The State's 2012-13 supplemental budget is official after Governor Gregoire signed it yesterday. With no cuts, funding for education did very well amid the legislature's need to shore up a budget shortfall and through a special session.
Here are some highlights:
- National Board teacher stipends and policies are maintained. NBCTs will maintain a $5,000 stipend for the base and $5,000 stipend for working in a challenging school. First time NBCTs will still receive 60% of their first stipend for their first year of certification and then will receive the full amount thereafter. Bonuses will be paid in the summer following the school year. Major
kudos and applause for NBCTs who took time to meet with legislators, write
emails/letters and make phone calls -- your efforts paid off!
- Beginning Educator Support Team Program will maintain funding for the next year. Way to go to mentors and others who took time to meet with legislators, write emails/letters and make phone calls -- your efforts paid off!
- Teacher and Principal Evaluation work was bolstered this session with the passage of Senate Bill 5895. Among several things, this bill establishes the four-tiered ratings,requires student growth data as a substantial factor for three of the eight criteria and requires OSPI to select three instructional and leadership frameworks. To do this work, it adds $5.7 million to continue the implementation of a new evaluation system which will transition in 2013-14 and come fully online in 2015-16. To read more about what this bill does click here.
Some new initiatives came out of this session for education.
- The Urban School Turnaround initiative will provide $2 million to two low-performing schools in Seattle to implement a variety of turnaround strategies determined by the building.
- A new five-year pilot program called the Collaborative Schools for Innovation and Success will focus $1.5 million for partnerships between Colleges of Education and low-performing elementary schools to implement research-based models of instruction and preparation to close the opportunity gap. OSPI and the PESB will select three applications to be funded, two of which must be from the largest districts applying from the eastern and western sides of the state. Click here to read more.
In addition to signing the supplemental budget yesterday, Governor Gregoire also discussed the notion of a tax for education as a way of meeting the state's obligation to adequately fund education. Click here to find out more.
