supreme court, The Impact
This week on The Impact, Jessica Gao interviewed Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Sen. Steve Litzow about education. After that, we talked to Litzow about his support for the gay marriage bill, which he announced earlier this week. Hear what he has to say in this week’s Off the Set interview.
Tags: education reform, gay marriage, off the set, Sen. Steve Litzow
The Senate is now debating the education reform bill, which would change the first-teacher-in, last-teacher-out rule.
Sen. Rodney Tom referenced the documentary, “Waiting for Superman.” He said in the movie, there’s something called “dance of the lemons” — the practice of rotating ineffective teachers to different districts instead of laying them off. He said this bill could change that.
“If we want good schools, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is,” said Sen. Lisa Brown. She said it’s too bad that the biggest education bill this session is about how to lay off teachers — not how to prevent layoffs.
Sen. Pam Roach said it’s parents’ responsibility to make sure their children are educated. “Today, when we have both parents working and sometimes a lot of people that don’t even have two parents … if we just alert parents,” she said, that they don’t have much time to raise their children right, they might be more likely to spend time at home making sure their children are well educated. “It’s getting so bad these days that we need to be looking at something fresh and new.”
“I think it raises a critical issue that hasn’t been raised yet, that is the local control issue,” said Sen. Steve Conway. “My school district, Tacoma, they’re involved in addressing these same issues through their collective bargaining process.” He said everyone wants the best education. “I just think this is a knee-jerk reaction,” he said. “Here we are, once again, the Legislature mandating a premise that would best be handled” by the collective bargaining process and the local districts.
Sen. Kevin Ranker said school districts were only recently asked to develop a four-tier rating program for teachers. He said the schools aren’t even done yet — so he said it doesn’t make sense to ask school districts to then tie Reductions in Force — also known as RIFs or layoffs — to performance evaluations that don’t yet exist.
“The plain fact is, if ratings matter … then we need to make the policy choice that connects them,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller.
The Senate passed the bill 30 to 17.
Tags: education, education reform
A bill that would turn the 12th grade into a “launch year,” where students could earn credit toward anything from a professional certificated to a baccalaureate degree, is getting its second public hearing this morning.
The idea was proposed by Gov. Chris Gregoire as part of her sweeping reform plan for the education system and introduced as a bill by the House on February 2. It passed out of the House 70-27 and is now under consideration by the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education committee, which plans to vote on the bill Thursday.
Rep. Kristine Lytton, a sponsor of the bill, said only 35 percent of students are taking a full course load their senior year. “As a parent of college-age students, I can appreciate that during these tough economic times they can save on college tuition,” she said.
“We also see it as a way for parents to be engaged in their students’ education,” said Lucinda Young of the Washington Education Association. A lot of students, she said, don’t have the confidence that they can do the work to get their dream job. But a launch year, she said, would show them that they are capable of achieving greater things.
The League of Education Voters supports the measure. “There is great opportunity here,” said a spokesperson for the League. “It is the most effective use of public resources.”
“We think that this emphasizes rigor,” said a representative of Gregoire’s office. “We think that this emphasizes opportunity.”
“Additional growth in kids attending college will come from these alternative pathways,” said another supporter of the bill.
Under the measure, high schools would be required to use existing resources to work toward the goal of offering enough courses to give students the chance to earn the equivalent of a year’s worth of postsecondary credit. In order to earn that credit, like an apprenticeship certification or a four-year degree, seniors would need to take advanced high school courses and pass college-level proficiency exams or demonstrate their competency. Schools would have to make sure that students and parents know about the opportunity.
Colleges would also have to develop a list of postsecondary courses that could be fulfilled by taking the AP, IB or other recognized proficiency exams.
Tags: education reform, launch year
While the Senate is debating biomass energy facilities, enjoy today’s edition of Legislative Review:
Tags: bullying, education reform, Governor, House, Legislative Review
The Governor’s press conference on education reform just wrapped up, and now the House is debating education reform — but her message wasn’t that fast acting: The bill on the House floor is not the Governor’s preschool to Ph.D. idea. Instead, it’s a bill implementing a handful of Quality Education Council recommendations.
The amendment they’re on now would delay common core standards by two years — during that time, the state superintendent’s office would analyze the standards and make the case to the Legislature. “It’s about standards. We need to have standards that we implement,” said Rep. Brad Klippert. That amendment failed.
“Especially in these tough times, it is important that we look for our children and what the bright spots are going to be,” said Rep. Marcie Maxwell. “I will tell you that the QEC report, and many of you have seen that, has many more suggestions and opportunities that we’ll be able to consider at a later time period,” she said, but lawmakers focused on the efforts they could pass without incurring a large cost. She said the bill supports students and educators. She said passing this bill will continue work they’ve been doing for several years.
Rep. Bruce Dammeier said he supports the bill and said it’s a continuation of the “journey” toward fully funding schools. He said the bill does three things he considers noteworthy: “The first one … is that it removes one of the last vestiges of our old system which says time in classroom matters, not what you learn,” he said. So: Instead of 150 hours equalling a credit, it bases credit on learning. He said the QEC did a “very exhaustive” look at programs that help struggling students, and this bill “gives us the vehicle to go in there and really make sure that we are,” he said, adding that it helps ensure that funds are being used effectively. The last item: “It recognizes what we all know: A quality teacher in front of a student” is the key to a better education system.
Rep. Glenn Anderson: “This is a much-needed preventative effort as well as a progressive effort,” he said, of the QEC. He said this bill represents some of the lower-hanging fruit, and there’s still a long way to go, but that this bill proves “that it’s not just a quick promise, but it’s a long term commitment to the changes that we said were necessary.” He said having said that, having looked at some of the other bills is deeply concerning. “There is language … there that would eliminate all the reforms that we have tried to initiate.”
The bill passed and now heads to the Senate. The House continues it’s education-themed day, which you can watch live on TVW now.
Tags: education reform
Governor Chris Gregoire just finished talking to the press and has passed the pulpit to other lawmakers and education advocates.
“It is time to stop to the studies. It is time to stop education reform plans. It is time to have a voice that is one leader,” said Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe. “I applaud the Governor’s leadership.”
“The state’s economic health is directly tied to the state’s higher education system,” said a vice president of Boeing, part of an education task force. She said that if Washington’s system is not fixed, employers could be forced to hire people for elsewhere. She said the task force wants to ensure that college is available to students from all walks of life, which is why they are proposing a private-funded scholarship fund of $1 billion. “We, too, need to take the steps now.”
She said that at Boeing, 70 percent of executives and 50 percent of engineers are eligible to retire in the next few years. The company’s competitive edge, she said, rests on their ability to innovate.
“Although I believe with all my might that it is possible to provide a word class education for all children, I am saddened by the reality,” said a mother of a 7-year-old first grader. “Our community has lost far too many young people to violence…I see the change in young boys around 3rd to 4th grade when they can no longer hide what they did not learn.”
Tags: education reform, Governor
In a one-on-one interview at the capitol, Speaker Frank Chopp weighs in on his approach to leading House Democrats through a difficult budget-cutting session. A strong advocate for safety net programs like Disability Lifeline (eliminated in the governor’s proposed budget), he’ll play a critical role in deciding how the state will bridge a $4.6 billion budget gap. Here’s what we covered in the eight-minute un-cut interview: his message to freshman and veteran lawmakers alike, sacred budget programs, bold ideas/specific reforms proposals, and how he’s reaching out to Republicans.
There’s also a heavy focus on education in tonight’s episode. K-12 Superintendent Randy Dorn joins us in studio to respond to the governor’s proposal to create a new Department of Education, which would oversee agencies dealing with early learning through college. In our Session Extra segment, we get the higher education perspective on the same proposal. Rep. Larry Seaquist, chair of the House Higher Ed Committee, and Rep. Larry Haler, ranking Republican on the committee, talk about a breakdown in coordination in the current education structure. They also share their thoughts on giving more power to universities to raise tuition.
Don’t miss our first 2011 legislative session edition of The Impact tonight at 7 & 10 pm on TVW. You can also watch us on our PBS partners: KBTC, KSPS, KTNW and KWSU. For a complete list of times and channels, go here.
Tags: education reform, Frank Chopp, The Impact, tuition
It is safe to say that Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn did not break out the champagne this morning when he heard Gov. Chris Gregoire’s plans to reform Washington’s education system. Her proposal would include folding all of the state’s eight education agencies into one and appoint a Secretary of Education, who among other things would be Dorn’s new boss.
“This isn’t a new idea. I’ve been a legislator, and every governor I’ve known has wanted more power. They’ve tried to abolish offices. That is not in our Constitution. Ours is direct election by the citizens of this great state,” he wrote in his reaction statement released to the press.
“I am an elected official: my boss is the people of the state, not the Governor. That is state law, explicit in Article III of the State Constitution. Would the Governor also suggest that the other elected officials report to a Governor-appointed official?”
The Superintendent’s full statement can be read here.
Tags: education reform, Governor, superintendent of public instruction
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