Leaders from early learning, K-12 and higher education as well as numerous youth and family services organizations have banded together to form a coalition supporting a cradle-through-college state investment strategy. A core principle of the strategy calls for the Legislature to invest in each stage of education and end the practice of pitting one part of education against the other, and of pitting education against health and human services.

“Cradle Through College is so important because K-12 systems can’t do it
alone. Our students need strong early learning as well as an affordable
higher-education system, with engaged community partners all along the
way,” said Highline Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield.

The Cradle Through College Coalition was announced publicly at the Road
Map Project’s Education Results Network (ERN) meeting on Dec. 4 in
Renton. Paola Maranan, Executive Director of the Children’s Alliance, spoke
to these issues at the meeting, saying, “A cradle-through-college investment
strategy recognizes that a child’s learning begins at birth, continues through
adulthood and includes supports not confined to the classroom walls.”

Currently, over 40 organizations and institutions have signed on to support
the Coalition’s principles. The Seattle College system, Bellevue College,
Green River Community College, numerous South King County K-12 school
districts, Graduate Tacoma!, Child Care Resources, the Puget Sound
Coalition for College and Career Readiness and the University of Washington
are a few of the supporters. The Road Map Project has partnered with the
Equity in Education Coalition, League of Education Voters and OneAmerica
to help form the Cradle Through College Coalition. To see the growing list of
supporters, please visit www.c2ccoalition.org.

This upcoming legislative session will be pivotal. The Coalition believes it is time to break from “business as usual” and approach education funding as a
whole system. The Coalition believes that progress on the McCleary lawsuit
must be measured by our state’s ability to provide opportunity for every
student. The new investments must spur dramatic improvements in student
achievement that close the unacceptable opportunity gaps for low-income
students and students of color.