This editorial will appear in Sunday’s print edition.

Human needs, education should be top priorties

Yes, The News Tribune’s editorial board does have an agenda. And here it is.

The guiding principles behind our editorials are no secret. We publish them at the beginning of January, each and every year.

This civic agenda is our way of emphasizing priorities we consider essential to the health of the South Sound’s communities.

It evolves each year to reflect changing circumstances, but the underlying principles largely remain the same: educational opportunity, responsive and responsible government, the protection of natural resources, help for the hurting. No region can prosper if such fundamentals are neglected.

The dawn of a new year is a fitting occasion to take stock of the progress made in the last 12 months and set sights for the coming year.

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This editorial will appear in Monday’s print edition.

Race to the Top – the Obama administration’s offer of $4.35 billion to states serious about education reform – has taken on a whole new light in the last few days.

Falling revenues and rising expenses have forced Gov. Chris Gregoire to find ways to close a $2.6 billion hole in the current state budget. By law, she had to come up with a spending plan that didn’t require new taxes. On Wednesday, she reluctantly unveiled that plan, and it was uglier than a warthog with acne.

Among its cuts:

• $110.6 million for class size reduction in kindergarten through fourth grades, the very years when smaller classes are most crucial.

• $142.9 million for levy equalization, which would kill the crucial program that helps property-poor school districts compensate for their skimpy tax bases.

• $33.6 million for all-day kindergarten in high-poverty school districts, a godsend for many desperate families.

• $78.5 million for the student achievement program, which pays for professional development for teachers as well as smaller classes.

• $7.4 million for gifted education.

These items add up to $373 million. That happens to be close to what Washington might have won in Race to the Top money from the U.S. Department of Education.

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This editorial will appear in Tuesday’s print edition.

The bad news about the Tacoma School District is, by now, old news.

The state’s second largest school district has lower than average student test scores, a higher than average high school dropout rate and a lower than average college enrollment rate.

One big reason why is the so-called achievement gap. When minority and low-income students represent more than half of the district’s enrollment, their classroom struggles loom large.

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The team of civic and business leaders that worked so hard to keep Russell in Tacoma looks eminently capable of turning last week’s big loss into opportunity.

The bad news about the Tacoma School District is, by now, old news. It has lower than average student test scores, a higher than average high school dropout rate and a lower than average college enrollment rate. A new report offers brutal assessments why.

If you have comments or questions about these topics, please email them to patrick.ocallahan@thenewstribune.com. Editorials represent the consensus view of The News Tribune’s editorial board.

Want to sit …

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This editorial will appear in Wednesday’s print edition.

Let’s start by stating the obvious: There was nothing remotely inappropriate about what Barack Obama told the nation’s schoolchildren Tuesday.

On the contrary, it was the kind of pep talk and kick-in-the-pants challenge most kids could use a lot more of. Key point:

“But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers, listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.”

And: “We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.”
And: “No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.”

It would be tough to scare up many human beings who wouldn’t want schoolchildren to take that message to heart. The reason this broadcast was controversial, of course, was the messenger, not the message. Read more »

From the “good grief” files comes word that conservatives are up in arms over President Obama’s planned address to schoolchildren next Tuesday.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is encouraging schools across the nation to show the address in classrooms. Well, now a South Sound school district administrator says the calls are starting to roll in from parents who object to their children listening to the president speak about the importance of education.

According to Duncan’s memo, Obama “will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.” You know, the stuff of …

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