Are We Really This Bad/Mediocre?

Thanks to reader, Greg Linden, for this link to GeekWire and their assessment that yes, Washington State does suck when it comes to K-12 and higher ed public education. 

Technology Alliance Chair, Cheryl Vedoe - “It seems you can grow an innovation economy by largely relying on imported talent. And that’s what we are doing — relying on imported talent. The question for us to consider is as a state: Is that really what we want to do? Don’t we want those children who grow up here in Washington, our own citizens, to have a fair shot at the jobs that we are creating here?”


Meanwhile this is what Zillow co-founder, Rich Barton, has to say (GeekWire points out that he likes charter schools and supports a state income tax.) We are a high-tech state. We are a wealthy state, and I can’t believe that’s going on. And I don’t really understand why,” said Barton, referencing some of the charts shown during Vedoe’s presentation. “Many of the people in this room probably send their kids to private school, and that’s part of the problem. I do too. It’s bad. I am the product of great public schools in Connecticut. And I wish we had public schools here that could compete.”

Now, of course, if Mr. Barton knew anything about Washington State public education, he might know more.  But I'd lay odds he's been told that our schools are bad and it's not true.  It's a very mixed and underfunded bag.  That he believes in a state income tax should tell him that. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Although I don't think our schools are bad based on teacher performance, I think they are very bad in curriculum and administration. I grew up in upstate New York where Eastman Kodak lobbied for great schools to attract educated professionals (and offset the chilling effect of the horrible weather - no pun intended). The schools there managed to pull of things like advanced education, special education and yearly student tracking without a ripple. In stark contrast to the constant acrimonious debate and ineffectual experimentation of the Seattle Public Schools.

Too bad businesses in the Puget Sound area don't feel a similar responsibility toward their employees. It would help a great deal with the state legislature.

-SPS parent
Anonymous said…
SPS is a joke for a school district that professes to be a part of such a literate and well off city. Oh wait that was 20 years ago. Now its just has a disproportionate amount of wealth and it skews the "average" up like adding Spectrum to schools that have 50 kids total out of 300. Seattle has never dealt with Education and its issues since the 70s.. They pretend it is something it is not and it was and always will be confusion about race and money.

Truth Speaker
Education is engage with intellect and i would like to buy somebody research paper online education tells us about utilization of intellect education is 50 percent connected with the intelligency of human.

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