Initiated a new emphasis on early learning, funding thousands of new enrollments, improving the wages and benefits of child care workers, and creating a new Early Learning Department to consolidate Head Start, Early Childhood Education, and child care programs.
Funded a historic increase in basic education funding, including all-day kindergarten, class size reduction, special education, transportation, math curriculum, and other concerns.
Doubled the state investment in school construction across Washington.
Implemented two citizen initiatives, I-728 to reduce class sizes, and I-732 to raise salaries of teachers and school employees.
Created the Education Legacy Trust Fund, generating new revenue from wealthy estates to help pay for our public schools and higher education institutions.
Expanded higher education enrollments, as well as financial aid through state need grants, vastly increasing opportunities for students to get a college education, particularly for jobs in high demand fields.
Created the Opportunity Grants program, providing free tuition and educational stipends for thousands of students in community colleges, linking students to specific jobs.
Approved a constitutional amendment for simple majorities for school levies, allowing the voters to make it easier to approve operating levies for local school districts.
Forced a major reform of math curriculum and testing, matching new learning standards with the requirements of modern-day jobs in the real world.
Initiated a Community Schools program, to open up public school facilities for multi-purpose community activities, co-location of related non-profit agencies such as Boys and Girls Clubs, and ensuring that surplus school properties are kept for community and public use.
Enhanced Career and Technical Education programs and Skills Centers to provide better connections to high demand jobs and more modern training facilities.
Reformed and expanded the Learning Assistance Program, to target extra support to low-income students who are struggling to succeed in our public schools.
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