Public schools
Crime, taxes and artificial intelligence on tap as WA lawmakers prep for session
Rising costs of transportation projects. Using artificial intelligence in Washington classrooms. Preserving affordable housing. Spending proceeds from the state’s new capital gains tax and recent cap-and-trade auctions. Those are a few topics state lawmakers will delve into when they return to Olympia for committee days, an annual fete in which they get schooled on issues […]
Online schooling for Washington’s youngest students is on the rise
If you asked most families with young kids whether they’d do virtual schooling again after the shift to online classes during the pandemic, they’d likely say “never again.” But for Lia Carlile, it’s not a hypothetical — it’s a choice she’s made for her four kids. Her youngest, 7-year-old Samuel Carlile, met his first-grade classmates […]
State hauls in nearly $900M from first year of capital gains tax
Washington’s new capital gains tax brought in $890 million in its first year, state officials said Wednesday. Those proceeds, garnered from the state’s wealthiest residents, will be funneled into early learning and child care programs, and to school districts in need of dollars for construction and renovation projects. “The new funds could not come at […]
Oregon lawmakers say they met Portland school demands for money as teachers strike
State Democratic leaders say they’ve given educators, including Portland Public Schools, the money they asked for and that it will be up to the administration and unions to figure out how to use the money to meet demands of striking Portland teachers. At a news conference on the fourth day of the Portland Public Schools’ […]
School culture wars give rise to candidates and activists defending LGBTQ+ rights
It started with opposition to masks during the pandemic. Then came pushback to critical race theory and sex education. Lately, it’s book bans and controversies over pronouns and other LGBTQ+ inclusive practices. As in other parts of the country, public schools in Washington have increasingly been dragged into ideological battles, targeted by groups like Moms […]
Progressive reforms or harsher punishments alone won’t fix student misconduct
The 2022-23 school year was a particularly violent year for educators. In Florida, a high school student beat a paraprofessional unconscious. A 15-year-old in Georgia left her teacher with difficulty walking. And a group of students in Texas sent their assistant principal to the hospital after an assault. Recent headlines suggest the 2023-24 school year […]
Teachers end strike at Vancouver’s Evergreen Public Schools
Around 23,000 public school students in the Vancouver area are heading back to classrooms on Monday after their teachers voted to ratify a new labor contract. Teachers at Evergreen Public Schools went on strike Aug. 30, the first day of scheduled classes for the school year, and were on strike for seven school days. Classes […]
WA Supreme Court says state isn’t responsible for 100% of school construction costs
The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday the state is not required to fully cover school construction costs, dealing a blow to districts unable to raise the local tax dollars they need for new buildings and other facility upgrades. In its unanimous decision, the court said Washington’s constitutional mandate for the state to amply fund basic […]
State will keep fiscal tabs on three cash-starved Washington school districts
As students return to Washington classrooms, state education officials are closely monitoring how three cash-strapped public school districts are spending money. Marysville, La Conner and Mount Baker districts, all located in western Washington and part of Northwest Educational Service District 189, are in this position because they are beginning the school year without a balanced […]
Teachers strike in southwest Washington delays school year for thousands of students
The start of the school year was delayed on Monday for about 7,000 students in Camas, Washington after 450 teachers in the district went on strike. This is the first time the teachers’ union has ever gone on strike in the district, which is located along the Columbia River, just east of Vancouver, Washington. The […]
Teacher and founder of national education nonprofit enters race for Washington schools chief
Reid Saaris, an educator and founder of a national nonprofit devoted to eliminating barriers in education for students of all backgrounds, wants to be the next leader of Washington’s public school system. Saaris is campaigning to unseat Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who he said has failed to effectively use billions of dollars in […]
Plagued by teacher shortages, some states turn to fast-track credentialing
Faced with alarming teacher shortages, Virginia last month agreed to partner with a for-profit online teacher credentialing company, hoping to get more teachers into classrooms faster and without the higher tuition costs of traditional colleges and universities. While some of the Virginia school board members had qualms about the process, they agreed to give it […]