public education

New Washington K-12 Standards Prove Challenging For Students – And Teachers

Ann Dornfeld — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:12:17 +0000

This fall, some classes may get harder for public school students — and teachers — across Washington. That's when many districts will roll out new, more rigorous language arts and math standards, known as the Common Core. Washington is one of 45 states that have adopted the same set of K-12 standards.

Some Washington teachers have already started using them. At Sylvester Middle School in Burien, teacher Christy Bowman-White read a poem about a nail-biter basketball shot to her honors language arts class on a recent school day.

Highline District Offers Free Full-Day Kindergarten To All Students

Ann Dornfeld — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:23:20 +0000

Highline School District plans to offer free, full-day kindergarten to all students next school year.

Currently, half-day kindergarten is the norm: two and a half hours a day. Most Washington parents have to pay tuition if they want their kids in full-day kindergarten.

Two Seattle School Board Seats Up For Grabs In Primary

Ann Dornfeld — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:12:35 +0000

Six candidates are vying for two Seattle School Board seats in the August 6 primary election.

In Director District 5, which includes Capitol Hill, the Central Area, Beacon Hill and downtown, Kay Smith-Blum is stepping down from her board seat after one term.

District Plan To Move Indian Heritage School Angers Native Community

Ann Dornfeld — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:01:35 +0000

The latest Seattle School District plan to move the American Indian Heritage program to Northgate Mall has angered many in the Native American community.

They rallied at Wednesday night's school board meeting to protest the move, calling it just the district's latest step toward dismantling Indian Heritage.

12 Wash. Districts File To Become Charter School Authorizers

Ann Dornfeld — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:35:03 +0000

Twelve Washington school districts have formally announced they’ll apply to become charter school authorizers. Bellevue, Highline, Kent, Tacoma, Spokane and Port Townsend are among the districts seeking the power to approve charter school applications in their regions. Those districts met the State Board of Education's April 1 deadline for notices of intent to apply for authorizer status.

Many Wash. 12th Graders May Not Graduate Due To New Math Standards

Ann Dornfeld — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:33:39 +0000

^{With high school graduation ceremonies just three months away, nearly 15,000 Washington high school seniors have yet to pass the newest addition to the state's graduation requirements.}

Proposed Law Would Require Wash. Schools To Enroll Students In AP Classes

Ann Dornfeld — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:51:23 +0000

High school Advanced Placement (AP) classes have traditionally been the domain of academically strong students who want an extra challenge. Now Washington state lawmakers are considering legislation based on a policy in the Federal Way school district that puts all kids who meet basic standards into AP and other advanced classes. The goal is to make more low-income kids of color ready for college.

VIDEO: Teen Challenges Samoan Stereotypes

Trey Tuito'elau and RadioActive Youth Media — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:09:01 +0000

Manu Tuito'elau, 18 years old, was running late to history class at Evergreen High School, just south of Seattle. It wasn't his first time.

Manu's teacher called him out for being late. Manu didn't want to put up with it, so he started to walk out of class. That's when he remembers hearing his teacher say that it was always Manu and his people that scored low in class. He also remembers his teacher asking, "How come you couldn't do as well in my classes as you do on the field?"