Being a parent is nonstop hard work, which makes following all the news happening in city, state, and U.S. decision-making circles challenging. Here are highlights of Washington political news from the week behind us and what’s up this week:
Mr. President: Finger off the ‘pause’ button, please
He’s a businessman, but does President Donald knows how the government works? That you can’t just not pay workers or not make good on contracts or grants already accepted? And another question: Does the president consider the painful personal impact of his onslaught of orders on real kids, parents, families? Lots of people were asking those questions last week.
That’s when the president’s demand to “pause” payments on federally funded grants and programs caused a major outcry from states, schools, universities, cities, early learning providers, and child welfare advocates, including Washington Head Start programs and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Bothell). By Wednesday, the blowback forced the Trump administration to rescind the stop-payment order.
Joel Ryan, executive director of Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP, said the order “led to complete chaos” as local Head Start programs prepared to close their doors and worried about making payroll.
“I was furious, and our members left bewildered,” Ryan said, adding that the president’s shutdown attempt was “irresponsible, illegal, and created unnecessary chaos.” Sen. Murray echoed that sentiment, calling the move “brazen and illegal.”
ICE in schools? Washington has rules on that
In other Washington political news of impact on families, President Trump demanded that federal immigration agents meet new, higher arrest quotas for undocumented residents across the country, officially renaming the entire targeted group “aliens.” In addition, he reversed a longstanding policy that restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in sensitive areas such as schools. In response, state School Superintendent Chris Reykdal made it clear to districts that ICE agents can’t enter Washington schools without a warrant, judge’s order, or subpoena.
According to OSPI:
“Washington public schools must not initiate engagement with federal immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information. It is inconsistent with our state and federal constitutional mandates to serve every student. Before a Washington public school complies with a warrant, judicial order, or subpoena, it must make reasonable efforts to inform the student and/or parents of the warrant, judicial order, or subpoena well enough in advance to give the student and/or parents time to seek a protective order. This is true unless the warrant, judicial order, or subpoena specifically orders the school to refrain from such notification.”
Check out KUOW’s reporting on the topic: “Immigrant families in Seattle seek sanctuary and safety as ICE threat looms.”
Marching parents
While Washington’s governor, attorney general, and school superintendent focused on a potential cash shutdown and ICE threats, parents from Seattle public schools continued marching to protect buildings and demand funding for education. They’ve been pushing for both for a year and a half following the district’s decision to consider closing schools to balance its budget deficit. Local parents and educators joined hundreds of others from around the state in Olympia last week for Education Advocacy Day.
The parents say they don’t plan to back down until the state meets its constitutional responsibility to fully fund public schools so districts like Seattle don’t go into debt in the first place.
“I want our public schools to be funded at the basic level that our kids and our society require and deserve,” said Julie Letchner, who attended the day and rally with her SPS fifth grader. “Washington’s public K-12 education is tragically underfunded, particularly in the context of the relative wealth of our state—we are second to last in the country for the proportion of our state GDP that we put toward education. We have the ability and the funds to do better, but it requires action. I am pushing for that action.”
NEXT UP: Have a Heart for Kids Day, the annual day of advocacy and rally hosted by the statewide Children’s Alliance, is just around the corner. On February 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., parents, educators, and child welfare advocates will have a full day of meetings with lawmakers and a rally on the Capitol Building steps. Go to the Children’s Alliance website to register.
A holistic approach to crime in Seattle
Although most crime in Seattle – and the rest of the country – is decreasing after a big pandemic upswing, violent crime remains high (up 75% over the past five years) in the city. If that worries you, you may want to contact Seattle City Council’s newest member. Mark Solomon, who fills the seat vacated by Tammy Morales, is a crime prevention coordinator with the Seattle Police Department. According to The Seattle Times, Solomon has pledged to take a “holistic” approach to improving public safety in the city by advocating for more police officers and providing more support to local businesses. If Solomon wants to have any impact on local crime, he’ll have to act quickly. He has vowed not to re-run for the seat when the current term is up in 10 months.
Seattle Public Schools to vote on new 5-year academic goals for kids
The goals for what kids achieve in school change at regular intervals, so it’s no surprise that the Seattle School Board is reconsidering the five-year academic goals it has laid out for students and the district. But this week, the board decided to hold off voting on a resolution that would bump up the number of second graders expected to meet or go beyond grade-level literacy standards by 10 percentage points over the next five years as well as the percentage points of students who meet graduation requirements (also by 10 points). According to The Seattle Times, the vote will take place at a special board meeting currently scheduled for Feb. 12, when directors will also consider one more goal: raising the sixth-grade math goal by 10 percentage points. They will also consider a version of goals that raises these percentages by 15 points. The proposal also updates guardrails placed on the district superintendent, Dr. Brent Jones. Check out reports on the state’s student math problem. You can watch Seattle School Board meetings on YouTube.
Should church clergy be required to report child abuse and neglect?
If a bill currently before lawmakers in Olympia passes this year, church clergy would be required to report harm to children, even if they hear about it in a confessional setting. The proposal would add clergy to the state’s roster of professions whose members must inform law enforcement if they believe a child is experiencing or has experienced abuse. Lawmakers hope the third time’s the charm for a measure that has been opposed by church leaders in Washington and has failed to pass into law in two previous legislative sessions. Check out this article by the Washington State Standard: WA lawmakers renew push to make clergy report child abuse.
Kids and financial literacy — a political debate
Imagine your child graduating from high school with a working knowledge of budgeting, using credit judiciously, and other key financial skills. In many other states, financial literacy is a requirement for graduation. Here in Washington, it is not. Yet. Last week, state lawmakers heard a Senate bill (SB 5080) that would make providing financial instruction for all high school students mandatory. The bill – a version that failed to pass last year – is backed by the Seattle-based League of Education Voters. Even so, it has some educators worried about how many requirements we place on graduation. Check out this post from one teen who is all in for a financial literacy curriculum.: “Why I support mandatory financial literacy courses in schools.”
A changemaker announces a change
Finally in Washington political news, there are lawmakers and awareness-building changemakers in politics – the tireless advocates who educate and push lawmakers to create or change laws for the benefit of children and families in Washington. Dr. Stephan Blanford has been one of the state’s most dedicated changemakers for the last five years. As executive director of the statewide Children’s Alliance, Blanford was instrumental in the passage of the state’s Fair Act for Kids and the continued use of the state’s Capital Gains Tax as a primary funding source for Washington’s early learning programs. Blanford announced he will step down from the director’s chair in the summer, following the current legislative session, where he is hard at work trying to improve youth mental health and other items on the Children’s Alliance agenda.
UP THIS WEEK in Washington political news
Big education bills will be heard in Olympia
League of Education Voters (LEV) Executive Director Arik Korman checked in on Friday to let us know that bills LEV supports are moving through committees at a clip. Last week, lawmakers discussed support for kids who are chronically absent from school, extending special education services to kids with disabilities until the end of the school year of the year the student turns 22, and mental health training for school workers. None have been voted out of committee yet. This week promises even more as lawmakers hear proposed legislation that would increase the number of kids who receive free meals at public schools, “modernizing” (increasing) rates for state-funded child care providers, and a companion bill to provide special education services through age 22 for kids with disabilities. Follow what’s happening for kids and schools with LEV’s bill tracker.
Get your school levy ballot in by Feb. 11
A big opportunity to take action in Washington political news. Seattle residents will vote on two school levies to replace current levy funding for Seattle Public Schools. Together, they will provide millions for needed security upgrades, building repairs and reconstruction, intercom systems, student computers and more to keep kids safe, warm and ready to learn in schools. Take action, cast your vote by the 8 p.m. deadline on February 11.