WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Pettigrew bills recognize that education is the springboard to success for all

Rep. Pettigrew speaking on the House Floor Suhyoon Cho
Rep. Pettigrew speaking on the House Floor

Rep. Eric Pettigrew knows what it takes to succeed – hard work and a quality education. He’s not worried about ideologies or party lines, just what works.  If an education proposal has merit, he is ready to listen.  That’s why he sponsored HB 2553 and HB 2486 – both of which passed the House last Friday.

A quality education is the key to success for everyone – even inmates. Almost half of those who go to prison will end up behind bars again. But research shows, that for those who receive some higher education in prison, the recidivism rate is halved.

Currently, Washington’s Department of Corrections (DOC) is prohibited from using any of their funds to provide secondary education. HB 2486 changes that. The bill authorizes DOC to provide higher education for those who qualify within their existing budget.

On the passage of 2486, Rep. Pettigrew spoke of his community.

“When these men and women leave prison, many of them return home to my district. We need them to be productive members of society.  If we don’t allow these men and women to develop the skills they need in prison to get a job upon release, then they will fall back into the same patterns that put them in prison in the first place – drugs, family instability, violence and poverty. And our families, community and economy will be no better off for it.  We need to stop the revolving door. HB 2486 will help do that.”

 On the passage of 2553, Pettigrew said, “All our schools should be providing students with a strong foundation for success. We know that schools that engage the community and families have successful students.”

HB 2553 allows low-performing schools (identified by the State Superintendent) to apply for grant money to help them succeed.  Grant applications must outline how student outcomes will be improved through a comprehensive plan to engage family and community.

“A model that works for a small school Pasco won’t necessarily work for a large, school in Seattle,” said Pettigrew. “This bill provides struggling schools across the state with the flexibility to build a model that spells success for them.”