Senate Bill 6696, the Race to the Top proposal requested by Gov. Gregoire is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Education Committee Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Passage of this bill, which you can find here:  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6696&year=2009 (see Engrossed Second Substitute) is absolutely necessary if Washington state is going to compete for between $150 and $250 million in federal education funds.

We are finally moving away from looking at how much is spent on education to measuring outcomes.  Turning this bill into law will help ALL students succeed but several amendments are necessary to ensure that Washington is in compliance with federal guidelines for Race to the Top.

E2SB 6696 is also the natural next step in education reform that was begun by the legislature last year in HB 2261.

Here are the key facets that need to be in this bill to make it a strong and worthwhile bill (and qualify Washington for RTTT funds):

• OSPI needs to develop one set of statewide measures of student growth and to mandate districts use it. 
• Student growth data needs to comprise at least 50% of teacher and principal evaluations.
• Districts should be required to use one of the approved four-tiered evaluation models developed by OSPI or obtain approval from OSPI on an acceptable alternative.
• For teachers who receive a performance rating in the bottom two tiers of the evaluation system for two years in a row, they should be placed back on provisional status for up to three years.
• Provide extra pay for teachers who work in high poverty, high minority or low achieving schools and hard-to-staff subject areas (math, science, special ed.), and who demonstrate effectiveness in closing the achievement gap and raising student performance.
• Ensure that “required action” actually translates to bold and meaningful changes in these schools that the federal government is now requiring—including replacing 50 percent of school staff, extending the school day and instituting performance-based evaluation and compensation systems.

WTIA is a member of the Excellent Schools Now coalition that is behind this bill and these additional reforms.  Attached is a document explaining this in more detail.

Now is the time to contact the lawmakers on the House Education Committee and ask them to support these amendments to SB 6696.

Following are the e-mail addresses for the committee members:

Chairman Dave Quall                            quall.dave.@leg.wa.gov

Vice-Chair Marcie Maxwell                  maxwell.marcie@leg.wa.gov

Ranking Republican Skip Priest             priest.skip@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Mike Hope                                  hope.mike@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Bruce Dammeier                          dammeier.bruce@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Susan Fagan                                 fagan.susan@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Sam Hunt                                     hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Norm Johnson                             johnson.norm@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Marko Liias                                 liias.marko@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Tina Orwall                                  orwall.tina@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Tim Probst                                   probst.tim@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Sharon Santos                              santos.sharon@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Pat Sullivan                                  sullivan.pat@leg.wa.gov

Please contact these folks today.  Here is the link to the House Education Committee where you can find out more:  http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/ED/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx