Gov. Gregoire kicks off quest to improve Washington education

For Immediate Release: June 3, 2005

SEATTLE - June 3, 2005 - Gov. Christine Gregoire today convened an Education Summit - the start of an 18-month effort to thoroughly examine Washington�s education system and find ways to improve it from preschool through college.

Joined by a group of 12 Washington citizens well versed in education issues, who will serve with her on a steering committee, Gregoire said the endeavor - called Washington Learns - �will not be just another study. It will be an unblinking and complete look at the state of our education system, and it will be followed by an action plan to improve our education system, including legislative proposals I will pursue aggressively.�

No work more critical

�There is no work more critical to the future of our state,� the governor told hundreds of summit participants representing Washington�s wide spectrum of education interests - from parents and teachers to business leaders and college presidents. More than 500 people registered for the summit.

�We expect a lot from our kids and they need to be prepared to enter school, meet high standards in K-12 and become prepared - through higher education and skills training - to succeed in our ever-changing job market,� Gregoire said.

Washington educates a growing population of 1 million-plus school children and 225,000 higher-education students.

Gregoire thanked the Legislature for approving earlier this year her proposals to permanently fund class-size Initiative 728, restore teacher-pay Initiative 732, and expand enrollment at state colleges and universities.

Still, she added, too many young children are not prepared to enter public schools, too many teenagers drop out before graduating from high school, and too many qualified students can�t get the higher education they want.

�We are going to take an exhaustive look at our education system,� Gregoire said. �We will determine what is working, and what is not, and we finally will see clearly what it will take to make this state�s education system the best in the nation.�

Three basic questions

Gregoire said Washington Learns will pose and answer three basic questions:

� Is Washington using its existing education resources efficiently?
� What defines the quality citizens want in early childhood education, K-12 schools and higher education?
� What needs to change to achieve the quality we all want?

Gregoire, who will chair Washington Learns� steering committee, introduced at the summit the members of the panel. They include:

Frank Armijo, program director and general manager for Lockheed Martin Information Technology in the Tri-Cities and a member of the Washington Technology Center Board; State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson; Charley Bingham, a retired executive vice president of Weyerhaeuser Co. and former chair of the Visiting Committee for the University of Puget Sound�s School of Business and Public Administration; Roberta Greene, vice president of Empire Ford in Spokane, and vice chair of the Higher Education Coordinating Board; Denny Heck , retired president and founder of TVW and former state legislator who focused much of his work on education; and State Rep. Bill Fromhold, D-Vancouver, who is vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and also serves on the House Higher Education Committee.
Also: Eric Liu, former foreign affairs speechwriter and deputy domestic policy adviser for President Clinton, now teaching at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs; State Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, chair of the Senate Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education Committee; Victor Moore, director of the State Office of Financial Management; State Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Everett, ranking minority member on the Senate Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education Committee; and Bob Watt, vice president of Government and Community Relations for The Boeing Co. in Seattle and former chair of the Alliance for Education Board.
The House Republican caucus will name one additional steering committee member.
Gregoire also named Ann Daley to serve as executive director for Washington Learns. She currently is interim legislative auditor for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee and previously was vice president for finance and administration at The Evergreen State College.
In addition, the governor announced that Karen Tvedt will be executive director of the Early Learning Council/Advisory Committee. Tvedt currently is director of the Policy Division of the Child Care Bureau at the federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families in Washington, D.C.
Probe, prod and look for answers

The governor sought, and last month signed, legislation authorizing Washington Learns, including funding to finance its work.

�We could get by with the education system we have,� Gregoire told summit participants. �But in my administration, getting by isn�t good enough. The way I see it, every day we accept the status quo in our schools, and state colleges and universities, is another day that we shortchange the future of Washington.�

�I want us to probe, prod and examine what we�re doing right and doing wrong for early childhood education, for K-12, for higher education,� the governor said about Washington Learns. �And I want us to come up with real solutions for a growing number of students - in our schools and colleges - who are going to need a good education in order to lead happy, productive lives.�

Focus on efficiency, quality

The governor stressed that the Washington Learns effort has no preconceived plan to seek more funding for education.

�First, we�re going to find out if we are using the money we have for education efficiently,� Gregoire said. �Next, we�ll define the quality we want in our education system. And then we will look at what funding is necessary to achieve the quality we all want.�

At the summit today, Washington Learns steering committee members were to begin the arduous task of looking back at previous attempts and studies that sought to get a grip on the problems facing education in Washington. That was to be followed by breakout sessions for early childhood education, K-12 and higher education, to solicit input from citizens about the direction of the study.

Gregoire noted that citizens who want to follow the progress and findings of Washington Learns will be able to do so through a special web site, a link for which will be found at the governor�s web site at www.governor.wa.gov .

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