The Tacoma School District has the largest number of students experiencing homelessness in Washington. Month after month, more students and their families are counted as homeless in Tacoma, the third largest city in the state.
“We started the fall at 1,626, and as of the end of April, we're at 2,382,” said Taj Jensen, director of Title, Learning Assistance Programs Read More
Yakima Valley College faculty union members voted no confidence in college president Linda Kaminski. Union leaders say the administration has become unaccountable and is not addressing their complaints. But, college representatives say meetings with faculty have taken place, and they are working to answer their questions. Read More
Washington's legislature adjourned its 2023 regular session with a new two-year state budget, alongside dozens of policy changes focused on housing, health care and public safety – and a surprising last-minute bill failure. Continue Read More
The Olympia School Board plans to vote tonight on whether to begin a reduction in force (RIF) process. School board President Darcy Huffman said it’s likely the board will approve the process, which would mean staff below a certain seniority level could be let go. Read More
The Olympia School District, like others across the state, is facing a budget deficit that could result in layoffs. The district is estimating a shortfall of up to $11.5 million for the 2023-24 school year. Continue Read More
American Federation of Teachers members picket for more investment in community and technical colleges at the Capitol sundial. (Credit: Cortney Marabetta / AFT) Listen (Runtime 00:56) Read Students, faculty and… Continue Reading Read More
Maximillian Bazler and Megan Hudlet, both students at North Idaho College, sit together between classes as they discuss the possibility of NIC losing its accreditation. (Credit: Kaitlyn Nicholas / NWPB)… Continue Read More
Age is not an obstacle for Hispanic immigrants wanting to complete their basic education. Now, the Mexican government is partnering to offer an adult education program in Yakima. The program seeks to give families the tools to improve their life. Read More
Voices to Hear students stand on the edge of Steptoe Butte in the Palouse Hills of east Washington. (Credit: Voices to Hear) Listen In an effort to get more Idaho… Continue Reading Student-led podcast explores Coeur d’Alene Read More
As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, Puyallup tribal members celebrate and acknowledge their heritage with a visit to Puyallup Schools on Tuesday. Continue Reading Puyallup Tribe honors Native American Heritage Month at local Read More
Gary James, left, and Don Sampson, the two original employees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Fisheries Program, at the tribe’s Department of Natural Resources 40-year anniversary… Continue Read More
What does it take to lead a championship-winning wrestling team? In this week’s StoryCorps Northwest, former coach Dick Deane talks to Jon Lane, a former student, about how Deane became a coach. Both are from Moses Lake. Continue Read More
Have you ever been inspired to make a change in your community after witnessing an issue within it? Nikkita Oliver, gender fluid abolitionist, artist, educator, poet and attorney, grew up… Continue Reading How Can We Learn To Read More
Some parents with kids in crisis in Washington are making a heart wrenching decision. They’re sending their children to out-of-state therapeutic boarding schools. And taxpayers are picking up the tab. While these are outlier cases, they highlight ongoing gaps in in-state services — gaps that were laid bare during the COVID pandemic. Read More
The pandemic is still churning, but as we round the corner on its second year, we can look back on how we’ve adapted, created and lived. One mark of this perseverance is the rollout of the Tacoma Creates program, the first program in Washington state under recent Cultural Access Legislation. Read More
According to the Washington State Department of Health, covid case rates in Eastern Washington are top ten for the entire country. DOH is emphasizing the importance of masks and vaccines, and warn of hospitals becoming increasingly filled in the next two weeks with Covid cases. Read More
The January 15 volcanic eruption near Tonga was a stark reminder of the threats posed by tsunamis. That's long been a concern in the Pacific Northwest, where thousands of students go to school within reach of a large tsunami. Read More
When a student becomes an award-winner, you congratulate the teacher, right? A teacher like Dr. Chris Dickey, assistant professor of tuba at WSU. His student earned this year’s first prize in European Music at the Charleston International Music Competition. The student is WSU sophomore Tim Schrader. Read More
Idaho’s ever-growing budget surplus is trending toward a record-shattering and mind-boggling $800 million. The big reason: Individual income tax collections are ahead of forecasts by a whopping $452.2 million. We’ll know the exact surplus sometime after June 30, when the state closes the books on the 2020-21 budget year. Read More
From the teaching studio to the concert hall, musicians are uniquely poised to create community through their work. For one Tacoma-based violin teacher, inspiration comes from camaraderie with fellow performers and students. Continue Reading Read More
The last time orchestras had a regular concert season, few works by female composers were played. In fact, less then 9% of music programmed by the top orchestras in the U.S. were by women composers. Where are all the women? Dr. Sophia Tegart, professor of flute and music history at Washington State University is making sure they take a prominent place in her classroom. Read More
A national expert on race and extremism said a recent spate of attacks on “critical race theory” in Idaho are part of a growing effort by conservative Republicans to exploit anxiety and engage voters in upcoming elections. Read More
Music is a tough business, but a diverse one. Not everyone can take center stage in the concert hall. At Washington State University, Dr. Keri McCarthy is one of the professors encouraging her students to think about their future roles in society as musicians– as music consumers, creators, and educators -- by looking to the past. Read More
President Biden has revoked a number of executive actions taken by former President Donald Trump in the last year of his administration, mostly in response to the protests over systemic racism and police violence. Continue Reading Read More
Washington authorities said Thursday all schools in the state must provide full-time, in-person education for students for the 2021-22 school year and that students and staff will still be required to wear masks. Continue Read More
Like traditional classroom education, Music education has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic - new boundary breaking virtual approaches, problem solving how to get students music and supplies, and fast tracking more advanced techniques simply to get through a lesson. Continue Read More
The 500-student Lapwai School District takes an all-bases-covered approach to student well-being, including leveraging partnerships with the Nez Perce tribe and local community to address youth mental health. The small North Idaho district is among only nine rural districts in the state to provide four key behavioral health supports for all of its students, according to an Read More
The state’s K-12 teacher salaries budget fell Tuesday on a 34-34 tie vote after more than an hour of volatile debate — ranging from anecdotes about good teachers and “bad actors” to accusations that educators are being forced to include critical race theory in their coursework. Stories from teacher-lawmakers on both sides of the issue focused on the content’s presence — or Read More
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will spend $10 billion to expand testing for schools, to aid in the president's goal to get schools open once again. Continue Reading White House Announces $10 Billion For COVID-19 Testing In Read More
All public schools in Washington will be required to offer students an in-person learning option starting next month — with school districts having to meet an average of at least 30% weekly in-class instruction by April 19 — under an emergency proclamation Gov. Jay Inslee said he will sign next week. Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says that following President Joe Biden's direction to states to prioritize vaccinating teachers, preK-12 educators, school staff and licensed childcare workers have been added to the current vaccination tier. Read More
The University of Idaho’s teacher preparation program is among the nation’s best at maintaining high admissions standards while still establishing a racially diverse student body, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank says. Continue Read More
A fresh round of federal aid will soon be flowing to Washington businesses and individuals hit hard by the COVID pandemic. On Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a $2.2 billion relief package funded with money approved by Congress in December. Read More
For many families, paying for college is one of the biggest financial decisions they'll make. College tuition is the highest it's ever been — and the financial aid process is anything but clear. American journalist Ron Lieber's new book, The Price You Pay for College aims to take the black box of college financials and, "turn it lighter and lighter shades of gray." Read More
This is the first academic year when districts in Washington are required to teach a stand-alone civics education course, not just something embedded in existing social studies classes. It’s the result of a bill approved by legislators three years ago. Read More
Ever since the pandemic closed the nation's schools in March 2020, there has been no official national source for understanding where schools have reopened, how many hours of live instruction students are getting online and just how unequal the access to learning has been over the past 11 months. Read More
Public schools with Native American-themed mascots and logos would need to find new team names under a proposal that drew supportive testimony to the Washington Legislature on Friday. The pending phase-out bill hews closely to an earlier, hard-fought policy in Oregon to change names and mascots. Read More
News reports and social media feeds have been crowded lately with demands by teachers in Seattle and elsewhere around the state and the country to be vaccinated before they step from behind the computer screen and back into the classroom. Vaccine availability is something not even the governor can guarantee, but teachers are in one of the groups in line for vaccination in Read More
On Wednesday, lawmakers will have some tough questions for Miguel Cardona, President Biden's nominee to be the next U.S. education secretary. The Connecticut educator will no doubt have to navigate the choppy policy waters of school choice, how to close opportunity gaps and, most critically, how he would help schools reopen as the pandemic rages. Read More
If you've been riding an emotional, politics-fueled rollercoaster in 2021 (not to mention 2020), believe us: Your kids have noticed. Here's a quick primer from Life Kit on how to talk with your kids about politics — and, even get them thinking about civics. Continue Read More
As school districts across the state scramble to transition their classrooms safely from the online world back to the real world, they may benefit from the advice of the dozens of Washington districts that welcomed students back into their halls this past fall. Read More
Idaho’s teachers and school staff serving students in grades pre-K through 12th are cleared to start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Brad Little and public health officials announced Tuesday afternoon. Continue Reading Idaho K-12 Read More
Since the beginning of this pandemic, experts and educators have feared that open schools would spread the coronavirus further, which is why so many classrooms remain closed. But a new, nationwide study suggests reopening schools may be safer than previously thought, at least in communities where the virus is not already spreading out of control. Read More
Rachel Jameton struggled as a new teacher at Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Her colleague, Jane Finan, co-taught biology with her. The two talk about mentorship and how disappointing a teacher can be transformative for a student, in this episode of StoryCorps Northwest, recorded virtually. Read More
Some school districts are reporting a higher level of failing grades this fall. A report from the consultant McKinsey & Company estimated that students were three months behind in math when they started the school year. And another study said learning losses were minimal, but left out many students from the analysis. Read More
Idaho’s colleges and universities logged more than 5,400 coronavirus cases during a turbulent fall semester. All 11 public and private colleges and universities managed to maintain some form of face-to-face learning during the semester — but not without problems: Read More
Case numbers have shot up lately in rural America, which skews older and tends to have huge inequality gaps in health care. But there's still resistance in places such as Bruneau, Idaho, which has a population of 500. Here, there's also a pervasive sense in the community that kids need to be physically in classrooms for their education and well-being yet stiff opposition Read More
Students aren’t seeing much of an effect, at least not yet. But by spring, they could start tapping into internships and apprenticeships at the University of Idaho, Boise State University and Idaho State University. Continue Reading Read More
The pandemic put a spotlight on health care workers and inspired many to pursue a career in medicine. The record number of applicants comes as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of physicians. Continue Reading ‘Fauci Effect’ Drives Read More
Congress hit pause on federal student loan payments in the CARES Act. The latest extension of this relief will last until after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Continue Reading Education Department Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze Read More