Local News

Handwriting expert to examine Seattle test booklets: Seattle Public Schools plans to hire a handwriting expert to examine test booklets from Beacon Hill International School, whose scores were tossed out by state officials earlier this fall. Many wrong answers on Beacon Hill’s exams were erased and changed from incorrect to correct answers, officials say.

Four injured in shooting at Portland alternative school (The Oregonian): Extra police and counseling personnel were on hand Monday at a Portland school where four students were injured in a shooting on Friday. Police have said the shooting was gang-related; there were no fatalities.

PA college presidents face scrutiny for joining protests (The Inquirer): The presidents of Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania have been criticized after participating in student protests against recent grand jury decisions in New York and Ferguson, Mo. University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann lay on the floor with protesters staging a “die in” at her holiday party on Tuesday, prompting sharp criticism from the leader of the university’s police officers’ union.

Former Tahoma basketball coach investigated for inappropriate behavior: Brian Davis resigned from coaching the boys’ basketball team at Tahoma High School after being accused of having inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old female student. The state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is investigating the allegations.

UVA renegotiates contract with fraternities (NPR): The University of Virginia is brainstorming strategies to curb underage and excessive drinking in the aftermath of a Rolling Stone story about an alleged rape at a fraternity party. Among the ideas: Sober fraternity brothers serving as party bouncers and imposing higher alcohol taxes to curb off-campus consumption.

Thurston County bus driver resigns after kindergartner left on bus (The Olympian): A school bus driver for North Thurston Public Schools near Olympia resigned Wednesday after a 6-year-old boy with special needs was left alone on a bus for seven hours. The driver acknowledged the mistake and said he failed to do a walk-through after parking in the district’s transportation lot.

Nyland earns quick support across Seattle school system: In four months, interim Seattle superintendent Larry Nyland has managed to earn support from many of the district’s key players. The Seattle School Board will vote Wednesday on whether to extend his contact for two more years.

Seven biggest districts pledge to offer computer science (AP): The White House announced Monday that the seven largest school districts in the country are committing to make computer science a standard offering at high schools or middle schools. The College Board also announced a new course called AP Computer Science Principles will debut in the fall of 2016.

Story of sexual assault at UVA called into question (The Washington Post): Rolling Stone magazine is backpedaling on a lengthy story it published about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity. The magazine issued a statement Friday saying it had uncovered “discrepancies” in the account of the alleged victim, who is standing by her story.

Minnesota high-school sports league OKs transgender policy (Star Tribune): The Minnesota State High School League voted Thursday in approval of opening up girls’ sports to transgender athletes. State law there already allows girls to compete on boys’ teams.

Tacoma celebrates record-high graduation rates (The News Tribune): Once known for being home to several “drop-out factories,” the Tacoma School District celebrated a record-high graduation rate of 78 percent in 2014 — up from 70 percent the year before and 55 percent just four years ago. District officials credited outreach efforts that have targeted struggling students and the willingness of school staff to work with students after-hours and on weekends.

Largest U.S. districts fail to report incidents of student restraint (ProPublica): Public school districts are required to keep track of each time a student is held or tied down and report totals to the federal government each year. But New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago have each reported zero incidents — a figure that even some district officials acknowledge is incorrect.

Lawmakers unveil bills to fund WSU medical school (AP): Two state legislators announced plans Tuesday to introduce a pair of bills that would create a new Washington State University medical school in Spokane. The proposal from the Spokane lawmakers calls for the state to provide $2.5 million in funding for the project.

L.A. schools chief shelves contract with Apple (Los Angeles Times): One day after the FBI seized documents related to a controversial and costly iPad program at the Los Angeles Unified School District, superintendent Ramon C. Cortines announced the district would end its $1.3-billion technology contract with Apple. Cortines said the surprise FBI visit was not the reason for his decision.

State officials aim to get NCLB waiver back next year (The News Tribune): State schools chief Randy Dorn says he will push lawmakers to pass legislation next year that would require districts to use student test scores in teacher evaluations in an effort to reclaim the state’s No Child Left Behind waiver. A few members of Congress, meanwhile, are plotting out a potential overhaul of the NCLB law.

Jesse Jackson encourages Kent students to pursue STEM fields: The Rev. Jesse Jackson emphasized education as a way to end racial disparity in high-tech jobs during a Monday visit to the Technology Access Foundation Academy and Totem Middle School in Kent. “We can learn. We will learn. We must learn,” Jackson said in a speech before about 700 students.

Seattle school board considers Nyland for permanent job: The Seattle school board is planning to vote early next year on a proposal to give interim superintendent Larry Nyland an offer to remain in his job through June 2017. Nyland, who previously served as superintendent in Marysville, came out of retirement four months ago to take the place of José Banda.

Substitute shortage could be a result of state pension policy: State lawmakers are considering changing a controversial 2007 law that makes hefty cuts to the pensions of certain retired teachers who work for a public employer. Currently, 1,003 retired teachers statewide cannot substitute for a single day without losing their pension for an entire month.

Seattle high-school students walk out to join Ferguson protests: Seattle Public Schools says approximately 1,000 students from Garfield High School walked out of class Tuesday afternoon to join ongoing protests surrounding Monday’s grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo. About 250 students from Roosevelt High School also walked out Tuesday morning but were reportedly heading back to the school.

Georgia schools get creative with cafeteria lunches (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution): Across the country, fewer students are opting for cafeteria lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and an uptick in meal prices. The decline has prompted some schools in Georgia to offer more meal choices and cook more food from scratch in a effort to get more students in the cafeteria line.