Moderator Bob Watt (Board Chair, The Seattle Foundation; Vice Chair, Thrive by Five Washington) asked a question about funding, citing the recent court decision stating that the state isn't living up to it's constitutional obligation to fully fund education. He asked what, if anything, our panelists thought would result from it.

Scott Oki, Founder and Chairman, Oki Developments, Inc.:
"I actually don't think we need any more money, I simply think we are misspending the money we already have... The United States employs more non-teachers than teachers on the public school payroll... If we shifted the labor base of our public school system away from central bureaucrats and put those resources in the classroom, we could probably actually do something... If we had the will... to simply put a cap; you can only spend 8% on overhead - the rest of the money has to go into the classroom. I bet you we would have plenty of money to hire more teachers, to pay them more money... We are simply misspending the existing $11 billion this state spends every year."

Lisa Macfarlane, Director of External Affairs, League of Education Voters, responds:
"I disagree significantly with this... I would be the first to say it's not all about money. We need resources and we need reform and if you add those two together then you will get results...  I don't care which measure you pick, we are the bottom of the barrel... It's untenable if you want to provide all children, all children in this state with a quality education opportunity... To pretend that we have enough resources today is wrong. School districts have been making cuts. We're cutting down to the bone and it's hurting kids and it's hurting staff morale... It's an economic development issue. We're not going to, as a country or as a state, recover our economy and give our kids the jobs we need and they deserve if we don't invest in our public schools."

Many thanks go out to Seattle Channel for turning around this video so quickly! They've got a set of air dates for when yesterday's program "Addressing Education Reform and Funding in 2010" will be on television for your viewing pleasure:


So mark your calendars!

Meanwhile, online video is forthcoming soon, and when we have that link, we'll tweet it - so if you're not following us on Twitter, now's a great time to start!

A few noteworthy tidbits from the expanse of the internet:

- League of Education Voters is keeping track of what's going on in the legislature's current session with regard to education on their Education Reform 2010 page - not so you don't have to, but so it's much easier. With categories like "Hot Education Bills", "Recent Press" and a list of resources, LEV's created an easily navigable collection of information and opinion about education reform in 2010. (LEV's Lisa Macfarlane, Director of External Affairs, is on our upcoming panel.)

- Did you know Scott Oki (also a panelist) has a new book out? Titled Outrageous Learning, the book's website says: "In this thought provoking new book, Oki describes the ills facing public schools and coolly applies the same frank, no-nonsense analysis that made him one of the most successful top executives at Microsoft and a recognized leader in the technology world."

If you find this topic as important and timely as we, don't miss the discussion on February 24. Additionally, we're putting the final touches on our 2009 Community Matters Campaign Final Report - the campaign focused on education and economic opportunity - and when it's ready, it will be available on our website. Coming soon!

This morning at 8:00 a.m., the Early Learning and K-12 Education of the State Legislature had a meeting. The Legislature's website describes the committee: "The Senate Early Learning&K-12 Education Committee considers policy and finance issues related to schools and learning from birth through twelfth grade and preparation for later learning experiences."

If you're interested in the nitty gritty of what's going on at the legislative level, they provide meeting agendas and, once each meeting begins, the meeting materials. (The links for meeting materials are located at the bottom of specific agenda pages.)

The Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee's main page lists, on the right sidebar, links to related committees and to TVW, for RealAudio files of committee hearings. All this is great, but it can be a challenge to wade through and translate all of this information! Thankfully, there are many organizations out there focused on, and interested in, education issues. Take a look below at our list of co-presenting organizations: they can be great resources of information, and potential places to get involved!

Were you a bit surprised to find a ballot in your mailbox this past week? Many people I've spoken with describe their reaction: holding their ballot in their hand, staring at it, and thinking hard - and not being able to figure out what they were supposed to be voting on.

The February 9, 2010 special election is made up of almost entirely school levies - you can find a full list of measures on the ballot here. Seattle voters will have only two propositions on their ballot: a capital levy and an operations levy. Click on each linked levy to go directly to the King County Elections webpage describing the levy, as well as for and against statements for each.

Happy voting!

Heads up, education activists, enthusiasts, advocates and junkies! The next in our Education Series is coming together for February. "Addressing Education Reform and Funding in 2010" is also part of our Rapid Response Series, and we've got two panelists confirmed and ready to announce. Check it out below! As soon as we nail down a late February date, we'll have tickets ready to buy!


Education Series / Rapid Response - Addressing Education Reform and Funding in 2010
Town Hall, Eighth and Seneca, Seattle
Registration:  11:30 a.m. | Program: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
 
    Panelists to date:
    Erin Jones, Deputy Superintendent for Student Achievement, Office of the Superintendent of
        Public Instruction
    Lisa Macfarlane, Director of External Affairs, League of Education Voters

    With diminishing funds and increasing needs from diverse student populations, the stakes around education have never been higher. The White House is challenging states to “race to the top” to get federal dollars but does Washington State have the right reforms in place? Our state legislature has a constitutional charge to fund basic education, but what is “basic” in the 21st century? Is arts and culture included? What about early learning? Will the lawsuit against the state move us any closer to fully funding basic education? With so many moving parts, how can citizens take an active role in shaping the future of education in Washington State? Bring your own questions and join us for this important conversation.

Over the course of the Community Matters Campaign (CMC) this fall, we've convened hundreds of participants – both online and face-to-face – in community conversations about this year's theme: education and economic opportunity. During these sessions, participants voted on what they thought was the best strategy for working toward solutions to issues in these two areas. (We also offered the opportunity to vote on our webpage and at our events during CMC.)

They responded 2-1 in favor of the following two strategies outlined in the The Seattle Foundation's Healthy Community Report:

• Involve families and communities in student achievement and aspirations
• Increase support for high-quality public schools

The CMC Steering Committee - made up of representatives from CityClub, Communities Count, Executive Service Corps, The Seattle Foundation, Seattle Works, United Way of King County, and the YMCA of Greater Seattle - chose 6 winners based on these two strategies.

Our winner selection demonstrates the ecology of community engagement needed to make a difference. The People’s Choice Awardees represent a spectrum of organization format, scale and focus. One is a recently emerged organic and quickly changing organization formed by and for youth. Another unites youth and parents. Others bring diverse community sectors together to foster change and opportunity. Still others work on the systemic level through policy development and advocacy. It’s together - across these various modes of organization and action - that change can be created and sustained in our community.

We invite you to join us - as well as Eric Liu of the Guiding Lights Network and Norman B. Rice of The Seattle Foundation - in celebrating the diverse and dynamic organizations that make up the 2009 People’s Choice Award winners on the evening of November 16 from 6-8pm at City Hall in Seattle. Click here to learn more, and sign up now! (I should mention there will be cake. And hot cocoa!) Here's a snapshot from last year's party:



MAD (Making A Difference) – MAD is a newly emergent youth led non-violence group whose mission is to advocate for victims of violence. (MAD currently has no website)

Puget Sound Off (PSO) – Eighteen area teens came together in the Summer of 2007 to design the Puget Sound Off website after gathering input from 180 peers, including the Mayor's Youth Council. PSO’s mission is to provide youth with a forum for discussion, artistic expression, and action as a way to empower and encourage youth to have a strong voice. The project aims be a catalyst for increasing youth involvement and engagement within the community while encouraging expression of one's beliefs, respect for others, and commitment to public service.

Para Los Niños - Para Los Niños is a grassroots community organization founded by members of the community it serves—the growing immigrant, Spanish-speaking population in South King County. Para Los Niños builds a healthy community with a focus on Latino immigrants. It supports holistic, family-based educational opportunities and builds lasting community networks.

4C Coalition - 4C is an acronym for Clergy, Community, and Children/Youth Coalition. In partnership with King County Superior Court, 4C provides mentors to young persons involved in the juvenile justice system. The 4C Coalition is not a program to solve a problem, but a process to provide possibilities: mentors to youth, church and community resources to families, and a united voice to the community and government agencies to educate and effectively address youth issues.

SOAR - A community coalition dedicated to building partnerships that support the healthy development and success of children, youth and families in King County. SOAR connects, convenes and catalyzes communities around common goals and strategies and strives to create alignment between systems, sectors, organizations, providers and practice.

League of Education Voters - The League works to improve Washington’s public schools through a grassroots statewide network of advocates. Its mission is to make Washington’s preschools, public schools, and colleges the best in the nation. Its goals are:

• Every child reads by the third grade, with more attention to early learning and the role of parents.
• Every child is taught by an excellent teacher. Like all professionals, teachers deserve ongoing mentoring and training.
• Every child graduates from high school ready for college, work, and life. Standards for high school graduation must align with college entrance requirements.
• All students master the math and science they need to succeed in our technology-driven economy.
• More investment in our children’s education, but also more accountability to ensure all children succeed.

Congratulations to all our winners!

In his announcement of the American Graduate Initiative on July 14, 2009, President Obama "set a goal for America: by 2020, this nation will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world…"

Calling it "the most significant down payment yet on reaching this goal in the next ten years", the Initiative is set to focus on community colleges, helping them get resources and better provide for students to enter the workforce prepared.

There are a lot of good people working on this issue. On Tuesday, September 29, we'll ask a few of them some questions:

• What does it take to produce a robust workforce and are we offering enough accessible and affordable opportunities for Washington State residents to obtain a postsecondary education, both out of high school but also later in life?
• Is it necessary to obtain a traditional four year degree in order to earn a family supporting wage?
• What career pathways exist in the health care industry, green sector or through labor apprenticeships?
• How are community colleges dealing with increased demand as unemployment continues to rise?
• Are any stimulus funds available to help people achieve their educational goals?

If you're interested in learning more about this issue before you attend our program (so you can develop your own questions to prepare for audience Q&A!) we've got a few links to share - poke around at your leisure!

The American Graduation Initiative - Remarks from President Obama and information about the initiative - "Stronger American Skills Through Community Colleges" - can be found on WhiteHouse.gov.

Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill Adult Students: Lessons for Community College Policy and Practice from a Longitudinal Student Tracking Study - This research report builds the case for at least 1 year of post-secondary education and it may include wage gains as well.

Investing in the Forgotten Middle: A Tested Strategy to Grow America's Economy - The Workfore Alliance weighs in on the issue: "Middle-skill jobs, which require more than high-school, but less than a four-year degree, make up the largest part of America’s labor market."

This publication from the Lumina Foundation discusses changes in the way colleges and universities are approaching adult education.

Charting A Path: An Exploration of the Statewide Career Pathway Efforts in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin - a paper written by CityClub volunteer and event chair for this program, Rosanna Stephens.

What do you think? Can we reach President Obama's goal by 2020?

With our 2009 CMC theme in mind - education and economic opportunity - we're gearing up for next Tuesday's program, "Education Series: Getting Ahead - Education for Today's Job Market"  I know, I know - sounds like a perfect fit, right? That's because it is (if we do say so ourselves).

Our expert panelists represent organizations in our community that are deeply involved in work on these issues, and we wanted to tell you more about them! Here's a quick glance at their work, taken from their websites:


Health Work Force Institute
In response to the burgeoning heath care personnel crisis, the Washington State Hospital Association founded the Health Work Force Institute as a non-profit affiliate in 2004. Since then, the Institute has made great strides in building a more sustainable health work force for the state of Washington. The Institute has brokered partnerships that have resulted in an investment of more than $56 million for health care training, retention and recruitment efforts.

The Institute is chartered to look past economic, educational, and regulatory boundaries to develop, test, and launch the most promising catalysts to increase the supply of skilled health care workers.  HWFI's strategies focus on increasing capacity of the state's colleges and universities to train people, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to enter a health profession. Improving our health care system, increasing its diversity, and bolstering our economy - this is the work of the Health Work Force Institute.


Seattle Jobs Initiative
Lack of job skills, transportation, housing and childcare, and limited English proficiency can be  major hurdles to long-term job success.  Seattle Jobs Initiative approaches the problem from a big-picture point-of-view.  Through partnerships and innovative approaches, SJI eliminates these barriers by providing participants with the full range of services necessary to ensure their long-term financial stability.  By partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs), community colleges, and employers, SJI links Seattle’s low-income and low-skilled residents to jobs – jobs that pay living wages, offer room for advancement, and include necessary work supports such as health coverage, sick leave and paid vacation.  Our policy team complements our efforts on the ground by keeping abreast of the current labor market and supporting legislative changes that improve access to training and services for low-income residents.  Seattle Jobs Initiative’s comprehensive approach creates real opportunities for Seattle residents to support themselves and their families.


Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation
As part of their United States Program, Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation puts a focus on education: "We work to make sure high school students graduate ready for success and prepared to earn post-secondary degrees. We fund college and graduate school scholarships. We support high-quality early learning programs in Washington state." The foundation breaks down focus - high school, post-secondary education, scholarships, and early learning - and goes into more detail about their work in those areas on separate webpages. Click here to find your way to each.


Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has the following vision: "Build strong communities, individuals and families, and achieve greater global competitiveness and prosperity for the state and its economy by raising the knowledge and skills of the state’s residents."

Higher education is vital to society and individuals. Economic prosperity, the livelihood of families and individuals, and the strength of communities are just a few tangible results. People who attend colleges and universities live healthier lives, and give back to society locally and globally. For these reasons, the state must find ways to create more higher education opportunities for all residents across the state.

Their website details principles and 10 year goals - click here to learn more.