Education

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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What's New

Denver Public Schools starves Manual High and other innovation schools, violating state and federal law

May 25, 2010 in Blog

The Denver Post reports that Denver Public Schools may be violating Colorado's Innovation Schools Act of 2008. Lawyer Cara Lawrence asserts that the Denver school district has breached the terms of the law by failing to give three innovation schools their annual budget allocations in a timely manner. These three schools are Manual High, Montclair Elementary and Cole K-8. Colorado's Innovation Schools Act of 2008 gave innovation schools autonomy over 1) the selection of their staff, 2) the actual dollars in their school budget and 3) the design of their educational program.

Study of Seattle's collective bargaining agreement suggests changes to teacher evaluation, assignment, layoff and other practices

May 21, 2010 in Blog

Seattle School District officials are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the city’s teachers’ union, the Seattle Education Association. The talks will take several months, and will determine costs for taxpayers and the quality of instruction for Seattle students for up to five years

Seattle School District Collective Bargaining Agreement

May 13, 2010 in In the News
National Center for Policy Analysis
Source: 
National Center for Policy Analysis
Date: 
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Link: 
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=19336

Governor Puts Universities On Notice

May 13, 2010 in In the News
Seattle PostGlobe
Source: 
Seattle PostGlobe
Date: 
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Link: 
http://seattlepostglobe.org/2010/05/13/governor-puts-universities-on-notice

Arizona passes genuine education reform bills, revealing weaknesses of Governor Gregoire's bill

May 11, 2010 in Blog

Education reformers in Arizona have passed a set of education reforms which are likely to improve education for students in Arizona.  By contrast, Governor Gregoire's Race to the Top bill, SB 6696, which I have analyzed here, and here, requires very little genuine change to the behavior of entrenched school bureaucracies and unions, nor does it increase choices for students and parents.

High school student in Tacoma declares that he wants effective teachers

May 10, 2010 in Blog

Today, in the Tacoma News Tribune, Mount Tahoma High School students eloquently speak out against teacher seniority assignment rules.  Student Derrick Reinhardt observes that these rules mean that "ineffective teachers stay and effective teachers leave" his school.

North Thurston School District throws out flawed student assignment plan for Aspire Middle School and starts over

May 2, 2010 in Blog

Parents of all the 5th graders who applied to Aspire Middle School in the North Thurston School District received this letter over the weekend:

Overview of the Seattle School District Collective Bargaining Agreement

May 2, 2010 in Publications
By

Liv Finne, Director, Center of Education

, May, 2010

Seattle School District officials are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the city’s teachers’ union, the Seattle Education Association. The talks will take several months, and will determine costs for taxpayers and the quality of instruction for Seattle students for up to five years.

Overview of the Seattle School District Collective Bargaining Agreement

May 2, 2010 in Publications
By

Liv Finne, Director, Center for Education

, May, 2010

Seattle School District officials are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the city’s teachers’ union, the Seattle Education Association. Participants expect the talks to take several months.