Advocacy Email - April 13, 2007

To: Advocacy Email List of the Washington State Coalition for International Education

IMPORTANT NEWS...

* Senate Bill 5481 Enhancing student learning opportunities and achievement.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5841
Sponsors: Senators Hobbs, McAuliffe, Rockefeller, Tom, Oemig, Kauffman, Regala, Kohl-Welles, Rasmussen

This bill implements many of the recommendations from Washington Learns (including new learning opportunities, full-day kindergarten, career paths, etc.). The bill originated in the Senate, but when it passed over to the House of Representatives, Rep. Shay Schual-Berke successfully amended it to include a new section (Section 7) establishing the position of World Languages Supervisor at OSPI. (Rep. Schual-Berke did this because that language got lost in her original bill HB1517, when that bill went to the Senate.)

Current status: Because the House amended the bill, the Senate must vote on concurrence with the changes. That is supposed to happen on Saturday, April 14.

Action Needed Now (as of 4/13/2007)

  1. Download and read the amendment: Section 7.  (PDF)
    Note: it's possible it will get further renumbered, so look for the section referring to WORLD LANGUAGES.
     
  2. Contact Senators to ask for them to concur with the amendment to this bill. 

Who to contact:

What to say:

Sample message; tailor it to your own needs, Be sure to reference the World Languages Amendment to SB5481:

Subject: Support World Languages Amendment to SB5841

Honorable Senator [NAME],

I am asking for your support for the amendment from Rep. Schual-Berke (to include the position of World Languages Supervisor at OSPI with designated duties) in the engrossed version of SB5841. The amendment is in Section 7.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5841

I see that the remainder of the bill makes many references to preparing students to be "global citizens," "to explore and understand diverse perspectives," etc., including world languages in all-day kindergarten. If any of these efforts are to succeed, they will require state leadership. That's why we need the position at OSPI. Supt. Terry Bergeson is very supportive. It's time to move ahead.

In addition, business supports this effort. The Report from the International Education Leadership Summit in January, 2006, Expanding Chinese Language Capacity in Washington state, identified funding the position of Supervisor for World Languages at OSPI as the top priority for moving ahead with offering a coherent and effective program in Chinese language K-16. http://internationaledwa.org/summit/2006/2006_Summit_Report.pdf.

Thank you for your help in bringing the Senate to concurrence on this amendment.

Sincerely,

 


 

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