Schools

Oregon Universities Fastest-Growing In Nation

Rob Manning — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:41:13 +0000

Enrollment in Oregon’s public universities has grown faster than those in any other state in the country. From Oregon Public Broadcasting, Rob Manning has more on a new national study.

Washington Senate Passes Funding For School Security

Alexandra Kocik — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:23:27 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington lawmakers are moving ahead with their first education-spending bill of the year. The state Senate voted Monday to approve a $500 million in school construction bonds. Ten million of that would go to equip every school with a panic alarm by 2014, among other security measures.

Democratic Sen. Sharon Nelson said this was a step toward increasing gun safety.

Do We Still Need To Learn Cursive?

Jessica Robinson — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:41:39 +0000

Cursive handwriting may soon go the way of the card catalog and the film projector. Schools are moving to new curriculum standards that put more emphasis on typing skills. But not everyone is ready for the cursive alphabet to become a relic. The Idaho legislature is considering a statewide cursive mandate.

Report: Idaho Teachers Feel “Strong Undercurrent Of Despair

Adam Cotterell — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:56:50 +0000

Teacher morale is low throughout Idaho. And school administrators have serious concerns about recruiting and retaining teachers. As Adam Cotterell reports, those are some of the findings from a new study presented to lawmakers Tuesday.

Wash. Supreme Court Blocks Warrantless Searches By School Cops

Gabriel Spitzer — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:57:00 +0000

A teacher or principal doesn’t need a warrant to search a student. But a police officer working in a school does, according to a new ruling from the Washington Supreme Court.

Oregon Gets Waiver From No Child Left Behind

Chris Lehman — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:15:39 +0000

Oregon has joined Washington and 31 other states in getting a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law. The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that it's approved Oregon's request for more flexibility. Oregon education officials say part of the aim is to shift away from penalizing schools for failing to meet rigid benchmarks. Ben Cannon is Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s the education policy advisor. He says the green light from the feds ends a period of uncertainty for school districts.

Schools May Have To Do More To Help Bullied Students

Samantha Wright — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:03:51 +0000

BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho’s public schools may have to do more when it comes to stopping bullying. The state Senate approved legislation Thursday that would require schools to give tools to teachers on how to spot and stop bullying. It also says school employees must intervene if bullying happens.

Democratic Senator Nicole LeFavour told her colleagues there was a real need for this bill.

Charter School Backers Still Want Vote in Wash. Legislature

Austin Jenkins — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:55:54 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – 41 states allow charter schools. But not Washington . Opponents in the legislature recently killed a bipartisan proposal to allow a limited number of under-performing schools to convert. But supporter of the idea haven’t given up. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

Washington in Race for Educational Incentives

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:07:00 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Enough school districts have signed on, so Washington will submit an application for federal Race to the Top dollars. The governor made that announcement. All but 44 of Washington's 295 districts are on board. Race to the Top is President Obama's incentive program to spur education reform. The next question is whether Washington has a shot at winning the nationwide competition. Lisa Macfarlane is with the non-profit League of Education Voters. She says Washington started out a dark horse in the race.

USDA Visits Eugene For Farm To School Programs

Tue, 18 May 2010 19:16:00 +0000

Eugene, Ore.- Representatives from the US Department of Agriculture will visit two Eugene, Oregon school districts next week. Bethel and 4J were chosen along with a dozen other districts across the nation as models for their farm to school programs.

Farm to School teaches students about local food. Megan Kemple is Farm to School Coordinator with the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition. She says many children don't know where their food comes from.