Category: Education
Ballots must be returned by Feb. 11
Source: Marysville Globe
Local voters still have time to fill out and return their ballots for the Feb. 11 Special Election.
Voters in the Marysville School District are being asked to vote on two levies.
Proposition 1 is a replacement Educational Programs Maintenance and Operations Levy and Proposition 2 is a new Technology Levy.
Voters in the Lakewood School District are being asked to vote on Proposition 1, a bond to renovate Lakewood High School.
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Feb. 11. Ballots can also be dropped off at ballot drop boxes. Drop boxes are available until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Feb. 11.
Ballot drop boxes are located in Arlington at 135 N. Washington Ave. (near the library), and in Marysville at 1015 State St. (behind the Municipal Court).
For more information, go to the Shonomish County Elections website at www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Auditor/Divisions/Elections_Voting.
Oregon School District considers ban on Sherman Alexie novel
By JESSICA ROBINSON Feb 3, 2014
A school district in Sweet Home, Ore., is considering whether to pull a book by Northwest author Sherman Alexie from junior high classrooms.
File photo of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” An Oregon school district is considering whether to pull the book.
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is frequently targeted for removal from school reading lists for its language and depictions of violence and sexuality.
The Sweet Home school district says it received five requests from parents to have the book re-evaluated.
“It’s not frustrating that parents want to have an alternative unit,” says eighth grade language arts teacher Chelsea Gagner. “Every parent has the right to know what their child’s education is like. I’m not frustrated with that. I am frustrated that a small handful of parents are trying to take it away from the rest of the kids.”
Gagner says her students are already about 100 pages into the book.
Parents had to give permission for their kid to participate in the unit on “Part-Time Indian” – and most did. But the superintendent of the district says the people who filed complaints worried the students who weren’t allowed to read the book would be singled out by their peers.
The school board hopes to make a decision next week.
Earn a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts at Tulalip
Greenhouse classes at the Hibulb Cultural Center begin Feb 12
We would like to invite you to attend our greenhouse classes at the Hibulb Cultural Center beginning this month. We are looking forward to another garden season of good food, new friendships and great memories!
This year we have something special to announce: We are partnering with WSU Snohomish County Master Gardeners Foundation to grow vegetables and herbs for our Tulalip garden programs, our local food bank and many other Snohomish county master gardener food bank gardens. We welcome you to come alone or bring your family to any of the greenhouse classes we provide. There is plenty of work for all gardening levels.
See the flyer for dates and times. For more info contact Veronica Leahy, 360.716.5642 or vleahy@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Tulalip TERO Construction Training Begins Feb 3
TERO Construction Training Center class begins Monday February 3rd; for 8 weeks (8am to 3pm Monday through Thursday).
Accredited through Edmonds Community College; preference requirements and space is limited.
See attached flier or contact Lynne Bansemer for more information, 360.716.4746 or lbansemer@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Three east county school districts post levies on Feb. 11 ballot
By Amy Nile, The Herald
Three east Snohomish County school districts are asking voters to approve levies on the Feb. 11 ballot.
The Snohomish School District is running two propositions. It is seeking a four-year renewal of an expiring operations levy and approval for technology improvements.
The replacement maintenance and operations levy would bring in more than $106.1 million over the next four years. It funds the difference in what the state pays and the total cost of educating students. The levy currently accounts for about 20 percent of the district’s budget for operations and educational programs.
If approved, voters would pay $3.77 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2014. That rate would increase to $3.79 by 2018.
The district also is asking voters to pay an additional 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value for a separate capital projects levy.
It would bring more than $14 million over four years to fund instructional technology improvements, such as replacing computers, expanding wireless and upgrading online communications.
The Monroe School District is asking voters to renew an expiring operations levy while seeking new taxes for technology upgrades.
The four-year replacement learning levy would bring in $66 million over the next four years to supplement state funding for classroom instruction. It currently accounts for about 20 percent of the district’s budget.
If approved, the levy would tax voters at $3.72 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2015. That rate includes annual increases. By 2018, property owners would pay $4.27 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Monroe’s second proposal would bring in $7.5 million over six years improve technology . Homeowners would pay 31 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value for the first two years. The rate would decrease to 29 cents by the last two years of the levy.
The Sultan School District is seeking renewal of a maintenance and operations levy. It would bring in more than $18.7 million over four years.
If approved, property owners would pay $4.35 per $1,000 of assessed value next year. The rate would vary through 2018, topping out at roughly $4.60 per $1,000.
The district uses levy dollars to pay for the marching band, athletic teams, all-day kindergarten, technology, maintenance and the middle school AVID program.
As is typical for other districts, the levy funds make up about 20 percent of the Sultan school budget. The state funds nearly 70 percent and the federal government covers just over 10 percent of the cost of education.
Voters have until 8 p.m. Feb. 11, to return their ballots at voting centers, drop boxes or by mail. Ballots in the mail must be postmarked by Feb. 11 and require first-class postage.
People have until Monday to register to vote in person at the Snohomish County elections department, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Suite 505 in Everett.
For more information call 425-388-3444 or email elections@snoco.org.
Heritage High School Art Show
Article and Photos by Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News
The students of Tulalip Heritage High School displayed their artistic achievements in various mediums at an art show at the school on January 29th.
Cherokee students receive 1,000 donated books from Chattanooga school
Source: The Cherokee Nation News
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Four elementary schools within the Cherokee Nation’s jurisdiction received more than 1,000 books earlier this month from Chattanooga, Tenn. fourth graders, who held a book drive after learning about the tribe’s history and removal on the Trail of Tears.
The East Brainerd Intermediate School students formed a project to honor about 16,000 Cherokees who 176 years ago made the 1,000-mile journey from the ancestral homeland to present-day Oklahoma. With help from their teacher, the students organized a school-wide book drive and then shipped 96 boxes of books to schools in the Cherokee Nation.
“I was touched that a group of young children would put together such a heartfelt service learning project,” said Shelley Butler-Allen, who manages the tribe’s Johnson O’Malley program and coordinated with East Brainerd school. “The generosity by the students in Chattanooga is truly admirable. Hundreds of students here in the Cherokee Nation will benefit from their good deed.”
A private shipping company in Chattanooga volunteered to deliver the books to Belfonte School in Sequoyah County, Bell School in Adair County, and Kenwood and Oaks Mission schools in Delaware County. The four schools have a high percentage of Native American students.
“They’re really polite to think of us and send us good books to read,” said Oaks sixth-grader Christian Sequichie.
Sequichie picked out a donated James Patterson novel to read since he had read two others in the series.
The schools are sorting through the books, which will then be used for classroom reading.
“It’s nice to see them get excited about paperbacks when we’re moving into a digital world,” Oaks Mission Counselor and Principal Barbara Tucker said. “The students will really enjoy these.”
Google Hangout Will Highlight Educational Options During National School Choice Week
Digital learning groups will host leaders in digital learning on webcast
Source: NSCW Newswire
Seattle, WA (January 27, 2014) – Digital learning innovator Getting Smart, the International Association for K12 Online Learning, the Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and Digital Learning Now will host leading online educators and experts in a Google Hangout.
The online event, titled “Digital Learning – Giving Students Choice” will discuss the importance for school choice opportunities for all students regardless of zip code, and how digital learning is changing the educational landscape.
The Getting Smart online event will be held on at 4 p.m. EST on January 28, and is one of 5,500 independently planned events taking place during National School Choice Week 2014 – the nation’s largest-ever celebration of educational opportunity.
The Google Hangout speakers will include Getting Smart CEO Tom Vander Ark; iNACOL President and CEO Susan Patrick; Christensen Institute Co-Founder and Executive Director Michael Horn; Digital Learning Now! Executive Director John Bailey.
Participants can connect to the Google Hangout online at https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/clv0csgu4g700s2nr6grj0rengs.
Getting Smart is an advocate for better K-12 educational options and believes the shift to digital holds learning promise for improved student achievement.
National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for children – including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.