Student school populations are in flux. Many districts are losing students as the birth rate drops, parents move their children to private schools or home school. School districts need flexibility to shift class room space to different schools as demographics change. Building the traditional brick and mortar schools that are outdated in 20 years and are fixed in one place has given way to Modular Classrooms. Today we’ll explore Modular classrooms as an alternative to stick built. When you think of “modular classroom” what comes to mind? A box? Low quality? Damp? Dark? Are any of those things true or just a way to create a negative image? (Modular detractors will use negative words to … [Read more...]
Comparison of Private and Public Schools
From an article at Thought Co written by Robert Kennedy. For those of you considering private vs. public schools his take on some of the differences. You may be considering whether private or public schools are better options for an obtaining an education. Many families want to know more about the differences and similarities between them. Learning about what private and public schools offer can help students and parents make an educated choice. What's Taught Public schools must adhere to state standards regarding what to teach and how to present it. Certain subjects, such as religion, are taboo. Rulings in many court cases over the years have determined the scope and limits of the … [Read more...]
Comparison of Private and Public Schools
From an article at ThoughtCo written by Robert Kennedy an interesting look at the pros and cons of private vs. public schools. It's important to note that there are religious private and for-profit private which have vastly different costs. Religious private have dramatically lower costs in most cases. Let's see what M. Kennedy has to say... You may be considering whether private or public schools are better options for an obtaining an education. Many families want to know more about the differences and similarities between them. Learning about what private and public schools offer can help students and parents make an educated choice. What's Taught Public schools must adhere to … [Read more...]
Outdoor Activities That Will Get Your Children Excited About Summer Camp
A special article today from one of our guest authors....Kristin Louis info@parentingwithkris.com Parentingwithkris.com Attending summer camp can be an invaluable part of childhood. It’s a time where children can explore the world beyond their immediate surroundings, develop lifelong healthy hobbies, socialize with peers, and learn about themselves. But it is not without hurdles. For many children, summer camp is their first experience away from their families. Dealing with homesickness, separation anxiety, and nervousness is common and can be difficult for both the children and the parents. One of the best ways to minimize stress levels for everyone is to get children … [Read more...]
K-12 school security in SWW – Part #1
School security and student safety jumps to the #1 parental concern when we have school shootings. Most recently was Parkland, FL. This got me to wondering what the school districts in Southwest Washington have in the way of policies as well as where they spend money and what types of efforts that they make to protect children in the K-12 environment. This will be a 2 part series. Part #1 is an overview of the OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington State) position and guidelines on school security along with information on the Battle Ground School District’s security efforts. Part #2 will be an overview, by school district, of security efforts. Part #2 may take … [Read more...]
School shootings are extraordinarily rare – Facts
Some people in the public believe that school shootings are a HUGE problem and happen with great frequency. Indeed, some school districts and legislative bodies are using the most recent shooting in Florida as a vehicle to support school bonds or introduce more gun control laws. We decided to go looking for data and ask some questions. We hope you find this information useful. What is defined as a "mass" school shooting? Answer: There is no definition. The media appear to use one (1) as a definition. We first turned to Wikipedia and found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States We found an article at Politifact that attempts to address … [Read more...]
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School & Battle Ground School Bond?
Have you seen the email the Battle Ground Superintendent sent out on March 2nd 2018 at 3:08pm titled "School security is top of mind"? I received it from several parents who did. Since I don't have a child in the school system I didn't get it (and neither would you unless you had a child/ren in the system). Those who shared it with me pointed to the 3rd paragraph: "Since the Parkland shooting, we have received many comments, questions and concerns about safety and security. Some of it is likely because our bond did not pass last month. It fell short of the required 60 percent supermajority by a couple hundred votes. The bond would have replaced our four oldest primary and middle … [Read more...]
Protecting children in public schools: I-1552 Privacy for All!
In December 2015 the Washington State Human Rights Commission (http://www.hum.wa.gov/), a group of five (5) unelected bureaucrats appointed by Gov. Inslee, decided that “gender equality” required their interpretation and intervention. This commission decided that if a male or female “self identified” as one of 58+ “gender expressions” they could use the bathroom, locker room, showers or other facilities of whichever sex they chose. Literally they could walk in and if questioned say they “identified” as that gender. It’s worth noting that “activists” believe that sex and gender mean different things and that, in the end, gender is more important than biology. I understand the desire to make … [Read more...]
Schools must allow transgender bathrooms, Department of Education says
From KGW News .... WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education will tell school districts Friday that federal law requires them to allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms "consistent with their gender identity," escalating the pressure from the Obama administration on the contentious public debate over transgender rights. In a "dear colleague" letter to school districts first reported by the New York Times, the Department of Education maintains that requiring transgender students to use same-sex facilities violates Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits discrimination based on sex. The letter was provided to USA TODAY by two administration officials who would … [Read more...]