Good news: We have one last opportunity to preserve basic education for our children's education. The only person able to rescue our online programs is the governor. It will take action from every one reading this message. Here's how we can do it.
Deliver this message to Governor Gregoire:
"Please veto Sec 9 (3)(b) of ESHB 2065. This will allow OSPI the flexibility to enact policy changes in ALE (Alternative Learning Experience) programs in ways that will not hurt students."
There are at least two ways to deliver a written message?
* The easiest and quickest way to reach her office is on her website at: http://www.governor.wa.gov/
- Then either cut and paste the message with a statement from you about the value of your child's online public school program or
- Type your own original message making sure to include "Please veto Sec 9 (3) (b) to allow OSPI the flexibility to enact policy changes in ALE programs in a way that will not hurt students."
Personal letters can be mailed to Governor Christine Gregoire
The Honorable Chris Gregoire
Governor, Washington State
Legislative Building, 2nd Floor
PO Box 40002
Olympia WA 98504
If you're ready to go, go ahead. If you'd like more background here it is:
Remember how to find out lots more about the ALE bill? Go to http://apps.leg.wa.gov/
Section 9 (3)(b) of ESHB 2065 is the section of law that directs OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) to cut 10% to 20% of the basic education funding for all students enrolled in ALE programs, including our children. The budget writers are counting on $41 million in "savings" from ALE programs. We are proposing that they get those savings by restoring one hour/week of face-to-face teacher-student contact time for non-online ALE programs. Before highly accountable online programs were launched in 2005, students in all ALE programs were required to spend five hours/week contact time. Online programs are now mandated to be individually approved and accountable to OSPI. As you know, there are many layers of accountability for every online student.
If the governor vetoes Section 9 (3) (b), OSPI can make a rule change to re-establish contact time for non-online programs. Some ALE programs reaching part-time home-school students from outside their school districts may not be able to provide time with a teacher for out-of-district students. If many of those families chose to return to full-time home-school, OSPI reported that the savings to the state would be enough ($40+ million) to restore full basic education funding to students in all ALE programs.
Text of a letter our coalition board members are editing to send to the governor:
Legislative budget writers needed $41 million more in cuts to K-12 education to balance the budget. Unfortunately, they decided to single out students in ALE (Alternative Learning Experience) programs that 200+ districts have launched to meet the individual needs of students. Individual students, like our children, who are behaviorally challenged, medically fragile, academically advanced, geographically isolated or thrive educationally at their own pace. These ALE programs meet the needs of many of society's most vulnerable: former drop-outs, teen parents, homeless students and more. Traditional at-risk programs and innovative online programs offer second chances and students get results. Now whether, or not, these programs can continue to keep their doors open lies solely in your hands. As leaders in Washington Families for Online Learning representing thousands of families with children enrolled in ALE programs, we respectfully ask that you veto Section 9 (3) (b) of ESHB 2065 to preserve the basic education funding for students in ALE programs, including our children.
As we remember fondly from our presentation of this year's "Pioneer Educator" award (replica of the old school bell) to you, you enthusiastically support these educational options for our daughters and sons. Thank you. You also are on record for wanting to continue 1.0 FTE basic education funding for all public school students. We honor that. And? we recognize that there would be a $41 million hole in the budget if you merely vetoed the bill. Therefore, we support a partial veto of 2065 to provide OSPI the flexibility to make policy changes to deliver the savings.
Online ALE programs are opening doors for low-income, rural and minority students. Students can find courses that interest and challenge them. Their online learning helps prepare students for college and/or careers in a digital world. Students in online programs can catch up, move ahead or dig deeper into a subject that interests them. In a traditional school, when the class moves on, all students move on, regardless of whether all students have mastered the concept that could be a prerequisite for learning what's next. Many students are left behind. Online learning is different. It is competency-based and the district funds are cut back or eliminated for any student not making monthly satisfactory progress on their own learning plan.
Families in our coalition, Washington Families for Online Learning, followed weeks of legislators' struggle to find savings in ALE programs. In the final hours of the special session we were aghast as they simply handed the problem over to OSPI with a mandate to cut each "program" 10% to 20%. How can a school district continue to operate a program that is funded at 15% less than basic education? The fiscal note shows ALE programs typically get an average of $5,000/student where other programs receive about double that when levy funds, facility funds and federal funds are added in. Many, if not most, districts will shut down their ALE programs next year if you don't provide OSPI the flexibility to make a policy change (restore pre-2005 one hour/week face-to-face contact for non-online ALE) to achieve the necessary budget savings.
Before acting on 2065, please at least thumb thru our booklet, "Scrapbook of Student Stories". Better yet, go to Student Stories atwww.waonlinefamilies.org
to view Ryan's video clip, "Overcoming Autism". It's only a video? and Ryan and Riya (video clip) and Destiny (pg 3) and Cassidy (with epileptic seizure disorder) and Hannah (with Cystic Fibrosis) and thousands of other real kids are looking to you to save their online ALE programs. Crystal's Mom says, "We took Crystal in from an abusive household. She is a special needs child with an IEP for emotional problems. Things did not go well for her in her neighborhood school. The online program has been a miracle. I feel it saved her life."
We're not saying every online student's life is at risk. We do know every highly interactive, highly accountable, state-approved online program is at risk. Every ALE teacher in Steilacoom has a pink slip. It's not a pretty future. Other states made significant gains for students desiring online education. Our state was an online education leader. 10% to 20% cuts to funding basic education for students enrolled in online public school programs would set us back a decade.
Only you can save the day for our children's educational futures. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. We implore you to give OSPI the flexibility of finding the savings thru policy changes that will strengthen ALE programs for students while preserving the educational opportunities of students in both the traditional at-risk and innovative online programs.
Respectfully,
Families: Respectfully asking the governor to veto a section of the bill is our last chance to preserve full basic education funding for our children. We have to get this message thru to the governor's staff and then the governor. Do you have any connections with the press or other media? Do you know other online families who haven't been working on this all year and can now see how real the problem is? Do you have other ideas for how to assure that our message is well received??? Let us know at info@waonlinefamilies.org. More thanks!
