STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Early College High School Programs and Apprenticeships Take Center Stage

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Early College High School Programs and Apprenticeships Take Center Stage

Early college high school, apprenticeships, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education take center stage as governors continue to give state of the state addresses.

South Dakota: Gov. Dennis Daugaard Dives into Dual Credit and Remediation

During his January 10 state of the state address, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) praised the state’s dual credit program, calling it a win-win-win. “Students win because these are the cheapest college credits they will ever buy, and they get a head start on college or tech school. High schools win because they can expand their course offerings at no cost to the school district. Universities and technical institutes win, because they attract students who are better-prepared when they come to campus.”

Daugaard had numbers to back up the program’s success, sharing that, in the past school year:

  • 2,139 high school students took at least one dual credit course from a university, and another 899 took a technical institute course.
  • The passage rates were 94 percent for university courses and 88 percent for technical institute courses.
  • High school students and their families saved a total of $4.4 million.

Daugaard also touched on the issue of remediation, noting that last year 30 percent of first-year, full-time freshman at state universities took at least one remedial course in math or English. He discussed a free program to help test students who may need remediation in high school to avoid the costs and difficulty of remedial courses in college.

He gave a nod to the strengthening of career and technical education programs across the state through workforce education grants awarded by the Building South Dakota Fund.

 

Hawaii: Gov. David Ige Calls for School Transformation and Increased Early College Access

Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) talked about school transformation during January 23 state of the state address, expressing his desire to have a system that gives more flexibility to schools so that those closest to the students, who “best understand how they learn and what motivates them” are the ones designing programs and implementing plans. He also mentioned a new Innovation Grant Program to help support school-level innovations that work to close achievement gaps for students with disabilities, students from low-income families, and immigrant students.

Ige also proposed to expand the state’s Early College Program, to allow more students to begin earning college credits in high school. To make his case, Ige noted that studies say this may be “one of the most powerful tools to advance college enrollment and success among our public high school graduates—especially for lower-income and first-generation college students.”

 

Rhode Island: Gov. Gina Raimondo Expands Early College Options

Rhode Island is working to give its people a “real shot in the economy of the future,” said Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) in her January 17 state of the state address. For Raimondo, that means expanding early college options. She noted that in 2016 nearly 4,000 students took college courses while still in high school, some earning enough credits to have a full college semester completed before graduating from high school.

Raimondo also discussed the state’s push to have more individuals with a degree or credential beyond high school, which currently is less than half of Rhode Islanders. To reach a goal of 70 percent of Rhode Island adults with degrees or certificates by 2025, Raimondo noted that the state is working to make college more affordable and accessible, and will continue to invest in training and certificate programs.

 

Alaska: Gov. Bill Walker Shares Top Five Priorities for Education

In his January 18 state of the state address Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) shared five top priorities for the state’s public education system. Put together by the State Board of Education after a public outreach process, the priorities include.

  1. Improving student learning
  2. Ensuring excellent educators
  3. Modernizing the system
  4. Inspiring tribal and community ownership
  5. Promoting safety and well-being.

Walker noted that final recommendations in these areas would be shared with his office at the end of 2017 and that legislative efforts for reform would begin.

 

Michigan: Gov. Rick Snyder Makes the Case for Apprenticeships and STEM Education

In his January 17 state of the state address, Michigan: Gov. Rick Snyder (R) emphasized the importance of not treating education, the economy, and careers as silos, but instead to create the connection between school and career while inspiring lifelong learning. As the economy changes and jobs fluctuate, Snyder expressed the need to have the flexibility to respond accordingly in education. One method Snyder mentioned is apprenticeships, sharing the state’s growth as a leader in this area, with a 14 percent increase in registered apprenticeships over 2016. He talked about the need for even more growth and his intention to work with the state legislature and private sector partners to make this happen.

Snyder also hits on the hot topic of STEM education, and the need to expand access to STEM courses in Michigan schools as more STEM-related jobs require computer coding and computer science knowledge.

 

Other Education Highlights

Graduation rates receive a mention in Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R)’s January 17 state of the state address, as Bryant acknowledges both the state’s all-time-high 80 percent graduation rate and gains on reading and math tests.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) called for one million dollar annual increases in K-12 STEM education and in the federal E-rate program during his January 17 state of the state address. Holcomb noted that more than half of Indiana’s schools do not have wi-fi in the classroom, and that this increased funding will enable more schools to participate in the E-rate and improve digital connectivity in schools.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) mentioned efforts to expand apprenticeship programs for high school students to strengthen career pathways in his January 25 state of the state address, an initiative of the Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Youth alongside the Illinois State Board of Education, high schools, community colleges, and employers.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (R) noted the state’s all-time high graduation rate of 86 percent in his January 24 state of the state address.

Dr. Elizabeth Primas, Program Manager for the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) initiative”

Dr. Elizabeth Primas, Program Manager for the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) initiative”

Dr. Elizabeth Primas, Program Manager for the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s “Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) initiative talks about the the and its impact on minority and students of color during the NNPA’s Mid-Winter Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. #nnpamidwinter #nnpa_ESSA

State Dept. of Education requests feedback

State Dept. of Education requests feedback

Ryanne Persinger Tribune Staff Writer

The Pennsylvania Department of Education will discuss the Every Student Succeeds Act and solicit feedback from education stakeholders and the community during a event scheduled for next week.

The ESSA goes into full effect in the 2017-18 school year and is the country’s primary K-12 education policy since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Questions discussed in the program will include: What can Pennsylvania do to innovate and take advantage of the flexibility to support Philadelphians and Philadelphia? Does the new federal administration signal major changes to ESSA implementation or will increased local control insulate states from federal influence?

Students from Dunbar Promise Academy participate in healthcare workshops during a visit last week to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
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The Education First Compact forum will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thur., Feb. 2, at Pipeline Philly, 30 S. South 15th St., and will be hosted by the Deputy Secretary of Education Matthew Stem, along with Beth Olanoff, the special assistant to the Secretary and ESSA Lead Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Education First Compact is an initiative of the Philadelphia Education Fund, which brings together people to discuss issues affecting education in Philadelphia.

Paul L. Dunbar 8th graders visit Temple University

Students from Paul L. Dunbar Promise Academy visited the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University last week in an attempt to get them interested in healthcare. Students were involved in interactive workshops that included using ultrasound and electrocardiogram machines, human brain displays, CPR demonstrations, and a discussion on bone health.

The student government association at LKSOM partnered with two non-profit organizations, It Takes Philly and the Opening Doors Foundation to make the event happen.

More than 200 participant in Aspen Challenge

More than 200 students and educators from the School District of Philadelphia will take part a program that includes 20 high school teams of eight students in grades 9 to 12. The event is from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 1 at the Ballroom at Ben, 834 Chestnut St.

The Aspen Challenge, founded by the Aspen Institute in partnership with the Bezos Family Foundation, will offer a daylong youth leadership development forum where they will hear leaders pioneering change.

The event features Amir Khalaib Thompson (Questlove) from the Roots, Ezekial Emanuel, oncologist and bioethicist chair at the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, MK Asante, professor and poet, the Rev. Jeffrey Brown, coalition builder and founder of Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace, Komal Ahmad, founder and CEO of Copia, a company working that works to eradicate hunger, JT Reager, an earth scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.

Nine neighborhood schools receive grants worth $4,300

The Philadelphia Public School Giving Circle Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation will give $4,300 in academic enrichment support to nine Philadelphia neighborhood schools. The Circle supports public elementary schools serving low-income students in neighborhoods with limited fundraising capacity.

The supported projects include:

  • Spring Garden Elementary School’s Family Fun Nights for academic enrichment in science, math and literacy.
  • Henry C. Lea Elementary School’s new math and reading curriculum for fifth graders.
  • Vare-Washington Elementary School for garden supplies.
  • Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School for back of the chair sacks for fifth graders to store and organize learning materials.
  • Southwark School’s reading books and literacy materials for students in the bilingual program.
  • Warren G. Harding School t o purchase five Chromebooks to supported blended learning.
  • James J. Sullivan Elementary School to purchase tickets for first graders to see Ambler Theater’s “Puss in Boots.”
  • S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School for 100 sets of headphones for use with Chromebooks.
  • Thomas K. Finletter Elementary School for four Ozobot robot kits to start an after school robotics club.

“This is an attempt to level the playing field a little bit and to also make us feel good,” said Andy Toy, a founding member of the Circle. “It’s not every person for themselves, it’s everyone working together.”

Brian Sims to host education forum Monday

On Monday, State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Phila.) will host an education forum at 7 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, 901 S. Broad St.

Principals from five neighborhood schools will participate. They include: April Brown from Waring Elementary, Zack Duberstein from Vare-Washington Elementary, Lisa Kaplan from Jackson Elementary, Dan Lazar from Greenfield Elementary and Lauren Overton from Meredith Elementary.

The panel includes: Maia Cucciara from Temple University, Eleanor Ingersoll, from the Queen Village Neighbors Association School and Youth Committee and of the Meredith Elementary School Advisory Council, Otis Hackney from the Mayor’s Office of Education, Ivy Olesh, Friends of Neighborhood Education and Deborah Gordon Klehr, the executive director of the Education Law Center.

“Together we’ll explore how entire communities can use their unique assets to support local public schools and move our vision for Philadelphia schools forward,” Sims said. “Dr. William Hite, the Philadelphia School superintendent, will kick off the forum and help us welcome panelists, parents and attendees.”

Chester Community Charter first in robot performance

The Mayor of Chester Thaddeus Kirkland and the City Council honored “The Bionic Beasts,” robotics team of the Chester Community Charter School. The team took home first place in Robot Performance, second overall out of 31 teams, and also won an award for mechanical design.

“The students on our robotic steam are exemplary role models, and show a glimpse of the talented, young minds our school is fostering within the Chester community,” said David Clark, the CEO of CCCS said.

The team is led by coach Daniel Aulisio, who founded the team in 2013. Seven students are on the team which used elements from mathematics, science and engineering to build their robots.

New school district breakfast food to be introduced

On Monday, the School District of Philadelphia will unveil a new student produced breakfast item to school cafeterias in the city. Rebel Crumbles, are healthy cakes filled with fruits and grains and were created by Rebel Ventures, a student run business with student entrepreneurs from different high schools.

For more than a year, students worked to develop the food recipe, test the product, market it to vendors and establish a partnership with the SDP’s Food Services to bring it to local schools.

National School Choice Week wrapped up

Last week was National School Choice Week, a week to highlight school choice. Some counties throughout the week celebrated the goal of raising public awareness of effective education options for children, however Philadelphia was not on the list.

“Students, parents, teachers and community leaders in Pennsylvania have a lot to celebrate during National School Choice Week,” said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. “Pennsylvania has long been a pioneer in providing diversity of K-12 education options for children and families.”

The week was an independent effort to spotlight other options including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning and homeschooling.

rpersinger@phillytrib.com (215) 893-5782

WISCONSIN: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) DPI Staff Contacts

WISCONSIN: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) DPI Staff Contacts

Topic Contact
Accountability Laura Pinsonneault
Director
Office of Educational Accountability
608-267-1072
Alternate Assessments Barb Van Haren
Director
Special Education
608-266-1781
Assessments Visalakshi Somasundaram
Director
Office of Student Assessment
608-267-1072
Community Learning Centers Becky Collins
Director
Student Services/Prevention and Wellness
608-266-5198
Distribution of Teachers Sheila Briggs
Assistant State Superintendent
Division for Academic Excellence
608-266-3361
English Learners Audrey Lesondak
​Education Consultant
Bilingual/ESL Education Program
608-266-7292
Equitable Participation Shelly Babler, Title I
Assistant Director
Title I and School Support
608-267-1067

Abdallah Bendada, Title II, Part A
Title II and Mathematics and Science Grant Manager
608-267-9270

Audrey Lesondak, Title III
​Education Consultant
Bilingual/ESL Education Program
608-266-7292

Foster Care Mark Mitchell
Title I and School Support
608-267-1281
Homeless Students Susan Piazza
Assistant Director
Title I and School Support
608-266-2813
Paraprofessionals Abdallah Bendada
Title II and Mathematics and Science Grant Manager
608-267-9270
School Improvement Jonas Zuckerman
Director
Title I and School Support Team
608-267-9136
Standards John Johnson
Director
Literacy and Mathematics
608-267-3726
Title I Jonas Zuckerman
Director
Title I and School Support
608-267-9136
Title II John Johnson
Director
Literacy and Mathematics
608-267-3726
Title III Audrey Lesondak
Education Consultant
Bilingual/ESL Education Program
608-266-7292
Title IV Becky Collins
Director
Student Services/Prevention and Wellness
608-266-5198
Alliance for Excellent Education Recognized as Leader in Linked Learning Movement

Alliance for Excellent Education Recognized as Leader in Linked Learning Movement

Today the Alliance for Excellent Education was recognized for its work to expand quality Linked Learning opportunities for students in California and across the nation at the Linked Learning Convention in Oakland, California. Linked Learning is a comprehensive educational approach that integrates rigorous academics, high-quality career and technical education, work-based learning, and student support to prepare all students, especially those who are traditionally underserved, to graduate from high school with the skills necessary to succeed in college and a career.

“From the most rural to the most urban school settings, Linked Learning is a sterling example of how the combined efforts of school districts, colleges and universities, and employers can make education more engaging for students and more relevant to the twenty-first-century economy,” said Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise, who received the 2017 Linked Learning Policymaker Champion Award. “The Alliance is honored to be partners in this movement and to have communicated the impact of Linked Learning to federal policymakers and education leaders for nearly a decade.”

Originating in California with nine school districts, Linked Learning has expanded to serve more than 65,000 students in California, and many more in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. The approach is working to reverse the trend of too many students, particularly African American, Latino, and students from low-income families, who are failing to graduate from high school with the skills necessary to succeed.

In conjunction with the convention, the Alliance released a short video demonstrating how Linked Learning is changing lives and improving educational outcomes for students at Los Angeles Unified School District. In the video, Paola—a first-generation college student—shares how her mentorship in high school helped to prepare her for college and a career. Watch the video below or at https://youtu.be/rUbM4wMjvcs.

“Our students are becoming increasingly more diverse and it is clear that our success as a nation is inextricably linked to the achievement of students from low-income families,” said Wise. “Linked Learning has been a successful approach to more positive education results for traditionally underserved students. For example, African American students in Linked Learning pathways are 12.4 percentage points more likely than their peers to enroll in a four-year college.”

“More than 11 million jobs have been created since the Great Recession, and only 1 percent of those jobs went to people with only a high school diploma,” said Wise. “It’s obvious that students need preparation for both postsecondary education and the workforce—not one or the other.”

“Linked Learning makes the critical connection between the classroom, college, and a career while eliminating the disconnect between classroom learning and the real world of the workplace,” said Wise. “This approach enables students to explore their interests while preparing them for the jobs they will be applying for and that the workforce will be seeking.”

To learn more about Linked Learning, visit www.all4ed.org/linkedlearning.

WASHINGTON: Consolidated Program Review

WASHINGTON: Consolidated Program Review

The Consolidated Program Review (CPR) monitors multiple federally funded programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This process fulfills OSPI’s compliance monitoring requirements under Federal regulations (2 CFR 200). The CPR process consists of an OSPI team reviewing Local Educational Agencies’ (LEA) federal and selected state programs. The monitoring activities are designed to focus on the results of the LEA’s efforts to implement critical requirements of the ESEA using available resources and flexibility provisions.

Programs include:

1. ​Title I, A – Improving Academic Achievement 9. Title VI, B – Rural Education
2. ​LAP (Learning Assistance Program) 10. Title X – McKinney-Vento (Homeless)
3. Title I, C – Migrant Education 11. Highly Capable
​4. Title I, D – Neglected and Delinquent 12. Perkins/CTE (Career and Technical Education)
​5. Title I, G – AP (Advanced Placement) 13. Private Schools
6. Title II, A – Teacher and Principal Quality 14. Civil Rights
​7. Title III/TBIP (Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program) 15. Fiscal Cross-Cutting
​8. Gun-Free Schools Act 16. OSSS (Office of Student and School Success)

CPR Monitoring Tools
Information regarding the monitoring process and resources for LEAs that will be monitored in the 2016-17 school year.

Guidance
Title I, A | LAP | Title III/TBIP | Highly Capable | Homeless | Civil Rights | Fiscal

Policy Templates
One source for policy templates related to state and federal law is WSSDA — the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
Contact Stephanie DeHart, 360-252-3018, for more information.

CPR Review Cycle
Most LEAs are monitored by ESD on a 5-year cycle. The 4 largest LEAs and selected other LEAs are monitored annually.
2016-17: Chosen LEAs in ESDs 105, 112, and 113
2017-18: Chosen LEAs in ESDs 105, 112, and 113
2018-19: LEAs in ESDs 123 and 189
2019-20: LEAs in ESDs 101 and 114
2021-22: LEAs in ESDs 121 and 171

   Updated 9/23/2016

Deeper Learning Digest: Listening to Improve Student Outcomes

Deeper Learning Digest: Listening to Improve Student Outcomes

The Deeper Learning movement is thinking about how to involve more and more educators in the national, state, local, and dinner table conversations centered on teaching and learning, writes Monica Alatorre in Education Week’s Learning Deeply blog. She reminds everyone to be sure student voices are part of the conversation, and specifically asking “What do students think about education, and about how to best reach them, engage them, and motivate them?”

 Alatorre shares the thoughts of two high school students on why education is important to them and specifically how their education is preparing them for the future. The highlights? Students want to learn and improve. Students also understand the connection between academic skills and future success.

Miles, an eleventh grade student from Oakland exemplifies this and the importance of deeper learning skills, saying:

“My school has taught me about leadership, and about the importance of collaborating productively, communicating powerfully, and thinking critically. Because I am learning these skills early in life, by the time I am ready to work, I will have had practice in these skills and will be prepared.

Read more: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_deeply/2017/01/dear_decision_makers_listen_to_what_students_have_to_say.html

Engaging Students to Combat Inequity

Pedro Noguera, a professor in the Graduate School of Education at UCLA, discussed inequities in education during a recent lecture at the University of Washington, reports the school’s newspaper, The Daily. 

“In education, we have been focused on the scale,” he said. “That’s why we haven’t nearly begun to figure out how to create schools that not only make it possible for kids to come away better prepared for life as adults, but begin to address these huge gaps, these huge disparities, that correspond to race and class that are contributing to the inequities in our society.”

The article notes that in particular inequities are created in the classroom around students’ perceived abilities. “Inequity, and the fact that we dumb down the material for the kids we think are not so smart and don’t have the ability, leaves us [confusing] how well a child does on a test with how much intellectual ability they actually have,” said Noguera.

The Daily explains that Noguera presents deeper learning as a strategy to combat this inequity by enabling students to utilize high order thinking skills as well as a method to increase student engagement and improve student outcomes.

Learn more: http://www.dailyuw.com/news/article_d9171f82-d87f-11e6-8491-1775ba2711de.html

Visualizing Deeper Learning

Focus 2 Achieve has developed an infographic to help visualize how deeper learning unfolds in the classroom. A key area within the image is collaborate, including prompts to share and discuss ideas, as well as receiving and using feedback. Take a look at the full graphic by clicking on the image below.

Deeper+Learning+Infographic

 

Deeper Learning in Action

Twitter can be a great place to see what’s actually happening to promote deeper learning outcomes in (and out!) of classrooms across the country. Here are a few examples. Be sure to follow @DeeperLearning and check out #DeeperLearning for more!

The ‘Deeper Learning Digest’ is a bi-weekly roundup of articles, blog posts, and other content around deeper learning. Be sure to follow @deeperlearning on Twitter and like Deeper Learning on Facebook to stay up to date on all deeper learning news. 

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Education Transformation and High School Graduation Rates on the Forefront

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Education Transformation and High School Graduation Rates on the Forefront

President-elect Donald Trump is not the only executive stepping in front of a podium this month. The beginning of a new year also means that the nation’s governors will be celebrating recent successes and outlining new programs and ideas in their annual state of the state addresses. Governors speaking early in 2017 have focused on education accomplishments, including raising high school graduation rates, and presented areas for improvement and transformation.

Oregon: Gov. Kate Brown Shares Top Priority: Raising High School Graduation Rates

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) was clear as bell during her January 9 inaugural speech: her top priority is improving Oregon’s high school graduation rates. Although Brown acknowledged the investments and improvements made in education during her two years in office, she was more focused on unsettling statistics that make Oregon schools “among the nation’s leaders in all the wrong categories,” including highest dropout rate.

To raise the state’s high school graduation rate, which is currently about 74 percent and is the third worst rate in the nation, Brown’s agenda includes a graduation equity fund in the amount of $20 million, reports the Portland Tribune. The fund would replicate best practices from around the state to address chronic absenteeism, aid students who are experiencing trauma, expand mentoring and professional development for teachers, and invest in underserved communities.

“Let’s make sure that every student in Oregon—especially historically underserved students–has the chance to achieve their own dreams,” said Brown.

Georgia: Gov. Nathan Deal Talks Highs and Lows of Georgia’s Education Landscape

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) framed many parts of his January 11 state of the state address with the theme of “accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative,” including in the area of education. He shared the state’s high school graduation rate, which has increased from 67.4 percent in 2011 to the current rate of 79.2 percent, as a great positive improvement.

Deal thanked the educators for this progress saying, “Those who are on the frontlines of this field, who mold young minds every day in the classroom and who answer such a challenging calling are the ‘everyday heroes’ that a successful society requires.”

As for the negative, Deal discussed the state’s 153 chronically underperforming schools, which have increased from 127 two years ago. These schools serve almost 89,000 students, primarily elementary age children. Deal stressed the importance of “reversing this alarming trend early on” and how eliminating this negative would improve reading and math comprehension skills and scores, graduation rates, and the quality of the Georgia’s workforce.

“It should be abundantly clear to everyone, including those in the education community who so staunchly support the status quo, that this is unacceptable,” said Deal. “If this pattern of escalation in the number of failing schools does not change, its devastating effects on our state will grow with each passing school year.”

North Dakota: Gov. Doug Burgum Calls for Modernizing Education for a 21st Century World

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) challenged the basic education model that “dates back to before statehood” during his January 3 state of the state address.

“Most North Dakota students still study isolated subjects, sit in rows of desks for 50-minute periods and wait for the next bell to ring. Yet nearly all of the world’s information is now available online, anywhere, anytime, for free.” said Burgum. “We can’t prepare our kids for the 21st century using a 19th-century model.”

Beyond a shift in model, Burgum said that educators, parents, business people, policymakers, and students are saying that performance on traditional measures is not enough to prepare students for the future. “They need to be creative problem solvers, effective communicators, informed and responsible citizens who are strong collaborators,” he said. “The challenge for our schools is how to equip our students with these essential skills and learning mindsets.”

When it comes to school transformation, Burgum called for superintendents, principals, teachers, and students to be at the forefront, but he also acknowledged the role of parents, businesses, community organizations, and legislators.

“We must also reframe education to be a lifelong endeavor, not something that merely ends with a diploma,” he said.

Other Education Highlights

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) dedicated much of his January 11 Inaugural address to argue the case for fully funding education, calling on the imaginations of viewers as he painted a picture of what a fully funded education would look like in the state.

“Imagine schools that can recruit and keep great teachers, with competitive salaries. … Imagine closing the opportunity gap in our state by making sure at-risk kids have extra teaching and mentoring time. … Imagine more students graduating because we have psychologists, nurses and counselors who can help them cross the finish line. … Imagine students learning skills that employers tell us they need right now.”

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) is paving the way toward connectivity in the classroom through the EducationSuperHighway, so that “every student, in every classroom, will have affordable, effective, high-speed internet.” His full state of the state address.

…Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) wants all K-12 students to have access to high-quality computer science and introduced legislation that encourages every high school in Iowa to offer at least one computer science course. Learn more from his January 10 state of the state address.

…Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) emphasized the importance of skills-based training opportunities both in and out of the classrooms, including high school apprenticeships, so thousands of Coloradans can acquire career-focused skills that are transferrable to different industries. More in his January 12 state of the state address.

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