Tag Archives: school

BIPOC, Local

Monroe School District superintendent agrees to resign post after investigation

Five Fast Facts

  • Dr. Justin Blasko, hired as the executive director of human resources in 2010, was appointed superintendent of the Monroe School District northeast of Seattle in February 2020
  • The resignation comes after an independent investigation concluded that employee claims that Blasko’s behavior created a toxic work environment were mostly credible
  • The superintendent was placed on paid administrative leave last December following calls from teachers, parents, and students
  • Blasko will receive $400,000 in severance, representing one year’s compensation, including accumulated leave and benefits
  • The agreement centers on Blasko’s failure to stop racism and hate within the district

[MONROE, Wash.] – Monroe School District (MSD) Superintendent Dr. Justin Blasko will resign and receive nearly $400,000 after an investigation showed employee claims of his behavior creating a toxic work environment were mostly credible.

Under a settlement agreement, Blasko agreed to resign at the close of business on July 31 and that he won’t sue or seek a job with the district ever again. The settlement agreement was announced last week and was unanimously approved by the school board during a meeting Monday night…

You can read more at King 5.

Local

Governor Inslee orders all schools to offer the option for in-student classes by April

[OLYMPIA] – (MTN) Governor Jay Inslee announced that he would be making an emergency proclamation requiring all schools to provide the option of in-person classes by April. The proclamation will require the option for students in K-6 grades to return by April 5, and students in 7-12 grade to return by April 19.

The opening plan does not have to be full-time instruction. Schools will be required to offer a hybrid model of in-person learning for at least two days. The time does not need to be linear, so in-person instruction could be done as partial days.

School systems moved to remote instruction last year but could not overcome numerous obstacles. Zoom fatigue, inequality in access to the Internet and technology, security issues, and student disengagement has many researchers concerned.

“There is unfortunately and undeniably a mental health care crisis in this state regarding our youth,” Governor Inslee said this morning. “Now is the time for our schools to return…for in-person learning.”

The Lake Washington School District restarted optional in-person classes for K-1 grade students on February 18. The district had previously announced that optional in-person classes for 2-5 grade students would begin on March 30. The District’s website stated this afternoon, ” Later today, secondary families (grades 6-12) will receive an email with instructions to complete a survey in Skyward Family Access. The survey will ask families to indicate their preference for an in-person hybrid or a fully remote learning experience for their student(s) starting in April. Secondary staff will also receive an email later today with instructions to complete a survey in Skyward.”

The number of COVID infections across the United States has stabilized, however still at an elevated level. In Washington state, new cases are in decline with less than 4% of tests coming back positive. The American Medical Association wrote a report last month indicating that infection rates have declined due to more people wearing masks. Additionally, with 25% of the United States population estimated to have been infected with COVID, the number of new hosts for the virus has decreased.

The Biden Administration announced today that it met the goal of 100 million Americans vaccinated, 49 days ahead of schedule. Thirty-five-million Americans are now fully vaccinated and the administration set a goal of anyone adult wanting to get a vaccination being able to get a virtual place in line by May 1.

Local, Weather

Region cleans up after windstorm rages through the night

The Puget Sound region woke up to hundreds of thousands without power after a windstorm tore through the area overnight. An atmospheric river pointed a firehose right at the heart of Puget Sound as pounding rain and howling winds battered the region. Peak wind gusts reached 40 to 70 MPH around midnight, sending trees crashing through homes and across highways. 

In the last 72 hours, 3.03 inches of rain has fallen at Seatac Airport, and since January 1, 7.45 inches of rain has fallen, making this the wettest start to January in history. A USPS truck was almost blown off the Deception Pass Bridge, and images showed it perched on the guardrail, partially dangling over the side. The driver was uninjured and was able to exit the vehicle. A large tree fell across all of the southbound lanes of SH-167 outside of Puyallup, closing the highway. Both the Deception Pass Bridge and SH-167 have reopened. 

A number of areas schools canceled class for the day due to widespread power and Internet outages making remote learning impossible. In Kirkland, fire and police were dispatched to a rollover accident at 100th NE and Juanita-Woodinville NE. Inoperable traffic lights may have been a contributing factor to the wreck. 

Further south in Dodson, Oregon, about 60 miles east of Portland, one person is missing after the vehicle they were in was swept away in a mudslide. Officials are searching for the victim but active mudslides are making it difficult

A much drier weather pattern lies ahead, with sun forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. Over the weekend, light and scattered showers will return. The long-range forecast points to next week being much calmer.