K-12 Aid Faces Uncertain Future, Despite 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal

Education programs will be spared the prospect of the largest across-the-board cuts in history, but only temporarily, under a bill to avert much of the so-called "fiscal cliff," overwhelmingly approved by Congress on Tuesday. Find out more here

Four Auburn Schools Named “2012 Schools of Distinction” by the Center for Educational Effectiveness

Alpac, Gildo Rey, Lake View and Pioneer Elementary Schools in the Auburn School District have all been named 2012 School of Distinction Award Winners from The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Phi Delta Kappa-Washington Chapter (PDK-WA), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Washington State ASCD and Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA).

The award recognizes the top 5% highest improving schools in the state of Washington for increased reading and mathematics achievement over the past five years. This represents the 6th annual School of Distinction award recognition in Washington State.

Alpac, Gildo Rey, Lake View and Pioneer will be recognized at the 2012 Schools of Distinction Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 24, 2013, at Puget Sound ESD in Renton.

For more information contact Amy Spence, public information officer, at (253) 931-4713.

PD opportunity with Seattle University

Seattle University is gearing up for its 2013 Supporting New Faculty Success cohort, but there are still a couple of open seats!

“For the first time in its 100-year history, the community college is seeing a new learner. Students are ethnically and linguistically more diverse, have more varied levels of skills and experience, often have many competing demands for their time, and have complex aspirations and goals.

These new learners want to succeed, and their success is helped by instructors' abilities to respond to their changing needs. Instructors are now required to be equipped not only with expertise in their subject area, but armed with teaching skills, resources and support networks to train today's new community college students.

Seattle University’s year-long Supporting New Faculty Success (SNFS) program supports community college faculty success, helping new instructors hone the skills required to teach these new learners. SNFS is open to all community college instructors with 3 years of full-time teaching experience or less. No need to be in the Seattle area; we’ll meet via Collaborate so that faculty statewide can participate!

The 2013 cohort will begin on January 3, but it’s not too late to register! Find more details on our webpage at https://www.seattleu.edu/coe/snfs/  or email Lindsey at kaferl@seattleu.edu with questions.”

Washington college instructors are 'flipping' the way they teach

For years, Scott Freeman taught Biology 180 - a gateway class - by standing in front of his students at the University of Washington and lecturing about biological systems, evolution and the chromosome theory of inheritance. Read more here

King County schools win $40 million in Race to the Top support

The Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila school districts worked together to create "The Road Map District Consortium," a collaborative effort to dramatically improve education in South Seattle and South King County. Find out more about the Race to the Top, and what was awarded here. 

U.S. Math, Science Achievement Exceeds World Average

The math and science achievement of U.S. students continues to surpass the global average for nations taking part in a prominent assessment, results issued Tuesday show, but several East Asian countries and jurisdictions far outpace the United States, especially in mathematics.  Find out more here

Growing Network of Schools Considers Art Essential

As a group of Oklahoma principals toured Millwood Arts Academy on a recent morning, they snapped photos of student work displayed in hallways, stepped briefly into classrooms, queried the school’s leader, and compared notes.  Find out more here.