Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, August 23, 2013
www.issaquahreporter.com
Up in the air
Details still need to be ironed out on Swedish development deal
Anne Steindorf works math problems on the whiteboard in her classroom at Inglewood Middle School. Steindorf, along with all other math and language arts teachers around the state, will begin implementing new standards this year. KEVIN
BY LINDA BALL LBALL@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
ENDEJAN, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter
A NEW STANDARD Local teachers prepare for Common Core State Standards
BY KEVIN ENDEJAN KENDEJAN@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
A
nne Steindorf has taught math in three different states and she’s always amazed at the contrast.
“Kids are in different places in different states,” she said. A seventh-grade math and geometry teacher at Inglewood Middle School in Sammamish, Steindorf said she’s looking forward to the changes the Lake Washington School District and all schools across the state are making for the 2013-14 academic year. The Common Core State Standards will replace current Washington state standards for English language arts and mathematics with the goal of better preparing students for college and to compete in a global economy. “I think the aim of Common Core is a good one, to make education in this country rigorous enough for all kids to be where they need to be to be successful in college and the work place,” said Steindorf who has also taught in New York and Texas. Until now, all 50 states had their own set
“If everybody’s teaching to the same level across the country ... how could it not be better?” - Anne Steindorf, teacher of learning expectations for students. They were difficult to compare to one another, let alone the rest of the world. As of this year, 45 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Full implementation, including new state standardized tests, will be complete by the 2014-15 school year. “It’s still going to be a while before it all settles out, but this is sort of that pivot point where we’ve gone to talking about it,” said Kathryn Reith, Lake Washington School District spokeswoman.
A video describing Common Core compares the program to a staircase with stops along the way where parents and teachers can make sure all children are on the same page before moving on to the next level. Steindorf said she and the rest of the Inglewood math department started preparing for the changes last year. She said there won’t be many changes for their department because many of the curriculums already align with Common Core, but it will vary from subject to subject and grade to grade. “We’ve all had to say, ‘We’re not going to do this based on Common Core, or it becomes an enrichment piece if we have time,’” Steindorf said. Pierina Austin teaches Kindergarten through Second Grade Continuous Learning at Sammamish’s Margaret Mead Elementary. She said the focus of her courses now will shift to more nonfiction reading — nearly a 50/50 split. “There’s a lot more that we’re going to be learning and a lot more that were going to be implementing,” she said, noting there will be a heavy emphasis on understanding habitats SEE STANDARDS, 2
There were more questions than answers at Tuesday’s meeting of the Urban Village Development Commission regarding Swedish Hospital’s proposed expansion. There are no critical areas on the site, but according to the city’s land development manager, Lucy Sloman, a new SEPA (state environmental policy act) checklist will be required. Swedish has to come up with a storm water plan and an environmental review needs to be completed before the development agreement is done. Water and sewer improvements are the responsibility of Swedish, and storm water collection would have to meet city requirements, said Keith Niven, the city’s economic development director. Niven said if Swedish’s storm water goes into the Lower Reid Infiltration Gallery (LRIG) it would be the city’s responsibility, however if it goes into a whirlpool, Swedish is responsible. Maximum height of buildings is consistent with the rest of the Issaquah Highlands at 85-feet, with the exception of SEE SWEDISH, 7
TOP OF THE WORLD For a complete roundup of the Eastlake Little League team’s journey at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., turn to pages 10-11 for the Reporter’s special section.