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State PTA adopts ambitious agenda for 2018

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Approximately 200 delegates representing 134,000 members from across the state recently attended the Washington State Parent Teacher Association (WSPTA) 39th annual Legislative Assembly in Tacoma, Washington. The body adopted several positions for their existing legislative and public policy platform.

Same event, new focus – WSPTA Legislative Director Nancy Chamberlain, who organized the assembly, said she wanted to make this event different from past years. In addition to passing resolutions which guide advocacy work, Chamberlain also sought to “educate the delegates on all the issues.” This way delegates would be better informed voters during the assembly as well as knowledgeable advocates when they return to their respective schools.

In the morning assembly, delegates attended brief presentations to learn about the issues up for consideration. This was followed by class offerings with panel members from outside of PTA leadership, including Washington state legislators, school board members and leaders from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All offered advice on how to be better advocates or inform members about new laws.

Resolutions and issues – What makes the WSPTA process unique is that issues and resolutions are brought forward by members themselves, so the final product reflects a bottom-up, grassroots effort.

“It gives the PTAs at the local level a little more clout when the individual school districts, principals, school administrator or building realizes that the PTA is not just popping popcorn for a carnival but that are actually advocating for the same things that the principal needs, the school district needs and the superintendent of the school district needs,” said Teri Davis, WSPTA Vice-President. “We are all working together for the same things.”

Resolutions adopted:

  • Mental Health Needs for Children
  • Trauma Informed Care
  • Increasing Access and Affordability of Post-secondary/Higher Education Degrees and Certificates
  • LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Legislative issues adopted (in alphabetical order):

  • Addressing the Teacher Shortage
  • Best Practices for School Meal Policies
  • Career Connected Learning, CTE and STEM
  • Dual Credit Equality and Support
  • Equity for Highly Capable
  • Preventing and Mitigating the Impacts of Gender-based Violence
  • School Construction and Class-Size Reduction

From Chamberlain: “A few of our issues that we are looking at … are already bills in the pipeline and we are excited to be able to take a position on.” These include best practices for lunch policy, as well teacher shortages.

See 2018 WSPTA Supported Issues for entire positions on issues.

What happens next? – Delegates will return their schools to share information about the newly-adopted legislative platform and resolutions with their local PTA chapter. This helps PTA members advocate effectively for students not only in their district but across the entire state of Washington. For example, members often testify in Olympia during the legislative session in support of bills furthering the aims of the voter-approved platform.

“People think of PTA as the local PTA at your school and you might have 100 members or so. They don’t realize that as a statewide association we have over 134,00 members,” Davis said. “We represent the voices of those members and the children across the state. It is a different perspective when you put it into the big picture overall to see how we are working and what we can do.”

Cami Brix is a junior at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, where she is a writer and editor for the Nordic News student newspaper. As an EEN contributor, Ms. Brix shares the student perspective along with research and writing support for ongoing EEN projects. On October 20-21 she attended the Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly in Tacoma and filed this report.

Meet the candidate: Anita Damjanovic

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Anita Damjanovic

Anita Damjanovic is running for election to the Lake Washington School District school board (position 3). Her response to EEN’s candidate questionnaire is below.

For more information about Anita Damjanovic

email: [email protected]

website: http://www.anitaforschoolboard.com

phone: 872-222-7633

What was the lightbulb moment that made you decide you wanted to run for school board (election or re-election)?
I have always been a passionate advocate for public schools. When I heard about Ms. Bernard retiring, I decided it was time to run. I knew that there would be other community members who would undoubtedly step up, but looking at my sons’ and my students’ smiling faces convinced me that rather than wait on others, I needed to step up myself. Having been in the classroom for the implementation of NCLB, Common Core, several different standardized assessments, new graduation requirements, and various technology initiatives, etc., I have valuable insight and first-hand experience that is currently lacking on our school board. I want to share my knowledge and help improve our schools for all our students.
What work or other experiences can you point to that qualifies you for the position?
I am a teacher entering my 14th year in the classroom. I started teaching in Louisville, KY at an elementary school immediately upon my graduation from the University of Louisville. Soon after that, I moved to Chicago to pursue my doctorate in Romance Languages and Literatures. While in Chicago, I taught at several universities, most notably Northwestern University and University of Chicago, my alma mater. After completing my Master’s in Teaching Secondary Education, I started my K-12 career teaching at a charter high school. In Washington, I taught middle school and high school courses, and worked on improving student outcomes and educational experiences in the choice program where I teach. I also taught at Redmond High School for a year, ultimately resigning my position in LWSD to avoid leaving my students without a teacher only a few months into the school year should I win a seat on the school board.
What are your ties to the community and how do you give back to it?
My family is a multicultural immigrant family. We are first generation citizens of the United States, and we are fairly new to the Pacific Northwest Area. After my husband and I completed our studies, we intentionally chose the Eastside as our future home after seeing that it is a strong community that values education and hard work, values we share. We are looking forward to growing roots and raising our sons here.
What does your district do well to help improve student learning? What’s one thing your district can do better to improve outcomes?
Having had an opportunity to work for the district, I speak from personal experience when I say that LWSD encourages teacher collaboration: co-planning, co-teaching, and teaching mentors and coaches all provide opportunities for teachers to develop strategies for student individualization leading to more learning. Even at the building level, teachers work together on development of common assessments and establishing student growth goals, resulting in better instruction and better educational outcomes for our students.

We know that students learn best when they feel comfortable and safe. In the last decade I have seen more and more students suffer from anxiety and depression, which often results in absenteeism. The students’ mental and emotional discomfort, and their frequent absences both have a strong impact on their learning. I would love to see us take a more proactive approach on these issues and attempt to address them more intentionally at the local level.
Parent engagement is vital to successful schools. What can your school district do to improve meaningful family engagement, especially for families that find it difficult to engage or don’t see much value in it?
I believe our district has put a lot of effort into community outreach in the last few years, but we can always do more. For example, right now we do not invest enough into our vocational education programs, and we still emphasize college as the best path to long-term success. Creating a more robust vocational education program would allow us to reach the parents who value career training, as well as build a stronger connection between the district and area businesses. Ultimately, I would love to see us consider vocational education programs akin to those offered to students in Europe: education and paid training for all students enrolled, without any value judgments.

“It is time for this case to end”

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The Temple of Justice: Washington State Supreme Court

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently updated the State Supreme Court in two legal briefs (see here and here) on the State’s progress funding education as part of the Court’s oversight in the long-running McCleary dispute.

Today the State Supreme Court will hear from lawyers on both sides of the case in oral arguments scheduled to last about an hour.

Here are key takeaways from Ferguson’s two updates to the Court:

Massive increases in school funding – Ferguson argues that with passage of three state budgets since 2011, along with a new 2017 law to overhaul how we fund schools and pay teacher salaries, the state has increased education spending by record amounts and has fulfilled its constitutional obligations. From the briefs (emphasis added):

  • “The Legislature has doubled state K-12 education funding since this Court’s 2012 decision. . .. The massive increase in funding supports numerous policy improvements and fully implements the educational reforms this Court endorsed in 2012.” (July 31st brief, p. 1)

  • “The legislation enacted in 2017 implements a new system of compensation that allocates state funding to support the full cost of salaries for staff.“ (July 31st brief, pp. 8,9)

  • “The legislature has increased funding for K-12 education from $13.4 billion in the 2011-13 biennium to $26.6 billion in the 2019-21 biennium – well beyond what enrollment and inflation would have required.” (Sept. 8th brief, p. 1)

State budgets versus local control – Ferguson addresses confusion around repeated claims that some school districts – even with the state’s record investments in education – need more money.

Under Washington law, the state funds education allocating dollars using an agreed-to model (the “proto-typical schools model”). But under our system of local control, it’s up to each school district to figure out how to best spend the allocated dollars. That’s because what works in Spokane may not work in Bellevue, and what students need in Kirkland might be different from students in Pasco.

According to Ferguson, Plaintiffs in McCleary rest their claims on the untenable premise that the State is obligated to reimburse every local expenditure. From the brief:

“Under their [the Plaintiffs] model, the State would be obligated to pay whatever amount of money each of the 295 independent school districts has expended. This is not a model for financial or educational accountability, and it has not been mandated by the Court.” (Sept. 8th brief, pp. 4,5)

Legislature, not courts – Plaintiffs, and more recently other advocacy groups, have argued for the adoption of new and different policies for how we pay for schools. Many of these proposals would require an overhaul of the state’s taxation system (e.g., adoption of a capital gains income tax, closing certain tax preferences, or a state income tax). But as we all learned in Schoolhouse Rock, the legislature – not the courts – is where laws are made – and Ferguson makes this point directly in his brief (emphasis added):

“The State does not in any way discount the value of information received from advocates for education. . .. But no such proposal – even an excellent one advocated in the course of litigation – automatically becomes an element of the State’s program of basic education or establishes a constitutional requirement. . .. Amendments to law should be accomplished by lobbying the legislature, not the Court.” (Sept. 8th brief, p. 35)

State is committed to funding – Although a recent poll showed over half of likely voters had never heard of the McCleary case, passions among those involved run high. At times that’s resulted in needlessly hostile and divisive rhetoric, including Plaintiffs’ attorneys comparing state legislators to segregationists and Nazi propagandists. But any final solution to McCleary necessarily requires trust that the legislature’s commitment to education will continue, as it has since 2012. From the brief (emphasis added):

“The time has come in this case for the Court to trust the commitment made by a co-equal branch of government, a commitment that is accompanied by unprecedented increases in funding for K-12 education over a course of years, and by a history of steadfast adherence to the deadlines committed to. . .. The State is in compliance. No further remedy is necessary. The Court need not retain jurisdiction any longer. It is time for this case to end.” (Sept. 8th brief, p. 42)

Meet the candidate: Tavish MacLean

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Tavish MacLean

Tavish MacLean is running for re-election to the Snoqualmie Valley school board (position 1). His response to EEN’s candidate questionnaire is below.

For more information about Tavish MacLean

email: [email protected]

website: http://www.macleanforschoolboard.com/

phone: 425-415-4493

What was the lightbulb moment that made you decide you wanted to run for school board (election or re-election)?
I had been thinking about what greater positive impact I could make in the community beyond my work coaching sports and leading Cub Scouts, and a friend pointed out the open position on the school board.  This was the opportunity I’d been looking for – to be able to make a positive impact for ALL kids across the Snoqualmie Valley.  I’m running for re-election because I have a lot more to give our school district, with the benefit of 4 years of knowledge and experience.
What work or other experiences can you point to that qualifies you for the position?
My work experience in Marketing and Finance, with a business degree (MBA) have given me the tools to manage people, priorities and budgets, as well as experience motivating teams and measuring progress. In my first term, I helped form and refresh our District Strategic Plan and pushed for stronger measurements on the District Scorecard. I also had the vision, leadership, and ability to collaborate with fellow board members to support building a new elementary school and a new high school to accommodate growth and provide excellent learning environments for our kids.

As a father of 3 boys, I love seeing kids learn, practice, and accomplish things they never thought possible. My role as leader of a local Cub Scout Pack required strong engagement with both kids and parents with diverse backgrounds. I recruited strong parent leaders to ensure a vibrant, engaging Pack that continues to flourish today.
What are your ties to the community and how do you give back to it?
I’m the current Vice-President of the School Board.  I also volunteer with Boy Scouts and the Mt. Si Lacrosse Club.  Over the past 11 years I’ve coached little league and soccer teams, served as Den Leader and Cubmaster in Cub Scouts, and as an Assistant Scout Master in Boy Scouts, coordinating many high-adventure trips.  I’ve taught Junior Achievement at Snoqualmie Elementary and spoken about career paths in Marketing at Mt. Si High School.
What does your district do well to help improve student learning? What’s one thing your district can do better to improve outcomes?
Our district has made great strides over the past 4 years. We’ve improved our graduation rate from 77% to 92%, launched and expanded the AVID program to prepare more kids for college, implemented rigorous evaluation & development programs for teachers & principals (TPEP), improved attendance and reduced class sizes across the district.

There are still many things we can do to improve student outcomes. One thing I’m excited by is the ‘alternating block’ high school schedule being adopted in 2018/19 that will provide more flexibility for electives and post-high school planning while distributing homework over alternating days. In addition to the new schedule, we’re evaluating later school start times this year.
Parent engagement is vital to successful schools. What can your school district do to improve meaningful family engagement, especially for families that find it difficult to engage or don’t see much value in it?
Our district is fortunate to have great parental involvement in our schools. Our PTSA support is strong and we’ve seen growth in programs like Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) in our elementary schools. It’s an easy way for dads to engage by volunteering to help just one or two days over the course of the school year. Our activity booster clubs like Band and club teams like Lacrosse have also received strong family engagement.

We can improve by encouraging parent engagement in middle and high school – finding ways to utilize parents’ talents and professional experience in our classrooms so our kids see the link between the subject matter and the real-world application of it.  I’m encouraged by the steps we’re taking to invite parent participation in career fairs as speakers, involvement with Senior culminating projects and as 9th grade interdisciplinary project experts.

Meet the candidate: Hugh Gladner

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Hugh Gladner

Hugh Gladner is running for election to the Bellevue School District school board (position 5). His response to EEN’s candidate questionnaire is below.

For more information about Hugh Gladner

email: [email protected]

website: https://votegladner.com/

phone: 425-765-1747

What was the lightbulb moment that made you decide you wanted to run for school board (election or re-election)?
It was not a light bulb moment as much as a series of events happening in our district. I grew up in this district, and the lack of community involvement and increasing apathy needs to be fixed. I have two children in the district and I want them and their friends to have the same experince I had. That is not happening.
What work or other experiences can you point to that qualifies you for the position?
I have been a volunteer in our community for over 28 years. Mentored several several students. Worked at Jubilee REACH, a non-profit organization in Bellevue that has partnered with the BSD to work with at-risk students.
I have led and been on several boards and understand what community collaboration looks like.
I have no personal agenda other than being on the board. Not using this as s stepping stone.
Firmly belive each student is different and we must support the Whole Student.
What are your ties to the community and how do you give back to it?
Grew up in the district: Bennett elementary, Highand Junior High, Interlake High School (’84).
Volunteered on several different organizations in Bellevue to support the community and the Bellevue School District.
My work at Jubilee REACH gave me a first hand experience on the greater needs of the child and their family. Worked with several principals, the BSD cabinet and teachers in the district with a hands-on approach to help the students and teachers achieve goals.
What does your district do well to help improve student learning? What’s one thing your district can do better to improve outcomes?
I think for advanced students the district does a wonderful job with AP (Advanced Placement) classes and encouragement to take advanced classes. But if you are a student that struggles with placement testing and is not AP ready, there are not enough resources and/or interest to help students who might need a different style of learning.
Parent engagement is vital to successful schools. What can your school district do to improve meaningful family engagement, especially for families that find it difficult to engage or don’t see much value in it?
This is one of my major talking points. The communication and lack of transparency in the district is a real concern. Several parents have written and called to discuss open dialog with no return message. Topics such as: bullying (at an all time high), parent involvement, transportation, special needs students. Because of this volunteer hours are down year over year and fundraising to the foundation hit its all time lowest.

Meet the candidate: Jackie McGourty

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Jackie McGourty

Jackie McGourty is running for election to the Northshore School District school board (position 1). Her response to EEN’s candidate questionnaire is below.

For more information about Jackie McGourty

email: [email protected]

website: https://www.votemcgourty.com/

phone: 425-522-3253

What was the lightbulb moment that made you decide you wanted to run for school board (election or re-election)?
When I realized that, instead of hoping that a strong, passionate, committed person would step up to fill this role, I should be that person. I knew that my interests, experience and background make me well qualified to serve the district, and I knew that I would love the opportunity to serve the community. But I had also never run for office of any kind, and felt that someone who had already been directly involved with Northshore schools would be a better choice. When a clear, better choice did not seem to be stepping forward, it became clear to me that it was time for me to step up and be the force for good that I wanted to see.
What work or other experiences can you point to that qualifies you for the position?
I have over 30 years experience as a scientist in both academics and the biotechnology industry. I am an Analytical Biochemist and most recently served as Director of Analytical and Formulation Development in a Seattle biotech company. This has provided me with skills in: trouble-shooting and data analysis, management (as a supervisor and department and project head), staff development support and team-building, personality and conflict management, contract and protocol negotiation and preparation, budget preparation and negotiation, and project management. I was also able to teach briefly at the college and community college level, and raised two children of my own while being intimately involved in their education. So I have experience in teaching/training/mentoring as well as curriculum preparation.
What are your ties to the community and how do you give back to it?
I have lived in the Northshore School District for 25 years. It is where my husband and I have raised our family. During my scientific career, I was involved in mostly scientific pursuits and outreach with periodic volunteerism as a scientist at the Pacific Science Center and with my alma mater, but also participating in fund-raising walks and campaigns for various disease research funds and a WTA trail work crew. Since 2015 I have also become involved with several activist organizations and have been working to become involved in local community governance.
What does your district do well to help improve student learning? What’s one thing your district can do better to improve outcomes?
I believe Northshore School District has done impressive work to present and implement policies that are aimed at making sure every student has the resources and the environment they need to succeed in school Their new Diversity and Equity policy is testament to their commitment to improving outcomes for those students who have been least served. Their progress on providing expanded hi-cap and special needs resources is also commendable. Of course, there is still far to go before the district is truly providing equal support to all students. One thing that I think will go a long way toward a truly equitable education in our district is something the current board is already tackling – getting an independent assessment of the status and source of inequities and implementing policies that target those issues, such as making sure every student is assessed for capabilities and disabilities so we know how best to serve them.
Parent engagement is vital to successful schools. What can your school district do to improve meaningful family engagement, especially for families that find it difficult to engage or don’t see much value in it?
I would imagine that not many parents have the luxury of being able to take time during their day to interact with the board or attend extra meetings. So outreach is critical, and it needs to happen at the schools, so that the board, administration, teachers, are easily accessible at times that accommodate families. Sometimes persistence can pay off, so perhaps if we reach out to parents on a regular basis, even just by mail or sending surveys home with students, asking for input and suggestions, and keeping them updated on how we have acted on their input, we can convince them of the value of their participation.

Meet the candidate: Bob Swain

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Bob Swain

Bob Swain is running for election to the Northshore School District school board (position 2). His response to EEN’s candidate questionnaire is below.

For more information about Bob Swain

email: [email protected]

website: www.swainforschools.com

phone: 206-794-0443

What was the lightbulb moment that made you decide you wanted to run for school board (election or re-election)?
I have always been active in teaching and mentoring kids since before I had kids of my own, beginning with volunteering with Young Life in college, with church youth groups in my 20s, and continuing over the years in a variety of roles such as coaching local sports, helping in our kids’ schools, and teaching Sunday school and confirmation classes. I have spent this kind of time with kids because I have always believed that they need positive direction, encouragement, and love in order to help them lead successful, fulfilling, and joyful lives.

Over the last two years with only one of my 3 kids still at Inglemoor, I’ve been looking for ways that I can give back to the community in a broader capacity. So when the District 2 Board seat became open unexpectedly, I thought this position would be an ideal way for me to continue my dedication to helping kids by offering my experience in public policy development, financial analysis, commercial real estate investment, and strategic planning.
What work or other experiences can you point to that qualifies you for the position?
My many years of business experience as a commercial real estate broker and my public policy experience working for the Washington State Senate in the 1990s has helped me to develop financial, strategic planning, negotiating, analytical, and listening skills that will allow me to be a creative, objective, and thoughtful member of the School Board. I have also learned so much from my wife Trudy, who is the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Northshore Junior High, about the time and dedication that parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff, contribute to the challenges that must be constantly addressed to ensure that a quality educational community and experience exists for all.

As parents of children who have been educated in Northshore schools, Trudy and I have obviously been exposed to their experiences. We’ve seen and learned quite a bit over the years about what life is like for students both inside and outside of the classroom. Our family’s overall classroom experiences have been very good, but there have also been some struggles both within the classroom and within the student body culture. Our kids have given us a broad perspective of what life is like in today’s schools, and the pressures that they face. This includes a variety of experience with teachers, administrators, and student culture.
What are your ties to the community and how do you give back to it?
My parents moved my siblings and I to Finn Hill from South Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1978, and apart from a handful of years being away for college and living in Olympia and Seattle, I’ve been on “The Hill” most of my life. I went to Finn Hill Junior High and graduated from Juanita High School in 1983.

Trudy and I have been on Finn Hill for almost 20 years now and we just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. I have been continually involved in giving back to the community in a variety of ways; through our church (St. John Vianney), volunteering in our kids’ schools, and coaching kid’s sports.
What does your district do well to help improve student learning? What’s one thing your district can do better to improve outcomes?
Our first home on Finn Hill was in the Lake Washington School District, but we later varianced our kids into Northshore because we were so impressed with how Northshore parents, educators, and staff seemed to have created a diverse culture of mutual respect that made the educational community experience more creative and collaborative. Northshore stakeholders continue to work together respectfully to find ways to improve the educational experience for all kids and their families.

There are many areas of where we need to improve educational outcomes. Two very specific areas are (1) figuring out why our 11th grade SBA math scores are not where they should be, and (2) providing more special education support and resources district wide. But on a broader level, we need to improve our efforts to tighten achievement gaps for those kids that struggle educationally and emotionally because of certain socio-economic conditions, English language hurdles, mental health issues, and other challenges. Additional staff, resources, training, and collaboration are needed to help kids who struggle more than others.

Meeting each and every child where they are in their intellectual, social, and emotional development, and helping them reach their greatest potential should always be our guiding principle.
Parent engagement is vital to successful schools. What can your school district do to improve meaningful family engagement, especially for families that find it difficult to engage or don’t see much value in it?
I see the community as one big family and I don’t believe we can attempt to effectively improve education delivery and results without the Superintendent, the School Board, and each school administration being in continual dialogue with families and advocacy groups regarding goals, needs, and concerns. We should always be in the business of facilitating conversations and creating an environment where parents and students feel comfortable reaching out to ask that new conversations be undertaken as issues and concerns arise.

Specifically, I’d like to see better communication with families about the variety of support services (social, economic, and educational) that are available to them. I am also very interested in exploring the regular use of focus groups and surveys that can give students and parents more direct and less intimidating ways of expressing their concerns, struggles, and positive experiences. The District needs a deeper understanding of what we are doing well and where we are missing the mark.

Six simple rules for high school

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Freshmen, congratulations on surviving probably the three most awkward years of your life (that would be middle school) and welcome to four of the more challenging and stressful years of your life, also known as high school.

High school is an enormous juggling act of responsibilities: classes, clubs, sports, jobs, driving, test prep, college applications, relationships and, if you’re lucky, fun. Nevertheless, success on this daunting journey ahead of you is possible IF you do your best to follow these six simple rules:

  1. Advocate for yourself – This is your education and you own the results of your efforts. Learn to speak up for yourself, ask your teachers questions, and find your voice.
  2. Be persistent – During your time at high school, you will face many challenges.  Whether they are internal obstacles like a hard subject, or external challenges like a difficult classroom environment, be persistent. Always try new and different ways to make the situation better.
  3. Keep an open mind – You will be exposed to many diverse subjects and perspectives. Do your best to take in as much as you can. Keep an open mind because only then can you better understand others and find your own passions.
  4. Don’t procrastinate – Keep on top of your homework and commitments. Making the best use of your time is a good habit that can help you beyond high school. This way you will be prepared for whatever life throws at you, especially when setbacks pop up. So, whether you get sick or your brother has a band concert, you’ll still manage to work through everything.
  5. Get (and stay) organized – Find organizing methods that work for you to reduce stress, stay on track, and improve the quality of your work. Ask for recommendations from organized friends and adults. Try those new methods and see what makes you feel most comfortable.
  6. Connect with your school and classmates – High school offers many unique and interesting opportunities. Don’t be afraid to explore and take advantage of them. Not sure about music, drama, sports, student body government, or newspaper? Try one or more of them out to help you develop new interests and meet people with similar passions.

High school years can be extremely rewarding and exciting. Ultimately high school is what you make of it.

Best of luck, and enjoy!

***

Cami Brix is a junior at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, where she is a writer and editor for the Nordic News student newspaper. As an EEN contributor, Ms. Brix shares the student perspective along with research and writing support for ongoing EEN projects.

In Washington, a surge in teacher hiring

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Recruiting and hiring high-quality teachers is one of the most important jobs a school district has. And while many districts continue to struggle to fill high-demand teaching positions in specific areas, such as special education, math or science, two items of note show the state is starting to turn the corner when it comes to staffing our schools and classrooms.

Thousands more teachers hired – A new report from the State Senate’s Ways & Means Chair, Sen. John Braun (Centralia), shows that since 2012, the state has added an average of 1,508 new teachers per year since 2012, for a total of just over 6,000 teachers. Looking at long-term trends, over the past four years the rate of hiring has increased significantly, with more classroom teachers added during that time than in the previous 12 years combined. And while each school and school district make staffing decisions based on local needs (and some state mandates), overall the increase in teacher hiring has translated into lower student-to-teacher ratios. According to the same Senate report, as of this past school year (2016-17), the statewide ratio was 1 teacher for every 17.9 students.

Moving forward, the recently enacted 2017-19 state budget includes investments to hire approximately 2,400 more teachers. While it is up to districts to decide at the local level how to allocate money from Olympia, the legislature has made a clear commitment in the state budget to hiring more educators.

Leveraging experienced staff already in schools – a new state law enacted in the 2017 legislative session could help address the shortage in special education teachers by providing an alternative path to teacher certification for para-educators already working with students with disabilities. Neal Morton of The Seattle Times reports the legislation provides a simpler path to teacher certification for some experienced para-educators, which allows school districts to tap into a “deep recruiting pool of thousands of educators who already work with special-needs and other at-risk students.” The bill also provides more training to current para-educators.

According to data in the bill’s language, para-educators provide over 60 percent of instruction to students who either have a disability, are learning English, or are from low-income families. Read more about the new law and how it can help address some teacher shortages, here.

What else could help? – Better pay for teachers in science, math and special education, and for those working in schools with significant number of students living in poverty is one approach consistently cited by policy experts as key. But a recent report suggests that states like Washington are unlikely to see meaningful pay differentiation among teachers anytime soon because of the strong political presence of the state teachers’ union and their commitment to collectively-bargained wages based mostly on seat time and paper credentials and less on expertise in high-demand areas.

Learn more about understanding and addressing teacher shortages here and here.

Back to school: why family and community engagement matters

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Washington State PTA

Duncan Taylor

Duncan Taylor is the Family & Community Engagement Director for the Washington State PTA. We asked him to share his thoughts on the value of family and community engagement, and what successeful engagement looks like in our schools and with our PTAs today.

***

In the pantheon of PTA nomenclature and vernacular, is there any term or phrase more nebulous than Family & Community Engagement (FACE)? Try this, right now as you’re reading this post; say out loud what you think FACE is. Go ahead, I’ll wait. No no, out loud I said, and I mean it. Here, I’ll do it along with you, ready? Three…two…one…FACE is:              

How’s this for a magic trick – I know for a fact that what you just said out loud is different from what I said out loud when I composed that paragraph. How could I possibly know that? Because FACE doesn’t lend itself to a singular definition, and that’s a really good thing!

Think about it like this; when we engage, we do so via a myriad of methods, right? Conversation can be engagement. Volunteer service can be engagement. Advocacy can be engagement. And dozens of other actions we undertake can be engagement. Which reveals to us the overarching definition of FACE – it’s all about what we do.

Connecting with families in your community – The thing is, FACE isn’t a check box on a monthly PTA task-list. It has to run deeper than that. FACE is at the core of what it means to be a PTA – the idea that by being part of something larger than our local school community, we serve the interests of all children. FACE is the action we undertake to connect families in our communities with the opportunities that will benefit their children. It depends on the collaboration and partnership between your school, the community it serves, and the other institutions and organizations that provide services to children and families.

So right about now, you’re nodding your head at the conceptual framework I’ve just laid out, but you’re feeling a little impatient with me. You want me to give you something concrete you and your PTA can do. On that front, I have good news…and some bad.

The good news first; I can give you some excellent ideas (none of them mine) on specific, concrete things you and your local PTA can do that directly connect children and families with opportunities that will benefit them. And I can even break down those ideas in terms of opportunities to serve and opportunities to be served. But I can’t tell you if any of these ideas will work in your community. FACE is all about meeting the children and families in your community where they are.

The many faces of FACE – Here’s what PTA members are doing to provide meaningful FACE in their communities. A number of PTAs either directly, or through a partnership with another organization, provide food to families in their school community. Other PTAs provide a clothing bank for members of their community who are in need. If your family and PTA have plenty, these are great ways for you to do something as a PTA family to directly serve children.

FACE also encompasses inclusion – the idea that we must specifically reach out to the members of our communities who may not be represented in PTA member/leadership. What you do as a PTA to be culturally competent and relevant, so that your PTA looks like the community in which you live and serve, is absolutely FACE.

Here’s the bad news; I can’t tell you exactly what the needs are in your community. FACE, like any of PTA’s grassroots efforts, has to meaningfully reflect the communities in which we live and serve. I said before that FACE isn’t a checkbox, which means I can’t just tell you, “Do this thing here,” and have that suffice. It’s up to each and everyone of us, as individuals and PTA members, to ensure that we intentionally engage our families and our communities in the work we do.

Above all, remember that you never need go it alone – if there’s anything I can do to help you in your efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to serve you.

 Learn more about Washington State PTA, the largest non-profit, volunteer organization in the state with more than 130,000 members in more than 875 local PTAs, at their website here. Connect with Duncan Taylor to learn more about FACE at his email [email protected].