We had a great turn out at the town hall, thank you to everyone who gave up part of their Saturday morning to come out and address some of the pressing issues facing our area.
If you missed it, take a look at my legislative video update where I discuss education funding, WSU Everett, and accountability for aerospace tax breaks.
—————————————————
Investments in our education system are rightly a main concern for constituents, so I want to provide some additional information on the subject.
Preparing kids for kindergarten
On the first day of kindergarten many students are already behind on math and language and they don’t have the social and emotional skills to succeed.
These kids are starting a lifelong race 20 yards behind. Most never catch up and when children fail, we all pay the price.
The good news is, we have a solution. The House and Senate both passed The Early Start Act.
This bill expands the effective high-quality programs and policies that have made Washington state a nationally recognized leader in early learning. It is based on proven brain science and the positive long-term impact quality early learning has on a child’s school readiness, overall health and life.
The evidence is really clear – quality early learning is the best investment we can make to close the opportunity gap here in Washington. Studies have also shown that for $1 invested in quality early learning services taxpayers receive more than $8 in cost-saving because students are less likely to repeat grades or get caught up with law enforcement, and more likely to enter the workforce after graduation.
—————————————————
What is “affordable” when it comes to college tuition?
If you went to college 30 years ago, you may have been able to pay your way by working summer jobs and living on the cheap. But if you are paying for college now, whether for yourself or for your children, you know that the cost of college is squeezing the budgets of many middle-income families, leaving graduates with burdensome debt and putting higher education out of reach for many students.
To continue providing students with high-quality programs, institutions need adequate funding. So, as state funding for colleges and universities has fallen, tuition rates have increased to make up the difference. We need to do more to make college affordable for our students and their families, but we cannot do so at the expense of quality.
The Budget and Policy Center’s policy brief “Declining Support for Education Threatens Economic Growth” states that since 2007, the average cost to attend college has risen 94 percent for students and families at four-year institutions, due to dramatic increases in tuition. See the chart below and read more about the report here.
One of my primary areas of concern is ensuring that Washington State University has the resources needed to accommodate projected enrollments in software engineering, sustainable agriculture, and data analytics. The WSU Everett branch presents our community with an excellent opportunity to access higher education and provide the skilled workforce companies are asking for.
Thanks for taking the time to read this update, as always, I welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
