Passionate and committed education champion, Representative Kathy Haigh (35th District) and Chair of the Committee, spoke about the importance of quality in afterschool-programming that best supports Washington youth. Representative Sharon Tomiko-Santos (37^th District) commented on the importance of diversity amongst teachers and caring adults working with students. While School’s Out Washington is working to ensure equitable access to opportunity for all children and youth, SOWA recognizes that 55% of youth who are participating in afterschool and youth development programs in Washington State are youth of color; the 2012 AYD state plan will make field-level policy recommendations while highlighting ELOs as an educational equity strategy. Our work will showcase evidence-based programs that intentionally align activities and support for academic outcomes for children and youth, particularly youth of color, from low income families and those for whom English is a second language. The Legislative Work Session was another great stepping stone for Afterschool and Youth Development as an important element of effective and efficient education policy.

Resources:

• Jan 12 PowerPoint presentation
• ELO Policy brief.
  
• What do we mean by "quality" and what are we doing about it? Read the Quality Program Initiative Summary
  
• Additional SOWA Publications and Studies

"That was the topic of a debate in The Washington Post's Answer Sheet blog last Wednesday. The entry featured a point-counterpoint between Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant and Jennifer Davis of the National Center on Time and Learning on using 21st Century Community Learning Center program funds to extend the length of the school day at the expense of afterschool programs." Continue reading the Afterschool Alliance's full blog entry on the debate...

"I agree that our children and youth deserve a much better education than what is currently being offered in most schools across our country however I am not convinced that extending the time within the current model will get us the results we so desperately need. Afterschool and youth development programs funded with 21st Century Community learning center dollars are currently offering experiential learning opportunities to thousands across the country. There are very few dedicated resources to support this effort of aligned and supportive learning done in partnerships with schools and community based organizations. Let's not take away critical resources that have a proven track record to invest in efforts that can be covered with other funding sources and may or may not deliver results."  (As posted in Washington Post comments).

By Danielle Baer, Communications & Grants Manager

While traffic lightens and schedules wind down with the holiday season underway, there is a lot happening at the state and federal level that will impact the afterschool and youth development field in Washington State.   First off, earlier this week, Washington State was awarded a $60 million Race to the Top grant to support early learning system building efforts in our state.  We were one of nine states to receive the grant out of 35 applicants.This is a huge victory for our state! 

The grant will help build statewide systems that affect our overall early learning system, including school-age child care.   As a member of the Early Learning Action Alliance, a statewide coalition of organizations working to strengthen early learning supports and systems, and in partnership with the Department of Early Learning, School’s Out Washington will take an active role in ensuring school-age care is included in the systems building work.

At the federal level, Congress released an FY 2012 omnibus spending bill which includes a .189% spending cut across the board to most federal programs, including 21st Century Community Learning Centers.  The Afterschool Alliance worked hard with Congressional members to fine tune language around allowing 21st CCLC funds to be used for a longer school day specifying that efforts to extend the school day should “align with and complement, rather than replicate, the regular school day by offering a range of activities that capture student interest and support student engagement to promote higher class attendance, reduce risk for retention or dropping out, and include activities that promote good health.” View a table of funding allocations for programs impacting the out-of-school time field and learn more about federal policy on the Afterschool Alliance’s website.

On a more personal note, today is my last day before heading out on maternity leave. I’m patiently awaiting the arrival of my second child.  While I prepare for sleepless nights, the joys of the newborn days and the stresses of arranging for child care, I can’t help but think about all the policies in place that could use revisions and improvements to truly call ourselves a nation that puts families first.  Did you know:

• In the U.S., 49% of mothers cobble together paid leave following childbirth by using sick days, vacation days, disability leave, and maternity leave.
• 51% of new mothers lack any paid leave -- so some take unpaid leave, some quit, some even lose their jobs.
• The U.S is one of only 4 countries that doesn't offer paid leave to new mothers -- the others are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
(data from momsrising.org)

A system that supports mothers throughout their pregnancy and supports families as their raise their children in their early through school years is critical to our future.   While I experience firsthand in my personal life the early childhood years, my work at School’s Out Washington reminds me everyday that young people need continued support throughout their childhood and education to stay engaged in school and make positive choices to help them on their pathway towards a successful future. 

Especially in light of the growing disparities we see that negatively impact youth of color and low-income youth, we need interventions at the ground level and systems changes that demand equitable opportunities for all young people.  As we close out 2011 and start a new year, we hope you’ll join us in our journey and commitment to continue moving forward in our efforts to strengthen and unite the afterschool and youth development field with the end goal of supporting young people in achieving their dreams.

By Danielle Baer, Communications & Grants Manager

Last week, hundreds of Garfield High School students in Seattle walked out of class in protest against proposed cuts to education funding during the special legislative session called by Governor Gregoire this month.  As a Garfield alum, I was proud to see fellow bulldogs standing up for what they believe in and speaking out against further cuts that are having a real impact on their day to day educational experience.  

As we advocate on behalf of young people and providing access to quality expanded learning opportunities, afterschool, youth development and summer programs, we need to remember to listen to youth voice and provide opportunities for their input to be heard.  Over the past few years, many people have become desensitized to hearing about budget cuts. What’s another billion in a deficit of trillions?  What does it really mean?  But when students take to the streets and tell us firsthand what education cuts mean to their lives and their futures, the message resonates in a concrete way and makes a real impact.

Just this week, the Children’s Alliance and Washington State Budget & Policy Center released their Kids Count in Washington 2012 report including more data on the persistent achievement gap in Washington State and its disproportionate impact on Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic and American Indian students.  Further cutting education is not going to help narrow this gap and provide opportunities for all young people to thrive in school and life.  

Over the course of the next few months, we will be supporting efforts to preserve safety net services such as high quality afterschool and youth development programs, food and nutrition programs, health care programs, employing training programs and a strong educational system that prepares children and youth to enter the future workforce.  Stay tuned for our 2012 legislative agenda and sign-up for our Washington Afterschool Network email alert system for regular updates and opportunities to take action on budget and policy issues during the 2012 legislative session.  As young people take risks and take to the streets, we need to support their actions and speak up to preserve essential services for children, youth and families.

Photos by Joshua Trujillo of the SeattlePI.com.

Click here to see Joshua's photo slideshow

By Janet Frieling, Network Director

I read with interest the article in the Seattle times the other day saying that Washington school superintendents are pushing for a shorter school year as a budget fix. In a recent study published by The Education Trust-West, and other groups such as RAND, The National Center on Time and Learning, shortening the school calendar has dramatic impacts on those children and youth who are already struggling. Yes, times are tough and budget decisions need to reflect these unique times, but do we really want to sacrifice the ability of thousands of Washington’s children to make a livable wage?

Low income children and youth and children of color are more likely to suffer if this approach is taken. Not all families in our state will be able to supplement additional learning opportunities for their children and youth if the school year is shortened. For many, this extra time may translate to more time in front of a TV or video game, or more time hanging out at the mall with friends. Is this really the best that we can do for our kids when research clearly shows us that more quality learning opportunities need to be made available to all children and youth to allow for experiential learning, increased social and emotional development, and more time to practice putting academic theory into daily practice.

The current school year calendar is already woefully inadequate in both of these areas-do we really want to reduce learning opportunities even more? Low income families will have to make tough choices and finding high quality activities for their children if the school calendar is shortened for extra learning options will not rise to the top of their list of “must fund” items.

Other states are actually looking at increasing school schedules by partnering with community based organizations to offer quality learning time in multiple settings-especially during the summer months. Across the world, the United States' instructional calendar is already one of the shortest. This solution will only cause our kids to fall further behind and the persistent achievement gap to widen at an even greater rate. Let’s look for other solutions to our budget crisis.
 

As part of the 2011 Lights On Afterschool celebration, the Afterschool Alliance released Afterschool Progress Reports and Consumer Guides for each state.  Washington State has made progress since 2004, with a 12% participation in afterschool programs in 2009 versus 8% in 2004. However, we still trail the national average of 15% participation.  We still have work to do despite the some progress being made.  According to the Afterschool Alliance:

Based on the FY2011 funding level and an average per student cost of $1000, 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) can serve 14,597 students in Washington. However, that is only a small fraction of the 298,973 kids in Washington who are eligible to participate in a 21st CCLC program, if more funding were available.

The full progress report can be accessed from the Afterschool Alliance’s website.

We all know that a barrier to accessing high-quality afterschool programs is funding, and this is becoming even more of a harsh reality every year.   In just a couple short weeks, Washington State legislators will be convening in Olympia for a special session.  The focus will be on passing a budget for the 2012 session.  Cuts already proposed by Governor Gregoire will impact working families who rely on afterschool programs to keep their kids safe, learning and engaged after the school bell rings.  We’re facing further cuts to the Working Connections Child Care program, cuts to K-12 education funding and other social and health services that will only create more challenges for children and families in our state.

Every year, advocates for children’s issues gather in Olympia for Have a Heart for Kids Day in February, but this year due to the special circumstances, the advocacy day will be held December 2nd.   Learn more about this important event and join the Change Direction: Raise Kids Up campaign to send a message to legislators that cuts are not the answer.

Last Thursday, October 20th, which coincidentally was the 12th annual Lights On Afterschool celebration, the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization bill out of committee.  The bill was supported by all the committee’s Democrats, including Washington State Senator Patty Murray, and three Republicans.

A press release on Senator Murray’s website states that the bill would, “free most districts from the unsuccessful and often unfair burdens of meeting ‘adequate yearly progress’.” Senator Murray provides a broad look at the changes to No Child Left Behind included in the reauthorization legislation.

One issue that we have been tracking within the reauthorization language is around changes to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative that would allow funding currently supporting afterschool and summer learning programs to also fund a comprehensive redesign of the school day.  The Afterschool Alliance spent last week working hard with some Senators on the committee to improve language to better support the 21st CCLC initiative. As a result of this advocacy effort, an amendment to the bill introduced by Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island that passed out of committee made some improvements to the 21st CCLC language by including:

1. Language that prevents a federal preference or priority on which approach (afterschool, summer learning, expanded learning for some students, expanded learning for all students) will be used.
2. A stronger requirement for partnerships with community based organizations, with only a narrow exception for rural communities for whom the requirement would be a significant hardship.
3. Clarity of existing language to ensure that either the local education agencies or nonprofit partners can be the lead fiscal agent on 21st CCLC grants.
4. New language to ensure that effective and innovative approaches to programs can be utilized by grantees.

Visit the Afterschool Alliance’s website for more information and policy updates regarding ESEA reauthorization. 

Closer to home, Governor Gregoire held a press conference today addressing her proposed $2 billion in budget cuts this session.  She will be releasing her supplemental budget proposal in November.  The Office of Financial Management website includes proposed budget reduction alternatives by area.  Under social and human services, you’ll find a proposed reduction in state funding for subsidized child care ($50 million) which would impact an estimated 4,000 children.  The education area includes proposed cuts to the Department of Early Learning, K-12 and higher education including elimination of state funding for child care resource and referral, reducing levy equalization which helps property poor districts, increasing class size in grades 4-12 and many other cuts.

While these proposed cuts do not come as a big surprise, it is still devastating to see how this will impact children and families in our state. Please be sure to sign up for the Children’s Alliance Action Network and stay up to date on legislative and budget issues impacting children and youth in our state. Now more than ever, we need to speak up for vital services that support children, youth and families and make sure our voices are heard loud and clear.

The 12th annual Lights On Afterschool celebration is TODAY!  What are you doing to celebrate the importance of afterschool programs in your community? Did you remember to register your event? Would you like to find an event already happening in your community? Visit the Afterschool Alliance’s website for a listing of registered events (and to register your event) – there are currently over 50 events registered across Washington State.   And we’d love to hear about how you celebrated Lights On Afterschool.  Email Danielle with your event summary and/or pictures that captured your experience.

School’s Out Washington will be celebrating Lights On Afterschool on Monday, October 24th at an event in Yakima hosted by Northwest Community Action Center and Yakima School District.  We will hear from some great speakers including Nicole Yohalem with the Forum for Youth Investment and Yakima County Sherriff Ken Irwin as well as present our Afterschool Hall of Fame Awards to this year’s champions who include:

• Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin
• City of Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland
• City of Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson
• Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund
• Pam O’Brien, Educator from Olympia
• Joanne Benham, Community Leader from Spokane
• Jack Albaugh, Community Leader from Fife

Take a moment to read a news story including an interview with Sheriff Irwin about Lights On Afterschool.  

Building public will and raising awareness around the importance of afterschool programs in keeping kids safe, engaged and learning when not in school is more critical than ever.  Yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee began marking up the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as part of the reauthorization process.  Included in this bill is language that would drastically alter funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Center program by allowing these funds to be diverted to support the whole scale redesign of the school day. 

Senator Murray serves on this committee and it’s critical that she hear from her constituents here in Washington State about the key role that 21st CCLC funds play in supporting Washington’s kids, families and communities.   Visit the Afterschool Alliance’s website for more information on what you can do to help support 21st CCLC programs.