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ESDs
selected for first K-12 performance audits
Last fall, Washington voters approved an
initiative requiring the state auditor to analyze
the "economy, efficiency and effectiveness" of state
and local governments (including school districts)
through the use of performance audits. These audits
will be coming to the K-12 system in the very near
future, as State Auditor Brian Sonntag has selected
the state’s nine educational service districts and
at a least a dozen school districts for the first
round of reviews.
Learn more here…
Performance audit sessions added to WSSDA Annual
Conference
School directors and
administrators will be able to get hands-on
information and training on performance auditing
through an action workshop that has been added to
the Nov. 15 pre-conference. In addition, the general
conference will include a breakout session designed
to brief attendees on the performance audit process.
The workshop – Performance Audits: New
Requirements for Accountability – will draw from
districts’ experiences to help others learn what to
expect and how to prepare. For those who have
already registered, a
conference registration change form is now
posted online. For new registrations, visit the
Annual Conference section.
Tribal history
and culture project moves forward
Dignitaries gathered in the beautiful new Paschal
Sherman Indian School in Omak a few days ago to sign a
landmark agreement that will guide a unique project designed
to encourage school boards and tribal councils in Washington
state to work together on promoting increased understanding
of tribal history, culture and government. See the
online article for detailed information, including links
to the text of the agreement and a photo gallery.
Legislative
committee looking for district input on data collection
study
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review
Committee (JLARC) would like to talk with school directors
and administrators as it prepares to undertake a study on
standardizing the format for collecting various financial
and student performance data from schools and school
districts. If you’re interested, please follow up by June
12.
Click here to learn how…
NSBA poll: Voters
want Congress to fulfill promises on education
The
National School Boards Association is out with a new poll
that indicates voters are none too pleased with the way
Congress has approached funding for K-12 education. The
survey also reveals a significant gap between public
assumptions and the realities of federal education funding.
The complete results are available on the
NSBA Web site.
State Board update
The State Board of Education
recently selected Mary Jean Ryan as chair and Warren T.
Smith Sr. as vice chair. Ryan, appointed by Gov. Chris
Gregoire, is Director of the City of Seattle’s Office of
Policy and Management. Smith, elected by school board
members in western Washington, is a former Bethel school
director and past president of WSSDA. Also, Larry Davis has
announced his resignation as executive director of the SBE.
Bob Butts, alternative assessments coordinator at OSPI, has
been named interim executive director.
Welcome,
Jennifer!
WSSDA is pleased to welcome Jennifer Fellinger as our new
Assistant Communications Director. Jennifer recently moved
to Washington from Cincinnati, where she worked in the
publishing world and for the Cincinnati Art Museum. She’s
been on the job since May 18 and is busy working on the
WSSDA newsletter and other association publications.
Learn more about Jennifer here…
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