To the Rescue!

Good news from the Olympia School District: Thanks to the tireless efforts of parents and families, the fifth-grade field trip to Cispus has been saved—at least for this school year. Parents rallied the troops to raise $49,000, which is enough to keep the Oly school board from following through on its original plan to ax the fifth-graders' annual rite of passage. Things are looking good for the Tumwater School District, too, where families are reportedly close to reaching the $30,000 goal needed to rescue their kids' Cispus trip.

In October, The Wall Street Journal ran an article that opened with Clayton Lundstrom, a Tumwater sixth-grader, who, in his own words, has "been waiting to go to Cispus basically since first grade." The article focused on field trips getting cancelled or downgraded as a result of the economy.

AWSP thanks all those who helped keep outdoor learning a part of our students' education!

A Gap Fixation?

Closing the Achievement Gap. It's a prominent, if unavoidable, topic in educator circles these days (and the cover story for the next issue of The Principal News).

So, when we see a headline like "Why I have no use for the achievement gap," it catches our attention. This is the theme of today's column from Washington Post education writer Jay Mathews, who offers an unusual perspective on our nation's "gap fixation."

"You see it. It's simple," Mathews says. "It forces us to hope that white kids, or middle class kids, or high achieving kids, don't improve."

Referring to a case in which both African-American fourth graders and white fourth-graders improved over the course of two years—the first group gaining three points, the second gaining eight—Mathews remarks, "Both groups of kids got better, Why is that a something we want to avoid?"

A popular opinion? Probably not. Food for thought? Definitely.

Battle-Weary, but Appreciated

Need a pick-me-up on this chilly Friday morning? Try this recent blog entry from Shelton educator and sometimes-blogger Pamelia Valentine. Published earlier this week in Partnership for Learning's blog, The Hall Monitor, Valentine's piece recognizes the efforts of her "battle-weary" principal.

"I’ve come to the conclusion that a school has to be one of the most complicated systems in which to bring about desired transformation," writes Valentine. "Luckily for us, our leader is tenacious and willing to work shoulder to shoulder with all staff in order to create the school that he envisions."

She continues: "...I have a suspicion that this principal will not be leaving soon, and I have a deep and abiding hope that he will make lasting sustainable changes for the benefit of our students. Consistency trumps intensity every time."

Holiday Hassles: Sound Familiar?

The holidays, for some principals, are a headache. With pressures coming from all sides of the community, the expectation for schools to be both fittingly festive and respectfully areligious can turn even the jolliest educator into a grinch. It's a difficult balance to strike. When it comes to holiday activities and decorations, what's legit? Check out this "Survival Guide for Christmas Decorations at School," by Oregonian associate editor Susan Nielsen, and be of good cheer!

Another Year of Cutbacks

This morning, Gov. Gregoire released her 2010 supplemental budget, designed to fill the state's $2.6 billion shortfall for the remainder of the 2009-11 biennium. Among her recommendations for K-12 cutbacks, Gregoire called for the elimination of the following in the 2010-11 school year:

• Levy equalization assistance, which provides funds to "property poor districts" (for the 2011 calendar year)
• Enhanced K-4 staffing ratios
• Initiative 728 funding
• State-subsidized all-day kindergarten
• The one remaining state-funded Learning Improvement Day (LID)
• Several K-12 grant programs, including Readiness to Learn, CTE and Reading Corps grants
• The state's K-12 Highly Capable Program and associated professional development

In a letter to Washingtonians issued by the Office of the Governor this morning, Gregoire says she submitted the budget "with the greatest reluctance." "This document is not true to the values I believe in and which have guided me through a 30-year career in public service," she writes. "It is not a budget I can live with nor is it one I believe Washingtonians can live with."

So, what can she/we live with? Stay tuned for more proposals from the governor, including a new budget that she'll submit to the Legislature in January (and perhaps a tax package, too?).

To watch Gregoire's announcement, click here.

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