What Would You Fund?

The Washington State Legislature is just two weeks away from concluding its regular 60-day session on March 13. But they won't adjourn sine die until both chambers (and the governor) agree on a budget. Given where the two sides are -- and despite a Democratic majority in both houses -- this could take some negotiating.

Case in point: The House has included a 1 percent COLA increase for educators in its budget, though to the detriment of all-day kindergarten. The Senate, conversely, funds all-day K but makes no provisions for the 1 percent increase.

The League of Education Voters just released this handy comparison of the two budget proposals as they relate to early learning, K-12 and higher ed. Take a look and then tell us what you would fund. Or not.

The Smarter Generation?

Yesterday, we shared news of a national survey suggesting that today's 17-year-olds lacked common historical or literary references. Today, we offer another view on the topics, this column, "Why Teens are Smarter," from the Seattle P-I.

Apparently a New York Times story this week found that fewer 16-year-olds are in possession of drivers' licenses. In the article, the Federal Highway Administration noted that over the decade the proportion of 16-year-olds with driver's licenses has fallen from about half to less than one-third. Some of this could be connected to the introduction of graduated licenses. Fewer driving schools and increase costs of insurance and gas may also have something to do with it, too.

But Dale McFeatters, the columnist for the Scripps Howard News Service who wrote today's piece, suggests the decline it may be blamed on something else altogether:

One factor in the Times story was particularly eye-catching: The greater willingness of parents to drive their children around, that is, act as their chauffeurs.

Now who's the smarter generation.