The Spokesman-Review editorial board had a productive conversation today with Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson. One topic: Her interest in a statewide standardized math curriculum.
It weighs heavily on Bergeson's and many other minds that about half of the state's 10th graders have failed the fabled WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) that was supposed to be required for high school graduation. That's why the Legislature just delayed the requirement for five years so the state's schools can figure out what's wrong and fix it -- without sacrificing accountability.
Bergeson notes that with 50 or more math curricula being used in various of the state's school districts, kids who move from one district to another have a heck of a time making the transition academically. "Mobility is a killer," she says, adding that low-income kids, who are already at a disadvantage in school, move proportionally more than anyone else. Ordinarilly, individual school districts are wary of statewide directives that erode local control of education. Bergeson says she believes the districts are ready to accept the concept in this case.

(Photo by Brian Plonka/The Spokesman-Review)

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