State Board of Education Adopts Changes to 20-Credit Requirement

At a formal meeting today in Vancouver, the State Board of Education (State Board) voted 9-3 to change the structure of the current 20-credit requirements for high school graduation.

Dissenting votes were Steve Dal Porto and Bob Hughes, who are WSSDA representatives to the SBE, and SPI Randy Dorn. Voting in support were Connie Fletcher, Bunker Frank and Tre Maxie, also WSSDA representatives to the SBE.

The State Board chose to adopt the new rules for the graduating class of 2016, but to allow districts to request a two-year extension for only the English and Social Studies credit requirements.

To apply for the extension, a school district Board of Directors would need to pass a resolution to delay the implementation of English and Social Studies and file the written resolution with the Board by June 1, 2012. If filed with the Board, the changes would apply to the graduating class of 2018 rather than the class of 2016.

The extension was viewed by some State Board members as a compromise between members who wanted to proceed with the changes and those who were concerned about the fiscal impact on school districts that don’t meet the requirements now.

Dal Porto also mentioned his concern about breaking the State Board’s commitment with school districts to push forward no unfunded mandates until funding is provided for the changes.

The biggest rule changes are increasing the credit requirement for English from 3 credits to 4 credits, and moving from 2.5 credits to 3 credits of social studies. In addition, the rule change adds a .5 credit requirement for civics, makes successful completion of Washington state history a non-credit requirement, and reduces the number of electives from 5.5 credits to 4 credits.

Lake Stevens Director David Iseminger Presents to QEC

David Iseminger, a Lake Stevens director and member of the WSSDA board of directors, is presenting his funding plan for a more sustainable and stable source of funding for K-12. It's on TVW now.

Levies and LEA are a big part of today's QEC agenda. Members are expected to discuss options and recommendations this afternoon at 1 p.m.

QEC sets meeting schedule, LEA/Levy Equalization Report Discussion in September

The QEC has tentatively set three meetings over the next three months:

• September 27 - the day will be devoted to the report and options from the Levy/Local Effort Assistance Work Group
• October 26 or 31
• November 30

The QEC has two reports it must make some decisions about before the 2012 session starts - the Early Learning Technical Working Group and recommendations about the Transitional Bilingual Program Revised Funding Model. It plans to weigh in on the levy/local effort assistance report as well.

Quality Education Council meets 8/24

The Quality Education Council is meeting today in Olympia and the meeting is being broadcast on TVW.

The meeting started with a briefing from the State Board of Education, including the introduction of new Executive Director Ben Rarick, the former budget analyst for the House Ways & Means Committee. The SBE is seeking a more active partnership with the QEC, and Chair Jeff Vincent and Rarick stressed their desire to make more strategic goals that are tied to clear measures, and to anticipate the policy issues the Legislature will grapple with in the future and bring forward recommendations.

The other presentation that has been completed is from House and Senate non-partisan education committee staff regarding the 2011 legislative session, the QEC recommendations from the 2011 report and how they fared in the session, and new work that had been assigned to the QEC.

2011 Legislative Summary available

As a wrap up of the 62nd Legislative Session, WSSDA is pleased to release a summary of 2011 policy and budget bills, and their relevance to school directors and school staff across the state.

 

The summary includes sections on: 

• the capital and operating budgets;
• education-related bills that passed and didn’t pass;
• how the WSSDA 2011 positions fared; 
• a review of rules, work groups, reports and other requirements – most with due dates between now and next January; and 
• an index by bill number and by key word. 

Copies of the 98-page summary will be mailed to each school district’s Legislative Representative in the next few weeks. A limited number of additional copies are being printed for school directors, for distribution upon request.

 

Paramount Duty: KUOW reports on schools and the recession

This week, Seattle NPR station KUOW is running an indepth series "Paramount Duty: K–12 Education And The Recession." Compiled by KUOW education reporter Phyllis Fletcher, the four-day series examines "how schools are struggling to meet the complex needs of an increasingly impoverished student body with less funding from shrinking budgets." The final program. airing Thursday, includes an interview with WSSDA President-elect and Tukwila School Director Mary Fertakis. Transcripts and audio from the programs are available online at http://kuow.org/specials/paramountduty.php.

Special Legislative Update: Should school districts be concerned about changing the state’s debt limit?

The 2011 special legislative session nearly ground to a halt due to a lack of agreement between the Senate and the House Democrats on whether to approve a bill that would have sought a constitutional change to the state’s debt limit. This special legislative report looks at the issue and provides links to podcast interviews with legislative proponents and opponents.

Read the full report here.

Legislative Update: Governor signs budget bills, revenue forecast down again

Saying she was truly dismayed by $1.8 billion in cuts to education, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the 2011-13 operating budget June 15.

The largest reductions were in suspending I-728 and I-732 and eliminating K-4 class size enhancement for about $1.4 billion in “savings” to the state.

Another large reduction was $179 million for K-12 salaries – 3 percent for administrators and 1.9 percent for certificated and classified staff – which shifted the state budget problem to local school districts, forcing them to determine whether to pass on the reduction or make up the difference.

Read the full update here.

A quick view of bills passed that affect public schools, K-12 funding

WSSDA is preparing a summary of the 2011 legislative session and special session, which will be available soon.

In the meantime, here is an updated chart of bills that passed in 2011. While no means exhaustive, the chart reflects the main education policy and fiscal bills that have landed on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s desk, and may be useful to school directors who need a quick summary of the session(s).

Legislative Wrapup Report: For a Few Dollars More

With less than two hours to spare, the 2011 legislature adjourned Wednesday, May 25, ending the special session with the House and Senate gaveling the day to a close together with a mixture of relief and celebration.

The final days were marked by exceptionally long hours and closed door sessions, and once a budget agreement was delivered Monday, the pace picked up. It was time to go home.

The 2011-13 operating budget, E2SHB 1087, includes $4.5 billion in reductions and $459 million in transfers, to close a $4.9 billion budget shortfall. It also leaves more than $700 million in reserves.

In many cases, the budget represents a continuation of funding decisions started in the 2009-11 biennial budget, last December’s budget bill (HB 3225) and the early action supplemental budget in February (ESHB 1086).

Read the Full Update