Washington Archive

  • We are happy to welcome former KSD Board member, Kathy  White, as a regular correspondent on KSD Citizens.  She will be reporting on Board meetings and will provide features from time to time.  As a former Board member, Kathy brings insight into the inner workings of the Board and has become an expert, through training provided by the Washington School Directors, on the proper role of Board members.

    New Correspondent: Kathy White

    Posted on January 1, 2012 | 1 Comment
    We are happy to welcome former KSD Board member, Kathy  White, as a regular correspondent on KSD Citizens.  She will be reporting on Board meetings and will provide features from time to time.  As a former Board member, Kathy brings insight into the inner workings of the Board and has become an expert, through training provided by the Washington School Directors, on the proper role of Board members.

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  • On November 2, 2011 I met with Ben Messinger, Brian Brooks’ representative and Ron Mabry to review their school board campaign contributions and expenses.  The table presents the information collected from those meetings.  The three successful candidates shared expenses for campaign flyers and postage and Tri-City Herald advertising.  Their other campaign expenses were separate. Messinger will continue accepting donations to offset his deficit.  Mabry had nearly $5000. in commitments for contributions so turned away a contribution from the Washington Education Association (WEA-PAC). The postage expense of $938.98 for each candidate was a loan from Ty Haberling.  This data was revised December 6, 2011 to reflect new or updated information. I credit Brooks, Messinger and Mabry for providing their campaign finance data and expect to update this table as the candidates complete payments for expenses and record late contributions.

    The Cost to Campaign for Kennewick School Board

    Posted on December 7, 2011 | 3 Comments
    On November 2, 2011 I met with Ben Messinger, Brian Brooks’ representative and Ron Mabry to review their school board campaign contributions and expenses.  The table presents the information collected from those meetings.  The three successful candidates shared expenses for campaign flyers and postage and Tri-City Herald advertising.  Their other campaign expenses were separate. Messinger will continue accepting donations to offset his deficit.  Mabry had nearly $5000. in commitments for contributions so turned away a contribution from the Washington Education Association (WEA-PAC). The postage expense of $938.98 for each candidate was a loan from Ty Haberling.  This data was revised December 6, 2011 to reflect new or updated information. I credit Brooks, Messinger and Mabry for providing their campaign finance data and expect to update this table as the candidates complete payments for expenses and record late contributions.

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  • CWU's Industrial/Technology Education Program - Implications for Kennewick

    CWU’s Industrial/Technology Education Program – Implications for Kennewick Students

    Posted on August 12, 2011 | No Comments
    CWU's Industrial/Technology Education Program - Implications for Kennewick

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  • Kevin G. Welner, professor of education policy and program evaluation in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and director of the National Education Policy Center has written a response to the much publicized “How to fix our schools: A manifesto by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and other education leaders,” recently published in the Outlook section of Sunday’s Washington Post.  Welner says, “In fact, we should start by removing the irresponsible signers of this manifesto from any position of power over ‘’the future of our children.’”  He follows with a point-by-point research-based rebuttal of each of the points made in the “Manifesto” and concludes with the following: “Think about that – the people to whom we have handed over responsibility for educating our children are engaged in scapegoating, offering bread-and-circus diversions while the children under their...

    ‘Manifesto’ should be resignation letter

    Posted on October 12, 2010 | 1 Comment
    Kevin G. Welner, professor of education policy and program evaluation in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and director of the National Education Policy Center has written a response to the much publicized “How to fix our schools: A manifesto by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and other education leaders,” recently published in the Outlook section of Sunday’s Washington Post.  Welner says, “In fact, we should start by removing the irresponsible signers of this manifesto from any position of power over ‘’the future of our children.’”  He follows with a point-by-point research-based rebuttal of each of the points made in the “Manifesto” and concludes with the following: “Think about that – the people to whom we have handed over responsibility for educating our children are engaged in scapegoating, offering bread-and-circus diversions while the children under their...

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  • The Valerie Strauss blog at the Washington Post is becoming a favorite for her willingness to dig below the “reform” rhetoric of the corporatists and to share the views of  those of us who believe there is a better way.  In response to the recent LA Times piece on LA teacher evaluations, she provides us with a response from a Sacramento high school teacher, Larry Ferlazzo.  Read the blog here.

    The Best Kind of Teacher Evaluation

    Posted on August 19, 2010 | 3 Comments
    The Valerie Strauss blog at the Washington Post is becoming a favorite for her willingness to dig below the “reform” rhetoric of the corporatists and to share the views of  those of us who believe there is a better way.  In response to the recent LA Times piece on LA teacher evaluations, she provides us with a response from a Sacramento high school teacher, Larry Ferlazzo.  Read the blog here.

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  • Kennewick, along with most cities and towns in the country, has relied on standardized testing as a way to improve achievement for the past twenty years despite the arguments of assessment experts (they designed the tests) who said they were not appropriate for this purpose and instruction experts (they know what needs to be taught), who argued for whole child solutions.  Kennewick School District has claimed vast improvement over the time period although the results don’t show up in higher graduation rates, greater college admissions, or any other measure than the same standardized tests at some grades, but not others. New research reported elsewhere on this blog shows the drill and test strategy has not worked on a nation-wide basis and now a new report adds additional data detailing the failed strategy.  The achievement gap on the NAEP declined from...

    20 Years Downhill

    Posted on August 4, 2010 | 3 Comments
    Kennewick, along with most cities and towns in the country, has relied on standardized testing as a way to improve achievement for the past twenty years despite the arguments of assessment experts (they designed the tests) who said they were not appropriate for this purpose and instruction experts (they know what needs to be taught), who argued for whole child solutions.  Kennewick School District has claimed vast improvement over the time period although the results don’t show up in higher graduation rates, greater college admissions, or any other measure than the same standardized tests at some grades, but not others. New research reported elsewhere on this blog shows the drill and test strategy has not worked on a nation-wide basis and now a new report adds additional data detailing the failed strategy.  The achievement gap on the NAEP declined from...

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  • The Washington Post continues to give space to Dianne Ravitch and her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System.

    Ravitch to Obama: “Change Course Before it is too Late”

    Posted on June 22, 2010 | No Comments
    The Washington Post continues to give space to Dianne Ravitch and her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System.

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  • A REVIEW OF John C. Hattie, (2009), Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement.  London & New York:  Routledge, Taylor& Francis Group, 379 pp.   ISBN 10:0-415-47617-8, $42.00. By Donald C. Orlich, Professor Emeritus,Washington State University, Pullman Don Orlich, Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, and noted education researcher, presents his review of John Hattie’s Visible Learning below.  The book, which Orlich calls “MUST reading for all involved in teacher education programs, those who determine educational policies and programs, and school evaluators,” is a detailed analysis of hundreds of studies done over the years describing various treatments to improve student achievement.  The book is highly technical and even the review is challenging to the non-technical reader, but the outcomes of Hattie’s monumental efforts are too important to ignore.  In Orlich’s words, “Nevertheless, two conclusions may be inferred:...

    REVIEW

    Posted on May 6, 2010 | 2 Comments
    A REVIEW OF John C. Hattie, (2009), Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement.  London & New York:  Routledge, Taylor& Francis Group, 379 pp.   ISBN 10:0-415-47617-8, $42.00. By Donald C. Orlich, Professor Emeritus,Washington State University, Pullman Don Orlich, Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, and noted education researcher, presents his review of John Hattie’s Visible Learning below.  The book, which Orlich calls “MUST reading for all involved in teacher education programs, those who determine educational policies and programs, and school evaluators,” is a detailed analysis of hundreds of studies done over the years describing various treatments to improve student achievement.  The book is highly technical and even the review is challenging to the non-technical reader, but the outcomes of Hattie’s monumental efforts are too important to ignore.  In Orlich’s words, “Nevertheless, two conclusions may be inferred:...

    Continue Reading...

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