Governor Christine Gregoire is using social media in an attempt to gain support for her proposed Department of Education.
In a Facebook message and Twitter post to followers today, the Governor re-issued a press release first sent out in January in which she outlined strategies she feels will create a seamless, quality education for Washington students.
Today's post cites a statistic indicating that only 41-percent of first time freshmen at the state's six public college campuses complete their degree within four years and implies a DOE would change that.
Comments to her post have been mixed.
Jerri posted: A lot of that has to do with the availability of classes to complete one's major. At WWU what typically was a 4 yr degree is now 5 to 6 years. You can't get the classes you need when you need them (pre-req's for the next class) or the class is only offered once a year and the class is full. It's not the problem of the students as much as it is the lack of available seats. Students end up taking classes to maintain their financial aid and in turn take seats from other students. A misuse of time and money. And this happening in CC's as well, as the number of teachers are diminishing, the high volume of students due to worker retraining, and other factors. It takes longer for CC students to complete their 2 yr degrees or certificated programs.
Alexis wrote: Would love to see the % of foreign students that come to those 6 universities and graduate in 4 and the % that gives endowment..Our WA universities prefer to accept the out of state out of country $$ because they can charge top dollar. Yet the local WA kids who would give back $$ to the schools after graduation are priced out. Something is so wrong here.
And then there was Dan: I do support a consolidated DOE. Having said that, I do remember upon entering my freshman year in 1958 being told that the graduation rate for incoming students was 33 percent - and no one thought that was a terrible thing. Perhaps 41 is not as bad as some would have us believe.
Senate Joint Resolution 8212 - the bill that would abolish the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and create was last head before the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on February 2nd. No near hearings have yet been scheduled.
