Jim Allen

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News >  Education

Class sizes shrink for youngest students in Spokane Public Schools

Mon., Oct. 28, 2019

Classes are larger this year in Spokane Public Schools, especially in grades 4 through 12. But the district has achieved a major goal in reducing class sizes for its youngest students, the district’s board of directors heard Wednesday night.

News >  Education

New crisis intervention program teaches Spokane teachers to de-escalate tense student situations

Sat., Oct. 26, 2019

In the complicated world of teacher-student relationships, there are no easy answers, and that’s the message Spokane Public Schools hopes to send this year with the new Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training Program, which got underway Friday at North Central High School.

News >  Spokane

‘Miss Saigon’ stars candid with LC students

Fri., Oct. 25, 2019

The North American tour of “Miss Saigon” took a refreshing detour Thursday morning, to a place where the actors could be their best and also be themselves.

News >  Education

Clearing the air: Spokane Public Schools considers imposing fine for student vaping

Thu., Oct. 24, 2019

As clouds continue to fill bathroom stalls in almost every building in Spokane Public Schools, the district is considering a new option to combat the teenage vaping epidemic: a stiff fine of $103 for repeat offenders.

News >  Education

Program gives Spokane schools resources to help students rise above adversity

Thu., Oct. 24, 2019

RISE includes an on-the-ground regional coordinator dedicated to working with school staff, teachers, districts and the community to better understand the underlying factors of stress in schools and foster more positive school environments.

News >  Education

Differences, money drive Spokane school board candidates as election approaches

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 23, 2019

Candidates for three open Spokane Public Schools board seats are drawing lots of financial support. They’re also drawing a clear divide on the issues.

News >  Spokane

Lunch and learn: Sixth-grader at Mullan Road helps raise $10,000 to offset student debt

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 21, 2019

The notion was simple and profound, and it hit Lilly-Anne Cowart last spring after her fifth-grade year at Mullan Road Elementary School: “Everyone needs a good lunch to be able to learn.”

News >  Education

Spokane International Academy seeks expansion as charter school popularity grows in region

Mon., Oct. 21, 2019

The three-year-old charter school recently inked an agreement for a new building in north Spokane worth $9.7 million. Staff say the expansion will get rid of the waiting list to be accepted into the school.

News >  Education

Charter schools are having their moment in Spokane and the rest of the state

Mon., Oct. 21, 2019

With a major expansion planned at one school, and another catering to teenage parents opening next year, Spokane is seeing a spike in charter school enrollments that have backers cheering, despite concerns about funding for other schools.

News >  Spokane

Free immunization clinic helps Spokane County kids get shots required to attend school

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 15, 2019

By late last week, more than 900 students in Spokane Public Schools lacked the necessary immunizations. The deadline was Monday, when 323 were turned away.

News >  Education

Spokane will look at changing school boundaries

Tue., Oct. 15, 2019

A committee will review current and projected student enrollment and facilities, and then analyze the effects of attendance boundary changes for schools – including those affecting feeder patterns, neighborhood definitions and socioeconomic factors.

News >  Education

The Zone Project in northeast Spokane seeks to help students overcome generational obstacles

Mon., Oct. 14, 2019

Grant funding has allowed neighborhood proponents to push for support services for students in an area of Spokane that has long-standing poverty and educational issues. That includes an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math training and increasing access to after- and out-of-school programming.

News >  Education

MacFarlane emphasizes security, Slagle diversity in race for Spokane Public Schools board

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 16, 2019

Kelli MacFarlane says all schools, including elementaries, in the Spokane Public Schools should have an armed security officer. Her opponent, Jenny Slagle, believes security can be improved in different ways.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Gonzaga women see blend of old reliables, new blood at FanFest

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 12, 2019

Two minutes into Saturday’s FanFest, the Gonzaga women buried the past and said hello to a bright future – all during the same play.

News >  Education

Georgen, Morrison differ on funding, security strategies in race for Spokane school board spot

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 12, 2019

As the election filing deadline approached last spring, it would have been easy for Erin Georgen and Kevin Morrison to take a pass on running for a spot on the Spokane Public Schools board.

News >  Education

Spokane students, districts brace for impact of planned federal tightening of food stamp rules

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 18, 2019

“If it’s approved, it will impact our students,” said Kim Elkins, director of nutrition services at the Mead school district, where about 1,100 students will be directly affected.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Gonzaga women’s basketball looks to dazzle fans, impress coaches at annual FanFest event

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 11, 2019

The Gonzaga women can’t wait to get back in the game, even if it’s only a controlled scrimmage against the same players they see every day in practice.

News >  Education

Ground broken on new $43.5M Glover Middle School in northwest Spokane

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 10, 2019

NAC Architecture designed a building that will allow students to find the right current, the right eddy – and make a few friends along the way. They’ll also get to class a lot sooner, Principal Mark Lund promised Thursday afternoon at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the $43.5 million facility in northwest Spokane.

News >  Education

Lockwood, Treloar compete for seat on Spokane Public Schools board

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 16, 2019

For Nikki Lockwood and Katey Treloar, a passion for education began long before either of them decided to run for the Spokane Public Schools board.

News >  Education

Three-quarters of Spokane kids are not ‘kindergarten ready’ when they start school, report says

Thu., Oct. 10, 2019

The problem is greater in Spokane than in most major districts in the state, and it’s getting worse – the result of deepening poverty, trauma, homelessness and the growing scarcity of affordable preschools and daycare.

News >  Education

As Spokane Public Schools begins implementing security recommendations, armed personnel remain a consideration

Thu., Oct. 10, 2019

The Safe Havens report, a 156-page document that was presented to the board last May, was presented in a more digestible form Wednesday night by Associate Superintendent Linda McDermott.

News >  Education

Spokane Public Schools board ratifies contract with teachers’ union

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 9, 2019

The action came one night after the teachers’ union, the Spokane Education Association, approved the deal, albeit with only a 53.5% “yes” vote.

News >  Education

Teachers overcome concerns to narrowly approve new union contract with Spokane Public Schools

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 9, 2019

After an hourlong meeting in the Shadle Park High School gym, members of the Spokane Education Association voted 385 to 334, or 53.5% to 46.5%, to approve a tentative deal reached 10 days earlier.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Gonzaga women’s basketball gets oral commitment from Australian guard Lily Scanlon

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 8, 2019

Point guard Lily Scanlon, who led the Australian U19 team to the silver medal in the FIBA Basketball World Cup this summer, has given an oral commit to play at Gonzaga next year.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Gonzaga women ahead of schedule, but still searching for a leader

Mon., Oct. 7, 2019

Those extra practice days last summer are paying off for the Gonzaga women’s basketball team. By all accounts, everything is ahead of schedule thanks to the Zags’ European journey and the 10 practices that preceded it. Team chemistry, for one thing. Execution, for another. But leadership? Not yet.