Education

Economic opportunity and education are synonymous, which is why we must continually make sure Washington has an educated workforce for a thriving economy and a healthy civic culture.

Last session’s big victory was to pass simple majority for school levies. This session, we will continue to support legislation that helps struggling students meet or exceed the rigorous standards our schools and teachers have worked so hard to sustain.

The week of Feb. 11

In addition to helping to provide local schools with fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers, the floor action plan this week includes:

Setting and maintaining solid standards:

• Helping all students meet high academic standards: Senate Democrats will keep the commitment to high standards of the WASL, and we are committed to getting all students over the bar with a meaningful diploma for today’s world. We know that of those kids who fail the WASL, low-income students, English language learners, children of color and children with learning disabilities are disproportionately affected.

We want to send a message to kids who struggle with the WASL or coursework requirements that the system still wants them — and will help them — succeed. That’s why we’re offering important assistance to provide continuity of opportunity for those students who don’t meet graduation standards by the end of 12th grade (SB 6673, Sen. McAuliffe).

But the WASL isn’t the only barrier for some students. This legislation also helps students haven’t met high school credit requirements, and provides them a way forward as well.

• Ensuring clear standards in math education: Senate Democrats support legislation to monitor our state’s math standards and ensure they’re relevant to what students require in today’s world. Our plan provides clear legislative intent that both enhances clarity in math curriculum and provides more guidance for our teachers. This will give more students the opportunity and the help they need to succeed in math (SB 6534, Sen. McAuliffe).
   

• Helping school libraries help kids: Our school libraries serve as the epicenter of the digital age in our schools. Yet funding for teacher-librarians and materials is decreasing. Legislation targeting flexible funding to ensure that library services are fully financed across the state is needed to allow students to use the technology and resources that only trained teacher librarians can deliver (SB 6380, Sen. Eide).

Supporting students with disabilities:

• Learning disabilities: Early identification of autism and other learning disabilities is critical to giving those students the attention they need to achieve. We support proposals to:

   

  • begin screening for, identifying and diagnosing learning disabilities, including autism (SB 6388, Sen. Rasmussen), and
  • establish training policy guidelines for teachers of students with autism (SB 6743, Sen. Rasmussen)

   

• Behavioral disabilities: Success for at-risk students begins at home. In recent years, some children with developmental disabilities and severe behavioral problems have been placed in institutions for ongoing care. In many cases, families made this wrenching decision because they didn’t have access to intensive support services in the home and community.

Senate Democrats support a legislative plan providing more intensive in-home intervention and support services for children with developmental or behavioral disabilities through the Department of Social and Health Services (SB 6448, Sen. Marr).

Helping kids find a career:

• Career and tech ed: Different careers require a different education. Career and technical education programs in our high schools and Skills Centers give students a head start to a variety of successful careers that don’t require a baccalaureate degree. We will move forward major legislation to ensure the quality, accessibility and rigor of career and technical education programs (SB 6377, Sen. Hobbs).
   
• Technical transfer degrees. The demand for types of college degrees is changing. Legislation allowing technical colleges to offer transfer degrees to four-year universities is designed to ensure that our college and university system remains relevant in the 21st century. Senate Democrats will pass legislation offering technical transfer degrees for professional careers in areas undergoing rapid growth and growing importance to our economy (SB 6675, Sen. McAuliffe).
   

• Apprenticeship benefits: Those who leave a position to enter a training program to better their career deserve a chance at success. Senate Democrats support a measure providing unemployment benefits to those who leave a position to enter a state-approved unpaid apprenticeship training program (SB 6751, Sen. Kohl-Welles).