Washington Policy Watch

News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.

January 9, 2012 • 3:09 pm Comments Off

Join the team at EOI: We’re looking for a development director!

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The Economic Opportunity Institute is looking for a development director to raise funds in support of EOI’s mission and policy areas, with a current annual fundraising goal of approximately $750,000. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic team of people committed to restoring the promise of the middle class by building an economy that works – for everyone. The position offers an excellent salary, very generous benefits and a great working environment. Complete job description and application instructions: http://www.eoionline.org/about/jobs.htm.

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January 27, 2012 • 9:24 am 0

Social Security keeps millions of seniors – especially women – out of poverty

Over the last two years, 47% of women and 35% of men reported reduced confidence in having enough financial resources to last through retirement – and rightfully so. The stock market crash emptied out retirement accounts, the real estate crash put people’s homes “underwater”, and the “jobless recovery” brought lower wages and fewer workplace benefits, all of which make it difficult to rebuild retirement savings.

But through it all, Social Security is still paying full benefits and keeping millions of people out of poverty in retirement. And not only is it largely immune to the wild swings of the stock market and the economy, Social Security is also perhaps the most successful anti-poverty program in American history – particularly for women.

Why? Women tend to live longer than men, are paid less, and are more likely to take time away from work to care for children. As a result, they often have smaller retirement savings accounts. But while women do tend to have a lower Social Security benefit than men ($3,000 less per year, on average), it makes up a much bigger part of their total retirement income.

Of the more than 1 million Washington residents who receive Social Security benefits each month in Washington, 424,000 are women over age 65. Thanks to Social Security, just 10% of Washington women over 65 live in poverty. Without Social Security, that number would jump to 43%. Social Security is an essential economic support for all Americans, older women in particular. You can learn more about protecting and strengthening Social Security for Washington state at Social Security Works – Washington.

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January 26, 2012 • 12:06 pm 0

Raise your hand if you want to lose your job to care for someone you love

Paid leave isn’t only crucial for ensuring parents can care for their children – it’s also important for adult children, an increasing number of whom are caring for an elderly relative. But while having time to care for a loved one is important to nearly all of us, not everyone can do it without risking part of their paycheck or even their job.

For example, when parents can’t take a paid sick day, children are less likely to go to the doctor and more likely to go to school sick. But a 2003-2004 study indicated that only 36% of American children in families below 200% of the federal poverty line had a parent with sick leave, compared with 81% of those above 200% of the poverty line.

At the other end of the age spectrum, this 2008 study shows nearly 1 in 5 American workers provided unpaid care to an elderly person that year, and more than 4 in 10 provided care in the previous five years. But low-income families living from paycheck-to-paycheck are the least likely to have paid sick days available on the job. In the U.S., just 2 in 10 of the lowest paid workers had access to paid sick leave in 2010, compared to 84% of the highest earners.

Given their importance to so many people, it’s no surprise to see so many people “raise their hands” for a minimum paid sick days standard. A 2008 poll from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found:

  • 94 percent of self-identified liberals and 81 percent of self-identified conservatives believed that paid sick day should be a basic workplace right.
  • 86 percent of people surveyed said they favor a basic paid sick day policy.
  • 77 percent of respondents believed that paid sick days were very important.
  • 63 percent of workers who did not have access to paid sick leave said they were concerned about not having paid sick days.
  • 46 percent of respondents said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports paid sick days.

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January 25, 2012 • 8:02 am 0

Unemployed Face Fewer Jobs, Fewer Hours, and Smaller Safety Net

Unemployment remains persistently high, despite the “official” end of the recession in June of 2009. But recent improvements in the overall unemployment rate don’t tell the whole story. The “shadow” unemployment rate, which includes unemployed, underemployed, underutilized and discouraged workers, is a more accurate representation, including workers who have given up looking for jobs, and those who have exhausted UI benefits.

Part-time employment shot up during the recession, both for men and women.  In 2010, men’s part-time employment rates declined, probably because many of them returned to full-time work. Yet women’s rate of part-time employment remained high, peaking at almost 38%. More men than women worked part-time due to economic reasons, meaning they wanted full-time work but could not find it. Even so, the percentage of women working part-time for economic reasons nearly doubled from 2007 to 2010.  Read the rest of this entry »

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January 24, 2012 • 8:48 am 0

We won – now what? What Race to the Top funding means for early learning in WA

Research shows that a significant portion of children’s learning and brain development occurs in the first five years.

While the Washington State Constitution (Article IX) states that “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex,” early childhood education has not been considered part of the definition of basic education.

According to the League of Education Voters, while as a state we spend about $500 million on average for each grade of K-12, we spend only $14 million dollars in state funds for each age group from birth to 5 years old on child care and early learning. When federal dollars are added, that increases to $39 million for each year. (link to LEV blog)

Fortunately for our youngest children, the federal government is making a push to support the improvement of early childhood care and education. Through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant the federal government is making $500 million dollars available to nine winning states. Washington state was one of those nine.

This grant will provide Washington with around $60 million over four years, the primary purpose of which is to support the roll-out of a Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS).

A TQRIS system contains several components under its umbrella. It is designed to clearly identify what quality looks like in licensed child care centers, licensed family homes and other early learning settings. Assessment tools are used to measure child outcomes, child care provider interactions with children, and the quality of the learning environment. Supports for training and coaching are provided. Additional supports and incentives are given to facilities. Ratings are established based on the assessment and made available to parents and communities.

The Department of Early Learning has shifted funding from many of the quality activities it has undertaken in previous years to supplement the roll-out of TQRIS. About $42 million of the federal grant will go towards quality improvement awards, training hub incentives, program evaluation, rating and monitoring, training, coaching and technical assistance.

Additional elements of the grant will support state-wide expansion of the kindergarten assessment by paying for teacher training elements and providing incentives for child care providers that already have or who gain specific levels of higher education.

Race to the top will give Washington state a much needed boost in creating an integrated system of early care and education. Perhaps that will provide some of the impetus for making a stronger commitment to funding high quality early learning programs and professionals.

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