Education
Education is the single most important investment we can make for our children, our state, our economy and our future.
During the 2007 legislative session, the Governor and Legislature made major new investments in all levels of the education system, from early learning through the K-12 system and continuing through college, job training and beyond. These investments grew out of the Governor’s Washington Learns initiative, which is dedicated to building a world-class, learner-focused, seamless education system.
The two-year budget approved in 2007 was designed to fundamentally change educational expectations, delivery and results with a substantial investment at all levels. The budget included an education funding increase of nearly $900 per student in kindergarten through 12th grade and $2.5 billion overall.
Many of the budget authorizations in the 2007–2009 enacted budget are already scheduled for growth in the 2008–09 school year, and other initiatives will be implemented as scheduled.
Early Learning
In 2006, the Legislature granted Governor Gregoire’s request to create a Department of Early Learning to improve high-quality early learning opportunities for young children and their families. The agency is working with its private-public partnership, Thrive by Five, to better serve children from birth to the age of 5 and their parents.
The department is carrying out a number of initiatives proposed by the Governor and approved by the Legislature in the 2007 session. These initiatives include providing early learning information to parents and families; developing a quality rating and improvement system for child care; expanding access to pre-kindergarten programs; and improving wages for early learning providers.
For the first time, the state invested in voluntary all-day kindergarten programs, starting in our most economically challenged schools. Recognizing that children in kindergarten through third grade learn differently, three K-3 demonstration projects were created to showcase best practices.
K-12
A major piece of the education investment was Governor Gregoire’s effort to dramatically strengthen math and science education. The budget called for more funding for teacher training and development, increased pay for teachers who are certified in math and science, and more opportunities for students to participate in hands-on science learning.
Other key education measures included investments to increase equity among school districts and giving voters the opportunity to lower the threshold for school levy approval from 60 percent to a simple majority, or 50 percent-plus-1 vote, which the voters approved in November. The budget also made additional key investments in programs to support struggling students and those students participating in special education programs.
Higher Education
The Governor and Legislature took significant funding and policy actions to open college doors to more high school graduates. In particular, the budget created nearly 10,000 new slots for incoming students over the next two years, including nearly 3,700 targeted at high-demand fields such as math, science and nursing, offered more scholarship opportunities, expanded eligibility for grant programs, and capped tuition increases at the college level. The budget also made additional investments in research programs at state universities with the goal of boosting innovation in fields in which the state has already made critical progress.
Finally, the Governor and Legislature moved forward on the establishment of a new University of Washington campus in the North Puget Sound region. The new campus will serve as another point of access to higher education for students from Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties.
Focus on Safety
The supplemental budget provides a platform to address urgent and emergent issues. Taking lessons learned from the Virginia Tech shootings, Governor Gregoire proposes to invest in key technologies to keep students, faculty and staff safe on our college and university campuses. Institutions of higher education should be safe communities that promote the exchange of ideas and prepare students for careers after graduation.
In addition, Governor Gregoire will increase accountability for and improve the safety of children served in child care. Targeted investments will be made to develop additional learning opportunities for students, enhance the assessment system to provide teachers with classroom tests that can give immediate feedback on student learning needs, guide the content of the next state assessment system contract, and increase educator salaries to keep pace with inflation.
View the Governor’s Proposal...
| Additional Information |
|---|
| Agency Activity Inventory - The Agency Activity Inventory summarizes the major activities of each budgeted agency within Washington State government. |
| Printable Budget Highlights - Download a printable version of Governor Gregoire's budget and policy highlights for Education in Adobe PDF. |
| Key Agencies That Contribute to This Area |
| Central Washington University |
| Early Learning, Department of |
| Eastern Washington University |
| Evergreen State College, The |
| Higher Education Coordinating Board |
| School for the Blind |
| School for the Deaf |
| Secretary of State, Office of the |
| State Board for Community and Technical Colleges |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction* |
| Washington State University |
| Washington, University of |
| Western Washington University |
| Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board |
*Links to agency-level recommendation summary. Program-level summaries are listed under Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Education on the recommendation summaries page.