How's Your Legislative Lingo?

Here in Olympia, we're busy preparing for the 2010 legislative session, which begins Monday. Part of our preparation process is familiarizing (or refamiliarizing) our members with legislative terms and front-burner issues. Need to brush up on your leg vocab? Tacoma News Tribune columnist Peter Callaghan has got you covered. Check out his "Glossary of Legislative Terms," guaranteed to provide comic relief—much needed as we brace ourselves for 60 days of apprehension and angst.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our principals, assistant principals and building administrators throughout Washington state! We're delighted to be kicking off 2010 with you!

For most AWSP members—and for the AWSP staff—it was "back to business" today. We hope you're easing back into the school year after some well-deserved R+R.

As you dive into the new decade, how about this for a New Year's resolution: Sign up for the AWSP Facebook page! Just log in to Facebook and search for "AWSP," then click on the page with the green AWSP logo. (Because it's a private group—open only to AWSP members—you'll be asked to submit a request for approval.)

!looc woH

That is, in Shorewood-speak, "How cool!"

Back in November, we reported on a lip-dub video created by Shorecrest High students to the tune of Outkast's "HeyYa." After their video went viral with a vengeance on YouTube, Shorecrest students challenged rival Shorewood High to top their production.

Shorewood did not disappoint. Check out the students' answer to the video challenge below, a lip dub to Hall and Oates' "You Make My Dreams." About 30 seconds into the video, you may start wondering, "How'd they do that?" Here's a clue: sdrawkcab. The students filmed everything backwards, even learning to lip sync the lyrics in reverse!



Who's winning? Shorewood's video boasts an impressive 586,412 hits—more than double Shorecrest's 254,442 hits. Looks like the ball's back in Shorecrest's court!

And just what does this have to do with education? Consider the following excerpt from "The New Untouchables," an op-ed by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman from Oct. 20, 2009:

A Washington lawyer friend recently told me about layoffs at his firm. I asked him who was getting axed. He said it was interesting: lawyers who were used to just showing up and having work handed to them were the first to go because with the bursting of the credit bubble, that flow of work just isn’t there. But those who have the ability to imagine new services, new opportunities and new ways to recruit work were being retained. They are the new untouchables.

That is the key to understanding our full education challenge today. Those who are waiting for this recession to end so someone can again hand them work could have a long wait. Those with the imagination to make themselves untouchables — to invent smarter ways to do old jobs, energy-saving ways to provide new services, new ways to attract old customers or new ways to combine existing technologies — will thrive.

A class of "new untouchables" right here in Washington state? Sure seems like it!

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.

Have You Registered Yet?

What's the Response?

It's nearly a week after Supt. Dorn's announcement regarding math and science graduation requirements ... and what's the response? Take a look:

Gov. Chris Gregoire: "We're not backing down. The superintendent is concerned about the graduation rate. I am concerned about the bigger picture — preparing kids for life. I think parents share that concern."

From The Seattle Times: (11/20/2009): "Dorn lets students off the hook with a proposal to delay graduation requirements until 2014 for math and until 2017 for science ... Another delay is unacceptable. It sends a disheartening message to students who want to excel and who understand that the route to higher education — whether college or trade school — is by meeting high standards."

From The Tacoma News Tribune (11/20/2009): "Dorn’s plan is exactly the wrong approach for tough economic times. Settling for less from Washington’s students means settling for a lesser future for the state. Our collective well-being depends on high school graduates whose diplomas mean something, on students who are ready to compete in the world. Math and science are increasingly important factors in that equation."

From The Everett Herald (11/20/2009):

"It's too early to raise the white flag. High expectations are useful motivators, as was shown when the state's graduation requirements in reading and writing kicked in four years ago. The year those tests first counted, test scores saw their biggest jump."

From The Spokesman-Review (11/21/2009):
"The problem with math instruction has been well known for years. It’s confounding that other states can teach the subject competently but Washington keeps turning in an 'Incomplete.' The rationale for extending deadlines is always the same: 'Are we really going to block the graduation of large numbers of students?' By that logic, the state will only institute math and science requirements after it’s been demonstrated that a higher percentage can pass. This is like watching high jump practice and then deciding where to place the bar so that most competitors will clear it. When the consistent message is that the state will call off accountability, then it’s impossible to gauge students’ best efforts."

From The Tri-City Herald (11/24/2009):

"We're reminded of that Orwellian euphemism for retreat — 'Advance to the rear.'"

From The Wenatchee World (11/24/2009):
"This is an interesting way to hold students accountable, by not holding them accountable. It is an interesting way to set the bar high, by lowering the bar."

From The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (11/24/2009):
"Dorn is taking education — and education reform — in the wrong direction."

What are your thoughts on Supt. Dorn's proposal for changing/delaying the math and science graduation requirements? And what kind of a reaction are you seeing in your schools?

A Retreat on Math and Science?

A "two-tier" bar for passing the state math assessment? End-of-course assessments for science? A delay of both math and science graduation requirements?

Those are just a few changes Supt. of Public Instruction Randy Dorn will be proposing to the 2010 Legislature, according to a statement released by OSPI this morning. Dorn announced his recommended changes today at the WSSDA Annual Conference in Seattle. (To see Dorn's presentation materials, click here.)

"It's time to set our graduation bar for math at the right level," wrote Dorn in an op-ed piece for The Seattle Times. Gov. Gregoire disagrees. According to the Associated Press, "Gregoire says the superintendent is concerned about the state's graduation rate but she is concerned about preparing kids for live."

Get the Scoop

The focus of tonight's episode of TVW's The Impact: Schools.

In the segment below, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn gives his perspective on the State Supreme Court's recent ruling in the “fair funding” lawsuit. Be sure to check out the end of the interview, when Dorn drops a few hints about the "major policy speech" he'll deliver tomorrow at the WSSDA Annual Conference. (Think "math" and "science.") In his words, "I know that it's probably going to make one group not so happy, and everybody's going to say different things. But I believe we're actually increasing the standards in the future in math ... I believe going to end-of-course exams in science is better than the culminating tests..."



And in this segment, State Board of Education Executive Director Edie Harding discusses the SBE's proposal to require state intervention in persistently low-performing school districts.

Hey Ya!

To the tune of Outkast's "Hey Ya," Shorecrest High School students are taking YouTube viewers on a fast-paced, high-energy tour of their hallways, packing 4 minutes and 29 seconds with entertaining school spirit. The "lip dub"video, which has gotten more than 18,000 hits on YouTube in less than two weeks, is the product of an assignment by Shorecrest teacher Trent Mitchell. After just six rehearsals and some impressive choreography, the students nailed it one take. Take a look for yourself!



Will we see more knock-out videos from the Shoreline School District? Looks like it. In a new twist on "school rivalry," Shorewood High's video production students have accepted a challenge from Mitchell to produce a better video.

'Meet the Press' Tackles Race to the Top

President Obama's Race to the Top program was in the news quite a bit last week (read here, here and here), when the U.S. Department of Education announced its final set of rules for states planning to compete for RTTT funds. (Among the competitors will be our own Washington state.)

The topic of RTTT also found its way onto yesterday's Meet the Press, during a segment that featured Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and civil rights leader Al Sharpton. Duncan, Gingrich and Sharpton recently teamed up for a national, multi-city education tour, which has focused on the need to reform public education. (As they say, "Politics makes strange bedfellows.")

The panel of three had a lot to say about the many thorny issues wrapped up in RTTT. Check out the clip below for a discussion of teacher accountability. Or, to watch the panel discussion in its entirety, click here.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Reading + Running = Time for Teachers + Parents

An article in Monday's Skagit Valley Herald focuses on a reading-and-running program at Mary Purcell Elementary (Sedro-Wooley SD), in which students spend the last 15 minutes of the school day either reading a book or running laps outside.

According to the article, "The end-of-day reading and running program is meant to keep the kids occupied as their teachers use the time to contact parents on student progress."

The previous school year, students were sent to art and music classes and occasionally the library while teachers contacted parents. But, because the music teacher, art teacher and librarian positions were cut this year, the school came up with a Plan B: reading and running.

It's an interesting solution to the issue of teacher-parent contact time—time that had almost been cut from teachers' schedules until an 11th-hour agreement in contract negotiations brought it back. But the solution is not without problems. Some parents say the end-of-the-day program amounts to a "complete waste of time," while many teachers are still concerned about the broader issue of losing the specialists in art, music, technology and library.

Are there any other schools out there with a successful reading and running programs? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

See You in Yakima!

It's time! The 2009 AWSP Principals' Conference kicks off tomorrow in Yakima! It's not too late to attend. Simply download the walk-in registration form and bring it to the AWSP registration desk at the Yakima Convention Center. We'll be happy to sign you up for the program, right there on the spot.

And, remember: A one-day registration option is available! Only able to attend the kick-off sessions on Sunday? Want to catch Mike Schmoker's keynote session and the other Monday events? We can make it work! Check out our Sunday-only and Monday-only registration fees.

See you there!

Feeling Squeezed?

News from "the other" Washington: "Principals are squeezed from both sides."

OK, so this may not be a shocker to you, no matter which Washington you're from. But it's worth a read all the same.

When Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney recently spent time with principals of the year from the D.C. region, he asked them about their work and how it's changed over the years. Their answers, says McCartney, were "disturbing."

Chalk it up to micromanagement, NCLB, tight budgets, low morale, impatient parents, the pitfalls of the Internet and the looming threat of swine flu. Sound familiar?

McCartney marvels at the principals' high level of job satisfaction, despite the many demands they face, and concludes: The rest of us should be grateful that these valuable public servants are happy in their work, considering all the grief we're dumping on them.

An Experience Worth Fighting For

Here in Olympia, we've been hearing a rallying cry for AWSP's very own Cispus Learning Center.

When parents from Tumwater and Olympia learned their schools' annual student trips to Cispus could be the victim of district budget cuts, they took action. (Check out the "Save Cispus for Thurston County Students" page on Facebook.)

Recently, The Olympian and KIRO-TV ran stories about the parents' efforts to preserve the outdoor education programs. And today, we hear from The Olympian that the "Cispus school trips might survive." Turns out, the parents are making a difference by bringing this issue to the attention of their school boards and communities.

In Tumwater, the board will hear a proposal that the community be allowed to raise the $36,000 needed to continue the sixth-grade Cispus program next spring. In Olympia, parents have received welcome news: The amount they'll need to raise—$49,000—is about $21,000 less than what they originally expected.

According to Tumwater parent Raechel Laneer, the students' experience at Cispus is one that can't be replaced. (We agree.) Richard Louv would be proud.

Fight the swine...online?

The H1N1 virus is is expected to rear its ugly head again this fall—a prediction that has prompted a wave of outreach efforts to schools, administrators, parents and students. Among those efforts: publications, press releases, press conferences and...a video game?

That's right, if you need practice battling the swine flu virus on a worldwide scale, look no further than The Great Flu, a new online video game recently unveiled by Dutch researchers. Players have the power to stockpile vaccines, set up surveillance systems and (gulp!) shutter schools—all on a limited budget (at least that part is realistic!).

If you're looking for more practical tools for preparing for H1N1, Part Two, try the new communication toolkit from the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services. This toolkit, designed to help school administrators better prepare for and respond to influenza outbreaks during the 2009-10 school year, includes action steps for schools, teachers and parents as well as template letters and a Q+A section.

Good Luck, Chris!

Today we're sending our good luck wishes to Christine Lynch, 2009 Washington State Middle Level Principal of the Year.

Chris is currently in Arlington, Virginia, where she is interviewing for the prestigious MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year Award. As a national finalist, she joins two other middle level principals and three high school principals in the interview process. In September, NASSP will annnounce one one middle level and one high school principal as the 2010 National Principals of the Year.

If it seems like Washington principals are on a hot streak lately, you're right! Chris is the fifth Washington state administrator to be a contender for a national principalship award since 2005. Earlier this year, Michael O'Donnell of Cle Elum-Roslyn High, Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, was named one of three finalists for the National Assistant Principal of the Year Award. In 2008, Stacey Locke from Eisenhower High, Yakima School District, was a finalist for the National High School Principal of the Year. In 2006, Springy Yamasaki of Skyridge Middle School, Camas School District, was named National Assistant Principal of the Year, and in 2005, Bellingham High’s Steve Clarke, Bellingham Public Schools, was a finalist for National Principal of the Year.

We couldn't be prouder of Chris and the rest of our AWSP members, who—whether in line for a national award or not—deserve a standing ovation.