Seattle Times – Donna Gordon Blankinship

“Researchers at the University of Washington have found that despite the spoken commitment of state officials and lawmakers, math and science teachers earn less than other high-school instructors. In a report released Wednesday, the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that 19 of the state’s 30 largest school districts pay math or science teachers less than they spend on teachers in other subjects.”(more)

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

“Math and science skills are critical for 21st Century employment.  With industrial salaries for individuals with math and science backgrounds at high levels, it is imperative to pay instructors well if we want our children to be proficient in these subjects.”(more)

Seattle Times – Linda Shaw

“It looks as if Washington will join the states that are swapping their academic standards in English and math for a newly minted national set.”(more)

The Seattle Times – Jerry Large

“At the University of Washington, the summertime Mathematics Academy is trying to broaden the appeal of engineering. The College of Engineering hopes to close the gap between what students learn in high school and where they need to be to succeed in college math. All kinds of students fall into the gap, but it is more marked with students from some minority groups or from low-income families.”(more)

Seattle Times – Nick Perry and Justin Mayo

“A Seattle Times investigation has found that at least 40 university or community-college employees in Washington retired and were rehired within weeks, often returning to the same job without the position ever being advertised. That has allowed them to double dip by collecting both a salary and a pension.”(more)

The Associated Press (The Seattle Times) – Donna Gordon Blankinship

“Ninety percent of Washington’s 12th graders have passed the statewide reading and writing tests , and state officials said Wednesday this year’s 10th and 11th graders appear to be on track toward similar results.”(more)

Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington

“What does this mean? Is the test rigorous? How do students compare to students tested in the PISA and TIMSS testing? What about math?”(more)

The San Francisco Chronicle – Marc Tucker

“Why not set a clear standard for being ready for college and career, and tell our students that they can move on when they have reached that standard? We are not proposing to kick any student out of high school at the end of 10th grade. We are proposing to establish a college-ready performance standard and to give students diplomas when they can demonstrate that they can meet that standard.”(more)

The Seattle Times – Linda Shaw

“At Beacon Hill International School, many students learn a second language along with their ABCs by spending half of each school day immersed in Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. It’s an approach parents are clamoring for because they want their children to be able to communicate in our increasingly international world.”(more)

The Associated Press (The Seattle Times) – Staff Writer

“Washington fourth- and eighth-grade students continue to score above the national average on a standardized reading test.”(more)

Seattle Times – Katherine Long

“A Bellevue School District math-textbook committee has recommended that the district adopt Holt Mathematics, a more traditional textbook series than the district currently uses, for middle- and high-school algebra and geometry classes starting in the fall.”(more)

Seattle Times – Katherine Long

“A panel of more than a dozen Bellevue teachers, parents and administrators wrestled with the results of a trial of two math texts, but came to no conclusions Thursday about which series of books would do the best job helping teach students algebra and geometry.”(more)