Washington

Washington Students were harmed by the governor’s school closure policy, so what should officials learn from it?

Published

2 years ago

August 17, 2022

Washington Students were harmed by the governor’s school closure policy, so what should officials learn from it?

Washington state public faculties have been closed almost two years in response to the COVID pandemic, longer than well being authorities really useful, and properly after proof was constructing that such a coverage inflicted extra hurt on youngsters than achieve in public well being. However we stored them closed.

The preliminary closure is comprehensible. Public well being authorities have been coping with a new illness of comparatively unknown energy and consequence. COVID generated quite a lot of worry, worry of crowds and worry of shut contact, each of which faculties have in abundance. However at a sure level, the instance different states and even different nations confirmed us there have been methods to re-open faculties and reduce or stop studying loss and social harms. But our faculties remained closed.

Liv Finne, WPC’s Middle for Schooling Director, has simply launched a brand new research, “The impact of emergency-ordered faculty closings, studying loss and masks mandates on kids.” The research aggregates among the harms inflicted on Washington college students of all ages, from emotional hurt to extreme studying loss and highlights the truth that these harms hit minority kids, youngsters from decrease earnings households, and college students with particular wants, hardest of all. Given analysis displaying that these harms might create important losses in lifetime earnings potential, amongst different issues, mother and father are certain to learn this report and ask themselves the extent the closure expertise affected their very own kids.

Washington Coverage Middle is proud to launch works like this one that problem the status-quo and ignite conversations that in any other case would’ve been swept apart. And whereas it is vital that public officers be held accountable, the purpose right here is to not blame officers however encourage higher coverage approaches and most significantly on this case, approaches that put the kids first.

Liv’s full research is linked beneath, and I’ve listed some key takeaways I had from studying it myself. Over the following few days we’ll launch associated movies and pictures. We hope the research raises points vital to you and that you will contemplate sharing our associated content material in your platforms all through the following couple weeks.

Moderately than advancing college students a grade primarily based on their precise positive factors in studying, in 2021 training officers basically prolonged social promotion to all 1.1 million public faculty kids.
Analysis exhibits many college students suffered long-term studying loss and psychological and emotional hurt because of the governor’s prolonged faculty closure coverage
State take a look at scores present public faculties didn’t adequately educate 70 % of scholars in math and 52 % of scholars in English.
Low-income college students have been most severely affected, with 8,700 fewer such college students making use of for state-funded school scholarships.
Researchers warned closing faculties would inflict scholar hurt “that would final a lifetime,” particularly for low-income Hispanic and black college students, rising achievement gaps by 15-20 %.
Washington public faculties obtained working funding on the highest ranges in historical past through the COVID disaster, regardless of faculty closures.
In June of 2020, researchers at McKinsey and Firm warned that two to 9 % of highschool college students would drop out, and that U.S. college students could lose, on common, a yr’s price of full-time work in lifetime earnings on account of COVID-relating studying losses.
Researchers at Brown College discovered a 23 % drop in IQ for very younger kids brought on by mandated masks and social distancing necessities.
The mandate coverage that closed faculties long run induced many kids with particular must regress and lose what that they had realized up to now.
Isolating youngsters from social contact with friends for almost two years elevated their ranges of tension and stress, issues which can persist with long-term penalties.

Learn the total Coverage Temporary right here.

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Washington

Washington visitor dead after being found in Kauai waters

Published

6 hours ago

October 1, 2024

Press Room

Washington visitor dead after being found in Kauai waters

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – An unattended death investigation has been opened following the passing of a visitor on Kauai’s east side.

Kauai police said around 5:15 a.m. Sunday, first responders were dispatched to a report of an unresponsive swimmer near Wailua Beach.

Police reported that the victim was a found in the water and brought to shore by fishermen.

She was identified as a female visitor from Washington, however her name was not publicly released.

The incident remains under investigation and an autopsy has been scheduled. Authorities say at this point, foul play is not suspected.

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Washington

Washington airman receives award after carrying injured 79-year-old hiker down trail

Published

13 hours ago

October 1, 2024

Press Room

Washington airman receives award after carrying injured 79-year-old hiker down trail

A Washington-based Airman received an award for rescuing a woman who had a hiking accident in late August, the U.S. Air Force announced.

Airman 1st Class Troy May made the rescue on Aug. 28 near Ashford, Washington, while hiking to High Rock Lookout. He received an achievement medal on Sept. 9.

“One of the Air Force’s core values is service before self, and Airman 1st Class May clearly exemplified that core value with his actions,” Lt. Col. Joshua Clifford, 62d AMXS commander, said in the news release. “While our team of Airmen showcase amazing accomplishments every day, we relish the opportunity to focus on one Airman’s courage and recognize them for truly living the Air Force’s core values.”

The woman he rescued, 79-year-old Ursula Bannister, takes a trip every year to High Rock Lookout and this year, she went to spread her late mother’s ashes.

“I know the trail very well, and there are always many people there,” Bannister said in the news release. “When I couldn’t find anyone to accompany me on this outing, I just went by myself.”

She had finished lunch and had begun hiking down when she felt her leg give out, according to the Air Force. She stepped into a hole, causing a shock to travel up her body.

She called for help, and that’s when some hikers found her. As hikers called emergency responders and tried to help her as best as they could, then came May and his friend.

“My first thought was if I could carry her down, I should carry her down and get her there as quickly as I can,” May said in the news release.

Injured hiker was in a lot of pain as Airman carried her to safety

Donning cowboy boots, May put Bannister on his back and started to carry her down the trail. The boots made carrying her down the trail very painful though as gravity pulled her off of him, the Air Force said. He had to use his legs to stop at some points.

He carried her most of 1.6 miles down the hiking trail. His friend, Layton Allen, also carried Bannister some of the way.

“Once we got down, we loaded her into her car, elevated her foot and started driving to the hospital,” May said. “We met search and rescue about 30 minutes down the road, put ice on her foot, drove the rest of the way to the hospital and waited for her son to get there.”

A few days later, Bannister called May and Allen to thank them for helping her. She had surgery and was recovering, she told them.

“I truly felt that these two guys were meant to be there to save me, and that sort of swam in my subconscious at the time,” Bannister said in the news release. “I considered them my angels.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

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Washington

Should the Washington Nationals Trade for St. Louis Cardinals Star Pitcher?

Published

21 hours ago

October 1, 2024

Press Room

Should the Washington Nationals Trade for St. Louis Cardinals Star Pitcher?

The Washington Nationals are on the right track when it comes to their current rebuild.

After the Nationals won the World Series in 2019, a big contract for their MVP, Stephen Strasburg, did not work out due to a bizarre injury that ultimately ended his career. This failed contract and the questions surrounding the organization’s future ownership forced the front office to move on from their biggest star, Juan Soto.

The organization has had some great luck with the pieces they’ve added during the rebuild and the minor league development has also excelled. After a 71-91 season, 18 games out of the playoff picture, the team is ready to take the next step.

One way to do that would be to dive right back in to the phones, but instead of selling off players as they have for the past few seasons, they buy.

On Monday, The St. Louis Cardinals announced that President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak would be turning over to Chain Bloom at the end of 2025. As they prepare to transition after the following season, significant changes to the roster also seem to be looming.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals will reduce payroll in 2025 and look to move on from some of their higher-paid players. The news comes from Mozeliak, who set the tone for the upcoming offseason for St. Louis. Some names that Nightengale included third baseman Nolan Arenado, catcher Willson Contreras, and starting pitcher Sonny Gray.

Although not all of those veterans would make sense for the current construction of the Nationals roster, adding a top starter like Sonny Gray would make a lot of sense.

With the team building an impressive young core, including names like Mackenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker, and DJ Herz, Gray could lead the rotation as the Nationals would look to take the next step in their rebuilding plans. Add in the likely return of Nationals eighth ranked prospect Cade Cavalli, who is recovering from Tommy John Surgery, and you have a solid pitching staff to battle against the toughest division in baseball, the NL East.

It would be a bold move by general manager Mike Rizzo and the rest of the Nationals front office if they went out and made a move for Gray, but it could have an immediate impact for the good of the club. The 34-year-old finished as the runner up in 2023 for the American League Cy Young Award with a 2.79 ERA. He also led the league with a 2.83 FIP.

Gray signed a three year, $75 million deal this past offseason with the Cardinals but only made $10 million in 2024. If the Nationals were to acquire the right hander they would be on the hook for $25M in 2025 and $35M in 2026. They also would have the choice of a $30M team option in 2027, his age 37 season.

Gray went 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and a 3.12 FIP, recording 203 strikeouts over 166.1 innings of work. His 11 K/9 on the year was a career high for the 12-year pro. If he is traded this offseason, he could be joining his sixth team since making his MLB debut in 2013.

Although Gray’s numbers on the year were the worst since his final season as a member of the New York Yankees in 2018, he still would have outpitched the entire Nationals starting rotation. His ERA would have been the best on the roster, with the exception of Trevor Williams (2.03) – when healthy, of course.

The Cardinals would be taking a major hit if they decide to move on from Gray. Since the contract they signed him to in the offseason surpassed $60 million, they were forced to forfeit their second round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft to his former team, the Minnesota Twins as compensation.

However, if they are set on moving on from the salary concerns and looking to bolster their farm system, one that is currently ranked 19th according to MLB Pipeline, plenty of suitors should be calling for a top of the rotation type of talent.

Washington should definitely be one of them.

With the in-season injury to Josiah Gray, who is likely out for the majority, if not all of 2025, adding the three time All-Star to lead the rotation would send a bold message to the rest of the National League and instantly make the Nationals a contender for at least a wild card spot next season.

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