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WPC's Center for Education conducts objective research and makes practical policy recommendations to improve Washington State's ability to carry out its paramount duty to educate every child within its borders.

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Education Blog

Initiative filed to put charter public schools on November ballot

May 22, 2012 in Blog

Today the Seattle Times reports a coalition of charter public school proponents filed an initiative to ask voters to approve 40 charter schools.  Initiative sponsors need to gather 250,000 signatures by July 6 to put the measure on the November ballot. That is not much time.

Washington is one of only 9 states that forbid charter public schools.

Washington state has not turned its back on charter public schools

May 14, 2012 in Blog

Melissa Westbrook, a Seattle school blogger, is spreading disinformation about Washington state’s education reform environment.  In a May 3rd article on a Washington Post blog with a bias against charter public schools, Ms. Westbrook pronounced that Washington State has deliberately said “no” to charter public schools and other reforms.  Ms.

Two charter schools in Arizona and California and one non-charter school in Washington make top ten in the nation

May 9, 2012 in Blog

Yesterday, US News and World Report released their national rankings of 22,000 public high schools to identify the best high schools in the nation. Their rankings are based on student performance on state exit exams and on exams measuring college-level work (Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams). 

Washington State PTA shows support for charter public schools strong in Washington

May 5, 2012 in Blog

Friday night, delegates at the Washington State PTA Convention voted to pass a Resolution to support non-profit charter public schools.  Opponents introduced an amendment to defeat it, but that amendment was soundly rejected,  170 to 92.  Support for charter public schools is now a permanent statement of WSPTA policy. 

Last fall, the PTA Legislative Assembly took the first step in this process by supporting legislation to lift the ban on charter public schools in the 2012 Legislative Session.   

Base school funding on student learning, not staffing formulas

May 4, 2012 in Blog

Susan Goding, school board director with the Highline School District, has a great editorial in the Seattle Times today.  She correctly points out that funding for education is based on staffing buildings, not upon funding student learning. 

Here is her best line:

Put the principal in charge, says UW Professor Paul Hill

May 3, 2012 in Blog

Last night, at University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy, I listened to Professor Paul Hill describe his new book, Strife and Progress: Transforming Public Education in Big Cities, to be published this fall.  

Summary of K-12 health insurance bill

April 20, 2012 in Blog

Showing it's never too late (or early) for lawmakers to come to agreement on bill language, during the early hours of the 2nd Special Session of 2012 a compromise was reached on SB 5940 (Regarding reforms to school employee benefits purchasing).

Brookings Institution warns that faith in new Common Core curricula is misplaced

April 20, 2012 in Blog

Tom Loveless warns in Education Week that past experience with standards and curricula shows buying new curricula aligned with the Common Core standards will have little or no effect on student achievement.  Tom Loveless is a former teacher and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Chester Finn says put the principal in charge

April 19, 2012 in Blog

Chester Finn has written a great article describing how school principals lack the authority they need to improve their schools.  Washington Policy Center and Scott Oki, in his book Outrageous Learning, recommend ways to put the principal back in charge.  Here is Mr. Finn's article.

Why School Principals Need More Authority

By Chester E. Finn, Jr. / April 10, 2012

Carpe Diem charter public schools seize the day and the future

April 18, 2012 in Blog

Yesterday, I listened to a presentation by Rick Ogston, CEO of Carpe Diem Schools, sponsored by the Center for Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington.

Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School (CDCHM) is an innovative charter public school of 300 students in grades 6 through 12 in Yuma, Arizona.  Under the freedom allowed by Arizona's charter school law, Mr. Ogston developed this model to motivate and meet students where they are:  in the digital age.