Over the next three years, Washington state is dedicating more than $600 million to help schools hire more counselors, nurses, social workers and psychologists.
Child care, early learning advocates in Washington celebrate Legislative wins By Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times
Published: April 28, 2021, 7:45am
Share: Students wear masks as they work in a fourth-grade classroom, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, at Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
OLYMPIA It was a big year in state politics for programs that serve students and children. Especially the youngest ones.
The child care sector, which has struggled to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, won a long-term financial boost through a new capital gains tax passed this Legislative session, which concluded Sunday. Funded at more than $400 million over the next two years, a new law, the Fair Start Act, will require the state to expand access to early learning and child-care programs. The act will almost double the current number of state-funded preschool slots by 2026, advocates say.
Legislators in Washington sink their teeth into pandemic-era issues for schools By Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times
Published: January 25, 2021, 8:16am
Share: The Capitol Building in Olympia. (iStock.com)
As they launched into their full-fledged pandemic legislative session earlier this month, lawmakers in Washington state had no shortage of education issues to sort through.
More than 60 bills related to K-12 schools are in the works already, including proposals to maximize the role of school counselors, change truancy policies and reopen school buildings. Heading into the session, lawmakers and state executives said their priorities would be focusing on supporting student mental health, granting financial flexibility to school districts and expanding access to the internet.