Erika Kapur, a 45th legislative district constituent and Washington State PTA (WSPTA) Region 2 Legislative Chair, testified yesterday afternoon in support of Governor Inslee’s proposed education budget. Her testimony can be found at 1 hour, 30 minutes into the Senate Ways & Means committee hearing; watch her testimony here.
“This budget addresses many of the important elements of WSPTA’s two-year platform, as voted on by our membership. These include:Like Judy East (WSPTA Family and Community Engagement Director) on Monday, Erika shared WSPTA how the Governor’s proposal aligned with WSPTA priorities:
- A focus on social and emotional health with enhancements for family engagement coordinators, mental health, and counselors.
- Improving student outcomes through Learning Assistance Programs, supports for foster youth, and career and technical training and career-ready pathways.
- Investing in the professionals who educate our children by increasing the share of their compensation paid for by the state, supporting their professional development and providing mentoring programs for new teachers, and by offering additional training to para-educators.
- Expanding access to Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), which is one of the smartest investments the state can make.
- Preserving the tuition reduction made in the last few years, ensuring continued access to higher education for learners from all backgrounds.”