Five Point Plan for Prosperity and Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity starts with a high-quality education for every child, leading to a highly-skilled workforce and a prosperous Washington State.

January 2007

Reps. Kathy Haigh (D-Shelton), Ruth Kagi (D-Lake Forest Park), Dave Quall (D-Mount Vernon) and Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver) each chair one of the four House committees that work on education issues. They say that House Democrats will be pushing an education agenda that reflects Democrats' commitment to providing each and every child in the state with an equal opportunity to succeed.

"When Governor Gregoire submitted her omnibus 'Washington Learns' bill to the Legislature last week, her message was clear - one bill, one education system," commented the committee chairs. "We agree. You can't talk about early learning on its own, or K-12, or even college and vocational programs. It's all connected. Our goal is to close the cracks in the system and eliminate the systemic pitfalls that keep many kids from reaching their full potential."

The chairs have worked together to develop a five-point plan they say will drive education policy in their caucus:

1. Start early by investing in quality pre-school programs and phasing in all-day kindergarten.
2. Fully fund basic education.
3. Put an outstanding teacher in every classroom.
4. Help every student succeed and graduate on time.
5. Make post-high school education a real option for everyone.

"If we want to our kids to go out into the world with the skills and knowledge they need to compete globally, we have to get serious about matching the rhetoric to the resources and policies we put on the table," said the leaders.

"We've got good ideas from the Governor. We've also got good ideas from our own members, and from the parents, students, teachers and administrators who are calling our offices. Our five-point plan is a result of all that feedback. Every policy and every dollar we approve will drive one of those five priorities. We want to have the best education system in the country, and this is the way we're going to get there."

1. Start Early

Early learning is the key to an early start at success. We will invest in early learning opportunities to help every child arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. This includes a new quality rating system for child care centers and providing information and support to parents. These investments should follow students into the kindergarten classroom where we will start phasing in all-day kindergarten, starting with the highest poverty students. Students who attend all-day kindergarten are more likely to read at grade level, have good attendance, and do well in school.

By investing in a child’s early years, we provide a solid foundation for the child’s success.

2. Fully Fund Basic Education

We’ve set a high bar for our students and our teachers, but we’re not investing enough to help them get there. Now we’re asking even more of our teachers, so let’s make sure we’re giving them the resources they need to hit the high bar we’ve set.

3. Put An Outstanding Teacher in Every Classroom

If we value what our teachers do, we need to value our teachers too. Research shows that the most important factor in student learning is a quality teacher, so recruiting and retaining skilled teaching professionals is essential.

Our teachers deserve fair compensation, increased time for classroom preparation and professional development, and incentives for joining the profession.

4. Help Every Student Succeed and Graduate On-time

Equal opportunity is a fundamental value of our nation. Economic status, race and culture should not be predictors of academic achievement, but currently they are. To close the education gap we must direct resources to those schools that need them most, and invest in students who are underachieving or at risk of not graduating. This is especially true in math and science where our education system is currently falling behind.

With the right strategies and right resources, we can keep our children and our state ahead of the curve.

5. Finish Strong – Make Post-High School Opportunities a Real Option for Everyone

Education feeds both civic participation and our economy. In today’s global economy, education beyond high school is more important than ever. Whether it’s four-year college or technical school, post-secondary opportunities will help students gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in life and work.

We can make college more affordable through tuition policy, opportunity grants, scholarships and partnerships. And with demand growing for skilled workers in a wide range of industries, partnerships among education, industry, economic development and labor will allow us to provide learning opportunities in these high need fields so we can grow Washington’s prosperity and build a world class workforce.

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