Education was the main focus of the Legislature this week. While the Senate was passing bills that would grade schools, hold back third-graders, and reform the recently-reformed teacher/principal evaluation system, the House is taking a student-centered approach to education policy.
“Our priorities are clearly best for all kids and our public schools,” said Rep. Marcie Maxwell (D-Renton). “The House is focused on support for quality teaching and learning. We’re working on strategic policy and budget decisions that make significant investments in education funding and ensure successful implementation of the real reforms we’ve recently enacted. Our next steps are to guide these good bills through the Senate process.”
Maxwell is the Deputy Majority Leader for Education & Opportunity.
Key bills that passed on Friday afternoon:
Dropout Prevention
HB 1276 creates a pilot program with school districts and community organizations, like food banks and small farms to target at-risk youth.
“This is what education reform looks like,” said the prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Reykdal (D-Tumwater) on the House floor.
HB 1424 aims to close the opportunity gap by providing families, schools, and communities with the tools they need to increase the number of on-time graduations. This bill will give local communities additional resources to detect early warning signs of a potential and intervene with appropriate measures.
“No school in Washington has been immune from the dropout epidemic,” said the prime sponsor, Rep. Kathy Haigh (D-Shelton). “The prevention system we’ve developed will target the high schools struggling most, as well as the elementary and middle schools that feed into these dropout hot spots.”
STEM Education
HB 1872, sponsored by Maxwell, creates a STEM Education Innovation Alliance made up of leaders from business and education fields. The alliance will align STEM education initiatives in early learning, K-12, and post-secondary education and is a key piece of Governor Inslee’s Working Washington agenda.
According to Washington STEM, an estimated 30,000 Washington jobs will go unfilled in the next five years due to the lack of qualified STEM candidates.
Closing the Opportunity Gap
HB 1680 will adopt several recommendations by the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee. Among one of the main areas of concern is the disproportionate suspension rates of students of color. This bill will end the practice of indefinite suspensions and require districts to provide educational services to students who have been temporarily suspended from school.
“This continues the bold reforms that ensure educational excellence and opportunity for all students,” said Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle) in support of the bill. “This measure delivers the fundamental pieces that have been missing for so long for so many students in our state.”
Educator Development
HB 1252 sponsored by Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) will create an online framework for professional development opportunities for educators in Washington. As the state continues to push teachers and principals to grow in their professions, this bill will give them free and low-cost tools to meet their professional development goals.
“This will give our teachers a central hub of materials specific to the issues and needs of our kids,” Stonier said on the House floor. “Let’s give teachers an opportunity to meet, work, and think together online, sharing strategies that help them teach our children.”
Lowering the Mandatory Attendance Age
HB 1283 sponsored by Rep. Marcie Maxell (D-Renton) will lower the age for compulsory school attendance from age eight to six. Washington is only one of two states where children are not required to be enrolled in an education program until age 8.
Click here for a complete list of bills approved by the House.