A proposal announced today by the Washington Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials would freeze salaries for the next two years for all state lawmakers, the governor and several other elected officials.

But the voter-created group calls for raises in 2013 and 2014 for the state superintendent of public instruction — currently Randy Dorn – and for judges all the way from local district courts up to the state Supreme Court — first a 2 percent bump, then 3 percent. Dorn’s pay would rise to $127,772 while Supreme Court justices would make $172,531.

It also wants a more …

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Washington schools superintendent Randy Dorn has sent state lawmakers a request to alter language in the charter schools initiative that voters approved in November. The Associated Press is reporting Dorn sent a letter asking legislators, who open a 105-day regular session on Monday, to give him authority over the schools:

…

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I wasn’t able to make contact with Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn last week when I was writing about Democratic candidate for governor Jay Inslee‘s recent attacks on something called the levy swap.

I wrote about it Sunday, as well as the reaction from some Democrats to the attempts to politicize the issue.

The levy swap is a proposal by some legislative budget writers from both parties to partially respond to the state Supreme Court’s January finding that the state is violating its own constitution by failing to amply and fairly fund basic education. The swap deals …

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Microsoft, Boeing and other big Washington companies have praised Gov. Chris Gregoire‘s teacher-evaluation plan, introduced today as a bill.

But it’s clear they want to go farther.

We got a look at just how far on Thursday with a new bill on teacher evaluations – as well as one allowing charter schools — backed by Microsoft, the Washington Roundtable that includes both companies, and education-reform groups like Stand for Children and the League of Education Voters. The Seattle Times’ Brian Rosenthal has details on the news conference announcing the measures.

The debate over education policy is …

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Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn is expected to end reimbursements for parents whose students who take classes at home while enrolled in public schools. Now lawmakers may go even farther.

For the home-enrolled students taking part in what are known as Alternative Learning Experiences, some school districts have paid for private lessons as substitutes for physical and fine-arts classes.

“I was really surprised to learn we were using taxpayer dollars to pay for kids’ ice-skating lessons or horseback-riding lessons or Girl Scout or Boy Scout dues or a YMCA membership,” said Rep. Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw.

Under Dorn’s rule …

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Bills in both houses of the Legislature are responding to state schools chief Randy Dorn‘s request to delay from 2013 to 2017 the requirement that state students pass math and science assessments.

Today, however, Gov. Chris Gregoire said she is not interested in delaying the graduation requirement for four years.

“We’re letting our kids down,” Gregoire said during her weekly press conference. “When we say we haven’t been able to get our programs up and running enough to meet the needs of our students, that’s us, it’s not our students.”

Gregoire was referencing concerns that new assessments called end-of-course exams …

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Schools chief Randy Dorn posted this response on an earlier item about his apparent change of heart on the issue of electing the state superintendent of public instruction.

Dorn had supported such a move during the 2008 campaign but now opposes it. First, here’s the video from TVW of the forum in which Dorn endorses a constitutional amendment. His current statement follows.

A statement from Randy Dorn:

“This was not an issue I campaigned on. I was asked a question

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Maybe it is because he found out about it the same time the reporters did.

Maybe it is because he would become a department head serving under an appointed Education Secretary who is, in turn, appointed by the governor.

Whatever the reason, state Superintendent of Public Schools Randy Dorn expressed opposition to a plan announced this morning to completely restructure the state’s public and higher education organization.

Here is Dorn’s statement, hurt feelings and all…

In a press conference this morning, Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed creating a state Department of Education that would oversee the many “silos” that make up our entire education system, from early learning to K-12 to higher education.

I’m pleased that the Governor is focused on education, and I have worked closely with her on many issues. I agree wholeheartedly that we need to streamline some of the processes.

I’m concerned, first of all, that I heard the proposal the same time as the media did. Read more »