What’s the DEEL? Department of Education and Early Learning

Department of Education and Early Learning

DEEL and Partners Celebrate Seattle Promise Fall 2020 Enrollment

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Last week, the City of Seattle, Seattle Colleges, and Seattle Public Schools celebrated the largest enrollment in Seattle Promise in the program’s history. This fall, 846 Seattle youth are on their way to earning a college degree with two years (or up to 90 credits) of tuition-free postsecondary education and student support services offered by the Seattle Promise program. Read the full press release from the Office of Mayor Durkan here.

“Seattle Promise reflects the collective commitment of our city to eliminate opportunity gaps and help make the dream of higher education a reality for all Seattle students,” said DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle. “We are thrilled at our enrollment numbers for this fall, especially the representation of students of color and first-generation college students.”

This fall, 699 first-year students and 147 second-year students enrolled in Seattle Promise. Sixty-two percent of participants identify as students of color (21% Asian, 18% African American, 18% Hispanic, and 5% multiracial or other race), 26 percent as white, and 12 percent are unknown or unreported. More than one-third of Promise students are the first in their families to attend college.

The Seattle Promise application for Fall 2021 is now open. Graduating seniors in Seattle Public Schools are invited to apply. Visit seattlecolleges.edu/promise for more information and application assistance, including one-on-one support from Seattle Promise outreach specialists.

Child Care Copay Relief for Families Announced through the End of 2020

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The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) recently announced all remaining costs for families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) will be covered through the end of 2020. Families not yet participating in CCAP are encouraged to apply by emailing DEEL at ccap@seattle.gov or calling (206) 386-1050.

“CCAP has a long history helping families alleviate the costs of child care,” said DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle. “This fall, we’ve heard from both providers and families about the difficulties families are facing in covering the cost of care due to school closures and other economic impacts. Our team at DEEL is thrilled about this opportunity to put more money back into families’ pockets as we enter the holiday season.”

The CCAP Copay Relief announcement was also made in conjunction with news from Seattle Parks and Recreation that SPR’s childcare programs will also cover family costs through December 2020. Read the full press release from the Mayor’s office last Friday announcing the news for both of these City childcare programs serving families during this school year that has brought so many challenges for both parents and young learners.

The immediate response from CCAP families has been extremely positive as they learned about the financial relief they’d be receiving just ahead of the holiday season. “What this program does for struggling families never ceases to amaze me,” one parent wrote to the DEEL team. “I’d like to thank the entire organization for checking in and doing the best they can to support community members.”

For more information on the Child Care Assistance Program, visit seattle.gov/ccap.

Fall 2020 DEEL Newsletter

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DEEL logo

A brand-new DEEL newsletter has launched! This department resource will provide a closer look at the investments the City of Seattle is making in education—from early learning to postsecondary.

In this first issue, we’re covering how our investments and our partners are pivoting for a school year unlike any other we’ve known. As our city continues to navigate COVID-19 and build toward recovery, DEEL is working with our partners to adapt to the challenges before us with innovation, collaboration, and a sharp focus on racial equity. 

Here’s a closer look at what’s in the Fall 2020 issue:

  • Director’s Welcome Letter
  • Investment Features
    • Seattle Preschool Program
    • K-12 Investments
    • School Based Health Centers
    • Kingmakers of Seattle
  • Community Partner Features
    • ACE Academy
    • Seed of Life: Emergency Child Care Provider
  • Department Features
    • DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle Reconfirmed
    • Staff Spotlight: Communications & External Affairs
  • Student and Family Resources
    • Home Learning Resources for Early Learners
    • School-Age Child Care
    • Teen Resource Hubs
    • Seattle Public Schools Resources: Student Meals, Technology Support, and Drive-Thru Flu Clinics
    • Remote Learning Resources from Seattle Public Library
  • Calendar and Events of Interest
    • Upcoming Trainings for Preschool Teachers and Providers
    • Upcoming Funding Opportunities for Seattle Preschool Program

To receive future issues of the DEEL newsletter, sign up on DEEL’s mailing list.

School Based Health Centers Will Be Open for In-Person and Telehealth Services this Fall

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School Health investments provide critical medical, dental, and mental health services to help support student health and academic success.

Early this month, Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) announced that 29 School-Based Health Center (SBHC) services will be available to Seattle Public Schools students this fall, including 8 elementary schools and 21 middle and high schools campuses. This announcement included the opening of two new centers at Lowell Elementary and Nova High School.

SBHCs are part of the K-12 Health investments under the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) levy passed by voters in 2018. These investments offer comprehensive medical and mental healthcare, including routine primary care, vaccinations, counseling, and some dental services. SBHCs are designed to promote early intervention, prevention, and treatment of health-related barriers to learning and life success and increase the number of students graduating prepared for the post-secondary pathway of their choice.

The school district’s decision to implement 100% remote learning this fall hasn’t changed the health care needs of students and, if anything, many students may be missing out on the sports physicals or routine immunizations they would typically get in the fall. As such, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) made the decision to open their buildings for SBHC access, and families should know that students enrolled in SPS can receive services at any of the open SBHCs, not just at the school where a student is enrolled.

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Director Dwane Chappelle Reconfirmed in His Role as Head of Department of Education and Early Learning through 2024

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Last week, Director Dwane Chappelle was unanimously reconfirmed by the City Council in his role as head of the City of Seattle’s Department of Education & Early Learning (DEEL) through January 2024, following his initial four-year term. Director Chappelle originally became DEEL’s director on February 3, 2016 and was nominated for reappointment by Mayor Jenny Durkan early this spring after having served in Mayor Durkan’s cabinet since her election in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly delayed the reconfirmation process, which was put back on the City Council agenda this month.

“Every day, Dwane shows up to work committed to centering the needs of students furthest from educational justice. Under Dwane’s leadership, DEEL has made incredible strides, including the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy, which makes significant investments to close the opportunity gap, expand child care and preschool, and create two years of free college. I am so grateful that Dwane is a member of my Cabinet. He makes DEEL better, he makes our students’ lives better, and he makes the City better,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan.

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$4.9M in Opportunity and Access Investments Announced

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Community-Based Programs Will Help Close Opportunity Gaps Through Expanded Learning and College and Career Readiness

This week, Mayor Jenny Durkan and DEEL announced $4.9 million in Opportunity and Access awards that will be distributed over the next three years to community-based organizations (CBOs) focused on closing opportunity gaps through expanded learning and college and career readiness. The announcement came as part of a larger press release announcing both School-Based Investments and Opportunity and Access investments that will begin this school year.

Part of the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise levy passed by voters in 2018, Opportunity and Access funding is a new investment area that allows for multiple service delivery methods to help students develop academic and nonacademic skills that will help them graduate on time and enter postsecondary programs.

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Celebrating the Emergency Child Care Program for Essential Workers

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As summer started in Seattle, the city made several transitions marking a new season. These included COVID-adapted high school and college graduation ceremonies, as well as King County’s transition to Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s Safe Start recovery plan.

On June 30, another transition happened. The emergency order establishing the City of Seattle’s Emergency Child Care (ECC) program for essential workers expired and families transitioned from ECC to summer care options.

The ECC program, developed in only a few weeks’ time during COVID’s early days, was officially launched on March 27 with an emergency order from Mayor Durkan. The program was funded using repurposed Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) levy dollars with support from the Levy Oversight Committee and approved by City Council. Through ECC, Seattle Preschool Program providers served essential workers in need of child care after schools closed in late March.

Director Erica Linear of Seed of Life Center for Early Learning, serving one of the children at her ECC site

Successes of the ECC Program

ECC benefited families and early learning providers alike. For providers, many of whom are women- and minority-owned businesses (WMBEs), participation in ECC allowed them to stay open, albeit under far different operational circumstances. These child care providers showed tremendous flexibility and resilience, and in a short time, they successfully revamped established programs to serve smaller class sizes, allow for social distancing and enhanced sanitation, and in some cases adapt classrooms for school-age children.

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An All-In Effort to Provide Emergency Child Care

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When the City of Seattle launched our Emergency Child Care program at the end of March, our goal was to meet the urgent need felt by essential workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response for reliable child care in the wake of school closures. In response to this demand, the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) mobilized Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) providers across the city, and the Emergency Child Care (ECC) program launched with 28 classrooms and more than 230 slots for preschool and school-age children.

Preschoolers with Chalk

One critical need remained—care for infants and toddlers. SPP providers, who had already adapted their preschool classrooms and programs to serve school-age children, were simply not set up to serve the very different needs of babies and toddlers. For many families with children aged 0-3, their normal care options—whether grandparents now at heightened risk or a provider whose doors had closed—were no longer available, and these essential workers were left wondering how to continue working without reliable care for their youngest children.

Enter Child Care Resources.

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