News

April 26, 2017  | Public News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer

SEATTLE - Teachers and education staff are watching closely this week to see what happens with the Trump administration's proposed cuts to Education Department programs, as Congress works on a budget for next year.

The proposal slashes more than 13 percent, or $9 billion, off the agency's budget. While this might change during negotiations, Karen Strickland, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Washington, said she sees a theme that is emerging from the proposal. [full story]

March 10, 2017 | Eric Tegethoff, Producer, Washington News Service

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state lawmakers are considering a bill to hold student loan providers accountable for their services.

Passed in the House last week, the Senate is considering the Student Loan Bill of Rights.

House Bill 1440 gives students protections as consumers of loan services, and also establishes a student loan ombuds to advocate for students and resolve loan issues.

Rep. Monica Stonier, who sponsored the bill in the House, says an ombuds will be able to help students navigate the questionable practices of some loan providers. [read or hear full story]

May 13, 2016 | Washington News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer

SEATTLE - As movements such as Black Lives Matter have gained steam, a major topic of discussion is racial equity in public institutions. [full story]

Washington News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer April 8, 2016 SEATTLE - Contingent faculty, including adjunct professors, are holding a conference Saturday at South Seattle College to discuss the mounting difficulties part-time instructors face at work. Almost 70 percent of college professors across the United States are contingent faculty. Part-time instructors sometimes rely on public assistance and unemployment benefits in order to make ends meet. - See more at: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-04-08/education/adjunct-professor…

February 8, 2016 | Washington News Service | Chris Thomas, Producer

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Almost half the college courses in Washington are taught by part-time instructors at less pay than full-timers and with no benefits. Legislation in Olympia aims to change that in the state's busy community and technical college system. House Bill 2615 outlines a plan to convert 200 teaching positions every two years from part-time to full-time. [more]

October 26, 2015 | Lori Abbott, Public News Service

OLYMPIA,  Wash. - Part-time college instructors and faculty are uniting this week for better pay and greater job security. Campus Equity Week brings attention to Washington's growing number of temporary, part-time instructors, often called adjuncts. [more]

July 2, 2015 | Washington News Service | Chris Thomas, Producer

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee calls the operating budget he signed into law this week "forward-thinking, responsible and fair."

Most Washingtonians would add, '...and a long time coming,' after multiple special sessions and votes that aren't quite over.

Bernal Baca is the government affairs director for American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Washington, the union that represents some faculty members and support staff in public schools and colleges. He says late Tuesday night, the feeling of relief in Olympia was palpable. [read full article]

June 22, 2015 | Katherine Long, Seattle Times Higher Education Reporter 

Classes have ended for the academic year at Green River College in Auburn, but there's no end in sight to a dispute between the faculty union and the college’s administration, which have been at odds over a contract for more than a year. [read full article]

I didn’t want to write this.

I wanted someone else to instead – someone who is wealthy and would actually pay a capital gains tax.

So I went through my contacts and called 10 or so friends and acquaintances who I thought made enough income from investments that the capital gains tax would apply to them.

Because it’s the most important conversation happening in Olympia right now, as the Senate Republicans, House Democrats and Gov. Jay Inslee negotiate a state budget that funds public schools. Should we raise taxes on average people or ask a wealthy 0.4 percent of Washingtonians to pay their fair share for our schools? [read full article]