Families and Education Levy 2004
Voters' Guide Arguments

Argument For

Vote YES on the Families and Education levy to give every child and every family a chance for success in our schools. The levy provides citywide services and a focus on:

Early Learning
Provides preschool programs for an additional 350 children each year. School-readiness is key to academic success.

Student Health
Provides nursing services and school-based health.

Out-of-School Time
Provides academically focused after-school programs for middle school students who aren't performing at grade level.

Family Support and Family Involvement
Helps families help their children succeed.

High-Risk Middle- and High-School-Age Youth
Provides help for children who need special attention to get out of trouble and get on a path for positive development and academic success.

The levy creates partnerships with teachers and principals, parents and community-based organizations to Close the Achievement Gap and help all children succeed

To ensure accountability, we will measure results to make sure we are making progress on our goals for children.

Give all children a chance for success in school! Join Mayor Greg Nickels, former Mayor Norm Rice, parents, community leaders and educators who urge you to VOTE YES FOR SEATTLE'S FAMILIES ON SEPTEMBER 14.

Rebuttal to Argument Against

We are continuing the existing Families and Education levy * this is not a new tax.

Widespread Support
Parents, educators and community leaders spent hundreds of hours meeting to develop a comprehensive plan to give every child and family a chance to succeed.

Increased Accountability
Levy programs will be held accountable for showing measurable improvements in academic achievement, attendance, student health and discipline. A Citizen's Oversight Committee will thoroughly monitor how levy funds are spent.

Ballot Argument Committee:
Norm Rice, Ballot Argument Committee Chair
Greg Nickels
David Della

Argument Against

PROPOSITION ONE WILL BE DECIDED IN THE PRIMARY

We all support improving educational opportunities for at-risk children. This proposal, however, is seriously flawed and doesn't deserve community support.

Read the entire initiative text carefully. A YES vote gives the City Council a blank check to spend $117 million on anything it wants, no matter how remote the relationship to education. Programs don't have to show they improve academic achievement. Politically connected agencies would continue to receive funding no matter how little they help at-risk students. This is not responsible government.

Seattle's 14-year experiment with "family levies" has been a failure. Very little of the $138 million that we've spent has contributed to academic achievement. We can't afford to keep wasting time and money on ineffective programs that still leave our children behind. Nevertheless, the City Council seeks to increase spending by 69% above the 1997 levy, even though there are now fewer children in Seattle public schools than there were in 1997.

This ill-conceived tax increase will hurt working families more than it helps. VOTE NO and ask the City Council for a fair and effective levy that requires all funded programs to show meaningful improvements in academic achievement.

Rebuttal to Argument For

We reviewed all of the City's family levy evaluation reports published since 1990. Out of 25 programs, only 3 showed even slight improvements in academic achievement. Some programs actually showed a negative effect on achievement. Other programs were never evaluated or their reports were missing.

Read the initiative text carefully, especially Sections 5, 6 and 7. The oversight and accountability requirements are as inadequate as before. Seattle families deserve a better deal. Vote NO

Statement Prepared by:
Bart Cannon
Andy MacDonald
Stefan Sharkansky