Local News

WWU reports more grads finding jobs (Skagit Valley Herald): A survey compiled by Western Washington University finds 82 percent of graduates who earned degrees in 2012-13 found employment within six months, up from a low of 68.7 percent during the recession. The average starting salary for respondents was down about 4 percent from last year, however.

Men credited with saving Pateros school from wildfire (NBC News): Augustine Morales and a friend used a hose system on their truck to fight back flames approaching the Pateros K-12 school. The building has been used as a relief center after the massive blaze destroyed more than 150 of the town’s homes.

Seattle board names Larry Nyland as interim superintendent: Nyland, a longtime local educator who retired as superintendent of the Marysville School District last year, is set to take over as chief of Seattle Public Schools on Aug. 1. The Seattle School Board is expected to begin searching for a permanent superintendent in September and make a decision next spring.

Obama to expand initiative for black and Latino boys (The New York Times): Sixty of the country’s largest school districts will join an education initiative called My Brother’s Keeper, the White House will announce today. The effort targets black and Latino boys and calls for expanded preschool access, data-based interventions and better representation in AP and other advanced programs.

Announcement expected today on interim Seattle superintendent: The Seattle School Board will meet this afternoon to select a temporary replacement for outgoing chief José Banda. The Sacramento City Unified School District officially hired Banda as its new superintendent during a Thursday board meeting. Seattle’s interim superintendent will start work immediately and continue through at least June 2015.

UW finds success drawing women into computer science (The New York Times): The University of Washington is one of a few colleges leading the way in an effort to get more female students interested in studying computer science. Along with programs aimed at high-school students, a revamped introductory course is causing women who had not planned on being computer science majors to switch to the field.

Spokane-area schools adapt to new food regulations (The Spokesman-Review): Since the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act went into effect, school districts around the country have had to re-examine the way they purchase and prepare food. In Cheney, school chefs switched to preparing meals from scratch, a move the district says has helped it save money and get kids to eat healthier.

Community-college students struggle to secure federal loans (NPR): Getting a federal loan to pay for school can be especially tough for community-college students. Many two-year schools opt not to participate in federal lending programs because high student default rates could cause them to lose other forms of federal aid, such as Pell grants and work-study funding.

Seven groups file charter-school proposals (AP): Tuesday was the deadline for the second round of charter-school applications in Washington state, and seven groups filed proposals for new schools. The state’s first charter school, approved along with six others in January, is expected to open this fall in Seattle.

Judges uphold U. of Texas affirmative-action ruling (The New York Times): A panel of federal appeals judges has upheld an earlier ruling allowing the University of Texas at Austin to use race as a factor in admissions decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that public universities could consider race under certain conditions but sent the University of Texas case to the appeals court to ensure the school was using race narrowly enough.

UW study finds babies practice speech before they can talk: Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences are continuing to uncover new information about how babies’ brains work. Their latest finding: Children begin mentally working out the mechanics of how to speak starting at around 7 months old.

Urban schools brace for influx of unaccompanied minors (AP): Schools in metropolitan areas across the country are bracing for an increase in unaccompanied children immigrating to the U.S. The federal government estimates about 90,000 children from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and other countries could make the journey this fall.

WA attorney general defends Legislature on McCleary (AP): Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a brief on Friday arguing the Legislature should not be held in contempt of the state Supreme Court regarding its response to the McCleary decision. “The Court should not treat a legitimate policy disagreement in the legislative branch as disrespectful conduct worthy of contempt,” the brief said.

Teacher-tenure fight gains momentum (AP): A California judge’s June ruling on teacher-tenure laws in that state is already having a ripple effect elsewhere in the country. A lawsuit that also claims teacher job protections violate children’s civil rights has been filed in New York, and parent activists in Pennsylvania and Connecticut say they are preparing similar suits.

Most STEM graduates go to work in other fields, study finds (The Washington Post): A new survey from the U.S. Census Bureau has found almost three-quarters of people who hold bachelor’s degrees in STEM-related fields don’t have jobs in science, technology, engineering or math. The percentage is lower among graduates who get degrees in engineering or computer-related disciplines.

Portland-area district targets students in migrant worker camps (The Oregonian): Employees from the Hillsboro School District are traveling door-to-door through migrant camp areas this summer encouraging eligible students to sign up for special academic enrichment programs. The federal migrant program offers free summer school and other benefits that travel with children across state lines.

Record number of students make pledge for free college (KPLU): A record-breaking 96 percent of eligible students in South King County signed up this year for the Washington College Bound Scholarship, a program that guarantees free in-state, public college tuition to students who maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and avoid getting into trouble with the law through their high-school years. Education Lab wrote earlier this year about the impact College Bound has had on low-income students across the state.

In NYC, private preschools fear teacher drain amid pre-K expansion (The New York Times): As New York City prepares to double the number of pre-K slots at public schools this fall, some private preschools and community centers are worried their teachers will be leaving for new jobs. Directors at independent programs there say they cannot compete with the salaries and benefits offered in public schools.

Everest Colleges in Washington set for sale, not closure: Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit company with at least five campuses in Western Washington, will sell its local schools under an agreement reached last week with the federal Education Department. Corinthian faces multiple state and federal investigations amid allegations that it falsified job placement data and altered grades and attendance records.

STEM graduates earn $15,500 more on average, survey finds (AP): A survey from the National Center for Education Statistics finds that college graduates from the Class of 2008 who earned degrees in science, technology, engineering or math averaged an annual salary of $65,000 four years after graduation. College graduates with other degrees, meanwhile, brought home an average of $49,500 a year.