Washington Learns Final Report

The Washington Learns Final Report: World-Class, Learner Focused, Seamless Education was released today.

If you get a chance to read through it, please post your reactions here.

You can read the Seattle Times summary of the report at Governor's panel recommends changes to education.

If, like me, you are curious about who the people are on the Steering and Advisory Committees, go to the Washington Learns Steering Committee page. You can read information there about the Steering Committee members (Committee Members tab in the main page) and the Advisory Commitee members (Members link under each of the three Advisory Committees listed at right). You can also look at meeting agendas, read consultants' reports, and have fun digging through all the documents created by or used by these committees by clicking on any of the Materials links.

Comments

Charlie Mas said…
What a waste!!

Washington Learns left out the most important part: how are we going to pay for it. This report does not include any real action steps.

For the past two years we have been waiting for the legislature to fully fund education and for the past two years they have been saying "Wait for the Washington Learns report". Well the report is here and it has no instruction on how to fund education. It suggests taking ANOTHER two years to work that out. We are DONE WAITING. This whole process has been a sham that has created a two-year delay and wants to create another two-year delay. And who's to say that two years from now they won't suggest another two-year process to find an answer?
11/14/06, 8:50 AM
Charlie Mas said…
When I was little and learning to swim I used to cling to the edge of the pool. The swimming instructor would stand about five feet away with her arms out and say "Just swim to me". I let go of the life-assuring edge, stuck my face in the water and flailed my arms. After a few splashy strokes I looked up and there was the instructor, still about five feet away and encouraging me to "Just swim to me". Again I risked drowning and slashed at the water another five or six times. I came sputtering to the surface to find the instructor still a tempting short five feet away repeating her "Just swim to me" mantra. "You're backing up!" I accused. She simply denied it and sang again her siren song "Just swim to me." No matter how many times I accused her of backing up, no matter how obviously it was true, she continues to deny it and encourage her little pupil to "Just swim to me". Eventually we reached the other side of the pool, my face red with the sting of her betrayal.

I'm not five anymore. "Just swim to me" doesn't work any more. The primary promise of Washington Learns was supposed to be the price tag and they left it out. After 18 months of deferred legal action against the state, after 18 months (more) of inaction from the legislature, after another two school years of underfunding, if Christine Gregoire thinks she can snap on her bathing cap, stand a short, tempting 12 months away and say "Just swim to me" she's in for a rude surprise.
11/14/06, 6:52 PM
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