By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Short on funds and running out of time, cooperative preschool program advocates at South Seattle and other colleges are asking for help from everyone from politicians to school administrators to intervene so that the programs don’t close permanently at the end of the school year in early June. As we reported last month, changes in the statewide funding model for community colleges ruled out funding most, if not all parent education programs at community colleges, of which the coop preschools are an integral part.

“Everyone agrees that our programs are important and they should be saved/preserved. And no one is doing anything,” says Jen Giomi, South’s preschool faculty coordinator and a parent educator. In recent weeks, Giomi says more than 100 people joined a call with Governor Bob Ferguson’s office, letters have been sent to U.S. Senator Patty Murray, and a variety of meetings attended, with no commitment so far to keep the 80-year-old program open at 16 colleges statewide.

Organizers have also asked for a deferral from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), which is the group that approved the funding model change. When asked this week if the board is actively considering that request, the SBCTC’s Communications Director Rachelle Alongi replied, “We are working closely with colleges to determine next steps,” though she also confirmed that parent education programs are not on the agenda for the board’s next meetings on June 3rd and 4th. “We are meeting with legislators to discuss the Parent Education Program and how we can support colleges.” She added, “Ultimately, the decision to offer or not offer this program is up to the college.”

While this is true, for colleges to offer it and use state funds to pay for it, the program must meet criteria around credentialing and workforce development that are part of the new funding model. That goes back to SBCTC, which reviews and makes a decision about which programs meet the criteria. Alongi says they have received requests from 5 schools so far. Of those, 3 have been denied and 2 are still under review. Six schools statewide already had certificate programs when the funding model change happened, but their future is not yet clear. “We’re continuing to iron this out,” said Alongi.

(WSB file photo)

Giomi says South Seattle’s Program Approval Request is one of the three that was denied. “It appears that will not be a way to save programs.” She says the reasons given for rejection focused around whether parent education would be required as a credential for jobs, other educational programs or with the state agency Department of Children, Youth, and Families. “We’ve all been told that that parent education certificates are not needed for any jobs. Almost all parent educators got their jobs through their programs. Additionally, 95% of what we explore with parents is that same content as a person studying to get an ECE [Early Childhood Education] degree. For some reason, if parents do the work, it’s not considered workforce, but anyone who studies it, is considered workforce.”

With South Seattle’s Cooperative Preschools parent education program application rejected, and a deferral unknown, finding a way to fund the program, even temporarily, is now even higher priority for organizers. A $2 million fundraising effort launched in April by parent educators to keep just the programs at South Seattle and North Seattle open next year has raised 40% of the needed funds so far. Independent fundraising could be a path forward for the preschools, since they run as individual non-profits. A key thing they will lack if they lose status as part of a college program is insurance, but that can be arranged. It’s that or the other option, as the final two weeks of the school year conclude. “There is no firm deadline, but many Co-ops are already putting plans in place to close or try to go independent,” says Giomi.