Tag Archives: ann rivers

Rivers receives ‘Champion for Kids’ award from digital learning advocates

In recognition of her service to Washington’s public-education system, Sen. Ann Rivers has been named a “Champion for Kids” by the Digital Public Schools Alliance. She was honored in a ceremony today in the Capitol Rotunda.

The announcement came during the alliance’s annual visit to Olympia, when students, parents and digital-learning supporters come to the Capitol to learn more about the legislative process and honor lawmakers who have been instrumental in advocating for digital public schools.

“Today, we were happy to present Senator Ann Rivers with a 2016 Champion for Kids Award. Senator Rivers is a tireless advocate for education and helped secure a consistent funding source for Washington’s digital public schools. Her support has ensured that thousands of digital public school students have stability in their learning experience. We appreciate her continued support on behalf of our kids,” said Sally Karr, Digital Public Schools Alliance board president.

Digital public schools offer K-12 students part- or full-time education programs taught online by certified teachers employed by school districts across Washington. Students use state-approved curriculum and are required to take the same state- and federal-assessment tests as traditional public-school students.

“While every child in our state should have access to an excellent education, not every child will thrive in a cookie-cutter environment. We need to provide options to ensure that every single kid in Washington can succeed,” said Rivers, R-La Center.

Local STEM high school recognized for achievement

The Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education that serves high-school students in the Battle Ground School District was recently recognized as a Lighthouse School and will receive a $20,000 grant so it can share best practices with other schools developing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs. CASEE was one of six statewide recipients and the only one in southwest Washington.

“The programs that CASEE has developed for students in Battle Ground and Brush Prairie are exactly what I wish would have been available when I was in high school,” said Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center. “The outdoor ‘lab’ and hands-on approach would have really appealed to a science geek like me. This grant will go a long way toward helping teachers and community partners engage more kids in these science-based fields.”

Schools are selected based on experience creating programs that focus on personalized learning, STEM projects and for partnering with local businesses and community groups. Those chosen as Lighthouse Schools receive the grant to help them share with schools in the early stages of developing STEM-focused learning environments.

A total of 32 schools and 4 districts have been recognized since 2010 when the Legislature created the program, which is administered through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. CASEE is the first school in the Battle Ground district to receive the award.

PHOTO CAPTION: Students at the Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education work in the 80-acre outdoor science lab.

Justin Krejcha serves as page for Sen. Rivers

Justin Krejcha, a junior at Mountain View High School in Vancouver, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Justin was one of 26 students who served as Senate pages for the seventh week of the 2016 legislative session.

He was sponsored by 18th Legislative District Sen. Ann Rivers, Senate majority whip.

“I enjoy getting to meet all the bright young scholars through our page program, so I was more than happy to sponsor Justin to be a part of our team for this important week of session,” said Rivers, R-La Center.

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session.

“Make the most of your time here and get as much done as possible; you’re only here for a week!” said Justin about what his advice would be to any upcoming pages.

Justin enjoys volunteering, debate, and being in Boy Scouts.

Justin, 16, is the son of John and Karen Krejcha of Vancouver.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit: https://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/

Brush Prairie sophomore serves as page for Sen. Rivers

Cole VanderMaas, a sophomore at Hockinson High School in Brush Prairie, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Cole was one of 26 students who served as Senate pages for the seventh week of the 2016 legislative session.

He was sponsored by 18th Legislative District Sen. Ann Rivers, Senate majority whip.

“I was more than happy to sponsor a young man with such a promising future. I appreciate the work he did for us during the week here at the Capitol,” said Rivers, R-La Center.

“This is a great experience whether you are very into politics or not. Overall it was a really fun,” said Cole about why students should apply for the page program.

Cole enjoys participating in musical theatre, cross country, studying history and learning languages. He wants to study either political science or international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Cole, 15, is the son of Tony and Amy VanderMaas of Brush Prairie.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit: https://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/

IN THE NEWS: Plenty of evidence to back refusal to confirm Peterson

By Sen. Ann Rivers

Sometimes, despite a person’s demeanor and education, she or he just isn’t the right fit for a job.

Our state Senate majority recently decided against confirming Lynn Peterson as state transportation secretary. There was overwhelming evidence to support our vote, which ended her tenure at the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Questions about Peterson began when Gov. Jay Inslee plucked her from Oregon, where she was ex-Gov. John Kitzhaber’s “sustainable communities and transportation” adviser. Was she ready to lead WSDOT as her first agency-management job?

Folks who have experienced WSDOT failures firsthand cheered the Senate’s Feb. 5 decision. I’ve repeatedly read the comment “About time!”

After Peterson’s ouster, however, her history at WSDOT was shamelessly rewritten by others. Yes, she inherited a number of challenges, like the Seattle tunnel, but what about how she single-handedly poisoned that project’s already tense atmosphere by fumbling an issue involving minority-owned contractors? So badly that a Seattle minority leader demanded her firing?

Or the sex offender employed by the state ferry system despite multiple complaints from passengers?

Or the eyebrow-raising $500,000 she authorized to settle a sexual harassment suit against the agency?

It would take this entire column to list every project failure and management misstep from Peterson’s time in charge (many are collected on my legislative Web page.)

The vocal criticism from Inslee and Democrat legislators amounts to a vigorous defense of Peterson’s mediocre management. Their claim that our decision was unexpected is weak, given that the Senate Transportation Committee chair wrote nearly a dozen letters since 2013 detailing his concerns.

The Columbian has been critical too, and unfortunately, I helped make that possible. From all the comments I made in a lengthy interview, the one chosen for print was an off-target quip about Peterson’s demeanor and profile. I should have simply said: “Sometimes, despite a person’s demeanor and education, she or he just isn’t the right fit for a job.”

Although I quickly posted a clarification of that remark, it keeps appearing. Such is life for an elected official: Sometimes I have to take my medicine whether I like it or not. That means “owning” my words, just like owning the decision the Senate made.

The Columbian has echoed Inslee’s angry accusation that election-year politics prompted the Peterson vote. I was in the room when our caucus decided against confirming Peterson and can tell Clark County residents that not every vote in Olympia is political. Some votes simply acknowledge things aren’t working, and things really weren’t working at WSDOT. The Columbian seems bent on defending someone whose state-agency experience amounted to five years as a level-1 engineer in Wisconsin 20 years before Inslee came knocking — and wouldn’t even become a Washington resident!

WSDOT did quickly replace the Skagit River Bridge in 2013 and responded admirably to 2014’s Oso landslide tragedy. I’d say the agency’s regional offices and road-shop employees warrant more credit than Peterson, though. Either way, if those are all Peterson’s supporters can point to, it’s underwhelming.

People are tired of politics, but they are also tired of feeling like there are no consequences when nothing changes. I have to own my off-target quote about Peterson and defend my voting record. Rather than repeat Seattle’s political-conspiracy theories, The Columbian ought to ask whether Peterson had a record worth defending, and if she didn’t own WSDOT’s management failures, who does?

Champions of “good enough” government can continue beating their drum. If I have to sometimes take my medicine, I will. We’ll probably be waiting a long time for our critics to do the same.

Original article, published Feb. 21, 2016, can be found at https://www.columbian.com/news/2016/feb/21/rivers-plenty-of-evidence-to-back-refusal-to-confirm-peterson/

Transportation secretary fails to win Senate confirmation, loses job

A majority of the state Senate voted today against confirming the state transportation secretary appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The decision means Lynn Peterson is out as head of the state Department of Transportation after three years.

“This is about having accountability at the highest levels in state agencies. Secretary Peterson’s inability to properly manage the DOT after three years has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. She has undermined any confidence the people had in transportation projects and simply can’t be trusted to manage the additional transportation funding approved last year,” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville.

Appointments by the governor are subject to confirmation by the state Senate. While an appointee may serve indefinitely without being confirmed, a vote against confirmation means the appointee may no longer serve. The Senate majority chose not to confirm Peterson’s appointment; the 21 Democrats present from the Senate minority voted in support of Inslee’s pick, in spite of a long list of problems during Peterson’s watch.

Peterson’s three years as transportation secretary have seen one DOT failure after another. Recent examples include the shutdown Seattle tunnel project that is anticipating over $200 million in claims and cost overruns, and the ineffective Interstate-405 high-occupancy toll lanes that have made traffic congestion worse instead of better.

Her ouster by the Senate comes less than a year after legislators passed the largest transportation package in Washington’s history, which allocates about $16 billion for road maintenance and construction, among other investments. Speaking before today’s vote, members of the Senate majority pointed not only to DOT’s recent management failures but their growing doubt about Peterson’s ability to oversee the new projects they had approved.

“Reforms that would ensure accountability for our state’s taxpayers were first and foremost when we passed the transportation package in 2015. Sadly, the implementation of the package has not met our expectations – and Secretary Peterson didn’t seem interested in enacting the reforms,” said Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.

The responsibility for confirming gubernatorial appointments is one of the few ways the Senate can provide oversight of state government’s executive branch, Schoesler explained.

“We routinely approve the governor’s appointments – in fact, the Senate confirmed two of Governor Inslee’s agency heads today. A vote against confirmation is a rare occurrence, just like our recent vote to issue subpoenas in the felon-release scandal. But enough is enough when it comes to mismanagement at state agencies, and if the governor drags his feet, our majority is ready to provide leadership,” Schoesler said.

A pattern of mismanagement has emerged during Peterson’s time as transportation secretary, including:

Failure to properly supervise the Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) administration of Minority Owned Business Contracting, resulting in a call by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for Peterson’s firing.
Poisoning the working relationship between STP and her now-former agency by issuing a politically-driven letter of default.
Inslee’s recent order to halt STP’s work on the downtown Seattle tunnel due to a giant sinkhole – the latest public-safety concern in a project plagued by water damage that independent experts say threatens the historic structures of downtown Seattle.
Alcohol consumption at the job site by contractor employees working on the State Route 520 bridge replacement project.
Her approval of a controversial change order on the SR 520 bridge project that cost taxpayers millions of dollars in part due to a poorly constructed state contract.
The collapse of the Skagit River Bridge, damaged because the DOT was still permitting loads that exceeded the bridge’s capacity.
DOT’s continued failure to verify routes for oversize load limits, which could cause another bridge collapse.
Repeated concerns about Washington State Ferries, including:

the loss of two ferries to mechanical failures during one week this past summer.
nearly 240 canceled ferry trips since 2013 due to staff shortages or miscommunication.
the overloading of a Bremerton ferry in 2014 that forced almost 1,700 passengers to disembark.
the 2014 discovery that a sex offender had worked for years on the ferries despite multiple complaints from passengers against him.
Peterson’s settling of a sexual-harassment suit against WSF for $500,000.

IN THE NEWS: Coalition fights to strengthen Career & Technical Education

Photo caption: Accepting the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education Legislator of the Year award in September 2015.

I’m sharing a blog post from the Washington Business Alliance championing a bill I’ve co-sponsored that would fund material and supplies for career and technical programs just like we do for traditional middle and high schools.

CTE is shorthand for “Career & Technical Education” — a set of programs that teach career and technology skills to middle & high school students. In recent years, CTE funding has become increasingly weakened in Washington State schools. If students can’t access career-connected learning experiences via CTE, it represents a big loss for kids, parents, and businesses in our state.

Washington residents have begun standing up for stronger CTE funding. There’s a bipartisan vehicle in the legislature this session to begin strengthening funding for Career & Technical Education: Senate Bill 6415.

The bill’s primary Democratic sponsor, Senator Christine Rolfes (District 23), stresses the “broad-based political support” behind stronger Career Tech education funding. “This bill addresses the critical need to reinvest in career and technical training in our state’s high schools. It’s sort of a ‘back to the future’ approach, that recognizes that these programs are critical for students who may not be college-bound, and that even those that are college-bound will benefit from career exploration and skills training. Employers throughout the state are clamoring for well-trained entry level applicants,” Rolfes said. “And teachers and parents recognize that some students learn better with hands-on classes with practical applications… Reinvesting in CTE programs appears to be something that garners broad-based political support, and should benefit communities throughout the state.”

The bill’s primary Republican sponsor, Senator Ann Rivers (District 18), emphasized the need to go beyond a one-size-fits-all, college-prep approach to secondary schooling. “Over the next five years, 35 percent of jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or higher, but 42 percent of jobs will require mid-level training; the kind of training that our career and technical programs provide. It’s time to let all kids know we value their future and fund both paths as basic education.”

There’s a diverse and growing coalition supporting legislation to strengthen CTE funding; businesses, trade associations, unions, education groups, parents, students, and educators who are working together to advocate for stronger Career Tech education. Coalition members include the Seattle Building & Construction Trades Council, Association of General Contractors Education Foundation, Manufacturing Industrial Council, Washington Maritime Federation, and the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance.

CTE programs are more expensive to teach than regular courses. They require additional expenditures like industry standard equipment and supplies, industry certification options, additional student supervision, and teacher certification and training.

Current funding for CTE has remained relatively constant. At the same time, significant increases in funding for general education have placed it on equal footing with CTE. This provides schools with a perverse incentive to cut CTE programs in favor of less costly general ed. courses, placing the future of CTE in jeopardy.

The state uses something called an MSOC formula to determine K-12 funding. MSOC stands for materials, supplies, and operating costs. In the past there was a special multiplier used for CTE courses on account of the extra costs that inevitably accompany them. Tim Knue of the Washington Association for Career & Technical Education pointed out how the new funding paradigm would discourage schools from teaching CTE. “Going forward the budget does not include the necessary funding MSOC enhancement for Career and Technical Education in high schools. As a result, CTE funding will be equal to the Basic Education Allocation when it is fully funded; at that point a district may choose to discontinue expensive programs that have additional requirements for the same revenue.”

When comparing MSOC values between the old and new funding models, the CTE MSOC enhancement has shrunk from 144 percent to 18 percent. The same is true for Skill Center MSOC rates.

Current state budgets have not cut funding for CTE and even provide a small inflationary rate, resulting in modest growth over time. However this inflationary rate does not account for the cost of outfitting new programs or the more expensive materials for existing CTE programs. This means that, in order to match the supply monies provided, schools must cut back on CTE’s pricey applied learning activities.

Here’s how the Washington Association for Career & Technical Education explains it:

In school year 2014-15 state funding averaged $6,097.56 per CTE FTE compared to $5,755.84 per basic education FTE. This enhancement of $341.72 or 5.9% is insufficient to cover the additional costs associated with operating CTE programs, and in fact is not sufficient to cover even the allowed indirect rate charged to the CTE programs of 15%. The CTE enhancement over basic education has declined over time. The 1995 Secondary Vocational Education in the State of Washington report stated the enhancement at that time was 28% above basic education.

The situation created exacerbates the equity concerns which are central to the remaining McCleary demands. CTE teachers have begun negotiating with local districts for their salary enhancements because they aren’t coming from the state. Local districts are negotiating for local levy dollars to attract and retain CTE teachers.

Students enrolled in a 2-year CTE program during high school have a higher graduation rate (91.4%) than the average high school graduate (77.4%). CTE students learn applied STEM, English, and arts through skills-based, career-connected coursework. For many students it’s a critical pathway towards family wage careers and economic empowerment.

CTE programs statewide need an improved MSOC formula that will meet the needs for the higher cost programs. This is vital to the success of CTE to cover costs and meet the required standards associated with high quality CTE programming. CTE is a vital and transformative force in Washington’s K-12 education system. It is essential that it be fully funded going forward.

To learn more about the CTE funding situation, check out this Fact Sheet published in December 2015 by the Washington Association for Career & Technical Education.

by Hans D. Stroo on February 2, 2016

Read original article at: https://www.planwashington.org/blog/archive/coalition-fights-to-strengthen-career-technical-education/

Gloria Boieriu serves as page for Sen. Rivers

Gloria Boieriu, a junior from Columbia River High school, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Boieriu was one of 10 students who served as Senate pages for the second week of the 2016 legislative session.

She was sponsored by 18th Legislative District Sen. Ann Rivers.

“Gloria is bright young woman and she has a promising future ahead of her. It was a pleasure to have her here in the Capitol for the second week of session,” said Rivers.

“My favorite part was meeting Senator Ann Rivers,” she said about participating in the Senate Page Program. “She cares about the people and wants them to be in the best care possible. Senator Rivers represents them very well and tries to see both sides of the argument,” added Gloria about her thoughts on Senator Rivers.

She plans on going to University of Washington to study medicine to become a family physician.

Gloria enjoys singing for Romanian Baptist Church of Portland, participates in Art club, Spanish club, History club, Red Cross club, and Outdoors club.

Gloria, 16, is the daughter of Ovidiu and Mariana Boieriu of Vancouver, WA.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit: https://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/

Bipartisan ‘Safe Today’ bills dropped in Legislature

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a package of bills related to rape kits and justice for survivors of sexual assault, dubbed “Safe Today” legislation. This is in reference to the acronym SAFE, which stands for Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations, the official name of rape kits.

HB 2530 and SB 6484 will track and test rape kits, used by medical staff and law enforcement to collect DNA evidence following an attack. The Legislature passed a law in 2015 to mandate rape kits be sent to the state crime lab within 30 days of being collected. These bills provide funding for both testing of kits by authorities, as well as tracking kits by law enforcement and victims. Additionally, it provides a five year grant for reinvestigating all cases where rape kits were in the possession of a law enforcement agency but not submitted for forensic testing by July 24, 2015, and creates the Washington Sexual Assault Kit Account that is eligible to accept private donations. Revenue for HB 2530 is collected to implement these new measures through a fee applied to patrons of sex oriented businesses, such as strip clubs.

“We don’t want to further delay justice for the victims of these heinous crimes. It’s time to work collaboratively and really move forward,” said House sponsor Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines. “The more kits we test, the higher the chances of identifying patterns of serial rapists; dangerous predators who often commit an average of 9 rapes before they are arrested. This bill will help get them off the streets sooner.”

“Individuals who have reported a sexual assault and have been through another traumatic experience – undergoing a rape exam – should absolutely have the assurance that the evidence collected will not sit on a shelf somewhere because there isn’t the funding or the framework in place to have the DNA analyzed,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center. “We can’t change what happened, but as lawmakers, and human beings, we can give them one less thing to worry about.”

HB 2711, sponsored by Rep. Gina McCabe, R-Goldendale, would allow for a study to determine how services and care can be improved for survivors. There is currently a shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) who provide necessary examinations and follow-up appointments for survivors of sexual assault. The bill will study how many more of these nurses are needed, and how services directly related to sexual assault can be improved in underserved areas of the state, including rural and interurban communities.

“Sexual assault has no place in our communities, and it is a deeply troubling time for those who have had to endure such heinous acts,” said McCabe. “It is important that all sexual assault survivors have access to specific or specialized services and care, so they have an environment where they can feel safe, respected, and fully supported.”

SB 6561, prime sponsored by Sen. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, joins a number of other states in eliminating certain statute of limitations on reporting felony assaults. Under current law in Washington, survivors are only given one year to report an assault in order to receive 10 years to file charges, which is much lower than many other states. This bill eliminates the statute of limitations for first degree felony sex offenses, increases the statute of limitations for third degree rape from 3 to 6 years and extends the statute of limitations for sex offenses against minors.

“The crime of sexual assault is not only an attack on a person’s body, but also on their psyche and sense of well-being and security,” said Jayapal. “It is not unusual for it to take years for survivors to come forward, by which time the attackers have often committed other assaults. Extending the statute of limitations on reporting of sexual assault crimes is necessary for survivors to come forward, whether that is immediately or months or even years later, in order to pursue justice in a way that best serves them.”

“At its heart, sexual assault is a public safety issue,” said Rivers, co-sponsor of SB 6561. “Lawmakers can honor the individuals they represent by taking seriously these sensitive and sometimes difficult to discuss crimes. These bills do more than just send a message, they provide justice and support for survivors of sexual assault.”

“The issue of sexual assault has only recently gotten the attention it deserves,” Orwall added. “But by moving these bills forward as a package, the 2016 Legislature has the opportunity to take the lead on ensuring survivors get the support and services they need, which are quite frankly long overdue.”