PTA Public Charter School Forum

Feb 082012
 

PTA Public Charter School Forum

Rescheduled to Wed 2/29/12

 

 

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 on public Charter Schools.

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

  • Rosalund Jenkins: Director, Black Education Strategy Roundtable (League of Education Voters project), Pro Speaker
  • 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

 

Wednesday, Feb. 29, 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

Talking Points – Special Session

Nov 122011
 

Dear advocates,

Yesterday our priorities for the upcoming special session were sent out to the Grassroots Connection subscribers. Hopefully you are all on that listserv. (If not, send a note to adminstaff@wastatepta.org and ask to be added.) A modified version of that Grassroots Connection sheet is being shared with the governor and legislators.

WSPTA is calling for a balanced approach – this means that while we understand more cuts are necessary, we will consider all revenue options as necessary to meet children’s needs. Legally, the state must prioritize basic education, but children’s health, safety and welfare needs must also be met and WSPTA will be an engaged partner in making that happen. If you are interested in working on either short-term revenue options or long-term tax reform, contact Shelley Kloba,ptalegdir@wastatepta.org

The Program of Basic Education is our top priority, followed by Apple Health for Kids, followed by programs that address children’s well-being (includes protecting children from domestic violence and ensuring they have food and shelter, as well as investments in early learning, K-12 reforms, juvenile justice and school nutrition.)

Our position on LEA is that it covers core costs needed to ensure children graduate ready for college and career. We prioritize it, but we do not do so at the expense of the program of  basic education. Continued reliance on levies and LEA to cover basic education costs is inequitable, unstable and legally questionable. Putting money into the Program of Basic Education is the way forward.

Following are talking points for your convenience. Please share with your communities. Kids need loud, powerful voices speaking up on their behalf.

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TALKING POINTS – PRIORITIES FOR FALL 2011 SPECIAL SESSION 

Basic Education:

Amply funding education for all children is the state’s PARAMOUNT duty. Neither fiscal crisis nor financial burden relieves the state of its legal duty to fund its Program of Basic Education. Once it is defined, it must be funded.

Levy equalization:

Levy equalization is tax relief for property-poor districts. Along with local levies, it funds core services, including the instructional time students need to prepare for college or career. LEA helps the state meet its legal obligation to “amply” fund education.  Washington state PTA prioritizes it, but not at the expense of providing for the state’s Program of Basic Education. Relying on levies and LEA to pay for basic education is inequitable, unstable and legally questionable. Putting money into the Program of Basic Education is the way forward.

Apple Health for Kids:

Apple Health for Kids is an essential source of affordable, comprehensive coverage for all children. Thousands of families who have lost employer-based coverage have turned to Apple Health for Kids so that common childhood illnesses don’t develop into chronic and costly health problems.

Children’s safety and well-being:

Children must always be fed, housed and protected from domestic violence. Children also deserve the opportunity to thrive. Investments in early learning, K-12 reforms, juvenile justice and school nutrition not only keep other costs in check, they help all children reach their potential.

Revenue:

Washington State PTA supports tax policies that are fair and equitable and that provide stable, adequate revenues for public education and programs that benefit youth.

Since 2008, Washington State lawmakers have cut billions in state spending, including retroactive cuts to classrooms last year. Schools have lost more than $1 billion dollars in funds that paid for classroom teachers and programs that kept children on track academically. Since 2009, schools have absorbed hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to pay, professional development, math, science and literacy programs.

This fall, programs that keep children and families safe, housed and fed are on the line. Cuts to levy equalization to property-poor districts have been proposed, as have been cuts to the Program of Basic Education — primarily to transportation, all-day kindergarten, class sizes and a week of student’s instructional time.

Washington State PTA advocates for a balanced approach to the budget that includes cuts where possible, targeted investments that will bring about cost savings, and additional revenue where necessary. Education is the state’s paramount duty and legally must be the state’s funding priority. But children are our future, and their health, safety and well-being must be seen to. Washington State PTA will carefully review all revenue options as necessary to meet children’s needs.

Families depend on lawmakers to give children the opportunity to be healthy and get a basic education that prepares them for college or career. A balanced approach to the budget will help parents protect their children. Options for job growth and recovery

 

Ramona Hattendorf
Government relations coordinator
Washington State PTA
www.wastatepta.org
rhatttendorf@wastatepta.org
2003 65th Ave. West, Tacoma, WA 98466
(office) 253-565-2153

Washington State PTA Legislative Priority Platform

Oct 172011
 

Dear advocates,

Every two years, Washington State PTA chooses a legislative priority platform. We continue to support all of our legislative principles  as well as National PTA’s public policy agenda, but we focus on the priorities. In year two of this cycle (like this year) we consider adding priorities as “also supported” and we consider amendments. The following is our updated platform for this next legislative session.

Washington State PTA’s 2011-12 legislative platform

  1. Following up on reforms of 2009 and 2010 (Basic education finance/HB 2261 and education reform/SB 6696)
  2. Math and science instruction
  3. Literacy screening and instruction
  4. Reduction in force/layoff policies
  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.

ALSO SUPPORTED (listed alphabetically):

  • Achievement gaps and educational opportunities*
  • Charter schools*
  • Early learning*
  • Highly capable*
  • Improve food quality in breakfast and lunch programs
  • Juvenile justice*
  • Make physical education/health a core subject
  •  School-zone signage*

*Adopted at 2011 legislative assembly

About our new priorities:

ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Legislative principle: Public education policies and funding

We believe 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. The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that eliminate the state’s achievement gaps and create equitable opportunities for all students. Steps can include, but are not limited to, efforts to foster:

  • Effective, culturally competent educators who have high expectations for every child
  • Ongoing collaboration that helps teachers maximize instructional time, align materials and fill in gaps with challenging and engaging curricula for all students
  • A positive school climate that factors in the needs of all learners
  • Student-focused practices that encompass intervention and leadership strategies for each child and every classroom with positive academic and behavioral intervention systems
  • Strong leadership at every school; transformational leadership at high-needs schools
  • Widespread, statewide use of longitudinal data and formative assessments, such as WaKids, that inventory academic and social-emotional benchmarks to determine which students will need additional support, so families and schools can provide appropriate intense, targeted intervention in a timely manner
  • Consistently effective home-school communications and family engagement that assists in the instructional development of children
  • A funding formula that ensures children with more need get adequate support to meet standards

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Legislative principle: Public education policies and funding

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that drive innovation and accountability in public education by allowing the operation of public charter schools in the state of Washington.

EARLY LEARNING

Legislative principle: Public education policies and funding

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that increase families’ access to high-quality early learning programs and improve students’ transition to kindergarten. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Phasing in universal pre-kindergarten services for 3- and 4-year-olds, such as provided by our state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program
  • Improving access to high-quality child care by expanding Washington’s quality rating and improvement system  (Seeds to Success), a voluntary support and professional development service for licensed providers
  • Continuing to phase in universal all-day kindergarten and use of a readiness assessment process, such as the state’s new Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS), a longitudinal data system that informs schools and families of a learner’s needs so that they can better support them.
  • Provide resources and support for pre-kindergarten through third-grade alignment.

HIGHLY CAPABLE

Legislative principle: Public education policies and funding

Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that ensure highly capable children (K-12) receive an appropriate basic education, which includes access to highly capable programs (K-12). The Washington State PTA recommends that the legislature and Quality Education Council build on the work of the Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group. This shall include, but not be limited to:

  • Advocating for a standard definition of highly capable and working to ensure students who are both highly capable and students of color, who are poor, or who have disabilities, have equitable access to the state’s highly capable program.
  • Further, Washington State PTA supports the recommendation that districts that do not currently offer highly capable programs refer to the guidelines set forth in the report of Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group.

JUVENILE JUSTICE

Legislative principle: Health and Well-being of Children and Youth

The Washington State PTA renews its support for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and shall initiate or support legislation or policies that:

  • Keep youth in school and out of the justice system
  • Ensure equity and cultural competence within the justice system
  • Ensure age- and developmentally appropriate responses
  • Strengthen the partnership between the federal government and state and local governments in juvenile justice matters.

SCHOOL-ZONE SIGNAGE

Legislative principle: Safe and Nurturing Environments for Children and Youth

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that create consistent school speed zone and school warning signage across all school districts, counties and cities so that drivers routinely recognize them, reduce speed and watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The proposal to amend our No. 6 priority failed. That priority reads:

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that lead to a new research-based state teacher compensation model that emphasizes rewarding teacher effectiveness in improving student learning.

A proposed amendment would have changed the wording to:

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that reward teachers for academic credits and degrees as well as years of service to students.

During the legislative assembly a motion to change the amendment passed. The NEW proposed amendment read:

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that consider research-based teacher compensations along with research-based evaluation models, including the Washington Teacher/Principal Evaluation Pilot.

This proposed amendment failed.

Note: The evaluation pilot is supported as part of our No. 1 priority. The pilot aims to evaluate teacher growth in supporting student learning. While there was agreement on the importance of evaluating for growth, delegates reaffirmed that they felt student learning needed to be a component of the compensation system. No specific compensation system has been identified.


– Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator, Washington State PTA

© 2011 Issaquah PTSA Council 2.6 Washington State PTA | Every Child. One Voice. Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha