It's Friday morning September 22, 2023. We just got off the phone with the Evergreen School District HR; Evergreen Teachers Association Union office; Camas School District HR and Battle Ground HR. We contacted Evergreen and Camas to get copies of the newly approved teachers contracts. Neither contract is published and there is no target date for publication. Both districts said that once the teachers have approved the contract the district must then go through a review process to correct any wording and formatting. The proposed final document then goes back to the Union with any revisions and then back to the district, rinse and repeat until it's approved by both parties. In the case of … [Read more...]
School choice foes turn to ballot referendums as states expand voucher programs
The number of states that have added an option to allow some or all of the funds for K-12 education in public schools to follow the children appears to be causing issues with....teachers unions. In the following article from The Washington Examiner they spell out some of the efforts and tactics teachers unions are going to try and stop "choice" Voters in Nebraska are likely to weigh in on the state's school choice program after a group submitted more than 100,000 signatures last week, seeking to force a ballot referendum. The effort seeks to repeal a state law passed this year that established a $25 million tax credit program for donors who give money to a scholarship fund that … [Read more...]
2023 Washington State legislature education bills as of Feb 4th
Are you interested in which 2023 legislative house and senate bills are being proposed relating to education? Click the following link to open a spreadsheet. Choose the "Education" tab at the bottom of the page. You'll get a snapshot of each bill. Please note that the Bill # is hyperlinked on the left. You can click that link and it takes you to the legislature page where you can click on the "Comment" button on the right side of the screen and share your thoughts with your house and senate reps. It's pretty simple. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1stj7YY5k3QoxQRwoF84x_F8c9ZmuW6DWWdvNWb8b54M/edit#gid=492382897 Why should we each make an effort to read the reviews of the … [Read more...]
Union Boss Randi Weingarten: Parental Rights Bills Are the ‘Way in Which Wars Start’
An interesting article. The union head of the American Federated Teachers appears to believe that parental involvement is not good? The original article can be read at: Parental Rights - the Way Wars Start. Randi Weingarten, union boss of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), said that parental rights bills such as the one recently signed into law in Florida are “the way in which wars start.” “This notion – we’ve been very lucky in America, and we in some ways live in a bubble for a long time,” the president of the nation’s largest teachers’ union said on the April 14 episode of the Rick Smith Show — a left-wing, pro-union talk show. “This is propaganda. This is … [Read more...]
Camas School District – Views of a previous resident
Kat Greenwell shares her thoughts about her past life living in the Camas School district. It's heartfelt and worth reading. I have gone back and forth between posting this or not for a few weeks. But maybe my observations working for CSD can help parents. I’ve worked in many positions at several schools. First of all, there are many stellar teachers and staff in CSD. As a parent and as a para educator, I will confidently say that Camas elementary schools are top notch. Secondary schools... That being said, the recent politics, lack of transparency, and bureaucratic sludge led me to move my family out of state. Having worked in school districts in Utah, Mississippi, and … [Read more...]
School board, districts and teachers unions testify against SB5334 “Increasing transparency in levy authorization information provided by school districts”
Ever notice that when school districts run levys or bonds that they produce a nice glossy brochure and mail them to all residences and then create a flashy web page that extols the virtues, benefits, value and absolute need to support the money they are requesting? The brochures cost taxpayers thousands of dollars (frequently $3-$5,000) and the postage can run $3-$5,000. Video's custom made can run $2-$5,000. The web page can cost more in time (which means someone at the communications dept is being paid). The ballot measure mailing and counting can cost $50-$75,000 easily. Never in any of those materials is there a single negative word. Not one word or sentence that shows why a taxpayer … [Read more...]
Teachers Unions Fail Science? Covid 19
An article from John Stossel that you may find interesting. If those we employ to teach our children can't get the facts and science right how can they teach? The original article can be found at: https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/john-stossel/2021/01/14/stossel-column-teachers-unions-fail-science His website is: https://www.johnstossel.com/ Is your child's school open now? Probably not -- because teachers unions say that reopening would "put their health and safety at risk." They keep schools closed by lobbying and protesting. "If I die from catching COVID-19 from being forced back into Pinellas County Schools, you can drop my dead body right here!" shouts one demonstrator … [Read more...]
Covid – Teachers Unions – Returning children to school in Washington State
In March 2020 schools were closed in Washington State. Many thought it would be temporary. The impact on children was unknown but there was a large concern that they could be a "disease vector" and spread the virus. School districts scrambled madly to institute online learning programs...but it was a disaster. Going into June/July districts expected to be able to either restart school as normal in September or, at worst, move to a "hybrid model" where students were physically in class 2 or 3 days a week and "remote" 2 days. The districts planned for that and felt they were prepared. But, like all good plans, it was for naught. The governor decided there would be no "in person" school and … [Read more...]
School Vouchers – 2021 – Washington State
Representative Vicki Kraft, 17th LD, is going to reintroduce her school voucher legislation in the 2021 session. Following are some news reports of what she will propose: From February 2020 here is an article at CCT: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/rep-vicki-kraft-introduces-bill-to-offer-parental-choice-of-where-their-children-attend-school/ December 7, 2020: https://vickikraft.houserepublicans.wa.gov/2020/12/07/kraft-school-choice-opinion-editorial/ December 8, 2020 this article in The Reflector: http://www.thereflector.com/opinion/article_db09bc56-39b9-11eb-9d24-03c99016ddc4.html Here is a link to two articles we've shared on vouchers: … [Read more...]
Left ‘Giddy’ Anticipating More Spending on Schools and Tighter Regulations on Local School Districts
Came across this article and thought it interesting. The original can be found at Breitbart by clicking the link. Teachers unions are powerful.... Teachers’ unions and others on the left are “giddy” anticipating a Biden/Harris administration they expect will greatly increase spending on government schools and tighten regulations on local school districts. According to a report last week at Capital & Main, a news outlet that is financially supported by the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers’ union, former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign policy director Stef Feldman told education reporters Biden would “get some big, bold education legislation … [Read more...]