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

Garfield High teachers refuse to use MAP test

January 11, 2013 in Blog

Well-connected Melissa Westbrook breaks the story that teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle have unanimously refused to comply with the Seattle School District’s mandate to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test.

Kris McBride, The Academic Dean and Testing Coordinator at Garfield, explains:

Seattle Times urges union to drop lawsuit against charter schools

January 10, 2013 in Blog

Yesterday the Seattle Times posted a well-reasoned, well-written editorial about the state teachers union (WEA) plan to file a lawsuit to prevent Washington school children from attending charter schools.

You can the full editorial here.

State schools chief wants to oversee charters

January 9, 2013 in In the News
The News Tribune (Tacoma)
Source: 
The News Tribune (Tacoma)
Date: 
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Link: 
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/01/09/2428673/state-schools-chief-wants-to-oversee.html

Dorn appears to drop anti-charter legal challenge, further isolating WEA

January 8, 2013 in Blog

Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn today announced he wants the legislature to amend newly-enacted Initiative 1240 to place state-level administrative authority over charter schools within his office. He says this will remove the constitutional objections he has to the Initiative. Washington State Wire breaks the story here.

Union lawsuit against charter schools: potentially risky for union?

January 7, 2013 in Blog

On Friday morning, Steve Scher of KUOW Radio (NPR-Seattle) interviewed Mary Lindquist, president of the state teachers union (WEA), about the union’s lawsuit to block children’s access to voter-approved charter schools. Here is a part of their conversation (at 12:15):

New CREDO study shows New Jersey charter schools outperforming traditional schools

January 3, 2013 in Blog

During last year’s political campaign against charter schools, Initiative 1240 opponents never tired of citing a single academic study, released in 2009 by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), showing less-than-stellar results for some charter schools.

Union to file lawsuit to overturn charter school initiative

January 2, 2013 in Blog

Over the holidays, Washington Education Association executives decided to sue voters over Initiative 1240, the people’s charter school initiative, according to a posting on Facebook. I-1240 gives priority to new charter schools that serve at-risk students from low-performing traditional public schools. Here is the union’s statement:

USA Today Report Echoes WPC Finding on 'Green' Schools

December 11, 2012 in Blog

A report in the USA Today found that "green" schools in other states don't actually perform as promised. The report, "Green Schools: Long on promise, short on delivery," gave this example from the Houston Independent School District: