Kate Simkowiak

Advocacy

Budget information, legislative activities, WAETAG conferences, etc.

Message from The Washington Coalition For Gifted Education – March 9th, 2012

admin

THE BUDGET

The legislature is going into special session beginning Monday since they have been unable to agree on a second supplemental budget during the regular session. While we all hope they will limit themselves to the budget, any bills may be considered so who can guess what will happen.

All the various budget proposals with even a breath of life in them treat Highly Capable Program funding similarly. The small differences in the total amount to be allocated result from different case load counts and pension adjustments and do not reflect an intent to decrease funding to the districts.

Last minute actions kept levy equalization funding at the current level while prior versions of the budget made a big cut. It is hard to know what the compromise that eventually emerges will do so, if you have strong feelings about LEA, contact your legislators now.

More information may be posted but as of right now, the most recent budget proposal is in amendment 1344 on the ESB 5967 page at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5967&year=2011

EDUCATION BILLS

Several bills which would have enacted some of the recommendations of the Highly Capable Program Technical Working Group, including a new definition of a highly capable student and guidelines for identification, got caught in an intramural squabble and failed to get out of committee in both houses. The Coalition had serious concerns about these bills, so this is not entirely a bad thing – better no bill than an unsatisfactory one – and we will be back to work on the issue in the next regular session. Meanwhile, we will continue our work with OSPI to get as many of the recommendations as possible included in the necessary rewrite of the Washington Administrative Code (WACs) and to get the rewrite done as soon as possible. Your strong showing on Gifted Education Day makes our work easier.

With all the various educational issues that came before the legislature, you may wonder why the Coalition did not call your attention to any of them. This is because the Coalition is a single issue political advocacy organization: appropriate educational opportunities for highly capable students. We advocate with legislators and administrators for these students and usually do not become involved in other issues, thus leaving our supporters free to take individual stands as they see fit.

OPPORTUNITY AT THE ROBINSON CENTER AT THE UW FOR SPRING MATH AND WRITING GRADES K-11

Click here to download the flyer for this program.

GIFTED EDUCATION DAY 2013

We have been successful in obtaining a permit to use the Columbia Room for Gifted Education Day 2013 on February 8. The date is early enough in session to avoid conflicts with cut off dates which make it difficult to get appointments with legislators and, so far as we know, does not conflict with school holidays. Please mark your 2013 calendars now!

FEDERAL LEGISLATION

The following comes from the National Association For Gifted Children, our national organization which lobbies with the Congress.

No Federal Funding For Gifted Ed In 2012 – Congress Directs Department To Continue Research

In mid December, 2011 the Congress approved a package of appropriations bills to fund federal agencies and programs through September 2012.  The “omnibus” bill does not include funding for the Javits program, which was de-funded in 2011, but the report that accompanies the omnibus appropriations bill includes some supportive language for gifted education.

The “report language” urges the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), the U.S. Department of Education’s research arm, to continue research into the learning needs of gifted and talented students, to retain a national research center on the gifted, and to include gifted and talented children in the key data collection efforts and reports developed by IES.  NAGC and CEC will discuss with Department officials several ways in which IES can meet Congress’s intent to continue this critical research.

Gifted students have been fortunate to have long-time friends in the Congress who lead the effort to secure support for funding for the Javits program each year. Gifted education supporters have done a great job in developing bipartisan support in both the House and Senate for the needs of gifted students.  It’s imperative that we keep up the education and advocacy efforts with every Members of Congress so that there is increased understanding and support that can be translated into federal initiatives.

The annual federal budget process is now underway in Congress. To find what you can do regarding funding for Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, please go to http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=189770814&message_id=1849408&user_id=NAGC&group_id=343230&jobid=9333559

We need you to take action by March 16th.

Message from The Washington Coalition For Gifted Education – Jan. 30th, 2012

admin

It appears we have all survived the snow, ice, power outages and loss of internet connections. Despite all these problems, we were able to continue to organize last minute arrangements for Gifted Education Day on January 23 and more than 400 enthusiastic parents and students braved the icy highways to come to Olympia. The unofficial award for furthest distance traveled goes to the intrepid group from Stevenson-Carson School District, down on the Columbia River.

Our thanks to Charlotte Akin who drove up from Battle Ground to remind us why we care about our highly capable students and their unique needs.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn spoke to the group and took the time to answer questions from the audience.

Governor Christine Gregoire received an enthusiastic welcome and spoke to encourage all of us to continue to advocate for gifted students and the contributions they will make to our future.

Now that we were all revved up and ready to go, Kelly Munn of the League of Education Voters spoke to us about how best to interact with Legislators.

Our special thanks to Kelty Pierce from Puyallup who introduced Supt. Dorn and to Charlie Hannigan from Lake Stevens who introduced the Governor. We also thank all the students who made presentations to our honored guests or made remarks. Due to disrupted communications I do not have the names of all these students, but you know who you are and we say Thank You for participating.

We need to know which Legislators were visited and the results of those visits. Pasted in is a Contact Report. You have several options for reporting to us.

  • Fill it in right in this email and click the reply button. I’ll extract the information.
  • Highlight the text and copy it, paste it into a new email, complete it and send it to wagifted@earthlink.net.
  • Highlight the text and copy it and paste it into a word processing document, complete it and mail to WCFGE, 18149  147 Ave. SE, Renton WA  98058.

CONTACT REPORT FOR PERSONAL VISIT
Name and title of person contacted:
Type of contact (personal or group visit)  (email contact)  (letter)  (phone)
Issues discussed:
Is the Coalition expected to follow up with this contact?
Describe any follow-up needed:
Notes and comments; was contact supportive or enthusiastic about HCP:
Your name:
Group, if any:
Your email address or other contact information in case we need to check with you.

Gifted Education Day Information from the CPA

admin

Thank you so much for your planning participation in Gifted Education Day this Monday, January 23rd.

In preparation for the day, we wanted to cover some important items.

1. Since the Coalition activities start at 9:00am in Olympia, we will not be meeting at Terrace Park in the morning as a group to arrange carpools. If you have arranged to meet independently, that is fine. Please allow for time to park at the Capitol. On Monday there is also a hearing on same sex marriage and we anticipate a large showing at the Capitol on both sides of this issue so be prepared for some crowds.

2. When you arrive in the Columbia Room, please check in with the Coalition to receive a name tag and green scarf from the Puyallup School District. We wear the scarves for the day and please remember to return them to the Columbia Room before you depart at the end of the day.

3. CPA board members will be in the Columbia Room to answer any questions you may have on Monday. We will have copies of the schedule and maps in case you need them. We will also have the T-shirts that you ordered to hand out. Throughout the day, Michelle Toshima and Kristin Merrill will be in the Columbia Room for any questions or directions needed.

4. The first meetings of the morning are with Randy Dorn and the Governor in the Columbia Room. These are being coordinated by the Coalition and we have a short amount of time with each. We have arranged for a few students to talk and a few more to stand in support. If your child is not a part of these presentations, please know they will have a chance to speak with our legislators at the afternoon meetings we have arranged.

5. Attached is an updated agenda for the day. Please note that leaders have been assigned to each meeting with our legislators. The leader will introduce our group and the purpose of our meeting. At these meetings, we will ask if any student would like to say a few words. Please see the attached prompts to cover with your child to prepare them if they would like to speak. The message this year is to say thank you for including highly capable within the definition of basic education and also for maintaining the funding highly capable in the current budget.

6. On the agenda, we have specified districts of each representative we are meeting. We ask that you try to attend the meetings with the representatives from your district or when there are no conflicting meetings, we all try to attend.

Thank you again for your participation!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tina Raghu.

Message from the Coalition for Gifted Education – January 7th, 2012

admin

If you have been reading the newspapers the last few day, you know that there was a suit (McCleary v. State) about adequacy of state basic education funding before the state supreme court. That decision was handed down Thursday and was a major victory for the plaintiffs. The full decision can be found at http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/?fa=opinions.

In this decision are several items of interest and importance to supporters of appropriate educational opportunities for highly capable students.

• The court found that the new definition of basic education in ESHB 2261 is part of a comprehensive reform acceptable to the court in fulfillment of prior court orders. The inclusion of HCP in this definition is mentioned in several places.

• The court is going to retain jurisdiction over the case to ensure that the provisions of 2261 are fully implemented by the school year 2018, as set out in the law.

• The court reaffirms that “programs and offerings that fall within the legislature’s definition of ‘basic education’ are considered nondiscretionary and must be funded regardless of budgetary constraints.” ” State-level funding for ‘basic education’ is not subject to debate, even in times of budget shortfalls.” (Page 18)

• Unless the Legislature choses to change the definition of basic education (and the decision says such a change “must be accompanied by an educational policy rationale; the legislature may not eliminate an offering from the basic education program for reasons unrelated to educational policy, such as fiscal crisis or mere expediency,” page 54) HCP has a “safe harbor.” We are no longer at extreme risk every budget cycle.

Family Gifted Education Day 2012

admin

Please plan to attend Gifted Education Day in Olympia. We are all in this together! And we need you!

DATE: Monday, January 23rd, 2012

TIME: 7:30 AM Leave Terrace Park by carpool or caravan / Estimate 2:30 PM departure from Olympia, WA

WHERE: State Capitol Building in Olympia, WA

WHO: Parents, Students, Teachers and Administrators of Edmonds School District Highly Capable Programs

Gifted Education Day is an annual event scheduled by the Coalition for Gifted Education. CPA has participating for many years bringing families to Olympia for Gifted Ed Day to tour the Capitol, meet with Legislators, and meet other parent groups for gifted education from around the state. As you may be aware, the Washington legislature has gone back into Special Session to continue the cut the budget. Once we see the results of the Special Session we will draft specific talking points with the help of the Coalition.

If you plan to attend please open the Family GED 2012 Form, print, complete, and return along with and any payment due for Gifted Ed. Day t-shirts to your child’s teacher or the CPA box in the Terrace Park Office by Monday, January 9th. Please note: this form is for Family GED, 4th Graders will be receiving forms for their field trip from their teacher.

Have questions about this event please check our FAQ page. If you would like additional information on this event, please attend our CPA General Meeting Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at 6:30 pm. Thank you.

Draft Schedule for Family GED 2012:

TIME AND ACTIVITY:

9:30 am — Arrive Olympia

9:30 am–10:30 am — Legislator Meetings

10:30 am–noon — Capitol Tours (limited space)

Noon — Lunch

1:00 pm — Group Photo on Capitol steps

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm — Legislator Meetings

Message from the Coalition for Gifted Education – Nov. 1

admin
OSPI is conducting a survey on the adoption of the Common Core Standard.  

The needs of highly capable students are not specifically addressed either in the Standards or in the survey, but there is a space in the survey for comments that can be used to raise the issue. If you want to participate in this survey go to http://www.k12.wa.us/Corestandards/default.aspx and look at the section in the gray block – Your Input is Needed — and click on the survey link.

__________________________________

News on the Supplemental Budget Front

The Governor’s proposals are complex. While funding for HCP is not directly at risk, the proposed cuts to levy equalization and the shift of all transportation costs to districts are potentially fatal to HCP in many districts. We will consider what steps we need to take on these issues and let you know.
This is only the first step in a long process. The Governor will next submit an actual budget bill. The Legislature will propose their own alternatives. We need to be patient and understanding of the difficulties involved. This is not a pleasant exercise for anyone involved.
The Governor’s proposal is attached. Charts and more details can be found at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/reductions/alternatives/default.asp

__________________________________

An important issue in the implementation of Highly Capable into basic education is professional development of all teachers who work with these students in any setting. Whitworth University has long been the only institution in the state to offer both a bachelor and masters program in gifted education. And at the heart of this program has been Margo Long. Her years of dedication have been honored with the establishment of The Margo Long Endowed Chair in Gifted Education. All of us who have had the privilege of working with Margo over the years send our respect and wishes for a happy retirement.

Washington State PTA – Eliminate barriers to K-12 highly capable programs

admin

On October 14 and 15, about 275 members from across the state gathered at Washington State PTA’s 33rd Annual Legislative Assembly to learn about timely issues and debate and vote on possible additions to our legislative agenda.

When the voting concluded, delegates approved proposals addressing the achievement gaps; early learning; highly capable programs; the juvenile justice system; public charter schools; and school zone signage.

2011 PROPOSED STATEMENT: HIGHLY CAPABLE

The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that ensure highly capable children (K-12) receive an appropriate basic education, which includes access to highly capable programs (K-12).

The Washington State PTA recommends that the legislature and Quality Education Council build on the work of the Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group. This shall include, but not be limited to:

  • Advocating for a standard definition of highly capable and working to ensure students who are both highly capable and students of color, who are poor, or who have disabilities, have equitable access to the state’s highly capable program.
  • Further, Washington State PTA supports the recommendation that districts that do not currently offer highly capable programs refer to the guidelines set forth in the report of Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group.

Message from the Coalition for Gifted Education – Oct. 17th

admin

1. A reminder that the Coalition leadership group and those wishing to become more active in the Coalition will meet on Tuesday, October 25, at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave. SW, Burien. We will be “open for business” at 11:00 and available to talk with you before the meeting proper begins at noon. We anticipate being done by 2 pm. Please join us!

As you know, on October 24th the Governor is scheduled to present  her proposals for a supplemental budget to be considered by the Legislature in their special session scheduled for November 28. It is anticipated that this will be a major topic of discussion.

2. Highly Capable Programs have acquired several strong endorsements and some publicity in recent weeks.

A. The Washington State School Directors Association reaffirmed their long standing position on HCP services at their September Legislative Assembly.

7.1.7 Education for Gifted
The WSSDA shall initiate and/or support legislation which would assure funding for the education of gifted students at a level of 10 percent of the student population, place that funding within the basic education allocation system and set a minimum number of students to be funded in small school districts. (Adopted 1987; Amended 2005)

Their number one priority for the coming legislative session is:

1.  Full Funding of Basic Education
WSSDA shall initiate and/or support legislation that fully funds and implements all aspects of Washington’s redefined program of Basic Education as outlined in ESHB 2261. (Chapter 548, Laws of 2009)

and since HCP is now a part of basic education, that includes HCP funding.

B. KIRO radio in Seattle broadcast a piece on HCP and the transcribed version is available at http://mynorthwest.com/11/560022/Above-average-students-need-help-too. WSSDA included it in their daily eClippings, which go electronically to all members and others statewide who have signed up to receive them.

C. At their Legislative Assembly last weekend, the State PTA voted unanimously for the following proposition, which also scored highly in their recent on-line survey.

HIGHLY CAPABLE: The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that ensure highly capable children (K-12) receive an appropriate basic education, which includes access to highly capable programs (K-12).

The Washington State PTA recommends that the Legislature and Quality Education Council build on the work of the Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group. This shall include, but not be limited to:

Advocating for a standard definition of highly capable and working to ensure students who are both highly capable and students of color, who are poor, or who have disabilities, have equitable access to the state’s highly capable program.

Further, Washington State PTA supports the recommendation that districts that do not currently offer highly capable programs refer to the guidelines set forth in the report of Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group.

3. Don’t forget the WAETAG State Conference at the Convention Center in Wenatchee on October 28 and 29. http://www.waetag.net/ (There will be sessions for parents.)

4. You can help us gather some much needed information. What services does your district provide for students who are gifted in one area but not another, i.e. strong in writing/reading, but not strong enough in math to qualify for whatever program the district offers. We know some districts provide enrichment and/or acceleration in the domain of strength while others do not. What does your district do?

Please send your responses to wagifted@earthlink.net. Thank you.

5. Don’t forget to renew or become a member of the Coalition or the Joint Membership. All three groups need your financial support. As you can see by the items above, we still have lots of work to do!

News from Washington State made the Davidson Institute newsletter!

admin

Highly Capable Program in the State of Washington – Q & A on Legislation and Advocacy

In the summer of 2011, the Washington Coalition for Gifted Education and local advocates were instrumental in advocating for a number of legislative changes related to gifted education. This article contains answers to a number of questions presented by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development.

Here is a link to the interview with Barbara Poyneer.