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Question of the Week

Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Currently, teacher salaries are determined through negotiations between the local union and the school district. One implication is that salaries can differ dramatically from district-to-district–even neighboring ones. This makes it difficult for poor districts to attract and retain highly qualified teachers.

Should the state take over the responsibility of negotiating teacher salaries or leave it to the districts?

Leave a comment below to join the discussion with other parents, educators and advocates.

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Question of the Week

Posted on 30. Nov, 2009 by admin.

Great Teachers and Leaders is one of six selection criteria for Race to the Top (R2T). R2T calls for the use of a fair evaluation system for teachers and principals that differentiate effectiveness using multiple rating categories and take student growth into account.

Should student performance be included in teacher evaluations?

Leave a comment below to join the discussion with other parents, educators and advocates.

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Weekly roundup of education news from LEV

Posted on 24. Nov, 2009 by admin.

Education advocates and newspapers quickly weighed in on Superintendent Dorn’s proposal to delay math and science high school graduation requirements last week. LEV has begun to post in-depth analysis on the final Race to the Top guidelines on our blog. We’re also introducing a Question of the Week to encourage discussion on thought-provoking questions about education and public policy.

Question of the Week

In Portland Public Schools, budget cuts could hit home to students and parents. Up to five classroom days could be cut from the school calendar because of furlough days. Recent polling shows that 60 percent of Washington residents don’t believe our state is facing a budget crisis even though higher education and K-12 have been cut by 12 percent.

Should policymakers consider eliminating all-day kindergarten or cutting school days to help balance the budget?

Join the discussion with other parents, educators and advocates:

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News from LEV

Superintendent Randy Dorn’s speech to the state school directors
TVW filmed Superintendent Dorn’s speech to the Washington State School Directors’ Association on delaying math and science graduation requirements.

Wrong move, wrong time
In case you missed it, here’s LEV’s reaction to Superintendent Dorn’s proposal to delay high school graduation requirements for math and science.

What’s at risk in the state budget?
Our friends at the Washington State Budget and Policy Center have put together this excellent narrated slide show about the very real impacts of the projected $2.7 billion state budget shortfall.

What are Washington’s chances of winning Race to the Top dollars?
LEV reviews the eligibility requirements for Race to the Top and how Washington stacks up.

Final Race to the Top guidelines released
Each Race to the Top application will be evaluated based on a 500-point scale. Here’s the breakdown for how points will be awarded.

News from the Media

Editorial: State schools chief Randy Dorn blinks on math and science requirements
The Seattle Times is concerned that Dorn’s proposal will harm low-income and minority students the most.

Editorial: Don’t delay reckoning on science, math norms
The Spokesman-Review believes students will rise to the challenge to meet math and science requirements similar to how they responded to reading and writing.

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Question of the Week

Posted on 24. Nov, 2009 by admin.

In Portland Public Schools, budget cuts could hit home to students and parents. Up to five classroom days could be cut from the school calendar because of furlough days. Recent polling shows that 60 percent of Washington residents don’t believe our state is facing a budget crisis even though higher education and K-12 have been cut by 12 percent.

Should policymakers consider eliminating all-day kindergarten or cutting school days to help balance the budget?

Leave a comment below to join the discussion with other parents, educators and advocates.

Continue Reading

Videos for George Scarola

Posted on 06. Oct, 2009 by admin.

The Impact on TVW - September 30, 2009

George Scarola, LEV’s Legislative Director, and Bill Williams, Washington State PTA’s Executive Director, sat down for an interview on TVW’s The Imact. The interview was about education reform and funding.