Tagged: education

By law, children in Washington state don’t have to attend school until they’re 8 years old. In every other state, besides Pennsylvania, children have to attend school when they’re younger — usually 6 or 7, sometimes even 5. Now a group of lawmakers wants to lower Washington’s compulsory age of education from 8 years old to 6 years old. The bill’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning and today Ross talks to the main sponsor of the bill, Renton Democrat and state Representative Marcie Maxwell.

For the past 17 years, Seattle voters have approved every school levy that has come before them. Seattle Public Schools officials hope voters will now approve two more levies worth $1.25 billion.

Next month, Seattle voters will be asked to renew two expiring levies to fund Seattle Public Schools. Proposition 1 would raise nearly $552 million over three years to fund day-to-day expenses like textbooks, transportation and student activities. Proposition 2 would raise nearly $695 million over six years to pay for building renovations, earthquake safety improvements and security cameras. The two levies combined would cost the owner of a $400,000 home an additional $152 per year in property taxes. Should Seattle voters renew the levies? We'll take up Prop 1 and Prop 2.

Finland’s public education system consistently ranks among the top in the world in terms of achievement and efficiency. Professor Pasi Sahlberg’s presentation talks about what the United States can learn from Finland, where education policies focus more on professional development rather than standardized tests, and pedagogy above technology. Sahlberg spoke at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on November 14, 2012.