Yes, I know it’s Tuesday. This Friday-ish report took a three day weekend. Hope yours was great. The Sine that Won’t Die: The Legislature finally closed up shop last Wednesday. Session was gaveled to a close “Sine Die” – which is Latin for “until we meet again,” or something like that. The special session closed [...]
GiveBig, make history and see the Storm
May 31, 2011 By
LEV will be participating in one of the biggest giving days in King County history on June 23rd through the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBig event. All donations made through the LEV page on the Seattle Foundation website (we’ll provide the URL later!) between 7am and midnight will help us qualify for matching gifts from local sponsors. [...]
LEV Foundation files amicus brief in education funding lawsuit
May 31, 2011 By
LEV Foundation filed an amicus brief in the education funding lawsuit, McCleary v. State. In February 2010, King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick declared that the state’s funding of K-12 education violates its constitutional duty in the McCleary v. State lawsuit. The state appealed the ruling in March 2010 and the state Supreme Court [...]
Legislature adjourns sine die
May 26, 2011 By
Despite a tough budget year and an extra 30-day special session, state lawmakers were in a celebratory mood last night. They were relieved that one of the most challenging legislative sessions was done. Legislators and staff lined up on the floor of each chamber and watched through the open doors as Speaker Pro Tempore Jim [...]
Survey says…well, you tell us
May 26, 2011 By
What do you think? Don’t you wish you’d get asked that more often? I do. Especially in this digital age where people and businesses and organizations are overwhelming us with tweets and Facebook posts and blog posts and YouTube videos and podcasts and texts and emails and on and on and on. So… We want [...]
Welcome to Life in The Middle, where help is hard to find and passion and excitement isn’t part of the lesson plan
May 26, 2011 By
See, here’s the thing: there are things about which I really, really don’t care. I worked on a fairly high profile political campaign a few years ago, and we actually turned this into a game. We were all very smart, driven, progressives, and the game was to name the progressive cause that you really, really, [...]
Bill to fund lower K-3 class sizes fails
May 25, 2011 By
Last night, state lawmakers in the House voted on legislation to provide funding to lower K-3 class sizes. Although the vote was 52-42 for House Bill 2078, the bill failed because it did not receive a two-thirds supermajority. The vote came one day after a joint op-ed was published in the Seattle Times by LEV [...]
National conference to discuss challenges facing youth
May 25, 2011 By
Are you an educator, youth coordinator, coach, parent or volunteer looking to share and learn new ways to support the future success of our youth? School’s Out Washington is hosting its ninth annual Bridge from School to Afterschool and Back Conference in Seattle on October 17-18. The Seattle-based non-profit organization is dedicated to building community [...]
Legislators sidestep state’s paramount duty
May 24, 2011 By
House and Senate budget leaders announced their bi-partisan budget agreement one day before time runs out on the 30-day special session. The biggest shock was House budget leaders agreeing to a 1.9% across-the-board salary reduction for teachers and 3% for principals and administrators. The Senate had proposed 3% for all educators while the House had [...]
Sense of urgency key in the classroom
May 24, 2011 By
What makes a great educator? Is it a science? Is it a secret ingredient? Last week, Nick Brossoit, superintendent of Edmonds School District, sent the email below to his staff about his view of what great educators bring to the classroom. After 27 years in public education, I have visited thousands of classrooms and [...]
