Tuesday Open Thread

Mock election at Ingraham High today.


And at Ballard High:


There's a story in today's Times about an audit from the State Auditor's office on principals throughout the state who do not always share necessary crime data with teachers about students.  From the Times:

The parties required to pass the message along, including courts,state agencies, county sheriffs and principals, fail to do so consistently, leaving teachers in the dark and breaking state law.

Part of the problem?

The audit found that at least 70 school districts did not have complete procedures or policies.

The Auditor thinks the Legislature should step up with a work group.

You may recall in the recent past that a high school student who had been at a private high school was exited from that school for inappropriate sexual behavior.  The student's transcript had a notation about this but in a less-than-clear spot and it appears that SPS Enrollment and/or Garfield High did not see it.  The student then went on an out-of-town trip with a choral group and allegedly molested two girls.

I'm hearing that the AP testing group - The College Board - may have changed the sign-up for the testing from winter/early spring to fall. Also to note:

If you paid for an AP Exam but then decided not to take it, you may ask your AP coordinator for a refund. Local school policy determines the amount of the refund. You will probably be required to pay the $15 fee the school is charged for each unused exam. However, once you begin an exam (i.e., write on an exam booklet or answer sheet or play an exam CD) you cannot receive a refund.

Qualifying low-income students can take advantage of reduced fees on AP exams.

Story from KNKX on the possible move of Licton Springs K-8 because of capacity problems at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School.

Interesting article from the BBC on how Canada - with no national public education system - is a powerhouse on international tests.

Canada does not even really have a national education system, it is based on autonomous provinces and it is hard to think of a bigger contrast between a city state such as Singapore and a sprawling land mass such as Canada.

But the children of newly-arrived, migrant families seem to integrate rapidly enough to perform at the same high level as their classmates.

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's education director, says Canada's "big uniting theme is equity".

Despite the different policies in individual provinces, there is a common commitment to an equal chance in school.

Within three years of arriving, the Pisa tests show the children of new migrants have scores as high as the rest of their schoolmates.

What's on your mind?