The addition of increased math scores to a list of notable achievements by Washington students this year is a product of hard work and careful planning.
Today’s release of the spring 2011 state testing results, which includes the first math end-of-course exams (EOCs), shows that Washington students are passing the state’s new high school math learning standards at a higher rate than in previous years of traditional math testing. This year students were tested at the end of their respective math courses as opposed to waiting until the final two months before completing the school year.
In addition, math scores on the grades 3-8 Measurements of Student Progress increased in nearly every grade. Although there’s still plenty of work to do to, including increasing scores in reading and writing, Washington students continue to prove that they have the skills needed to succeed.
Please click here for more details on today’s release of the spring 2011 state testing results.
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Utilizing Puget Sound's tides for power
In our continuing commitment to provide clean, renewable, and inexpensive sources of energy, Washington is once again the nation's epicenter for pioneering technological advances.
The US Department of Energy has teamed up with our own Snohomish PUD, providing them a $10 million grant to install two tidal energy turbines on the floor of Admiralty Inlet, just west of Whidbey Island. It's estimated the rapid tidal action there could generate more than 1 MW of electricity – enough to power about 700 homes.
This latest generation of tidal turbine is designed to run silently and have little effect on the local ecosystem.
“This funding bolsters our efforts to operate and evaluate tidal energy technology in the Puget Sound in order to assess its technical, economic, and environmental feasibility,” said PUD Board of Commissioners President Toni Olson. “We’re excited to be leading the way in the research of this innovative energy source – another tool to help us and the nation combat climate change and attain energy independence. We greatly appreciate the support of members of the Northwest Congressional delegation to help us secure this funding.”
Rep. Jay Inslee has been a strong advocate for tidal energy, as evidenced by his leadership in funding for marine hydrokinetic programs at DOE.
“Oceans hold the potential to become an unlimited supply of baseload renewable energy,” said Rep. Inslee. “Critical research and development is being done right now to harness this energy in the Puget Sound. Snohomish PUD is truly a pioneer in pursuing this innovative technology, and I congratulate them for winning this hard-earned award, which is a significant victory for Washington state and the future of renewable clean energy across the country.”
Voters in Washington overwhelmingly passed Initiative 937 in the Fall of 2006, which requires utilities to obtain a greater share of their energy supply from green, renewable sources, and reach a minimum of 15% of our supply by 2020.
Since then, the PUD has actively studied several sites in the Puget Sound, which, if developed, could produce enough energy for tens of thousands of homes. The utility launched its research effort in 2007, working with several technical partners, including the University of Washington, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Renewable Energy Lab and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory.
For information about the PUD’s tidal energy research and development, visit the Snohomish PUD's website on tidal power.
The US Department of Energy has teamed up with our own Snohomish PUD, providing them a $10 million grant to install two tidal energy turbines on the floor of Admiralty Inlet, just west of Whidbey Island. It's estimated the rapid tidal action there could generate more than 1 MW of electricity – enough to power about 700 homes.
This latest generation of tidal turbine is designed to run silently and have little effect on the local ecosystem.
“This funding bolsters our efforts to operate and evaluate tidal energy technology in the Puget Sound in order to assess its technical, economic, and environmental feasibility,” said PUD Board of Commissioners President Toni Olson. “We’re excited to be leading the way in the research of this innovative energy source – another tool to help us and the nation combat climate change and attain energy independence. We greatly appreciate the support of members of the Northwest Congressional delegation to help us secure this funding.”
Rep. Jay Inslee has been a strong advocate for tidal energy, as evidenced by his leadership in funding for marine hydrokinetic programs at DOE.
“Oceans hold the potential to become an unlimited supply of baseload renewable energy,” said Rep. Inslee. “Critical research and development is being done right now to harness this energy in the Puget Sound. Snohomish PUD is truly a pioneer in pursuing this innovative technology, and I congratulate them for winning this hard-earned award, which is a significant victory for Washington state and the future of renewable clean energy across the country.”
Voters in Washington overwhelmingly passed Initiative 937 in the Fall of 2006, which requires utilities to obtain a greater share of their energy supply from green, renewable sources, and reach a minimum of 15% of our supply by 2020.
Since then, the PUD has actively studied several sites in the Puget Sound, which, if developed, could produce enough energy for tens of thousands of homes. The utility launched its research effort in 2007, working with several technical partners, including the University of Washington, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Renewable Energy Lab and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory.
For information about the PUD’s tidal energy research and development, visit the Snohomish PUD's website on tidal power.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts is NAMI-WA Legislator of the Year
Snohomish County lawmaker, Mary Helen Roberts, was recently presented the Legislator of the Year Award for 2011 by the National Alliance on Mental Illness - Washington at their annual conference in Ellensburg.
“This award is given in recognition of Rep. Roberts’ continuous and tireless advocacy for mental health issues and support of those living with mental illnesses in Washington state,” said Jim Bloss, President of the Snohomish County affiliate of NAMI WA, during the presentation ceremony. “We are particularly grateful for her sponsorship of the Triage Facility legislation which created a humane, cost-effective alternative to the incarceration of suspects thought to be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness.”
Here is the complete press release and more information about HB 1170.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Washington State: #1 in new business creation
More promising (and, for some, potentially paradigm-shifting?) news about Washington: We beat all other states when it comes to business creation.
Nationally recognized Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) conducts a study ranking each state based on its net creation of business “establishments,” defined as a single physical location of some type of economic activity. Businesses, lawmakers, and lobbyists all rely on the EMSI study for business-friendly policy reviews and planning.
According to their summary, Washington State ranked No. 1 in 2010 with the formation of more than 8,300 new business establishments. It was third in the US in 2009 and 11th in 2008. Massachusetts, Texas, New York, and Illinois joined Washington as the largest net establishment creators.
From 2009 to 2010, 29 states had net business establishment decline. Michigan had the largest drop, while California, Colorado, and Ohio, and Georgia were also in the bottom five.
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
Nationally recognized Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) conducts a study ranking each state based on its net creation of business “establishments,” defined as a single physical location of some type of economic activity. Businesses, lawmakers, and lobbyists all rely on the EMSI study for business-friendly policy reviews and planning.
According to their summary, Washington State ranked No. 1 in 2010 with the formation of more than 8,300 new business establishments. It was third in the US in 2009 and 11th in 2008. Massachusetts, Texas, New York, and Illinois joined Washington as the largest net establishment creators.
From 2009 to 2010, 29 states had net business establishment decline. Michigan had the largest drop, while California, Colorado, and Ohio, and Georgia were also in the bottom five.
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Op-Ed by Rep. Chris Reykdal The Olympian Won’t Print
In his latest column-turned-open-letter, Rep. Chris Reykdal 
challenges the local McClatchy papers, which have been devoting large amounts of ink and bytes to legislators who have - and haven't - voluntarily reduced their salary by 3 percent, to perhaps focus on real budget solutions, and possibly ask more of themselves in return.
Here's an excerpt:
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
challenges the local McClatchy papers, which have been devoting large amounts of ink and bytes to legislators who have - and haven't - voluntarily reduced their salary by 3 percent, to perhaps focus on real budget solutions, and possibly ask more of themselves in return.
Here's an excerpt:
A salary cut is symbolically important to be sure, but not a viable answer to our budget woes. The state tax exemption your corporation and other newspapers in Washington enjoy is worth $32 million biennially. That is 170 times more than the money saved by a 3 percent cut in all legislators’ salaries (estimated at $190,000 or 0.00122 percent of the Near General Fund budget).Read the full column here
Taken a step further, if we could recoup just 3 percent of all the tax preferences under the direct control of the Legislature (not those subject to federal commerce restrictions and other constitutional limitations), we would add $360 million biennially to the State budget. Our kids, our college students, our elderly, our most vulnerable, our environment, and most of our small businesses would all be a little better off with that sacrifice.
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Orwall foreclosure measure already producing results
The Foreclosure Fairness Program, which is coordinated by the Department of Commerce and was launched on July 22, was created by the Foreclosure Fairness Act of 2011 to help struggling homeowners at risk of losing their homes by bringing fairness to the foreclosure process in our state.
In this short video, Rep. Tina Orwall, who sponsored the legislation, talks about the program with representatives from the Department of Commerce and the Housing Finance Commission, as well as the Mayor of Kent, a real estate agent, a housing counselor and a homeowner facing foreclosure.
The new law brings banks and homeowners to the table to explore alternatives to foreclosure. It requires lenders to notify borrowers prior to foreclosure of the availability of foreclosure counseling and the potential for mediation. Foreclosure counseling is helping homeowners understand all of their options and determine the best course of action.
Adding housing counselors and third-party mediation to the foreclosure process levels the playing field between homeowners and mortgage lenders. And having the opportunity to sit down face-to-face with the bank gives struggling homeowners a real chance to work out the best possible outcome for their specific situation.
So far, so good—the Foreclosure Fairness Program by the numbers:
Housing counselors
Currently: 69
Projected: 132
Mediators
In July, the Washington State Department of Commerce trained over 200 mediators, which will ensure approved mediators throughout the state. Two thirds of them are Dispute Resolution Center employees and the rest are attorneys or retired judges.
Mediations requested
As of yesterday, August 22, 2011, Commerce had received 220 referrals to mediation. About 43 percent of these are from King County and 22 percent are from Snohomish County. The first mediations should take place next week (August 29).
For more information please visit the program’s website: www.commerce.wa.gov/foreclosures
In this short video, Rep. Tina Orwall, who sponsored the legislation, talks about the program with representatives from the Department of Commerce and the Housing Finance Commission, as well as the Mayor of Kent, a real estate agent, a housing counselor and a homeowner facing foreclosure.
The new law brings banks and homeowners to the table to explore alternatives to foreclosure. It requires lenders to notify borrowers prior to foreclosure of the availability of foreclosure counseling and the potential for mediation. Foreclosure counseling is helping homeowners understand all of their options and determine the best course of action.
Adding housing counselors and third-party mediation to the foreclosure process levels the playing field between homeowners and mortgage lenders. And having the opportunity to sit down face-to-face with the bank gives struggling homeowners a real chance to work out the best possible outcome for their specific situation.
So far, so good—the Foreclosure Fairness Program by the numbers:
Housing counselors
Currently: 69
Projected: 132
Mediators
In July, the Washington State Department of Commerce trained over 200 mediators, which will ensure approved mediators throughout the state. Two thirds of them are Dispute Resolution Center employees and the rest are attorneys or retired judges.
Mediations requested
As of yesterday, August 22, 2011, Commerce had received 220 referrals to mediation. About 43 percent of these are from King County and 22 percent are from Snohomish County. The first mediations should take place next week (August 29).
For more information please visit the program’s website: www.commerce.wa.gov/foreclosures
To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.
Off we go into the wild school yonder
The Seattle Times reports on the groundbreaking of Washington's innovative, aeronautical-centered high school, the $43.5 million Raisbeck Aviation High School.
The curriculum of the aviation high school has been in place for several years, but there's never been a brick-and-mortar school of their own. But in 2013, they'll pop the hatches on a facility all their own, located on the site of the Air & Space Museum at Boeing Field.
The aviation high school is the state's pinnacle in cutting-edge education. A public-private partnership with input from Boeing and other aeronautical companies offering support and technical assistance.
The school both inspires and supplies the next generation of aeronautical engineers for our local industry, which must replace the baby-boomer generation of engineers retiring at a rapid rate. For them, the Space Race was their muse. The Apollo and shuttle programs stoked their minds and imaginations.
These days, it's more difficult to catch and hold the attention of students contemplating their own future careers. It's hoped the new aviation high school will fill that void by exposing high-schoolers to applied science and technology and broaden their horizons, just as Washington's homegrown industry has broadened the planet's for a century.
Read the full story here.
The curriculum of the aviation high school has been in place for several years, but there's never been a brick-and-mortar school of their own. But in 2013, they'll pop the hatches on a facility all their own, located on the site of the Air & Space Museum at Boeing Field.
The aviation high school is the state's pinnacle in cutting-edge education. A public-private partnership with input from Boeing and other aeronautical companies offering support and technical assistance.
The school both inspires and supplies the next generation of aeronautical engineers for our local industry, which must replace the baby-boomer generation of engineers retiring at a rapid rate. For them, the Space Race was their muse. The Apollo and shuttle programs stoked their minds and imaginations.
These days, it's more difficult to catch and hold the attention of students contemplating their own future careers. It's hoped the new aviation high school will fill that void by exposing high-schoolers to applied science and technology and broaden their horizons, just as Washington's homegrown industry has broadened the planet's for a century.
Read the full story here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
