Governor signs McAuliffe legislation to improve safety, education

OLYMPIA – In a banner day for the safety and education of Washington’s families, Gov. Chris Gregoire in two separate ceremonies on Monday signed into law several measures that improve educational opportunities for students and tighten Washington’s sex offender policies.

“Nothing is more important to our state’s continuing health and productivity than safe communities and excellent public schools,” said Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, who sponsored bills signed at both ceremonies. “With these bills, we see progress on both of those fronts.”

The governor signed several education-related bills, including one authorizing alternative assessments to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). McAuliffe, chair of the Senate Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Committee, was with the governor at Bates Technical College in Tacoma for the ceremony.

SB 6475, which McAuliffe sponsored, gives students who have retaken the WASL at least once alternative ways to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. The alternative assessments include a collection of student work, a GPA comparison model, a set math score on the PSAT, SAT or ACT, and completion of an approved career and technical education program.

In addition to SB 6475, Gregoire also signed measures to:

• Pair businesses with community colleges to create customized work force training programs (SB 6326, sponsored by Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds).
• Start a pilot program pairing students with an adult mentor to help plan their educational experience (SB 6255, sponsored by Sen. Tracey J. Eide, D-Federal Way).
• Study how to increase availability of skills centers for students (SB 5717, sponsored by Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County).
• Reactivates the Center for Student Learning and creates an education ombudsman to improve parent, guardian and community involvement in education (House Bill 3127, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos).

“With these bills, we recognized that students have different learning styles and follow different pathways to success,” McAuliffe said.

Also Monday, the governor signed a package of legislation tightening up Washington’s policies for dealing with convicted sex offenders.

McAuliffe sponsored two bills in that package. Hers were designed to protect children:

• SB 6172, which increases penalties for possessing child pornography, voyeurism and using the Internet to “groom” a minor. Such crimes often lead to even more serious sex offenses.
• SB 6580, which requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a model policy for schools to follow when notified that a sex offender is enrolled. The policy must address several issues, including: helping school employees recognize high-risk situations in which the offender is having difficulty controlling his or her behavior; helping offenders make a successful transition to public school; and working with juvenile probation and parole professionals to implement a safety plan.

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