Association of Washington School Principals/Washington Association of School Administrators 2006 Summer Convention (As Written)
June 27, 2006
I want to start by thanking all of you for your service. Your efforts contribute significantly to the quality of education received by our state�s young people. What you do makes a difference every day in the lives of students across our state. We are proud of you!
I am pleased to see such a diverse group here, representing school districts from across the state. Despite this diversity, we share many of the same interests and concerns. What happens if I get sick�will I have adequate health insurance? Will our economy support enough jobs so I can find productive and rewarding work? Can I get to work on our crowded and unsafe roads? Are Washington�s children going to receive a quality education? And will there be room in our colleges and universities for our students to receive the education they want and need?
To each of you who share these concerns, I say, your future just got better.
Some people say nothing ever gets done in Olympia. We worked together and we proved them wrong. We had the courage and bold leadership to step forward and make Washington a better place to live. It is time for us to stop just getting by. It is time for us to get going on education, health care, jobs, the environment, and government accountability.
There was one theme that I really focused on this last session: This was going to an education budget. And I am proud to say that it was. It was because we took the recommendations of �Washington Learns� seriously, and made whole the promise of educating Washington�s children for the 21st century.
Last year when I spoke before you, I said we needed to be sure that we look at our education system in its entirety. We must determine what we are doing well, and those things we are not doing well. We must use our resources to produce the best possible results. And, we must make sure all of our children receive the education they deserve.
This means we must be willing to look at ourselves critically to improve what we do. We must be willing to engage in change � personally and as a system.
When we evaluate the educational system in our own state, we shouldn�t compare it to other states. To survive, we need to go toe-to-toe with Japan, Germany, Ireland, and the top schools in India.
That�s why I am personally chairing �Washington Learns� and I believe it will provide a roadmap�quite literally�for the future of our state. Our mission is to build and sustain a seamless, student-focused, and world-class education system.
Business owners looking to relocate or expand, without exception, want to know that we have a well-trained, educated, modern workforce. And they also want good schools for their children and their employees� children.
We need to compete in the global marketplace�and so we begin at the beginning�investing in early learning
Our Washington Learns Interim Report recommended the creation of a cabinet-level department of early learning with a director appointed by the Governor. I did just that �created a Department of Early Learning that consolidates more than a half-dozen childcare and early learning programs. The new department will be the focal point in working with the private sector to coordinate investments and improve coordination between early learning and K-12.
Our Washington Learns Interim Report advocated a public-private partnership focused on public engagement and quality improvement. We did just that by creating the �Thrive By Five� Partnership that will invest millions in seed dollars to support parents and improve the quality of early learning in our state.
Our Washington Learns Interim Report recommended investing in intensive, focused, academic support for high school students who need extra help to meet the state�s academic requirements in reading, writing, and mathematics�and provide schools and classroom teachers with additional resources specifically for that purpose. We did just that�$28.5 million to help students who have been unsuccessful in meeting standards.
Washington Learns called for developing new career pathways that lead to apprenticeships after graduation. We did just that�permitting up to 10 school districts to qualify for �Running Start� grants to prepare interested students for the building trades and crafts.
Washington Learns recommended that all secondary school students participate in a program that is integrated into the curriculum and provides an adult mentor. We did just that�with support for �Navigation 101,� offering adult guidance, mentoring, and other activities to help students plan and prepare for what they will do after high school.
We have a yardstick to measure our success. It can be narrowed down to a simple question, �what�s best for our students?�
We need to re-evaluate our whole education system. We need to take up the challenge from Bill Gates and create an educational system for tomorrow�s workforce- not yesterday�s. That�s our calling and that�s the challenge of globalization.
A word about our state standards and our assessment system. I believe in the standards we have set in this state for our children. They are the right ones. These are the subjects our students need to know, the skills they need to hone, and the applications they need to make. Our children�s future place in the world and their ability to realize their dreams is dependent on succeeding with these standards. I know we have more to do.
It troubles me when I hear that some classes are not going to be taught because students needs more time with math. Why? Because you know, and I know, there are many different ways to teach math. If I can teach a student to build a boat, that student will know math. He or she will be able to estimate the amount of various materials needed, understand the geometry of the pieces, calculate the cost of the needed items, and decide who can give the best deal on purchasing the materials.
What we need to do is be cooperative in what and how we are teaching to our standards. You may not design a course the same way you always have. That�s OK. You may need to add some reading skill-building to different courses in your building. Or, the theatre class might need to spend more time on the physical science aspect of refractive light in setting up the stage effects.
I know you get the message here. I hope you will help others understand that it is not only possible, but necessary to thread the basics throughout the teaching and learning process.
I also know that you have grave concerns about the Legislature and federal government requiring more service, more reporting, and more tasks for which you feel you have few resources to provide. This is one reason we must determine through Washington Learns what it is we really need to do and be bold about providing that. We also must be bold about acknowledging those things that aren't helping us reach our goals, and stop doing them
With your help, our state�s education system is going to remain strong. We�re going to fix what�s wrong and build on what�s right.
Now, we have to apply that same problem-solving mentality we see in this room today back into our schools and school districts.
Working together, we can meet our goal of developing the best education system in the country. And put all this talk into action. Let�s get to work!
Thank you.
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- Governor Gregoire Honored by Washington School Administrators with Golden Gavel Award
