SEATTLE — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday he has appointed Rep. Ross Hunter, the House budget writer, to be the new director of the Department of Early Learning.
The former Microsoft executive has been involved in education policy debates for most of his 13 years in the state Legislature. Hunter replaces Bette Hyde, who in March said she was retiring after six years leading the department.
Hunter said he found the job really compelling and likes the idea of implementing the programs he voted for as a lawmaker.
“This is the opportunity to actually implement policy we know can have striking impacts on the lives of kids,” he said. “You get to change the world. Those opportunities don’t come around every day.”
Hunter said it was a difficult decision to leave the Legislature, but he was drawn to the opportunity to keep building the Department of Early Learning, which will receive an additional $137 million in the new two-year budget he was instrumental in crafting.
He said he’s not through with politics, adding his dream job in Olympia is governor.
“I’m not leaving politics. I may come back. I may come back to the Legislature. I may come back in another role,” Hunter said.
In a news release Monday, the governor said Hunter has a strong mix of skills and passion for the job.
“With landmark investments this year, Washington state is poised to be a world leader in early learning,” Inslee said. “Ross will ensure that those investments bring returns for our children, making sure every family has access to quality early learning opportunities.”
The governor was on his way to South Korea on a trade mission when the announcement was made.
House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan said the Democratic leadership will need to find a replacement for Hunter as both the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and as a leader in figuring out how to respond to the Washington Supreme Court’s McCleary decision on education funding.
“He’ll be missed,” Sullivan said, but added the Department of Early Learning needs his leadership as well.
Sullivan said he would be meeting with House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, on Tuesday to talk about McCleary and the House panel that recommends committee leadership will decide soon when they want to discuss replacing Hunter on the appropriations committee.
Hunter said he thinks the Legislature has everything it needs to answer the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. Now lawmakers on both sides of aisle and in both chambers just need to make the tough decisions and compromise.
He’ll be focusing on other complicated problems, like how to help more preschools help more kids.
The state ranks 33rd in the nation for access to state preschool for low income 4-year-olds, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research, which conducts an annual review of preschool programs.
About 42 percent of Washington children with a family income below 110 percent of the federal poverty level — $25,905 for a family of four — are currently served by either the state-run early childhood education program or the federally supported Head Start program.
The Washington Department of Early Learning estimates more than 28,000 children are eligible for these programs but are not enrolled.
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