Every high-schooler deserves enrichment

Please - no to HB 1656; how is “less science and no electives” a win for kids?

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Graduation requirements that Washington State PTA supports:

• Career- and college-ready plan developed by the State Board of Education and embedded in the program of basic education; currently on hold pending funding
• 17 core academic credits
• 7 flexible credits
• Students must attempt 24 credits; complete 22 to graduate
• This brief video explains the plan we support

Changing state assessments

To: House Education Committee

Re: State assessments and graduation requirements;
(HB 1450 heard 2/8/2013. Others bills are expected)

Dear Chairwoman Santos and committee members,

At this point, Washington State PTA does not have a position on the various proposals about assessments. But I wanted to share our perspective as you sort through bills this session.

Testimony - suicide

To: Senate Early Learning and K-12
Re: SB 5365 Increasing the capacity of school districts to recognize and respond to troubled youth.

(Written testimony)

Dear Chairman Litzow and committee members,

Washington State PTA supports state efforts in this area and sincerely thanks the sponsors. We would also encourage the state  to offer school staff tools to address students’ social and emotional health, such as support to implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and adoption of comprehensive K-12 Social Emotional Learning standards and the state support needed to implement them for all children.

Sincerely.

Ramona Hattendorf
Government relations coordinator
Washington State PTA

 

Testimony - Lowering graduation requirements

To: Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education
CON, SB 5477 - Delineating standard diplomas and applied diplomas.

Dear Chairman Litzow and committee members,

Washington State PTA believes a high school diploma should signify the minimum skills all children need to prepare for work, ongoing study and citizenship. The goal isn’t just to graduate, it is to graduate prepared. We are concerned about tracking. We are concerned about doors closing on kids before they even hit puberty. We are very concerned that the state will continue to view a solid, 24-credit diploma as an “enhancement” – something kids don’t really need and that the state doesn’t really need to fund. At least, not for all students.

We question the assertion “kids can’t do it.” Is it that they can’t do it, or that they haven’t been given the supports needed along the way? Why have we gone down the reform path if not to bring all of our children along?

Bills are moving: What we’re watching ...

... And how you can weigh in

Topics: Discipline; "grading" schools; accountability for reading; epi-pens; safe school buildings; school takeovers; assistance and intervention; starting age for school children; changes to basic education; definition of a school day; family involvement coordinators; responding to troubled youth
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IN THE NEWS: House divided on K-12 school funding priority; rejects GOP initiative to budget education first

• Fund Education First – WSPTA legislative priority

Testimony - suicide, WaKIDS, assessments

To: House Education Committee
Re: 2/7/2013 public hearings

PRO - HB 1336, Increasing the capacity of school districts to recognize and respond to troubled youth.

Testimony - Family Involvement

To: Senate Early Learning and K-12
PRO, SB 5117 - Regarding family involvement coordinators in public schools.
Good afternoon Chairman Litzow and senators,

Thank you for considering this bill. Guess what? This is my favorite bill, and I’ve just been waiting and waiting for you to hear it.

Testimony - Quality Education Council recommendations

PRO -  HB 1560, Implementing selected recommendations from the 2011 and 2013 reports of the Quality Education Council.

(Addresses professional learning; use of Learning Assistance Program funds for science; identification of highly capable students; publishing data from the Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program; teacher recruitment scholarships.)

Testimony to House Education Committee

Testimony - grading schools (to House)

OTHER; HB 1476 - Establishing a performance-based grading system for schools and school districts.

Testimony to House Education Committee

Good afternoon Chairwoman Santos and committee members,

Washington State PTA does not have a position on the labels for the new accountability index. But I wanted to affirm that yes, clarity is important. And yes, education lingo can be a hurdle to family engagement.

I encourage you to visit the website of the Office of the Education Ombudsman and read their Family Dictionary of Education Terms. You might think it’s an Onion spoof, but it’s not all too real. The terms we use in education can create barriers.

That said, please don’t get sidetracked by labels. Please, make sure the index is a useful tool, and make sure it is actually used by the schools and state to improve the quality of education programs.

Thank you.

- Ramona Hattendorf, WSPTA government relations coordinator

Testimony - changes to required action for schools

PRO - HB 1177 - Modifying the education accountability system to allow state criteria, resources, and strategies to be used for assistance and intervention.

Testimony to House Education Committee

Good afternoon Chairwoman Santos and committee members,

Washington State PTA’s top priority is to continue to improve basic education by implementing and building on the reforms started in 2009 and 2010. This bill does just that.

Testimony - 3rd grade retention, reading (to House)

To: House Education Committee

CONCERNS, HB 1452 - Establishing Accountability for Student Performance in Third Grade;

(Written testimony submitted due to time constraints of the public hearing)

Dear Chairwoman Santos and committee members,

For many children, reading does not come easily. About five percent of children learn to read effortlessly. Another 20 to 30 percent learn to read with relative ease when exposed to any kind of instruction.

Testimony - epi pens and school safety

Testimony to Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

PRO - SB 5104, Placing epinephrine autoinjectors in schools.
Sent written testimony. Aligns with National PTA 2009 Resolution: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management in Schools 

Testimony - teacher development, school-age start

Testimony to House Education Committee

PRO - HB 1178, Authorizing alternative assessments of basic skills for teacher certification.
Signed in support. Aligns with WSPTA’s No.  3 position, Closing the Opportunity Gaps
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PRO - HB 1252, Establishing the Washington K-12 online professional development project.
Signed in support. Aligns with WSPTA’s No. 5 position, Universal Access to Highly Effective Teachers
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PRO - HB 1283, Changing compulsory school attendance requirements for children six and seven years of age.

Signed in support. Spoke briefly about problems with delaying school until age 8, especially given the importance of early learning. Re-iterated that earliest years were a transition period between home and school learning, structured and unstructured learning; but by first grade community expectations were that children were receiving formal instruction of some sort and that state law just hadn’t caught up to our K-12 system.

Testimony - School takeover

CON - SB 5329 - Creating the state superintendent school district

Testimony to Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee

(Note: The concern around voter disenfranchisment also underscored Washington State PTA's decision not to endorse the A+ Washington plan crafted by other education advocates, and not to support proposed legislation last year that would have set up "Innovation Zones" where the state hired management companies to run struggling schools. Concern about community oversight of and participation in schools also factored into the association's decision not to endorse the charter initiative. The association did back 2010's SB 6696, which laid out steps for state intervention in the perennially poorest performing schools. Implementation of the concepts introduced in that bill -- evaluations, family engagement and school/district accountability -- remain a top priority for WSPTA.)

Testimony - Grading schools (to Senate)

OTHER - 5328 - Creating a school-grading program that relies on the accountability index. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)

Testimony to Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee

Good afternoon Chairman Litzow and Senators,

Washington State PTA has not taken a position on terminology in the new achievement index.

Testimony - 3rd grade retention, reading (to Senate)

OTHER - SB 5237 - Establishing accountability for student performance in third grade.

Testimony to Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee

Good afternoon Chairman Litzow and Senators,

Washington State PTA does not have a position on retention, and we did not sign in pro or con.

What's a successful school?

• Should the state intervene in poorest-performing schools?
• Should the state “grade” schools A-F (or rank them 1-7)?
• What’s more important: Students passing test benchmarks, or students showing great academic growth?

Dear members,

The State Board of Education and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction want your opinion on how to identify successful K-12 public schools.

For example, would you view these two schools as equally successful?

• A school with a lot of students passing tests.
• A school where a lot of students are progressing faster than average (regardless of how they do on tests).

The survey contains several questions about what you value in your public schools. The final selection of values will lead to a better tool for evaluating school performance.

Please take a minute to share your thoughts on this important issue. The survey will be open until February 15. The results of the survey will be available on the State Board of Education website by March 12.

Testimony - Discipline bills

Re: Support for Senate Bills 5155, 5244, 5245 and 5301 (all dealing with suspensions and expulsions); request for more foundational work to address behavior and school climate issues


To: Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee

Dear Chairman Litzow and Senators,

Ready, set, focus

Advocates heading to Olympia

Take Action: Will they defer schools, again?
Agenda, speaker lineup below

Washington State PTA members will hit the state Capitol on January 24. Our goal: Reach every legislator who has a PTA or PTSA in their district. The Parent Teacher Association advocates for children's well-being and education, and our members have important insight to share about what children need to thrive.

Our main message: Implement and pay for basic education, as promised in 2009 and the basic education funding bill, HB 2261.

No schedule for basic education funding

Focus Day is Thursday, Jan. 24. Free and empowering!

This is Washington State PTA's citizen lobbying day when advocates show up, speak up and otherwise let their legislators know that kids matter. We provide common talking points but all members are always encouraged to speak to the issues that matter most to them.

Register
Focus Day blog

Find your legislator/make an appointment

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The 2013 Legislative Session has kicked into gear, and our top priority -- improving and paying for basic education -- is at the forefront. The conversation kicked off Tuesday in a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee, where many of those testifying agreed: The outgoing governor's budget proposal had good elements, but did not go far enough to satisfy the McCleary school funding ruling. There is still no payment plan for K-12 education.

Following is Washington State PTA testimony to the committee.