National PTA updates charter school position

 Affirms support of charter schools as one of many avenues to improve student achievement. Calls for accountability, transparency and meaningful parent engagement in authorizing, review and decision-making processes
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WSPTA opposes charter school initiative

“We need local oversight”
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August 11, 2012

Bellingham, WA – Washington State PTA will oppose I-1240, the initiative that would authorize charter public schools in Washington. Nationally, PTA has conditional support for these independent schools, and the state association has twice backed the concept in the past year. But ultimately the board decided this initiative didn’t meet its criteria for local oversight.

“This wasn’t a decision about the value of charter schools. This was a decision about whether this initiative met our criteria,” said Washington State PTA president Novella Fraser.  The decision was made during a board meeting preceding the association’s annual Leadership Conference, being held this weekend at Western Washington University.

Gubernatorial candidates discuss education plans

Speeches posted on TVW

• Jay Inslee, education discussion
• Rob McKenna, education discussion

Both candidates for governor recently shared their visions for education at forums hosted by Excellent Schools Now, a statewide coalition of education advocacy groups, and Our Schools Now, a similar Seattle-based coalition. TVW taped the forums and has posted them on their website. The speeches are similar to those shared with members at the Washington State PTA convention.

Charter public schools initiative under review

NEW BOARD HAS NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION
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Proponents of charter public schools have filed an initiative bid with the Secretary of State, and Washington State PTA members may ask whether the association supports the effort. (See 11th hour filing)

Nationally, PTA has qualified support for charter public schools. And Washington State PTA is actively looking for ways to close our state's entrenched achievement gaps. We are supportive of choice and innovative schools – including charter public schools when they reflect the positions and principles of PTA.

At this point, staff is reviewing the initiative to see if it aligns with WSPTA criteria. The charter proponents who filed the initiative have told us it improves upon on a bill introduced to the legislature this past session. We had concerns with that bill and could not fully support it.  (Key points noted below. See also, Grassroots Connection: Feedback on SB 6202)

2012 PTA Votes Election Guide Now Available

 The 2012 PTA Votes Election Guide is available online at the PTA Votes webpage.  The printable guide gives tips to PTAs ranging from voter registration drives, questions for candidates, ballot initiatives, and the “cans” and “cannots” for PTAs around election time. 

The PTA Votes website also provides an interactive tool that allows members to register to vote and identify local elections by entering an address.   

• PTA how-to's (including what to ask candidates)
• Elections and candidates
• Register to vote

$70M for "community transformation" available

Goal: Healthy, safe communities
Non-government organizations -- including neighborhood groups -- welcome to apply.
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On May 29, 2012 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced available funding of $70 million aimed at improving the health of small communities across the nation. The Community Transformation Grant program is a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative launched in 2011 by Health and Human Services and administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Grants will be awarded to governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations across a variety of sectors, including education. The targeted communities can be specific counties, cities, towns and villages with populations up to 500,000 or neighborhoods, sections, or subgroups of the population (e.g., children or seniors) within a metropolitan area.

 

Advocacy proposals due Friday

Help decide our legislative priorities. Proposals are due JUNE 1

State board of education needs your feedback on waivers (survey)

2 new tools: Legislative highlights and an FAQ on WSPTA funding and advocacy

What Every Parent Needs Know – Find Your Voice training comes to Renton on June 9

Final countdown … Help decide WSPTA's Top 5

2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Proposals for Washington State PTA’s short-term legislative platform are due June 1. Only PTA/PTSA members may turn in proposals. These will be voted on at our legislative assembly in October. Forms may be emailed, faxed, snail-mailed or hand-delivered, but MUST be in before midnight June 1.

New Race, this one focused on learners

District-Level Race to the Top to Focus on the Classroom, Provide Tools to Enhance Learning and Serve the Needs of Every Student
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2012 Competition Proposal Available for Public Comment Until June 8
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Who can apply:
“The proposed 2012 program criteria invites applications from districts or groups of districts serving at least 2,500 students with 40 percent or more qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. Districts will choose to apply for funding to support learning strategies that personalize education in all or a set of schools, within specific grade levels, or select subjects.

Got a teen? Get them to vote

High-schoolers should register NOW to vote this summer and fall.
Register online

If you (or your child) will be 18 by Election Day, you should register.

• Election Day/August 7 primary ... Register online by July 9, or in-person by July 30
• Election Day/November 6 General election  ... Register online by October 8, or in person by October 29

PTA flier to share with members - Help get the word out. Share with your high school PTSAs!

Encouraging civic engagement supports Standard 5 of PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.  Sharing power and other standards for success

Washington treading water in science

• Washington has slight edge in science scores, but gaps continue
• Not much movement since 2009 ... 29 percent not basic; 36 percent basic; 34 percent proficient; 2 percent advanced (numbers are rounded)
• Details: Nation’s Report Card: 2011 Science
• In our state: Washington’s 2011 snapshot report

Washington’s eighth-graders scored a little better than the national average on the science portion of the Nation’s Report Card, but the state’s gaps among subgroups remained entrenched.

Nationally, score gaps between black and white students and between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students narrowed between 2009 and 2011. In Washington, the score gap widened for black students and narrowed for Hispanic students, but the changes were not significantly different. (Details below)

What will be our new Top 5?

Help decide Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities

·         2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Reminder: ALL short-term legislative issues expire this October when delegates vote in a new platform. (This includes the current TOP 6 and the “also supported” issues – including ones voted on last October)

Any PTA/PTSA member or group of members can submit an issue for consideration. I am available to assist as needed.

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Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator

Washington State PTA

rhattendorf@wastatepta.org

Subscribe to Washington State PTA’s Action E-List

Resolutions all pass, as written

Subsidizing staff salaries ... Equitable educational opportunities ... Aligning sleep requirements to school start times ... Arts education

Voting delegates to the 99th Annual Washington State Convention voted to adopt three new resolutions and amend a fourth. All passed as written, though delegates considered several amendments.

The resolutions and supporting documents can be found here.

Highlights of the 2012 legislative session

Washington State PTA advocates for the well-being and education of all children. We went into the December 2011 special session with a simple message: Don’t cut Apple Health for Kids and don’t cut basic education. Our focus stayed on the basics through that session, the regular 2012 session and the follow-up special sessions.

Legislators faced tough budgeting decisions; they needed to figure out efficiencies and forge consensus around spending priorities. We asked them to prioritize kids, and in the end they did. Both parties, both chambers. The problem is that designated revenue doesn’t cover what the kids need. It’s short about $2 billion when it comes to funding basic education. Legislators did not address that, though some tried.

For a breakdown of the budget, see an earlier blog post, Cuts stopped; long road ahead for K-12.

Resources: Gangs and school safety

Keeping kids safe is a fundamental principle of PTA and the link between poverty and poor educational outcomes to violence and gang-related activity is well-documented. So what to do?

Well for one, we can recognize the relationship between behaviors and gang involvement and work to provide a safe and secure learning environment. That’s what they are doing in Pasco. Others are focusing on data to craft better policy and identify professional training needs.

Cuts stopped; long road ahead for K-12

It took two special sessions, but at the end of the day – or in this case the all-nighter – state legislators crafted a budget that helps protect children. Cuts from past years were not restored, and K-12 education in particular faces a long road to adequate let alone ample funding. But the cuts stopped.

Education and programs that keep children healthy, fed and safe were maintained, and the legislature committed to figuring out how to add billions of dollars to basic education to meet its legal obligations. The “payment plan” is due by the end of the year. It needs to propose budget strategies and/or revenues to pay for 2009’s expanded definition of basic education, and 2010’s phase-in plan.

Tele townhall for early learning

Tele townhall on early learning
Wednesday, April 11 from 12-1 p.m.
888-863-6102
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Increasing access to high quality early learning programs and improving transitions into kindergarten are priorities of Washington State PTA.

2012 legislative priority
Public education and funding, Long-term legislative principles

Excellent Schools Now and A+ Washington are hosting a telephone town hall on the importance of early education and efforts to expand it. Featured speakers include:

Still no budget - kids need payment plan

Special session ends at midnight tonight.

Still no budget deal as day ends, but lawmakers continue to negotiate (from TVW - Monday night wrap)
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Gregoire pitching new proposal as deadline nears (from AP - Monday afternoon wrap)
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Senate passes K-12 health insurance bill, balanced budget bill (from TVW - Saturday wrap)

The areas of negotiation continue to be a balanced budget bill, K-12 health insurance bill and pension/early retirement bill - not the budget. Yesterday the House Ways and Means postponed twice and then cancelled a meeting to take action on its version of a balanced budget bill and K-12 insurance benefits.

House is expected to vote on its revised budget

Please contact your legislators and let them know if you support-
TAKE ACTION
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Highlights (viewed through the PTA filter):

• Continues to make no reductions to K-12, early learning or higher education
• Continues to fund programs that keep kids in school and on track
• Funds WaKIDS implementation
• Funds transition into new teacher and principal evaluation system

Fourth budget proposal out; sides still at odds

BOTTOM LINE: KIDS NEEDS ARE STILL IN LIMBO
And the state still hasn't figured out HOW it is going to pay for K-12 increases mandated by the McCleary decision.

About the latest proposal:

• House Democrats new budget proposal: No delayed school payments, includes reforms
  No cuts to K-12; protects Apple Health for all eligible children 
• Senate GOP: Latest budget proposal takes us ‘further apart’
  Lack of reform, low reserves cited

Budget vote near (at least in the House)

BUDGET ACTION

The House will be voting on its version of the supplemental operating budget. ESHB 2127 has been moved to the short list of bills to take up. No word yet about possible amendments to the budget proposal.

• The House convenes Wednesday at 9 a.m. for  session/caucus. Sessions/caucuses are also set for Thursday and Friday.
• The Senate convenes for a session/caucus Wednesday at noon.
• You can watch the hearings live or at your convenience at www.tvw.org