Local News

State Senate approves Washington version of ‘Dream Act’: Washington’s GOP-led Senate passed legislation on Friday to allow students who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children to apply for college financial aid. The House passed a similar bill on the first day of the session.

Seattle Public Schools says it won’t excuse parade-related absences: Seattle Superintendent José Banda issued a statement on Monday explaining SPS won’t be excusing absences for students who skip class to attend the Seahawks victory parade on Wednesday. “While we support the team, academics must come first, and it’s important not to lose a day in the classroom,” Banda said.

Tennessee governor proposes free community college (The Tennessean): Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has proposed a plan that would set aside $300 million from the state’s lottery fund to create an endowment and cover tuition and fees for all of the state’s high-school graduates to attend two-year schools. Haslam made the remarks during his State of the State address.

More headlines:

• Preschool push moving ahead in many states (The New York Times)
• Utah bill would ban transgender restroom use in schools (The Salt Lake Tribune)
• Oregon school district considers ban on Sherman Alexie novel (KPLU)