Tag: Washington State

From “Wait To Fail” To “Teach First”: Why Washington’s SLD Shift Matters For Our Kids

Washington is finally moving away from a model that labeled children off a test score gap and toward one that asks a simple question first: how were they taught. For students who were pushed into Special Education because of discipline, bias, or adult frustration, this shift is a chance to stop hiding harm inside an SLD label and start telling the truth with instructional data. Thoughts Cost has been calling for this since Covid, when it became obvious that you cannot call it a disability if a student never had a real shot at learning.

Extending Special Education To 22: Time, Dignity, And The Work We Choose To Do With Both

Washington extended special education eligibility so students can now receive services through the end of the school year in which they turn 22. That extra year is not a formality. It is a second chance to get transition right. If we treat it like storage, nothing changes. If we treat it like launch, we can use this time to build real adult lives, with real community connections, for students who have been surviving school instead of benefiting from it.

Fixed For Who

An email exchange revealing concerns about a potentially manipulated Request for Proposal (RFP) process in Rhode Island's education sector. Gatekeeping, "Statewide" Work, and Black Kids in Washington Somebody in Rhode Island hit send on an email that most people in education politics only say out loud behind closed doors. "It's a fixed RFP, but luckily … Continue reading Fixed For Who →

Why I Do Not Support the West Coast Health Alliance Split From the CDC

I do not support stepping away from CDC guidance. Regional rulebooks create confusion for families and clinicians, jeopardize insurance coverage that follows ACIP, strain pharmacies and EHR systems, and deepen polarization. Use the alliance to translate and advocate, secure state coverage tied to ACIP, and push to restore independent national standards so science travels with people across state lines.

Preparing for the Impact on Special Education Funding in Washington State and Nationwide

The potential defunding of the U.S. Department of Education threatens special education nationwide. Cuts to IDEA and Title I funding could reduce resources, undermining Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Responsive Teaching. States like Washington may rely on agencies like DSHS to fill gaps, but advocacy and alternative funding are crucial to protecting equitable education access.

No jokes. Sports leagues taking unprecedented measures to stop the spread of the Coronavirus

Only other time in my 37 years that I can remember sports being cancelled on a wide scale in the US like this due to an emergency was 9/11. The NBA season has been suspended, and NCAA Championship Week has been canceled with nearly all conferences making the decision to cancel their conference tournaments. The … Continue reading No jokes. Sports leagues taking unprecedented measures to stop the spread of the Coronavirus →