law Archive

  • In the grievance over Standards Based Grading the Kennewick Education Association (KEA) has been representing Kennewick teachers in consultations with Kennewick administration.  KEA has recommended the district establish a committee of parents, teachers and other stakeholders to study grading policy before the school board adopts a new one.  This common sense approach has been rejected by the board and administration who are proceeding with a new policy which will be adopted in August unless there are significant objections.  By acting during summer vacation the board effectively minimizes participation by parents and teachers who may be out of town.   A provision of the proposal giving final authority to building principals is likely to be most problematic as experience has shown. Below are several communications about the process and possible outcomes.  This information is current as of July 20th.

    KSD School Board is Establishing New District Grading Policy

    Posted on July 26, 2012 | No Comments
    In the grievance over Standards Based Grading the Kennewick Education Association (KEA) has been representing Kennewick teachers in consultations with Kennewick administration.  KEA has recommended the district establish a committee of parents, teachers and other stakeholders to study grading policy before the school board adopts a new one.  This common sense approach has been rejected by the board and administration who are proceeding with a new policy which will be adopted in August unless there are significant objections.  By acting during summer vacation the board effectively minimizes participation by parents and teachers who may be out of town.   A provision of the proposal giving final authority to building principals is likely to be most problematic as experience has shown. Below are several communications about the process and possible outcomes.  This information is current as of July 20th.

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  • Kennewick School Board Meeting March 14, 2012   Section 1: What transpired Personal comments (based on my Leadership WSSDA training) in Italics                              Section 2: What was not included Section 1 Present were school board members Dawn Adams, Heather Kintzley, Brian Brooks, Ron Mabry, Ben Messinger and Maricarmen Garza (student).  KSD staff: Dave Bond (Superintendent), Vic Roberts, Chuck Lybeck, Bev Johnson-Torelli, Jack Anderson, Greg Fancher, Dottie Stevens, Ethan Schwebke, Sam Schick, Linda Tucker, and Lorraine Cooper.  Several KSD employees, Kennewick Education Association representative and members of the public were also present.

    Kennewick School Board Report for March 14

    Posted on March 20, 2012 | No Comments
    Kennewick School Board Meeting March 14, 2012   Section 1: What transpired Personal comments (based on my Leadership WSSDA training) in Italics                              Section 2: What was not included Section 1 Present were school board members Dawn Adams, Heather Kintzley, Brian Brooks, Ron Mabry, Ben Messinger and Maricarmen Garza (student).  KSD staff: Dave Bond (Superintendent), Vic Roberts, Chuck Lybeck, Bev Johnson-Torelli, Jack Anderson, Greg Fancher, Dottie Stevens, Ethan Schwebke, Sam Schick, Linda Tucker, and Lorraine Cooper.  Several KSD employees, Kennewick Education Association representative and members of the public were also present.

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  • Here come the common standards for kindergarten.    If this is what is coming in kindergarten, can you imagine what the upper grades will face?  In this article, Susan Ohanion explains exactly what will be expected of 5 year old children and what will be expected of their teachers.  And remember, Washington State just passed a law to evaluate teachers based on how well their students do on the mandated high-stakes tests that will accompany the new curriculum.  Are you really going to stand for this or are you finally going to take a stand for your kids?  And for yourself?   http://dailycensored.com/2012/03/16/new-yorks-common-core-pre-k-standards-theyre-not-kidding-around/    

    Kindergarten Teachers: Be Alert

    Posted on March 17, 2012 | 1 Comment
    Here come the common standards for kindergarten.    If this is what is coming in kindergarten, can you imagine what the upper grades will face?  In this article, Susan Ohanion explains exactly what will be expected of 5 year old children and what will be expected of their teachers.  And remember, Washington State just passed a law to evaluate teachers based on how well their students do on the mandated high-stakes tests that will accompany the new curriculum.  Are you really going to stand for this or are you finally going to take a stand for your kids?  And for yourself?   http://dailycensored.com/2012/03/16/new-yorks-common-core-pre-k-standards-theyre-not-kidding-around/    

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  • KSD Citizens is affiliated with Parents Across America, a loosely knit group of parent and citizen activists fighting the corporate takeover of the public schools.  One of the rather insidious strategies employed by the big Education Management Organizations (EMO) pushing for-profit charter schools (at public expense), is the so-called parent trigger law.  This is one of those laws that sounds great on the surface, but once implemented as it has been in California, the EMOs come into neighborhoods promising vast improvements over the local public schools, enticing parents to sign the petition that “triggers” the takeover.  The shoddy track record of the charters is shameful, neighborhood schools are often closed and children who don’t make it into the charters end up being bused out of the area.  Scandal abounds in the big chains of charters and the students enrolled, on...

    The Power of Parents

    Posted on March 10, 2012 | No Comments
    KSD Citizens is affiliated with Parents Across America, a loosely knit group of parent and citizen activists fighting the corporate takeover of the public schools.  One of the rather insidious strategies employed by the big Education Management Organizations (EMO) pushing for-profit charter schools (at public expense), is the so-called parent trigger law.  This is one of those laws that sounds great on the surface, but once implemented as it has been in California, the EMOs come into neighborhoods promising vast improvements over the local public schools, enticing parents to sign the petition that “triggers” the takeover.  The shoddy track record of the charters is shameful, neighborhood schools are often closed and children who don’t make it into the charters end up being bused out of the area.  Scandal abounds in the big chains of charters and the students enrolled, on...

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  • Excerpts from this article:  …We have had a full decade of No Child Left Behind, and we now know that the law has been a disaster. …Now we know the results of this absurd law. More than 80% of our schools have been labeled failing schools. By the year 2014, nearly 100% of our schools will be considered failures. Has any other national legislature in history ever passed a law guaranteed to label every single one of its schools a failure? I don’t know of any.  …Let’s be clear about what NCLB has really accomplished: It has convinced the media and major philanthropies and Wall Street hedge fund managers that American public education is a failure and that radical solutions are required.  …We have now had ten years of No Child Left Behind, and we now know that there has...

    Diane Ravitch Knows How to Improve Public Education

    Posted on December 12, 2011 | 1 Comment
    Excerpts from this article:  …We have had a full decade of No Child Left Behind, and we now know that the law has been a disaster. …Now we know the results of this absurd law. More than 80% of our schools have been labeled failing schools. By the year 2014, nearly 100% of our schools will be considered failures. Has any other national legislature in history ever passed a law guaranteed to label every single one of its schools a failure? I don’t know of any.  …Let’s be clear about what NCLB has really accomplished: It has convinced the media and major philanthropies and Wall Street hedge fund managers that American public education is a failure and that radical solutions are required.  …We have now had ten years of No Child Left Behind, and we now know that there has...

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  • During yesterday’s Kennewick School Board meeting we learned that Brian Brooks is not alone in placing campaign literature on cars in school parking lots when district patrons are attending school open house events. As stated in the previous article (Brooks Breaks the Rules) the Public Disclosure Commission provides guidelines for election campaigns on school property based on state law.  The PDC is the watchdog to maintain compliance with state law and contacts school districts to ensure the guidelines are enforced.

    Is It Possible to Run a Fair School Board Election in This Town?

    Posted on September 15, 2011 | 5 Comments
    During yesterday’s Kennewick School Board meeting we learned that Brian Brooks is not alone in placing campaign literature on cars in school parking lots when district patrons are attending school open house events. As stated in the previous article (Brooks Breaks the Rules) the Public Disclosure Commission provides guidelines for election campaigns on school property based on state law.  The PDC is the watchdog to maintain compliance with state law and contacts school districts to ensure the guidelines are enforced.

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  • The editorial board of the Tri-City Herald has spoken about the recent decision of the Kennewick School Board to support equal access by all student clubs.  We must remember this was a 3 to 2 decision opposed by board members Lynn Fielding and Dawn Adams.  Credit must be given to Wendy London, Kathy White and Heather Kintzley for promoting student safety and adherence to law. Kennewick navigates in controversial waters It always leaves us scratching our collective heads just a little when agencies invest more time and/or money in debating the law than complying with it. Case in point today is the Kennewick School District. Read more: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/04/27/1466639/kennewick-navigates-in-controversial.html#ixzz1Kjcp9zK5

    Tri-City Herald Editorial

    Posted on April 27, 2011 | 2 Comments
    The editorial board of the Tri-City Herald has spoken about the recent decision of the Kennewick School Board to support equal access by all student clubs.  We must remember this was a 3 to 2 decision opposed by board members Lynn Fielding and Dawn Adams.  Credit must be given to Wendy London, Kathy White and Heather Kintzley for promoting student safety and adherence to law. Kennewick navigates in controversial waters It always leaves us scratching our collective heads just a little when agencies invest more time and/or money in debating the law than complying with it. Case in point today is the Kennewick School District. Read more: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/04/27/1466639/kennewick-navigates-in-controversial.html#ixzz1Kjcp9zK5

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  • Kennewick School Board Meeting     April 20, 2011     5:30 PM All board members were present. Business: • More than a half dozen community members spoke favorably about KSD supporting the establishment of GSA clubs in district high schools. • Superintendent Dave Bond reported that proposed state Senate and House budgets are not good for schools. The House budget is somewhat less damaging to school programs. • Kathy White noted some schools are promoting school vegetable gardens with support from the school lunch programs.  White commended Akshai Baskaran for achieving a National Merit Scholarship in addition to several other scholarships. • Dave Bond and Ron Williamson presented information about student clubs which the board had requested. After considerable discussion the board voted 3 to 2 to give all student clubs equal access to district facilities. See details below. • After consideration of...

    Kennewick School Board Report for April 20

    Posted on April 21, 2011 | 1 Comment
    Kennewick School Board Meeting     April 20, 2011     5:30 PM All board members were present. Business: • More than a half dozen community members spoke favorably about KSD supporting the establishment of GSA clubs in district high schools. • Superintendent Dave Bond reported that proposed state Senate and House budgets are not good for schools. The House budget is somewhat less damaging to school programs. • Kathy White noted some schools are promoting school vegetable gardens with support from the school lunch programs.  White commended Akshai Baskaran for achieving a National Merit Scholarship in addition to several other scholarships. • Dave Bond and Ron Williamson presented information about student clubs which the board had requested. After considerable discussion the board voted 3 to 2 to give all student clubs equal access to district facilities. See details below. • After consideration of...

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