Everett Daily Herald, April 23, 2015

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Teachers sound the alarm Walkout sends message in Arlington, Lakewood, Stanwood

Schools survey nets big results A quick look finds those who responded were happy about the quality of education in Everett, but worried about overcrowding. By Chris Winters Herald Writer

job,” said Todd McLaughlin, vice president of the Arlington Education Association. People held red-and-white signs in the air and clapped for teachers as they spoke about the need for smaller classes and less standardized testing. “On Strike,” read one sign. “Educators care for kids every day. It’s time the Legislature cared.” Other signs said “Class size matters” and “Fund education.” One homemade cardboard sign simply said “McCleary???” and another handcrafted creation, in green and blue, read “12th kids matter.”

EVERETT — Everett Public Schools’ first foray into online opinion surveys has garnered nearly 7,500 discrete comments from more than 4,000 people. Those comments are now available for all to see at everettsd.thoughtexchange.com. The question now becomes how the district will use the data. “It’s going to take some time,” said Mary Waggoner, district communications director. There will likely be a board presentation on the results in late May, she said. The data will figure into the board’s planning for the future. “The one thing I can say is we’re not going to do anything quick because there’s so much to look at,” she said. Participants in the district’s survey included parents, school and district staff and concerned residents without children in the public schools. The participants remained anonymous to district officials and each other, and each contributor could add comments and rank others’ comments as well. The results are broken into categories by school, along with general district-wide comments under the heading “Everett community.” Comments are further divided into three categories: concerns, appreciations and other thoughts, and then divided again by those from parents, staff, or other community members, and yet again by subject matter.

See ALARM, Page A6

See SURVEY, Page A6

PHOTOS BY MARK MULLIGAN / THE HERALD

Teachers, students and community members fill Olympic Avenue in Arlington on Wednesday to support a one-day strike and rally by teachers in the Arlington, Lakewood and Stanwood-Camano school districts. Eric Grant (below), an eighth-grade U.S. history teacher at Haller Middle School and president of the Arlington Education Association, addresses the crowd.

By Kari Bray Herald Writer

ARLINGTON — Hundreds of red-clad teachers, parents and students waved signs and cheered for each other during a rally at Legion Memorial Park to protest state education policies and funding decisions. Teachers unions in the Arlington, Lakewood and Stanwood-Camano school districts held a one-day walkout Wednesday to call on the Legislature to pay for smaller class sizes at all grade levels, provide raises and better benefits for teachers, and reject a bill that would link teacher performance reviews with their students’ scores

on state tests. The local unions are part of the statewide Washington Education Association. About 700 teachers participated in marches and rallies throughout the day, said Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association. School was canceled for about 7,000 students in the Lakewood and Stanwood-Camano districts. Wednesday was a previously scheduled half-day in Arlington, so morning classes were normal and teachers protested in the afternoon. “We would much rather be in the classroom today, and yet we have to stop our job to get the Legislature to do their

Mill Creek unanimously picks new city manager MILL CREEK — She’s expected to usher in a new era of politics here. Rebecca Polizzotto, a senior assistant state attorney general in Alaska, was unanimously selected as Mill Creek’s new city manager. The City Council announced

the decision after meeting in executive session Tuesday evening. “It’s an amazing new era for Mill Creek,” Mayor Rebecca Pam Pruitt said. Polizzotto Polizzotto, of Douglas, Alaska, has been working as an attorney for the state since

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2004. She included in her application letters from former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell and former state Attorney General Michael Geraghty that praised her work on state health care plans. “Your thoughtful analysis and hard work will benefit state employees and the people of Alaska for years to come,” Parnell wrote.

Indecision 2016 Using “beauty” loosely: Herald political columnist Jerry Cornfield reports that the state has canceled its presidential primary because the state Democratic Party prefers to use its caucus system to nominate a candidate. The state had asked both parties to use primary results to select Dear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . . B4

Polizzotto previously worked her way up to city manager from police officer in Conyers, Georgia, near Atlanta. During her 20-year tenure in Georgia, she served in various positions and made arrangements for equestrian activities for the 1996 Olympic Games. Polizzotto has a master’s degree in public administration

delegates, saying it would not run a primary unless the results counted. The state didn’t want to spend $11.5 million to run a beauty contest (Page A3). OK. For the Republicans it would have been a beauty contest; for the Democrats it would have been a coronation for Hillary Clinton. All ahead full: Gov. Jay

Lottery . . . . . .A2 Northwest. . . . B1

Obituaries. . . .A6 Opinion. . . . .A11

Inslee toured the state ferry Tokitae during one of its runs between Mukilteo and Clinton to promote the state transportation funding package (Page A3). To illustrate the Legislature’s movement on the budget, the Tokitae’s screws pushed from both ends, spinning the ferry in a circle. Short Takes . . .D6 Sports . . . . . . . C1

and a law degree from Georgia State University. She also completed a program for government executives at Harvard University. “Her credentials speak for themselves,” said City Councilman Vincent Cavaleri. “Her track record speaks for itself. She has done it all.” See MANAGER, Page A2

Channel-surfing the vast cultural wasteland: Season 2 of CNN’s spin-off of Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs” franchise debuts tonight at 9. This one is called “Somebody’s Gotta Do It With Mike Rowe” (Page D6). If his significant other isn’t interested, we think a comma between It and With might help.

—Jon Bauer, Herald staff

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