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  • Beware!  The legislature is back in Olympia and forces are afoot to hand over the public schools to private interests.  These forces will be in disguise as the friends of children, but do not doubt that their actual purpose is to hand your neighborhood school over to big business.  They will go under benign labels such as League of Education Voters, Stand for Children, and even PTA.  They are heavily funded and will be pushing for charter schools, Teach for America untrained teachers, more testing and other unproven reforms.  Read more about this stealth takeover in the Seattle 2011 article: The Washington State PTA, the League of Education Voters and Stand for Children : The Unholy Trinity Posted on November 29, 2011 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment There will be PTA members saying that they represent our children while...

    Look Behind the Mask

    Posted on November 29, 2011 | 2 Comments
    Beware!  The legislature is back in Olympia and forces are afoot to hand over the public schools to private interests.  These forces will be in disguise as the friends of children, but do not doubt that their actual purpose is to hand your neighborhood school over to big business.  They will go under benign labels such as League of Education Voters, Stand for Children, and even PTA.  They are heavily funded and will be pushing for charter schools, Teach for America untrained teachers, more testing and other unproven reforms.  Read more about this stealth takeover in the Seattle 2011 article: The Washington State PTA, the League of Education Voters and Stand for Children : The Unholy Trinity Posted on November 29, 2011 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment There will be PTA members saying that they represent our children while...

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  • Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today unveiled the long-awaited revisions to NCLB with promises that the new version will remove the onerous Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) provisions of the original.  In the attached article, Monty Neill, Executive Director of FairTest, reveals the hidden Greek warriors ready to rip out what is left of the heart of public education and hand it over to private interests.  Well, that is a BIT dramatic, but it is essentially what is hidden in the Duncan/Obama proposal. Excerpts from and Comments on Ed Department’s ESEA/NCLB Waiver/Flexibility Provisions Monty Neill According to the main document on waivers/flexibility released today by the Education Department – http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility – the key requirements for obtaining a waiver are as follows. (I recommend that you read the whole thing – some of the details will matter for some groups or students...

    Beware the Trojan Horse

    Posted on September 23, 2011 | No Comments
    Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today unveiled the long-awaited revisions to NCLB with promises that the new version will remove the onerous Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) provisions of the original.  In the attached article, Monty Neill, Executive Director of FairTest, reveals the hidden Greek warriors ready to rip out what is left of the heart of public education and hand it over to private interests.  Well, that is a BIT dramatic, but it is essentially what is hidden in the Duncan/Obama proposal. Excerpts from and Comments on Ed Department’s ESEA/NCLB Waiver/Flexibility Provisions Monty Neill According to the main document on waivers/flexibility released today by the Education Department – http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility – the key requirements for obtaining a waiver are as follows. (I recommend that you read the whole thing – some of the details will matter for some groups or students...

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  • You, as campaign manager for Brian Brooks, candidate for Kennewick School Board position 5, wrote a letter in support of his appointment to the interim school board position which was published in the Tri-City Herald (9/13/2011).   While describing Brooks’ background and attributes you took a backhanded swipe at the educators who had applied for the interim position with your statement, “Brian is not a professional educator, as are others who wanted to be appointed to the board.  For citizens that’s a plus, not a detriment.” Given that you are an educator who served on the Kennewick School Board from 1977 to 1979, I am trying to understand your logic.

    Nancy Kerr, please help me understand.

    Posted on September 18, 2011 | 3 Comments
    You, as campaign manager for Brian Brooks, candidate for Kennewick School Board position 5, wrote a letter in support of his appointment to the interim school board position which was published in the Tri-City Herald (9/13/2011).   While describing Brooks’ background and attributes you took a backhanded swipe at the educators who had applied for the interim position with your statement, “Brian is not a professional educator, as are others who wanted to be appointed to the board.  For citizens that’s a plus, not a detriment.” Given that you are an educator who served on the Kennewick School Board from 1977 to 1979, I am trying to understand your logic.

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  •   KSD Citizens credits Superintendent Dave Bond for providing this information for publication.  We are grateful for his support. Please read the Kennewick School Board Report for May 11 for background information.

    Proposed KSD Strategic Plan Goals – Community Survey Results

    Posted on May 14, 2011 | No Comments
      KSD Citizens credits Superintendent Dave Bond for providing this information for publication.  We are grateful for his support. Please read the Kennewick School Board Report for May 11 for background information.

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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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  • We believe that the teachers of Kennewick are a valuable asset to our community.

    Statement of Solidarity With Kennewick Teachers

    Posted on April 14, 2011 | 2 Comments
    We believe that the teachers of Kennewick are a valuable asset to our community.

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  • The fallout from the L.A. Times publication of value-added analysis of student test scores has begun tragically.  While testing and assessment experts agree that the value-added rankings of teachers based on student test scores is not an appropriate use of the technique, the Obama administration and school districts around the country continue the practice.   The Times exacerbated the problem by publishing teacher names and the useless rankings.  Here is one result.  Is this what you want for Kennewick or the state of Washington? Teacher kills himself after rankings published - Willa Rogers – Sep 27, >2010 A very sad story here in Los Angeles today: The body of an LAUSD veteran of 13 years was found this weekend, after he’d made arrangements for a substitute to take over his class. For those who don’t know, a few weeks ago the...

    Update on L.A. Teacher Suicide

    Posted on September 28, 2010 | 1 Comment
    The fallout from the L.A. Times publication of value-added analysis of student test scores has begun tragically.  While testing and assessment experts agree that the value-added rankings of teachers based on student test scores is not an appropriate use of the technique, the Obama administration and school districts around the country continue the practice.   The Times exacerbated the problem by publishing teacher names and the useless rankings.  Here is one result.  Is this what you want for Kennewick or the state of Washington? Teacher kills himself after rankings published - Willa Rogers – Sep 27, >2010 A very sad story here in Los Angeles today: The body of an LAUSD veteran of 13 years was found this weekend, after he’d made arrangements for a substitute to take over his class. For those who don’t know, a few weeks ago the...

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  • “We need an army of parents collaborating with teachers who are vocal and who know that testing is bad for kids in order to help bring about real educational reform in this country. If enough parental support can be generated to rid the nation’s schools of the standardized testing burden, I guarantee that local school boards and politicians would change their tune.” Dr. Joseph A. Ricciotti, Fairfield University. In his article, “Testing and Miseducation,” Dr. Ricciotti bashes the current standardized testing mania and challenges teachers and parents to fight back.  Read the complete article here.

    Testing and Miseducation

    Posted on August 20, 2010 | 1 Comment
    “We need an army of parents collaborating with teachers who are vocal and who know that testing is bad for kids in order to help bring about real educational reform in this country. If enough parental support can be generated to rid the nation’s schools of the standardized testing burden, I guarantee that local school boards and politicians would change their tune.” Dr. Joseph A. Ricciotti, Fairfield University. In his article, “Testing and Miseducation,” Dr. Ricciotti bashes the current standardized testing mania and challenges teachers and parents to fight back.  Read the complete article here.

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