Monthly Archives: April 2010

Evergreen Included in Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges

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Citing its commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality plan, the Princeton Review has included Evergreen in its first-ever Green Colleges Guide .

Traditionally an index of academic and campus culture factors, the Princeton Review has for decades rated colleges for students and parents researching higher education institutions. With the Guide to Green Colleges, the Princeton Review is responding to the 66% of students polled in 2009 who indicated that they would find information on potential colleges’ commitments to the environment useful in making their post-secondary school decisions.

According to publisher Rob Franek, the guide uses three main areas to gauge a college’s “green”-ness:

  • Providing students a healthy and sustainable quality of life
  • Preparing students for green jobs and responsible green citizenship
  • Using environmentally responsible school policies

The book itself also cites Evergreen’s LEED-certified Seminar II building and recent library renovations among the college’s green practices. In addition, the college’s commitment to sustainability are highlighted in its use of local and organic food, available transportation alternatives, and student-initiated groups and organizations addressing environmental issues.

Federal Legislation Introduced to Extend Education Stimulus Dollars

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On Wednesday, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) sponsored and introduced legislation that would create a $23 billion education jobs fund, modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) that was established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Keep Our Educators Working Act would be awarded to local educational agencies and public institutions of higher education for the support of early childhood, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Funds would be used for compensation and benefits and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees, hiring new employees and on-the-job training activities for education-related careers.

The Act is introduced at time when many policymakers and education leaders are increasingly concerned about the upcoming 2011 fiscal year with regards to the steep drop in available funds once the billions of federal dollars made available over the last biennium run out.

Under the proposed legislation, the hope is that the extension of federal assistance to higher education and education will ward off budget cuts and tuition increases. The Act would provide each state’s governor with a formula-driven share of the $23 billion with which to replace any money that they have cut or will cut from their 2010 and 2011 budgets for elementary/secondary schools and public colleges and universities.

The intent is that each Governor will distribute the funds proportionally based on the amounts cut from the two sectors, but can “adjust” the amounts by up to 10 percent of the larger of the two totals. In addition, the money can only be used for “compensation and benefits and other expenses necessary to retain existing employees” or hire new ones, or for “on-the-job training activities” for “education-related careers”.  The money could not be used to supplant state funds in a way that restores or supplements “rainy day” funds or pays of debt.

Finally, the legislation would require states to sustain a level of education spending comparable to what they spent in 2006. Specifically, the bill requires governors to spend on both higher education and K-12 at least a comparable portion of their states’ revenues in 2010 as they spent in 2006, and a comparable portion in 2011 as they spent in 2009.

The bill has been deemed “emergency” legislation, allowing the money to come out of federal mandatory rather than annually appropriated funds. This means that the costs of the bill would not have to be offset by cuts in other programs.

While education and higher education leaders are thankful for the investment, it is unclear how much benefit institutions may derive form the legislation if passed because the bill only replaces funds that have been or will be cut from the public college budgets.  It also raises questions regarding the role of the state in supporting and investing in their own public education institutions.

The $23 billion request proposed in Harkin’s Keep our Educators Working Act of 2010 has also been introduced in the U.S. House as a part of a freestanding jobs bill Local Jobs for Americans Act (H.R. 4812).

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing on FY11 Budget Request

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Late this week, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held a hearing on the Presidents FY11 budget request.  Senators reaffirmed their commitment to close any remaining funding gaps that remain in the Pell Grant Program.

“The Pell shortfall is another danger on the horizon,” stated U.S. Senator Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

National Education Association Offers Alternative to Administration’s Rewrite of ESEA

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This week the National Education Association (NEA) put forward detailed recommendations for the overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  The ESEA is up for renewal this year.

Many of the NEA’s recommendations offer an alternative approach to the Obama Administration’s blueprint for rewriting the Act. The different approach recommended by the NEA continues a recent divergence that began with the Association’s objections to the structure of the Race to the Top Fund.

The recommendations put forth by NEA differ in many ways, including:

  • Failing to refer to the idea of “teacher effectiveness” as measured by evaluations that incorporate student academic growth.
  • Providing a less prescriptive approach with regard to interventions to turn schools around.
  • Proposing fewer standardized tests.
  • Judging schools on growth toward an annual performance target and on their progress in closing achievement gaps. Schools that fell below the 5th percentile on one of these indicators would be subject to school improvement which would be local and involve input from external school review teams.
  • Adopting the Teacher for Excellence for All Children legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA).
  • Establishing stricter entry standards and changes to the law’s current “highly-qualified” teacher designation.
  • Creating new requirements on teachers entering the profession through alternative routes.

The release of these recommendations by the NEA is likely to be one of many voices that will be heard in the coming months with regard to changes to the ESEA.

Accountability for Higher Education Remains at Forefront for Obama Administration

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Reports from the Higher Learning Commission’s annual meeting emerged this week that indicated the Administration’s intent to continue the pressure initiated during the Bush Administration on colleges and universities to prove they provide a quality education at an accessible price.

The message from national higher education leaders who spoke at the meeting clearly communicated the Administration’s determination to hold colleges and universities accountable for performance or face undesirable consequences if institutions do not make meaningful changes on their own.

As Molly Corbett Broad, the president of the American Council on Education stated, “To the extent that federal policy makers are now willing to bail out banks and other financial institutions, and to take major equity positions in our auto makers, because those companies are too big to fail, then I believe it’s wise for us to assume they will have little reservation about regulating higher education now that they know it is too important to fail.”

So why all of this tough love? The Administration believes the vehicle by which to successfully educate more students to drive the economy is a college education.  However, for this success to materialize the Administration believes their is room for improvement with regards to performance.

Actions that underlie this intention are not hard to find.  In a brief scan of the higher education-related areas in which the Obama Administration has already delved, it is easy to recognize areas that historically would have been viewed as off-limits to federal action.

These include but are not limited to:

Still many college leaders are left scratching their heads with regard to specifics about how to bring about innovation that might persuade critics that believe higher education can be more productive without lowering quality.

The fact is that higher education institutions may not have much time to ponder. As Broad stated at the meeting, “If we fail to act, it is likely that change will be imposed upon us, with potentially serious consequences for the governance structure that has allowed the United States to develop the best, most inclusive ‘higher education system in the world.”

Post-Session Wrap Up and Beyond

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In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Washington Legislature adjourned the first special session of 2010. The 30-day special session came on the heels of the constitutionally required 60-day supplemental session because the Legislature failed to find consensus on revenue and appropriations.

The stalemate between the House and Senate came to an end on the last day of the 30-day special session. The Legislature adopted a two-part revenue package and found agreement on the final 2010 supplemental operating and capital budgets.

The Legislature implemented a four-prong approach to solving the state’s $2.8 billion budget shortfall. The Legislature passed two-bills (SB 6143 and HB 2493) that combined will generate $757 million in revenue by closing tax loopholes and increasing taxes.

In addition, the Legislature reduced funding for state programs and services by $755 million, including a reduction in funding of $73 million to institutions of higher education near the minimum level required for the receipt of federal stimulus funds (SB 6444). The Legislature also incorporated approximately $618 million of approved/anticipated additional federal relief to Washington State and made $461 million in additional transfers from various funds to increase General Fund-State resources.

In the end, the final combination of revenue and budgets for the 2010 supplemental session was a mixed bag for higher education and The Evergreen State College. As the details shared in prior blogs and future analysis will show, while student financial aid was protected and some investments were made, higher education funding again experienced a decline at the state level. So what is beyond the 2010 legislative session for the Office of Governmental Relations at Evergreen. Contrary to what many may think there is little time for a break.

Now that the 2010 Legislature has completed its business and has adjourned we will prepare our annual Legislative Report. The Report – which includes a full review of the 2010 budgets and revenue package and a comprehensive list of of the legislation that Evergreen tracked – will be posted to the Office of Government Relations website.

In the following weeks we will share with you actions the Governor takes on the dozen or so bills passed during special session.

Legislative Session 2011

In the following months we will work with Evergreen’s Office of Budget and Operations to prepare for the 2011 Legislative Session- less than a year away. Our eyes will be on the initiative process as the November elections approach. Tim Eyman, a leader in the initiative process, has already filed several separate measures as of yesterday (April 13). Each measure seeks to repeal a separate slice of the $631 million in new revenues passed by the Legislature on Monday. Eyman’s measures target: (1) the 28 cent per-six-pack increase on mass-marketed beer; (2) the 2 percent-per-can tax increase on soda/pop; (3) the $1 per-pack increase on cigarettes and increases on other tobacco products; (4) the sales tax on candy and bottled water; and (5) the B&O tax on service businesses.

The filing of the measures is preliminary and it may be months before decisions are made regarding what measures to pursue. Beyond the initiative process we will also keep you posted with regard to the latest news regarding the 2010 elections. Ninety-eight seats in the House and half the Senate will be up for election this fall. In addition, U.S. Representative Brian Baird, which represents southern Washington, has decided to step down opening his seat for someone new.

Finally, we will continue to keep information coming with regard to federal higher education- and education-related issues, topics, and reports.

So much to do…so little time…lets get started!

Senate Passes 2010 Supplemental Capital Budget, Bill Goes to the Governor’s Desk

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In the early hours of the 30th and final day of the first special session of 2010, the House concurred on the Senate’s amended version of the 2010 supplemental capital budget (HB 2836) with a vote of 61 to 36.

House Bill 2836 now goes to the Governor for her signature.

House Concurs on Alternative Public Works Bill…Now Heads to the Governor

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In the late hours of the final day of special session the House concurred on the Senate’s amended version of  House Bill 1690 .

House Bill 1690 clarifies that, unless otherwise specifically provided for in law, public bodies that want to use an alternative public works contracting procedure may use only those procedures specifically authorized in chapter 39.10 RCW.

House Bill 1690 now goes to the Governor for her signature.

House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler Announces She Will Not Run Again

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As the Washington Legislature entered the early hours of the 30th day of the first special session of 2010, Representative Lynn Kessler, the House Majority Leader, announced that she would not run again for her House seat this fall.

Representative Kessler ends her legislative career after 18 years of service to the citizens of Washington. She has been a strong advocate for women’s rights and access to an open and transparent government.

She will be greatly missed for her leadership, strength, and kindness.