The Advocate
The Advocate is updated in the first week of every other month September through May, containing articles relating to private school issues, representation, and local-to-national news relevant to independent schools.
Urgent: Senate CARES Act relevant to private schools
WFIS Educators and Families - your advocacy effort is needed at this time! The big “Phase 3” Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) is at a critical stage of consideration in Congress right now. Currently there is a provision allowing for...
The Child Care Crisis Causes Job Disruptions for More Than 2 Million Parents Each Year
By Cristina Novoa and Steven Jessen-Howard Posted on February 18, 2020 At a time when more than two-thirds of young children have all available parents in the workforce, child care is a necessity for most families across the country. Yet new data show that the...
Early Learning Advocacy Update
WFIS is a longtime member of ELAA (Early Learning Action Alliance) a broad coalition of organizations representing a diverse array of Washington nonprofits, professional associations, and businesses united by the belief that all children in Washington state deserve to...
facial recognition tech test incorrectly matched several Denver City Council members with sex offenders
Searches with images of nine out of the 13 members returned matching results. Councilman Chris Hinds had the most matches, with four, while images of Councilmembers Stacie Gilmore, Paul Kashmann and Jamie Torres each returned three matches. Each match has a “confidence” rating that shows you how similar the two photographs are. Their results showed the program had a confidence level rating as high as 92 percent for some council member’s portraits when compared to those of sex offenders.
Make child care more accessible
Letter Feb 6th in The Columbian Investments in early child care and preschool are fundamental difference-makers for Washington children and families. That’s why I support the efforts in Olympia to make child care and preschool more affordable and accessible in...
Here’s an IDEA: Follow the Law!
Are other states falling short of meeting their IDEA obligations? The answer, which is readily deduced by the application of simple logic, is almost certainly, “yes.” Nationally, the number of public school students identified as possessing disabilities requiring special education and related services is estimated to be approximately 13 percent of the total. For private school students, the number is estimated at just under 3 percent.
Early Childhood Education Is Early Intervention for a Safer and More Prosperous Community
Guest Column by Debbie Campbell of Lewis County WA in The Daily Chronicle The Lewis County community is resilient. We work together to lift each other up when we face challenges. In our positions, we see people every day facing significant challenges — from poverty...
Commerce awards $17.2 million for early learning facilities
Today DCYF announced $17.2 million in grants to 39 current and new early learning providers across the state. The grants provide financial support to allow Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) contractors and Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy providers to plan, expand, remodel, purchase or construct early learning facilities and classrooms.
K12 Eyes Further Deals After $165M Acquisition of Coding Bootcamp Galvanize
K12 chose Galvanize out of the crowded bootcamp space because of Galvanize’s mix of online and in-person learning and its 8,000-plus graduates who have gone on to work at more than 2,000 companies, including major technology stalwarts including Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.
Latina preschool teachers feel the pressure of new college-degree rules, study says
Many Latina teachers have recently decided to enroll in degree programs, the report suggests. But some say they’ve opted to take a demotion and become a teacher’s assistant rather than spend time and money to pursue a degree. For many teachers, earning a degree doesn’t make financial sense; it often results in a small raise, such as $1 to $2 an hour, the report says, but can be expensive. More than 50% of the study’s participants said they have at least 10 years of classroom experience.
White House hosts Religious Liberty Day defending First Amendment rights of every student, teacher
“Too many misinterpret a “separation of church and state” as an invitation for government to separate people from their faith.”