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April 7, 2010 in City
Gregoire asks every school district to sign grant
TUKWILA, Wash. — Gov. Chris Gregoire is asking all of Washington 295 school districts to join an effort to seek $250 million from the federal government for education reform.
Gregoire said at a news conference at Foster High School in Tukwila on Wednesday that Washington’s application for Race to the Top money will get the federal government’s attention if everyone in the education community endorses it.
The governor recently signed into law an education reform plan designed to help the state compete for a slice of the Obama administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program. The plan calls for higher education standards, more preschool education and an emphasis on science and math.
Washington’s application for a grant in the highly competitive process is due in June.
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Couple acquitted of caging 2 boys 
Another_Perspective on April 07 at 12:32 p.m.
How about a recall petition and we could have saved $2.4 Billion in a deficit?
Orange on April 07 at 12:55 p.m.
Will this be like the WASL?
Shylock13 on April 07 at 1:32 p.m.
If Washington is to get the federal funds (read: funds we taxpayers in Washington have already sent the feds), it is necessary for all 295 districts to join in. It is also necessary for all education UNIONS to join in. And it would help if all public colleges and universities, as well as private ones if they want, would join in—particularly those with education programs. The education of our children and grandchildren is of utmost importance, and is, I believe, the prime objective of our state constitution. If those who work for the state/counties/municipalities/school districts do not sign on, they should be removed from their positions. And I speak as a retired tenured Professor at a public college in another state who served as a union officer locally and statewide for many, many years.
livingwithinyourmeans on April 07 at 1:56 p.m.
I heard Obama is going to suggest reforming education. Instead of taking every vacation the students take, teachers and adminstration will have to work closer to a full year. Government is paying health care benefits all year round anyway in the education field. Was just a matter of time ….
west on April 07 at 4:23 p.m.
Most of the fed money will go to state teachers wages, salaries, pensions, and perks…..think about it!
Theanticscontinue on April 07 at 6:33 p.m.
Hey Ted, this appears to be just another way for Obama to help the unions. You being a retired, tenured “Professor” who served as a union officer… Well I can see why you would say what you do. But me, I believe the “education problem” has little to do with money and more to do with the fact that teachers are too busy to actually educate! What with all the social issues taking up classtime, the pills they have to hand out to the poor mis-behaving A.D.D. children and all the other non-educational work required of the teachers they dont have time to teach. Couple that with in-service days, teaming challenges & let’s not forget “winter or spring break”. Our education system nationwide spends way too much for what we receive. Public education is a joke, that is why more family’s are turning to private and homeschool systems, even if the government wont allow them to remove the taxes they pay into the public system.
The prime objective of this state government is to find another way to get more taxpayer money without making wise spending choices to begin with, not education. Maybe the constitution says that but no one in Olympia pays attention to it.
Shylock13 on April 07 at 7:22 p.m.
Theanticscontinue: You are right on the money with what teachers have to do that takes lots of time from their primary task—”education.” What do you think of “year-round” school—four “equal” quarters of about three months each, with one week off in each of three quarters, and two weeks off in the summer? Nationally, our school system is still in the 18th-early 19th century—it is based upon an agrarian calender to let students off in the summer to help on the farm. Maybe we should push to have the school calendar become a 21st century one!
misjustice on April 07 at 7:44 p.m.
I applaud the year round system. I lived in Germany for several years and that’s how it’s done there. Kids get about three weeks off in the summer, a short winter and spring break, and some even attend classes on Saturdays. Additionally, if school hours were longer ie; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then the school schedule would more closely match what many parents work….cutting back on latch key kids and the need for care takers in the early afternoons.
But good luck implementing any major changes in the school schedule…we can’t even agree that it’s good to apply for additional federal funding to help our struggling districts. Oh, and heaven forbid if we should do anything to help the teacher’s unions…as mentioned by theantiscontinue…that would be downright anticonstitutional and un’Merican.
Theanticscontinue on April 07 at 9:58 p.m.
Ted Bear, I would support that idea. And I really shouldn’t push your buttons by jesting your moniker. Please excuse me on that one, I just like the way I say it sounds. It reminds me of couple people I do truly cherish.
I do support that idea, along with taking as much of the social element out of the class room time & get back to the 3R’s. I do believe teachers have much more to do than simply instruct! I also like misjustices’ idea of a longer day and/or Saturdays if the need presents itself. That might allow working parents to get off in time to watch their children in afterschool activities.
BarleyWheets on June 04 at 1:53 p.m.
You folks that want year around school must Not be Working parents! You do not realize how hard it would be to get daycare for a week every 6 weeks. Thats just dumb. Children NEED time off to enjoy the summer.. even IF they don’t work on a farm! Its much easier to plan daycare for a whole summer & is much easier on parenting plans for parents that don’t live close together. Think of whats best for the children for once!!!
What we need is to get RID of the Teachers Union so we can get qualified teachers …teaching! We need to reward the GOOD teachers & fire the ones that are just there to get their pay check.
We need the schools to stop taking so many days off during the 9 month school year & extend the schools hours from 8 am to 5 pm to better reflect the hours of working parents & alleviate a lot of the latch key children situation.
There is plenty of money being thrown at the school systems they just need to USE the money right & learn ..like normal people have to do.. to LIVE within their means. A lesson our local government & the US needs to also learn.
The whole deal with the WASLl tests were to help the schools to teach to a certain standard ..but the lazy teachers teach to the WASL instead ..of covering the whole information that needs to be taught ..So then the children are left with many gaps in their learning skills.
WE do not need more goverment in our schools.. we need less interference from the government & more concentration on QUALITY teaching. Children are graduating & cannot even tell you what 10% of 90 is or have the knowledge that the first letter of proper names are always suppose to be capitalized!!