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

Department of Education and Early Learning

Join Us! Learn about the Families, Education, Preschool & Promise Levy

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Want to learn how the Families, Education, Preschool & Promise Levy is closing the opportunity gap and creating equity in education? Join us at one of our community events!

DEEL and its community partners are hosting a series of seven community meetings from January-March 2019. Meetings will be held in each of the seven council districts and are designed to inform the community about FEPP Levy implementation and the package as a whole. Students, families, and community members are invited to ask questions, share feedback on proposed implementation design, and engage in dialogue with City staff at all events.

Please join us at one of the following events:

  • Jan 21 9:30-10:50am in COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 @ Garfield High School
    • Location: 400 23rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
  • Feb 13 7-8:30pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT5 @ North Seattle College: 
    • Co-hosted with Seattle Colleges
    • Event to be rescheduled due to inclement weather
    • Check back for updates or contact Outreach Specialist – Dalisha Phillips
  • Feb 25 5:30-8pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT 2 @ Ethiopian Community in Seattle
    • Co-hosted with Our Best Advisory Council
    • Location: 8323 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
    • RSVP: HERE
  • Feb 28 1-2:30pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT 6 @ Greenlake Library
    • Location: 7364 East Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98115
    • RSVP: HERE
  • Mar 13 6:30-8:30pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 @ Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
    • Co-hosted with the Office of Arts and Culture
    • Location: 4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106
    • RSVP: HERE
  • Mar 19 5-6:30pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT 7 @ Magnolia Library
    • Location: 2801 34th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98199
    • RSVP: HERE
  • Mar 27 7-8:30pm in COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 @ University Heights Center
    • Location: 5031 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
    • RSVP: HERE

To learn more contact Dalisha Phillips at (206)684-3942 or Dalisha.Phillips@Seattle.gov

Seattle Preschool Program Again Awarded Silver Medal

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For the second year in a row and in year four of our pilot, the Seattle Preschool Program was awarded high honors by a national assessment of preschool programs.  This national report assessed how the largest U.S. cities address health and well-being issues awarded honors for high-quality preschool programs, out of 40 programs across the country, only 5 programs receiving higher honors than the Seattle Preschool Program.

CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, analyzed the nation’s 40 largest cities for ten key policies that experts say are the standards for highly effective programs. CityHealth awarded each city a gold, silver, bronze, or no medal, according to their performance in the assessment. Nationwide, 33 out of 40 cities received a medal for high-quality Pre-K.

The Seattle Preschool Program again shares the silver medal in preschool quality with Albuquerque, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Virginia Beach.

“We are thrilled with Seattle Preschool Program’s designation in this year’s Pre-K in American Cities report,” said Monica Liang-Aguirre, Director of Early Learning for the City of Seattle.  “This report confirms our commitment to ensuring our programs are of high quality and I’m proud of accomplishments of our early learning providers during this pilot. I’m also thankful to the Seattle voters for approving the expansion of SPP over the next seven years.  We know that as more children have access to the high-quality preschool, Seattle will be a stronger city in the future.”

 

The Seattle Preschool Program was approved in 2014 by voters to fund a four-year pilot of the Seattle Preschool Program.  It was recently approved in 2018 for an additional seven years as part of the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy. The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare children to enter school with the skills they need to succeed. Research shows that children who attend high-quality preschool programs have better academic and life outcomes: they’re more likely to have better grades, graduate, attend college, get a job, have higher lifetime wages and better mental and physical health.

To apply to the Seattle Preschool Program visit seattle.gov/applyspp 

 

Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy Event on MLK Day

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Join us on MLK Day January 21, 2019 at Garfield High School to learn about the comprehensive ways in which the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy intends to close the opportunity gap and advance the success of Seattle students, especially historically-underserved students. In this workshop you’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Get to know the Directors of Seattle’s Department of Education & Early Learning.
  • Gain knowledge about the recently passed Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy.
  • Ask the experts about how this Levy will impact you and your community.

 

To request translation services or RSVP please contact Dalisha Phillips, Outreach Specialist –  dalisha.phillips@seattle.gov or (206)684-3942

2019 MLK Day Event Schedule:

Sunday, January 20, 2019

  • MLK  Day Youth Celebration @ Langston Hughes 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Monday, January 21, 2019

  • Opportunity Fair 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Workshops 9:30 – 10:50 a.m.
  • Rally in Gymnasium 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • March to Downtown 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
  • Rally at March Destination  (4th & Pine ) 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
  • Community Meal (estimated) 2:30 p.m. –  3:30 p.m.

Seattle Preschool Program Openings Available

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The school year has started and we are so excited to have a new group of kiddos start preschool! We still have some openings in our high quality Seattle Preschool Programs across the city and would love to enroll your child if you’re still looking for school options. Below are the locations that either have immediate openings or have minimal wait lists. If you’re interested in any of these sites, please apply today. Some of these sites are enrolled by the preschool directly, their contact information is included.

Use the tuition calculator to estimate the cost of preschool for your family. Three-year olds must meet income requirements to be eligible.

CENTRAL
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SPS- Bailey Gatzert: Immediate openings
Launch- Miller Annex: Immediate openings (limited extended day)
First Place: Immediate openings (with extended day)
Causeys – Main: Immediate openings
Launch – Madrona K-8: Immediate openings (limited extended day)

NORTHWEST
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United Indians at Daybreak Star: Contact Miriam at mzmiewski@unitedindians.org

SOUTHWEST
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YMCA- Schmitz Park: No current openings, but short waitlist (limited extended day)
YMCA – Concord Elementary School: No current openings, but short waitlist (limited extended day)
Refugee and Immigrant Family Center Bilingual Preschool: Spanish dual language classrooms. Contact Luz at Luz.Casio@soundchildcare.org
Southwest Early Learning Bilingual Preschool: Spanish dual language classrooms.Contact Katrina at krojas@soundchild.org
SPS – Arbor Heights Elementary School: No current openings, but short waitlist
SPS – Highland Park Elementary School: No current openings, but short waitlist
SPS – EC Hughes Elementary School: Openings for Head Start-eligible children. Contact Abby at amayers@seattleschools.org

NORTHEAST
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ReWA- Lake City:
Immediate Openings (with extended day,) Dual language classrooms (Somali, Oromo, Tigrinya & Chinese) – Open October 15

SOUTHEAST
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SPS- Van Asselt: No current openings, but short waitlist
Children’s Home Society – Genesee Early Learning Center: Immediate openings (Extended day is required)
Causeys – MLK: Immediate openings
Hoa Mai Vietnamese Bilingual Preschool: Immediate openings (Extended day is required) Vietnamese dual language classrooms
Launch at Rainier Community Center: Immediate openings (limited extended day)

Apply Today!

Ready on Day 1: A Teacher’s View of What “Kindergarten Ready” Really Looks Like

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By Erica Johnson, PhD
Manager of Early Learning Policy and Innovation, Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning

 

I can still remember the children in my first kindergarten classroom. It was August 2001—my first year of teaching—and I was as nervous as they were. On the first day, I welcomed them at the door and helped new families navigate their day one nerves. After helping these new kindergartners find their cubbies and seats, I watched as parents—some teary-eyed, some stoic—said their goodbyes.

That day, there were 26 kids. Looking back, it’s remarkably easy to see who was socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten and who wasn’t quite there yet. It was only years later that I recognized that a child’s preparation had everything to do with what they did before kindergarten.

Sienna* and her twin brother, Angelo*, participated in a well-regarded local preschool program. Kindergarten was not a new challenge for them, it was just a new setting. Sienna walked into the room on the first day with confidence, inquired about her cubby and asked if she could use the materials at her table to draw a picture. Angelo was also confident but less interested in table work. His biggest concern was when recess would start and if I had a soccer ball (I did).

Mariella* was a heritage-language speaker with limited exposure to English. Academically, she was ready for Kindergarten, but she struggled socially and emotionally. In the beginning of the year, she cried every day when her mom left. Mariella had not been in a formal preschool program before kindergarten which made acclimating to school environment a challenge. Even though more than half of the children in the class spoke Spanish, there were no school-level resources to support her transition to kindergarten which likely compounded her separation anxiety. I believe her kindergarten transition experience was more difficult than it needed to be.

Kevin* and Keeley* spent the beginning of the year a bit lost. They had not participated in preschool so everything was new to them. Letters, reading and math concepts, and navigating peer relationships were all new. I remember that Kevin would identify every letter was a K, since that was the first letter of his name. Sweet and quiet, Keeley would shut down when she got confused or overwhelmed. They made progress throughout the year, but basic reading readiness activities were too advanced for what they needed. Due to State requirements around reading (in Florida, in 2001), they were both required to repeat Kindergarten the next year.

I imagine what that year would have been like for Mariella if she had been in a dual language preschool that eased her into English while providing linguistically- and culturally-appropriate support. What would that year have been like for Kevin and Keeley if they had access to peers for social development and pre-academic experiences through high-quality preschool? How would Kindergarten have been different for these kids? How would school have been different?

Fast-forward to 2018 and I now work for the City of Seattle to help develop and expand the Seattle Preschool Program. I know the research. I know that in the 2017-18 school year, 64.1% of children in Seattle Public Schools kindergarten classes were determined to be ready for kindergarten in assessments of social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and math. That means that almost 36% of kids were not ready in one or more area.

Within that 36%, we see pervasive racial and socioeconomic inequities. Children identified as middle or high income and White are more likely to be found to be ready in all areas than those identified as children of color, low-income, or limited English proficient. From research and from experience, we know that access to affordable, high-quality preschool can make a difference for our children and help close the opportunity gap.

It’s easy to talk about the research, but to feel the difference preschool makes, I have to think back to Sienna, Angelo, Mariella, Kevin, Keeley, and all of their classmates. Each of these kids—and all kids—deserve the best “day one” of kindergarten the community can give them.

 

*all names of these young learners were changed

 

Postscript: Mariella, a beneficiary of the Dream Act and an opportunity scholarship, graduated from a state university with honors. I still wish her kindergarten experience had been easier for her but am endlessly proud of her accomplishments and can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

New National Report Awards Seattle Preschool Program Silver Medal

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Only three years into a 4-year pilot, the Seattle Preschool Program was awarded high honors this week in a national assessment of preschool programs. A new national report assessing how the largest U.S. cities address health and well-being issues awarded honors for high-quality preschool programs, with only 5 programs receiving higher honors than the Seattle Preschool Program.

A group of preschool children are learning to count with plastic blocks.

CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, analyzed the nation’s 40 largest cities for nine key policies that experts say help residents lead healthier lives and make communities thrive. CityHealth awarded each city a gold, silver, bronze, or no medal, according to their performance in the assessment. Nationwide, 33 out of 40 cities received a medal for high-quality Pre-K.

The Seattle Preschool Program shares the silver medal in preschool quality with Albuquerque, Chicago, Detroit, KC, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Virginia Beach.

“”We are so pleased that the CityHealth initiative has recognized the incredible progress the Seattle Preschool Program and all of our talented preschool providers have achieved within the first three years of the pilot,” said Monica Liang-Aguirre, Director of Early Learning for the City of Seattle. “As we move into our fourth year, we are excited to keep improving and providing more opportunities for families to access our high-quality preschool program.”

The Seattle Preschool Program was approved in 2014 by voters to fund a four-year pilot of the Seattle Preschool Program. The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare children to enter school with the skills they need to succeed. Research shows that children who attend high quality preschool programs have better academic and life outcomes: they’re more likely to have better grades, graduate, attend college, get a job, have higher lifetime wages and better mental and physical health.

The Seattle Preschool Program is open to all 4-year-olds and income eligible 3-year-olds. To apply to the Seattle Preschool Program visit seattle.gov/applyspp 

Make your voice heard – Seattle City Council invites you to give comment on Families, Education, Preschool and Promise!

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Next Wednesday, May 30th at Franklin High School, Seattle City Council will be holding a public hearing beginning 6:00pm on the proposed Families, Education, Preschool & Promise levy. This hearing will feature a presentation from the Department of Education and Early Learning on the proposed package. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard on  investments in Education for our City. We invite you to join for public comment at the hearing, if you are unable to attend can also email your comments to edlevy2018@seattle.gov.

 

City Council Public Hearing

Wednesday, May 30th 6pm-8pm

Franklin High School Auditorium

3013 S Mt. Baker Blvd, Seattle, WA 98144

 

To request childcare or interpretation support, please fill out this form before the end of the day, Friday, May 25: https://goo.gl/forms/layzxvf5SX2P5nAm2.

 

Facebook details, here.

 

Please RSVP to Austin Miller at Austin.Miller@Seattle.gov

Families and Education Levy Community Feedback Presentation

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Thank you for your commitment to education and early learning in the City of Seattle.  The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) would like to invite you to attend a community meeting to hear an update on the feedback received for the upcoming renewal of the Families and Education Levy and Seattle Preschool Program Levy. Over the last several months DEEL facilitated a total of 33 meetings with over 465 total attendees, representing over 105 different organizations to get feedback to inform and prioritize funding investments for the Levy.

We would like to make sure our community has the opportunity to hear what input the city gathered and how it is being incorporated in future planning. To this end we are hosting two community meetings one on Saturday April 21st, and another on Monday April 23rd to  discuss the priorities for the levy we received to date from parents, families and community members.

Below are two opportunities to hear more about the community input we received. Childcare and interpretation available upon request by EOD Tuesday, 4/17.

Saturday, April 21st 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Location: Bitter Lake Community Center – 13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133

RSVP: HERE

Or

Monday, April 23rd 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Location: El Centro De La Raza room 307– 2524 16th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP: HERE

Thanks in advance for your commitment to this work and willingness to inform the city’s education investments. We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions please contact Austin Miller; austin.miller@seattle.gov

4.17.18_FEL Community Presentation

 

Department of Education and Early Learning Announce Applications Now Open for ’18-’19 School Year, Additional Sites Added

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Today, the Seattle Preschool Program announced the start of its 2018-19 application cycle and celebrated the expansion of 22 additional classrooms for the next school year.

Applications are now open for all 4-year-olds in the city regardless of family income level. Three-year-old children whose families meet income eligibility are also welcome to apply at this time. Visit seattle.gov/applyspp to check out our new sites and apply to the Seattle Preschool Program.

14 new locations will be available for Seattle Preschool Program families in the '18-'19 school year.

14 new locations will be available for Seattle Preschool Program families in the ’18-’19 school year.

As applications for the final year of the SPP Pilot open, the Seattle Preschool Program is on-track to exceed its demonstration phase goal of 75 classrooms by the end of this school year. The 22 new classrooms will continue to increase the geographic diversity of the program, with significant growth in neighborhoods throughout Seattle, so that families in more areas can access high-quality preschool near their homes.

“Preschool is one of the most powerful tools we have to change the trajectory of a child’s life,” said Department of Education and Early Learning Director Dwane Chappelle. “Expanding Seattle’s commitment to affordable, high quality preschool throughout the City is how we deliver for our kids.”

In 2014, Seattle voters approved Proposition 1B (Ordinance 124509) to fund a four-year pilot of the Seattle Preschool Program. The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare children to enter school with the skills they need to succeed. Research shows that children who attend high quality preschool programs have better academic and life outcomes: they’re more likely to have better grades, graduate, attend college, get a job, have higher lifetime wages and better mental and physical health.

 

City of Seattle opens Miller Annex preschool facility

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SEATTLE (March 6, 2018) – Today, the City of Seattle announced the opening of a new preschool space adjacent to Miller Community Center. The Miller Annex is the result of a $3M partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Seattle Preschool Program to increase the quantity and accessibility of licensable preschool space in Seattle.

The Miller Annex center will be a part of the Seattle Preschool Program and serve 80 three and four-year-old children in this new location. Two classrooms will open in March 2018 and stay open throughout the summer. All four classrooms will be open for operation for the 2018-19 school year. Applications for the ’18-’19 school year will open on March 15 at www.seattle.gov/applyspp.

As part of the Seattle Preschool Program, Seattle voters set aside $8.5 million to support the expansion, renovation, or improvement of early education facilities to help ease the pressure on early learning providers to find usable space for preschool classrooms. The Department of Education and Early Learning invested $1.7 million of Seattle Preschool Program Levy funds for the Miller Annex tenant improvements.

The Miller Annex of Miller Community Center is owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation who contributed approximately $1.3 million in funding to significantly upgrade the facility. The construction process consisted of substantial alterations to the core of the building, including seismic, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and energy-related improvements.

All four of the preschool classrooms will be operated by Launch, a provider who has been with Seattle Preschool Program since its first year. Launch (formerly named Community Day School Association) offers high quality preschool, before & after school, and summer programs for children ages 3-12.

Approved by voters in 2014, Seattle Preschool Program providers receive funding from the City, intensive coaching and training for their teachers, and access to teacher education and facility improvement funds to offer high-quality early learning opportunities for Seattle’s four-year-olds and income eligible three-year-olds.

The Seattle Preschool Program helps prepare children to enter school with the skills they need to succeed. Research shows that children who attend high quality preschool programs have better academic and life outcomes: they’re more likely to have better grades, graduate, attend college, get a job, have higher lifetime wages and better mental and physical health.