Please trust our State regulators with your childs education, especially for preschool and kindergarten. State schools are the best possible place for education, without question! See below!! Dear friends, With the authorization of the director of the school where I am teaching, I am sending you this message I got from her. Please read and help if you feel inclined to do so. Thank you so much!! - Isabelle Here it is: We have just been alerted that State Legislators are meeting this weekend on Bills HB 2377 and SB 6127 determining whether these Bills will move forward. The main concern for a school like SMS is that the Bills would force a mandated universal curriculum for all preschools. Alternative teaching methods like Montessori, Waldorf or Reggio will be at risk as they do not fit the one size fits all play-based preschool curriculum that is being rolled out by Early Achievers through the Department of Early Learning. This is a huge concern for Montessori schools and we have been asked to quickly contact Legislation to let them know that we oppose these Bills! You can help stop these bills by going to the following link and voicing your opposition: apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2377&year=2013 At the top of the page you will see a green box that says Comment on this bill. Please click on the green box so that you can OPPOSE and add a comment. We have provided the following language that you can copy and paste and send or you may add your own comment: Dear Honorable Legislator, Im writing today with concerns over SB 6127/HB 2377 and ask that you do not vote the Bill out of committee until more work is done to assure that there are no unintended consequences, like closing high quality learning programs. Montessori education has been in schools worldwide for over 100 years. It is a proven and successful method of education where children progress academically at their own rate. A standardized, universal curriculum is in direct conflict with Montessori methodology, undermining the process in which a student learns independently using specially designed academic materials in a carefully constructed classroom environment. Not all children thrive in a one size fits all preschool program. Evaluations done by entities such as Early Achievers must recognize a plurality of proven, high quality instructional methods. Parents demand alternatives to traditional preschool programs. Montessori is selected by parents because it works. I urge all of you to act quickly on this and contact the Legislation today! The Legislators needs to hear from us and know that we strongly oppose this bill! Lets hope that they will get the message that these Bills are terrible for our students and should be stopped! Ive included more information about these Bills below: The Bill Analysis is included here: HB 2377 SB 6127 In short the Early Start Act is giving DEL powers through Early Achievers to do the following: (selected passage of SB 6127) “Specifies that preschool programming should prioritize specific programs and must include only programs rating at levels 3, 4, or 5 in the Early Achievers program. HB 2377 also requires child care providers serving non-school aged children and receiving state subsidy to enroll in the Early Achievers program and complete level 2 activities by July 1, 2017. Child care providers serving non-school aged children and receiving state subsidy payments must be rated at a level 3 in the Early Achievers program by July 1, 2019. Effective July 1, 2015, a new child care provider serving non-school aged children and receiving state subsidy payments must enroll in Early Achievers within 30 days; complete Early Achievers level two activities within 12 months from receiving a state subsidy payment; and rate at an Early Achievers level three within 30 months from receiving a state subsidy payment. Licensing Standards: By July 1, 2015, the DEL is required to implement a single set of licensing standards for child care and ECEAP. The single set of licensing requirements must use the Early Achievers as a framework, eliminate additional regulations, take into account the separate needs of family care providers and child care centers, and promote the continued safety of child care settings.”
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 06:06:44 +0000
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