Kamiak High School teacher assigns controversial ‘fascist’ assignment
MUKILTEO—Kamiak High School students got a taste of classroom politics a couple weeks ago when they were asked to provide evidence justifying claims that the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, is a “fascist.” According to Kamiak High School Principal Stephen Shurtleff, an AP Government and Politics teacher asked students to evaluate […]
Educators rally for more funding at Edmonds Crisis Town Hall
EDMONDS—Educators and community members painted the Edmonds-Woodway High School gymnasium red, so to speak, sporting “Red for Ed” attire last Wednesday, October 23, to rally for more funding toward public schools. The Education Funding Crisis Town Hall was officially hosted by the Edmonds Education Association (EEA), though it was a joint effort by educators and […]
Marysville School District HR director resigns
MARYSVILLE—Marysville School District saw another HR director step down on Thursday, the second to do so since June. Brooke Marshall stepped into the position less than three months ago on August 5 and submitted her intent to resign on Thursday, according to a notice from the district. In June, former HR Director Alvin Cooper resigned […]
Reykdal speaks on ousting of former Marysville superintendent
OLYMPIA—In a written statement to a local newspaper on Saturday, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal admitted that a main goal of OSPI was to “remake” the leadership at Marysville School District. His statement comes days after former Superintendent Dr. Zac Robbins was outed from the district with a whopping $430K severance agreement. “The remaking of the […]
Marysville to Remove Superintendent in Board Meeting Tonight
MARYSVILLE-Marysville appears to be outing Superintendent Zac Robbins amidst its ongoing financial crisis according to tonight’s agenda notice. The special-session meeting, which will take place at the Marysville School District at 7:15pm today, will announce an “Approval of Separation Agreement” followed by an “Approval of Interim Superintendent,” indicating Robbins’s departure. The board of directors explained […]
Learning Loss: Four years after the pandemic, student proficiency down nationally
More than four years have passed since Bothell High School became the nation’s first school to shut down during the pandemic in February 2020. Their closure set a precedent, one which generated controversy across the nation. During the pandemic, some states ordered schools to be closed, others allowed districts to decide, and a few states […]
Fewer than half of Washington students are hitting grade level
On September 10, OSPI released its K-12 Report Card for the 2023-24 school year. Following national trends, fewer than half of Washington students met academic proficiency. Testing was over grades 3-8 and 10. In Washington state, only 50.3% of students met ELA standards, 39.7% met math standards, and 43.5% met science standards in their spring […]
OSPI publishes guidance for limiting cell phone use in class
OLYMPIA—Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal released OSPI guidance for schools to limit cell phone use in class as a way to promote better mental health and digital literacy in Washington schools. With cell phone use nearly universal for high school students and growing in elementary school, the majority of teachers are looking for comprehensive school […]
Reykdal reveals “lost confidence” in Letter to Marysville School District
MARYSVILLE—Washington state Superintendent Chris Reykdal reveals his lack of confidence in the Marysville School District to straighten its financial situation in his August 28 notice to the district and Superintendent Zachary Robbins. He also placed the school district under additional financial monitoring. “I have lost confidence that the district has the decision-making tools or current […]
Marysville School District crisis ‘extremely urgent,’ audit finds, investigation underway
MARYSVILLE—The Marysville School District took another hit this week after the Washington State Auditor released its recent audit report, finding the district’s budget crisis to be “extremely urgent.” “I must stress that it is a rare and alarming audit result,” wrote State Auditor Pat McCarthy. The report, released August 5, found that the district “could […]