EVERETT—Paul Turner is a counselor at Jackon High School and the inspiration behind legislation introduced by his local lawmaker, Rep. April Berg (D-Mill Creek).
On Dec. 1, Berg presented Mr. Turner with the pen Gov. Jay Inslee used to sign that bill into law.
“Imagine four high-school students sitting around a classroom table working on a project for a class that would help them earn college credit, helping them jumpstart their career and save money on college,” Berg said. “What if I told you only three of those four students got college credit, even though all four did the same work? Until this year, that was the reality for Washington high school students.”
“Because of Mr. Turner’s idea,” Berg said, “more students will graduate high school with college credits. That will help them finish college earlier with less student debt. I am proud that one of my first bills as a state representative gives students an opportunity to make a real difference for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Berg’s law, House Bill 1302, passed the House 97-0 and the Senate 49-0.
“This is an example of lawmakers from both parties making a small change in state law that will have monumental positive effects on the lives of students,” Berg said. “I’ll keep working with Mr. Turner, teachers, and parents on other ways to make dual-credit coursework more accessible and fair for all of our students in the great state of Washington.”
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