ESHB 1244 is the state operating budget bill passed by the State Legislature before the end of this year's legislative session. Click on the title to get a comprehensive breakdown of allocations for community and technical colleges, early learning, and K-12. The bill is now in the Governor's office for signature.
Fewer Classes, Instructors and Higher Tuition
On Tuesday, April 21st, faculty and students held demonstrations at their campuses to protest the state's proposed budget cuts to the community and technical college system during the 2009-11 biennium.
At the same time, AFT Washington --accompanied by a South Seattle Community College student, Bedria Abdullahi, and Luis Muscoso and Sean Gallegos from WPEA -- delivered nearly 10,000 signatures to the offices of Governor Gregoire, House Speaker Frank Chopp, and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown. The petitions, signed by faculty, students, college staff, and community supporters, asked the governor and state Legislature to protect and save our colleges at a time when the economy is bad and more residents are seeking job training or new careers. Higher education is an economic stimulus and a window of opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students and working families each year.
Watch the YouTube video of the delivery to the governor's office and House Speaker's office. Rep. Kessler (D-24) also having a conversation with the student about the budget cuts and tuition increases.
Students at Renton Technical College Talk About Cuts
Students who take Adult Basic English or English as a Second Language trekked down to Olympia to meet with their district legislators about the budget cuts at Renton Technical College (RTC). Evening classes were cancelled which limits access to working families who need to take classes after they get off work.
In addition to these class sections, RTC will be eliminating in 2009, nine full-time faculty positions (two are vacant), five exempt positions such as deans and directors, and 12 classified employees.
Listen to Pierce College student and instructors about the cuts to higher education
Listen to Hilda, an ESL student whose classes were cut
Watch a video on YouTube of Hilda, a student whose ESL classes have been cut due to the state budget crisis.
Seattle Times | State-funded college retraining programs run out of money
Seattle Times, April 5, 2009
Nick Perry, Seattle Times higher education reporter
At the worst possible time, community colleges across the state are turning away unemployed workers because there's no money left to retrain them. [read more]
There have been a number of questions about the potential action by the State Board for Community and Technical College’s (SBCTC) to declare a financial emergency. The following is an attempt to answer some of the questions that you may have, and hopefully to bring some clarity to what impact this has on your contract and what this means for you as faculty.
