Tag Archives: Education

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a message from Gov.Jay Inslee

07/03/2013 Nativegrl77

I’m happy to report that Sunday I was able to sign a new operating budget for the state of Washington and avert a partial government shutdown.

It is unfortunate it took this long to reach a budget agreement, but I am pleased that we delivered on many of the key principles you and I fought for during my campaign.

We made our budget priorities clear: funding education, protecting vital services, and closing tax loopholes. We didn’t get everything we wanted — that’s the nature of negotiation. But, with your help, we stayed strong, and I am pleased that we were able to pass a budget that delivers $1 billion in education funding and protects vital programs for Washington’s kids and seniors.

Will you help spread the word about this accomplishment by clicking here to share this graphic on Facebook?

The budget I signed Sunday is a down payment on our commitment to fulfilling our legal and moral duty to fund education for our children — but it is clearly only the beginning.

What this budget is not is a vehicle for irresponsible, bad policy — like devastating cuts to essential services for our most vulnerable neighbors, or dramatic anti-labor, anti-environment, and anti-consumer policy initiatives.

I’m proud of that — and you should be, too — because if you and I hadn’t held the line, that’s exactly what it would have been.

Along with these key wins on the budget, I’m pleased that the Medicare expansion made possible by Obamacare is going to increase access for Washingtonians and create jobs.

Help spread the word by clicking here to share our graphic with your friends on Facebook now.

Unfortunately, it’s also clear we have a lot of work to do.

I am disappointed we were not able to reach an agreement with senate Republicans to close a number of unnecessary tax loopholes. This year’s improved revenue forecast helped us meet our short-term goals, and made clear that we did need to find new revenue, but I remain committed to securing a long-term education funding strategy by fixing these loopholes in upcoming sessions.

I’m also disappointed that senate Republicans refused to bring to a vote to pass a much-needed transportation package.

Our transportation infrastructure is the lifeblood of our economy, and continuing to ignore it is not an option.

But today I want to thank you again for standing by us, making your voice heard, and keeping up the fight for the working Washington we’re building together.

We’re going to need you again in the weeks and months to come, and I’m proud to have you by my side.

Let’s go get ’em.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee Governor

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a message from Gov.Jay Inslee

06/23/2013 Nativegrl77

As we wrap up the second week of our second special session, I want to share an update from Olympia.

While quite a bit of time has passed, my priorities remain the same. Every day, I am working to protect our commitment to funding education, while keeping our vital services to our most vulnerable intact, and every day, I’m pushing to pass a transportation package to protect our communities and grow jobs.

All over the state, Washington’s transportation infrastructure helps people get to work, moves crops from the field to the store, and carries freight to market.

Keeping that system safe and strong is mission critical to our state’s economy and it’s one of state government’s most important responsibilities. The recent Skagit Bridge collapse is a stark reminder of the critical role our transportation system plays in our communities and economy.

My team, along with a diverse coalition of stakeholders, is working day and night to get a transportation package passed that keeps Washington moving forward.

But this isn’t just about supporting the economic activity moving through our transportation system — it’s also about the jobs a transportation package would create. If we can come together in Olympia and pass a strong transportation package, it will generate well-paying, middle-class jobs in every corner of the state and help jump start Washington’s economic recovery.

My team and I are also working hard to support our long-term economic recovery by meeting our moral and constitutional duty to fully fund our kids’ education. My budget principles continue to reflect my values — making sure our kids get the best education without continuing to slash the critical services kids need to help them be successful in school.

Your support, and your commitment to the values we fought for during my campaign, helps me stand strong for our shared beliefs every day.

As the budget deadline nears and we seek to avoid a government shutdown, I will continue to insist on a budget compromise that reflects our values. Thank you for your continued engagement. I’ll keep you posted.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee

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Our Kids Deserve a Better Bill

06/21/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

Congress is once again trying to reauthorize the federal law governing public education – but if we don’t speak up, it may not get done right. After two years of “waivers” from the No Child Left Behind Act, 37 states have agreed to the president’s plan for education in their states. But this is not a long-term solution. Congress must act in a responsible, bipartisan way to permanently fix the problems of the No Child Left Behind Act by reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Unfortunately, the House Education and the Workforce Committee stoked the partisan fires this week and approved a bill that is wrong in so many ways. For example, it would:

Virtually eliminate federal enforcement of narrowing the achievement gap;
Give a free pass to states and districts to define their own standards, assessment, and accountability systems;
Freeze the funding levels for K-12 education at a time when we need to invest in our children’s futures;
Ignore the urgent need for comprehensive bullying and harassment policies to protect all our children in public schools; and
Fail to provide adequate protections for civil rights of students.

To make matters worse, a few members of Congress have vowed to bring amendments to the floor which would weaken public education by diverting public funds to private or religious schools through vouchers schemes.
Now the ESEA reauthorization bill (H.R. 5) heads to the full House floor – and that’s where you come in.

TAKE ACTION: Urge your representative to vote against H.R. 5 and oppose any voucher amendments.

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) finally gives us a chance to update the flawed and outdated No Child Left Behind Act, but H.R. 5 is not the solution. AAUW supports an ESEA reauthorization that would introduce needed flexibility while retaining a commitment to high standards, civil rights protections, and greater accountability in our nation’s public schools.
Earlier today, the AAUW Action Fund Capitol Hill Lobby Corps visited the House of Representatives, telling lawmakers that our kids deserve a better education bill: Contact your representative today and send the same message!

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Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center

06/15/2013 Nativegrl77

National Women's Law Center - Stop Discounting Women

The data are clear.
Women are still being paid less than men in almost every occupation. And fields dominated by women pay less than fields dominated by men. Here’s the part that really drives me crazy — women are even paid less in jobs that are dominated by women, such as nursing, teaching and waitressing.
Are you fired up?
Take a stand in support of equal pay by sharing this graphic today.

When our supporters share our graphics, it helps educate the public about the wage gap.
Here’s the problem: When women bring home smaller paychecks, families have less to pay for basic necessities. At a time when families are relying increasingly on women’s wages, addressing the wage gap is incredibly important.
But to do this, we need people to know about the wage gap. We have to reach beyond our core group of supporters — so that the broader public joins our efforts to close the wage gap once and for all. That’s why we need your help.
Please join us by sharing this graphic today. It’s one small thing you can do to help.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,

Fatima Goss Graves Vice President for Education and Employment National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Want to read more? Check out NWLC’s new report outlining the barriers to achieving fair pay and practical steps to close it. Also check out our new website at mywagegap.org.

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Do it for the CHILDREN!

06/06/2013 Nativegrl77

ThinkProgress War Room

Time to Invest More in Early Childhood Education

Today is a national day of action on early learning, with a broad coalition of groups pushing for significant new investments in early childhood education.

The president proposed historic investments in our kids in his State of the Union speech and budget, including voluntary preschool for all four year-olds. Investments like this are the right thing to do for our kids and for our economy. Here’s five reasons why:

1. Preschool can help combat crime, teen pregnancy, and high school dropout rates. When children have the benefit of a high-quality early childhood education, they make cognitive and social gains that prepare them to start school. These foundational skills allow them to build on their learning and knowledge through school and into adulthood. As a result, a child without an early childhood education is 25 percent more likely to drop out of school, 40 percent more likely to become a teenage parent, and 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime.

2. Early childhood education has a better return on investment than the stock market. Some policymakers worry about the upfront cost of early childhood education. However, studies show that early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make—and that includes investments in the financial market. The estimated return on investment for high quality early childhood education is ten percent. In comparison, the average return on investment in the stock market is 7.2 percent.

Why does early childhood education pay off so well? Children who participate need fewer services over the course of their lifetime. The benefits show up almost right away, with reduced need for special education and grade retention, which costs taxpayers an estimated $7,500 per child. Over time, we reap benefits when these children become adults and need fewer public benefits and are less likely to be incarcerated.

3. The U.S. lags behind almost every other country when it comes to preschool, including Mexico, Chile, and Russia. When it comes to access to high-quality preschool, the U.S. is getting beat by virtually every other developed country, including Mexico, Chile, Russia, and New Zealand. Each of these countries—and most of Western Europe and Scandinavia—enroll a greater proportion of four year olds in preschool and invest more in early childhood education relative to the size of their economies. If the U.S. wants to compete in a global market and continue its role as an economic and military superpower, we must keep up with other countries when it comes to early childhood education.

4. Early childhood education is a bipartisan issue. Politicians from both sides of the aisle recognize that when we invest in early childhood education, we improve the lives of children and families and save money for generations to come. That’s why 27 governors mentioned early childhood education in their state of the state addresses and 14 were Republicans. Governors from Alabama, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to name a few, all advocated for expanded access to preschool.

One reason why both liberals and conservatives support early childhood education is that it’s necessary to ensure our country’s economic health and military readiness. In fact, business and military leaders have called on the president and Congress to fund early childhood education.

5. Preschool can save families thousands of dollars in child care costs each year. Early childhood education is an expense that few families can afford. The estimated cost of sending a four year old to a center-based child care ranges from $4,000 per year in Mississippi to $12,000 per year in Massachusetts. For families living below the poverty level with children under five, child care costs constitute 36 percent of a family’s budget each month. In most regions of the country, the cost of child care exceeds every other household expense, including housing, transportation, food, and health care. Few families have access to subsidies to help alleviate the cost of child care; just one in five eligible families receives those benefits.

And while child care is expensive, the quality varies considerably. In many cases, parents are paying for child care that is mediocre at best. In state preschools programs, the states dictate quality standards, such as ensuring that programs are taught by certified teachers with a college degree and mandating a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Thus, children are much more likely to be in high quality settings that are preparing them for school.