Washington

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Washington
Image of innovative solutions around staffing.
Laura Baker/Education Week and Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Teacher Shortages Are Improving—With Two Big Exceptions
New job posting data suggests staffing support needs to be targeted at particular areas.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 17, 2025
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4 min read
Photo illustration of a blue screen full of code with the icon of a gaming control overlaying the code.
DigitalVision Vectors
Classroom Technology How Playing Minecraft Can Help Students Learn Coding Skills
Washington and other states have partnered with Minecraft Education to teach coding and other computer science skills.
Alyson Klein, February 27, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration of a young girl with hands on her head, having difficulty reading with scrambled letters on the pages of an open book.
iStock/Getty
Special Education Schools Lag in IDing Kids Who Need Special Education. Are They Catching Up?
Schools in one state are making progress addressing a pandemic-fueled backlog of special education identifications.
Evie Blad, December 11, 2024
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5 min read
Pencil drawing a checkmark in a box. U.S.A. ballot measures voting in elections.
DigitalVision Vectors
States 5 Ways You Didn't Know the Election Will Affect K-12 Schools
Voters will weigh ballot items that affect funding for electric school buses, tax revenue for state education budgets, and more.
Mark Lieberman, October 31, 2024
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8 min read
Collage illustration of faceless students with books and bookbags standing in a group talking with collage pieces of graph paper, the U.S. capitol and other political buildings around them.
Nadia Radic for Education Week
Personalized Learning All States Allow Competency-Based Learning. Will It Become a Reality in Schools?
School districts in every state have the flexibility to adopt competency-based learning, but implementation is easier said than done.
Libby Stanford, September 16, 2024
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9 min read
Monroe Thumb BS
Special Education Video How This State Is Creating an Inclusive Experience for Special Education Students
This state is working to keep special education students in the classroom, learning alongside their peers. Here's how.
Kaylee Domzalski, July 11, 2024
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2:31
cellphone distraction policy bans in schools static
Laura Baker/Education Week via canva
Ed-Tech Policy Tracker Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?
See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools.
Arianna Prothero, Lauraine Langreo & Alyson Klein, June 28, 2024
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1 min read
Illustration of two groups of professionals fighting in a tug of war with a dollar.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Teacher Layoffs on the Horizon: As ESSER Expires, Districts Face Tough Calls
The Great Recession offers some insight into how staff reductions might play out as ESSER funds expire.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 27, 2024
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4 min read
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options for student assessment during a press conference May 8, 2015, in Bismarck, N.D. Baesler, the nation's longest-serving state schools chief, is running for a fourth term, facing opponents with no experience serving in public schools.
Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
States The Surprising Contenders for State Superintendent Offices This Year
Two elections for the top education leadership job feature candidates who have never worked in public schools.
Libby Stanford, June 17, 2024
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8 min read
061324 Monroe High School Thumbnail BS
Special Education Video Students With Disabilities 'Have Gotten Their Dignity Back' at This High School
A state partnership involving 16 schools aims to ensure that students with disabilities spend more of their time in mainstream classrooms.
Caitlynn Peetz & Kaylee Domzalski, June 13, 2024
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3 min read
Kindergarten students in Washington, D.C. explore various activity centers in their classroom on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.
Kindergarten students in Washington, D.C. explore various activity centers in their classroom on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.
Allison Shelley/EDUimages
Special Education Video How One School Fosters Belonging for Students With Disabilities
The school transformed what has traditionally been a model of exclusion in U.S. education.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 30, 2024
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3 min read
Photo illustration of young boy working on math problem.
F. Sheehan for Education Week + iStock / Getty Images Plus
Mathematics Young Students Gravitate to Math. How Teachers Can Build on That Curiosity
A focus on rich, real-world problems makes math more interesting, relevant, and enticing to students.
Alyson Klein, May 28, 2024
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8 min read
Patrice Madrid, left, leads a Functional Core Program for 3rd through 5th graders as part of a teacher residency program under the guidance of staff teacher Shannon Winthrow, right, at Star Lake Elementary in Kent, Wash., on May 7, 2024.
Patrice Madrid, left, leads a special education classroom for 3rd through 5th graders as part of the Washington Education Association's teacher residency program under the guidance of staff teacher Shannon Withrow, right, at Star Lake Elementary in Kent, Wash., on May 7, 2024.
Meron Menghistab for Education Week
Teacher Preparation Teachers' Unions Are Starting Teacher-Prep Programs. Here's What to Know
The Washington Education Association is pioneering a teacher residency for special education. Other unions are noticing.
Madeline Will, May 15, 2024
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10 min read
Principal David Arencibia embraces a student as they make their way to their next class at Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, Texas on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Principal David Arencibia embraces a student as they make their way to their next class at Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, Texas, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Emil T. Lippe for Education Week
School Climate & Safety 'A Universal Prevention Measure' That Boosts Attendance and Improves Behavior
When students feel connected to school, attendance, behavior, and academic performance are better.
Matthew Stone, April 14, 2024
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9 min read
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