Education

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda directed administrators at Garfield High School to give the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test Tuesday despite a mass boycott by the school’s teachers.

On Wednesday, hundreds of immigrants and advocates plan to gather in Olympia to lay out their priorities for lawmakers. One top issue is called the Washington Dream Act, which state Senator Ed Murray, D-Seattle, introduced today. Under the measure, undocumented college students would become eligible for state financial aid.

Yesterday Ross talked to the Republican Senate chair of the Early Learning and K-12 Education committee. Today he follows up with Democratic State Senator Rosemary McAuliffe. How do Republicans and Democrats differ in their goals and strategies for improving state education? 

Despite a state Supreme Court ruling that Washington is underfunding public education to the tune of $1 billion, state legislators so far seem to be talking more about policy changes than new dollars. Highline School District Superintendent Susan Enfield sat on the state's Joint Task Force on Education Funding. Their report is in. What now? Susan Enfield joins us with her thoughts about how the state should move forward.

Washington state is under a state Supreme Court mandate to adequately fund K-12 education. But Democrats and Republican disagree over increasing funding versus guaranteeing the money is used well. Ross Reynolds talks with Republican State Senator Steve Litzow who chairs the Early Learning and K-12 Education committee about what is being done to fund K-12 education.

By law, children in Washington state don’t have to attend school until they’re 8 years old. In every other state, besides Pennsylvania, children have to attend school when they’re younger — usually 6 or 7, sometimes even 5. Now a group of lawmakers wants to lower Washington’s compulsory age of education from 8 years old to 6 years old. The bill’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning and today Ross talks to the main sponsor of the bill, Renton Democrat and state Representative Marcie Maxwell.

For the past 17 years, Seattle voters have approved every school levy that has come before them. Seattle Public Schools officials hope voters will now approve two more levies worth $1.25 billion.

Next month, Seattle voters will be asked to renew two expiring levies to fund Seattle Public Schools. Proposition 1 would raise nearly $552 million over three years to fund day-to-day expenses like textbooks, transportation and student activities. Proposition 2 would raise nearly $695 million over six years to pay for building renovations, earthquake safety improvements and security cameras. The two levies combined would cost the owner of a $400,000 home an additional $152 per year in property taxes. Should Seattle voters renew the levies? We'll take up Prop 1 and Prop 2.

Finland’s public education system consistently ranks among the top in the world in terms of achievement and efficiency. Professor Pasi Sahlberg’s presentation talks about what the United States can learn from Finland, where education policies focus more on professional development rather than standardized tests, and pedagogy above technology. Sahlberg spoke at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on November 14, 2012.