AN ORDINANCE relating to the Seattle Preschool Program; amending Ordinances 124509 and 124749, by amending the action plan and the implementation plan; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
The report of the Education, Equity and Governance Committee. Agenda Item two Council Bill 118679 relating to the Seattle Preschool Program amending ordinances 124509 and 124749 by amending the Action Plan and the implementation plan and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts. The committee recommends the bill passed as amended. Thank you very much. This is a bill that basically amends sort of implementation of our Seattle Preschool Program, Action Plan and the implementation plan. During the committee discussion, I sort of describe this as some of the most important social justice work that will do for our future. Our goal right now is to serve 2003 and four year olds in 100 classrooms by 2018 and after one year. Right now, we have about 256 students enrolled in 15 classrooms. And so, as you may recall, the major focus of this action plan in education is to narrow the opportunity and achievement gap that is clearly present in Seattle's educational system. And we recognize on average that children from low income families and children of color have fewer opportunities to become appropriately prepared for the social and academic academic challenges of our K-through-12 system. So in a nutshell, our department and the executive and our council have sort of looked at this beginning of the program and how we can improve it. And through that discussion, we've made several changes or amendments, and that's what this legislation does. I'll just describe a few. For classrooms. In terms of those that are in the school buildings, we are creating a circuit selection and enrollment priority for children eligible to continue in this in that school for that particular kindergarten . We've created a selection enrollment priority for children whose siblings are enrolled in a school building where an SP classroom is housed. We created an option for classrooms that are offering Head Start or ECP or dual language programs or special education services. Select a percentage determined by deal on an annual basis for children in those classrooms. We are allowing Diehl to begin development of a curriculum waiver process for high quality providers. There are some stipulations on that, for example, that if there's added curricular more than five, it comes back to the Council for authorization. Again, we're trying to make sure that we ensure the high quality standards of this curricula that it is rich for all of our students. We're requiring that DL submit a report to the City Council upon the conclusion of the enrollment process each year to describe the demographic information for children who are enrolled. And we want to be very intentional about the demographics we are trying to reach. And last, there are some pretty strong recitals in the new language where we are being very, again, intentional about the opportunity and achievement gap and how we are trying to address that through this legislation. I want to again thank Councilmember Burgess for his continued work on this area. Certainly has shown incredible leadership in making sure that we improve this pre-kindergarten program. The council, the committee recommends for past passage of this, and I ask for your support. Are there any other comments on this particular bill? Having a concert in rehearsal. I have a question of just reading, not looking at the bill itself. Reading at some notes on the bill. I have a description of the amendment that removes the requirement for organizations to provide two or more classrooms. Can you explain that for me? We have obviously, we've all heard about the very dire space needs that are that's created when there are competing needs for school classroom size. And I just want to have a better understanding on how this amendment deals with that. Sure. So one of the challenges that we had where some providers had two locations, but they're spread apart in the city, they're not in the same building. And what we found is by requiring each one to have two, there could be someone that just has one that we really want to capture. And so we thought that the imposition that they have two locations by by eliminating that we could actually capture more good providers that are out there as we expand this program. So we thought it was to some extent sort of artificial because again, a provider with two or three locations, they may be all over the city. And the thinking that we wanted them in one location truly turned out to be not necessarily needed. Can I add? So as a means to expand for those providers? Yes. Councilmember Gonzalez. If I could just add on to that. So one of the things that we heard from Diehl when they came in and made the presentation around this particular issue, is that it could prohibit that two classrooms minimum requirement could prohibit organizations like the Hosea Marta Daycare Preschool program that's at its center like myself, from participating in our preschool program because they only have one classroom, for example. Right. So I think it's I think there's a couple of different things. I think that there's certainly space restrictions that are in play when we're talking about pre-K classrooms in within the Seattle Public School System Framework. But then there are all the others who aren't part of the who aren't using space at public schools that are being sort of overly restricted by this particular limit that would otherwise be able to participate but aren't able to because they just don't have more than one classroom. So this this amendment isn't designed to address the capacity issues. It's designed to allow for more expansion in those organizations that have the room for an expansion into their facilities. But it it doesn't it it doesn't. It's it's the ID of the the the room within their facilities. Without a look at how many students are going to be actually using the the rooms. It's a capacity sort of a it's it's not based on whether or not there is physical space within a facility. It's just the desire to be able to move into a program that wishes to provide the service. It's not. The amendment itself is not designed to address the issue that I'm flagging. So let me tell you, I was almost tracking with you. And then I lost. Basically, we did require a provider to have two locations and we found that to be somewhat burdensome for some of the providers that are out there that we want. So we're saying one location is acceptable now. One classroom. One classroom is acceptable. And we think there's some really good providers out there that only have one classroom that we want to capture in our shuttle program. Okay. I think and I think to address the capacity issue, to sort of phrase it a different way or try to phrase it a different way, is that in a lot of ways, it does deal with a capacity issue in sort of an indirect way, because what we are doing is we are allowing more more classrooms to be opened up in different locations, but but alleviating the burden of requiring providers to have at least two classrooms. All right. Thank you. Yeah, thanks for those questions. I actually enjoyed the discussion and it gives me actually the opportunity to point a few folks at Deal, the Department of Education, Early Learning, Duane Chapelle, Monica Lang, Gary Sid. I was struck with Sid's name. I'll just say Sid Sidora, which Erica Johnson and Elena de la Cruz. This legislation came with quite a bit of discussion and amendments in both Council member Burgess and I put together several amendments, apparently, as well as resulting from a very rich discussion. And again, I think in light of recent data looking at the disparity in education, what communities are adversely affected, look at looking at early brain development. These amendments are addressed to it. Are intended to address it very intentionally, particularly for lower income and kids of color. Having no other comments, please call the role on the passage of the bill. You have a comment? Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say it's fine? No, I'm sorry. My peripheral vision on my right has to improve. I keep. I'm over here looking at that. The better looking side here should it? Katherine Johnson Are we okay? Thank you, counsel. President All I wanted to offer is how regularly I hear from members of the public about their interest in the elements that you have brought forward today and highlighted early on, which is the geographic preference for kids who are going to either be enrolled in the kindergarten on site or whose siblings are already enrolled at the elementary school. That element really makes it a lot easier for families. And I continuity really helps. I think kids transitioning into kindergarten, it makes it a lot easier for them to have spent some time on site in advance as as I get into that with two kindergartners this September, I hear that from a lot of my cohort of folks. And so I wanted to say how much I value those two elements that we're adopting today. Thank you very much, Katherine Johnson. Any further comments? Please call the role on the passage of the Bill Johnson. Whereas I. O'Brian Berkshire Burgess High. Gonzalez Herbold High President narrow high eight in favor and unopposed. Thank you. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Report of the Affordable Housing Neighborhoods and Finance Committee.