good job

Fellow debaters! I thought each of you did a fabulous job at the debate no matter what place you got.  I think you all worked hard with the little amount of time we had.  You guys were all a fun group and I can't wait till' next year!!!

-annie

Advie

• Make sure your binder has your name on it, not your's and your partner's.

More advice for next year.

• Ms. Vaughn wanted me to tell you that you need to make sure to have dates on your sheets.

!!!!

Advice for next year:

• Keep good posture.
• Have exact information, not "maybe this will happen?"
  
• Speak very clearly, don't mumble.
  
• Have facts to rebut.
• Brainstorm wierd arguements and practice rebutting them.
• Speak with exspression.
  
• Make sure to speak slowly.
• Make eye contact with the judge and your opponents!
• Do not say rebuttal! It is incorrect grammer!
• Be a strong speaker!
• Wikipedia is not a reliable source! Anyone can change it and that means that there can be a bunch of stupid people typing in the wrong evidence. It is not evidence! Do not use it at all!!!!!!!!!
• Make sure you look professional!
• Have good sportsmanship! A Madison team lost because there were very rude to a Lincoln team.
• Rebut with evidence! It is too easy to rebut!
• Use bias!
• Have pre-prepared arguements!
• Sample space is Affirmitive or Negative.
• Bias is surveys and questions
• Make sure you've got evidence in both rebbutals and opening speeches.
• Make sure that your opening speech is close to 5 minutes long!
• Be very convincing.
• 2nd speaker needs to support 1st speaker's case.
• Be very organized.
• Never let anything drop!
• Put emotion into your speech.
• Use all of your speech time!
• Make sure your partner has sheets to say.
• PRACTICE REBUTING!!!!!!!
• Do not talk to each other during arguements!
• If you say that there are other solutions, say what they are. Offer a solution or say that there is no problem. ( NEG)
• Affirmitive can point out if Negative doesn't give another solution.
  
• Really clearly, have your negative sheets seperate from your affirmitive sheets.
  
• Color code the sheets. So that you do not accidentally mix up your affirmitive sheets with your negative sheets.
  
• Make sure you say why your rebuttals are more important than your opponents.
• Keep bringing up arguements.
• Make sure you bring new information up.
• Be relaxed.
• Use hand gestures.
• Don't beat yourself up if you stumble over words.
  
• You cannot talk to yourself exept in downtime.
• Do not rip sheets out of your binder.
• Listen to the other team!!!!
• Should parents come to the debate? When Zoe's dad walked in she got nervous and kind of lost it.
• Believe in yourself. Do not say " I know I'm not going to win"
  
• REBUT! REBUT! REBUT! REBUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Do not use opinions!!!!!!!!!!!
• Don't say "we're winning" without any reasons!
• Make sure you have more than 1 source for an arguement.
• Shake hands!!!!
• Do not mumble, be strong and clear!
• Evidence that it doesn't work not that it wouldn't work.
  

USE THIS FOR NEXT YEAR!!!!!!

• 
  

• 
  

Whooooo!

We did it! We competed in debate and Lincoln took 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th!!!!!!! I am especially happy for Brooke and Annie who took the whole thing. YAHHHHHH! But even if you didn't place you still did an AMAZING job as debaters and classmates. LINCOLN SCHOOL ROCKS! We did great!
Toodles, Renee:)

Debate Tonight

Hope every one does agreat job tonight!!!

when i said i am scared i meant about the debate

IM SCARED!


i am 16 going on 17 oh sorry i was watching the sound of music i love it she is just about to get kissed SHE GOT KISSED i also love fidler on the roof i am almost done with the movie but i saw the play

sorry this is totaly urealated


-*Elli

Elise, you've got a problem.

Okay so what's with the heart's Elise and the pinkish writing. He's not really all that cute you know! Plus, he's WAY too tall for you.

Help!!!!!!!

does anybody have an article about the 1970's energy crisis

♥♥Obama wanting a 6 day school week? Please I need and answer!! ♥♥

Hello =)

Okay I was curious about the Obama thing about the 6 day school week to compete with jobs or whatever. So if anyone has it can you tell me or email me or something. It would be really great if you did! Thank you!

♥Elise♥

Debate Information

Does any one have information about the negative side that is good?
If so please post it on the blog. Thank You!!!

Ariel and Emily

Help!

Hi,
Does anyone have more info about the 1970's oil disaster? Besides the article that Ms. Vaughn gave us.

Thanks,

Katie and Alli

Opening Speeches

Ms. Vaughn how long should our opening speeches be?

voting

has anybody been voting about the paper thing Ms. vaughn put on?

Debate

Does any one have more information about the Japanese education?
If you do email us!!! As in us Ariel and Emily.

We need more information about Japanese students' education.

Help!

I heard someone say that Obama said he wants a six day school week. Who said that and where did they find it? It would be awesome for the negative!!!!!!!! I really really really really really really really really really really really really need that info!

Emilie

P.S. did I mention that I really really really really need that info?

The bus Miles and the bus transportation budget for last year!!

Hello!!
Okay so the Senator emailed me and said that the total miles traveled by Mount Vernon School District’s fifty-six buses for 2007-08 was 548,816. And that the budget for the 2008- 2009 school year was $2,358,817.

Just though someone might want it so there it is =]

HI

Hi everyone!! Can you send Emily or I some more good articles or post them on the blog.

Thanks Emily and Ariel

Emilie!!!!!

where did you get the kids are not safe walking home when it's dark??

Please tell me i realy need that information.

does anybody have any more info on childcare? please ...................... I NEED IT !

Thank You !

Rachel

I feel liken controdicting Emilie.
i am going to us all bright colors 4 this post.
hee hee ha ha Take that Emilie!!!
Can You read this Emilie??

Just kidding only a joke!!

Zoe

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 4:27 AM CDT4-day school week talked about in Iowa
The Associated Press DES MOINES — An increasing number of Iowa school officials want to shorten the school week to four days to reduce costs. The idea, which has caught on in other states, seems to have its biggest supporters in small districts, where enrollment has shrunk and budgets have been beaten by increasing fuel costs. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, school districts in 17 states operate on a four-day week. In most states where districts run on a four-day week, the length of the school day has increased from about 6½ hours to eight hours. Not everyone is sold on the idea of moving to longer days, four days a week. “I just think it would be too much for kids to stay focused long enough,” said Liz Henning a mother of two from Lehigh, which is in the Southeast Webster-Grand school district in northern Iowa. “I think five days is better.” While no formal study has been done in the U.S. on the effects of a shorter school week, officials in Arizona and Colorado say the shorter week has resulted in fewer absences by students and teachers. They also say it’s a good tool to recruit teachers. Districts in Arizona also report that change hasn’t affected student achievement, and that some districts have used the day off to offer tutoring students or teacher training. Heather Chikoore, a policy specialist with the National Conference of Legislatures, said state law gives districts the freedom to choose. According to the Southern Regional Education Association in Atlanta, schools in six states have moved to a four-day schedule in the past five years. Supporters in Iowa say the shorter school week could save tens of thousands of dollars. Officials in the Southeast Webster-Grand district discussed the option last week. Officials in the Davis County school district also are exploring the idea. Both districts have long bus routes, which are affected by rising fuel costs. “Being a rural district, we basically bus in 70 percent of our kids, so transportation is a big expense for us,” said Mike Jorgenson, superintendent of Southeast Webster-Grand. “Any time that we can shave 20 percent of our expenses in one of our larger expenditure categories, we have to take a look at it.” Officials with the Van Buren County school district also are interested and say they will ask state education officials for a waiver to the required school calendar, which says students should be in school at least 5½ hours a day and 180 days a year. Superintendent Karen Stinson said money isn’t the only reason. She said it would also allow students an extra day during the week to participate in job shadow programs, earn community college credit and other opportunities they may not have now. “We think we could do some really unique things,” Stinson said. Judy Jeffrey, director of the state education department, said she’s not sold on the four-day schedule. “There’s just a lot of pros and cons to it,” she said. “I think people have to think through all the implications, no just ’I need to save money on transportation.” Gov. Chet Culver also isn’t sure about the idea, said spokesman Troy Price. Price said Culver would want to “see evidence that it has maintained or improved educational excellence while actually saving energy costs.”

now i will write in bright colors!!!!!!

Please

has anybody found any information on kids who ride the buses for a long time that i could use to help me with my debate.

Please

Q. At what times does school begin and end?
A.
Japanese elementary and middle schools begin around eight thirty.
On Monday, at the beginning of each week, a morning assembly is held before classes begin. Everyone attends the fifteen-minute assembly, and the principal addresses the student body. On other days of the week this time is spent in making announcements and taking attendance in each classroom. After this, classes begin.
Each class lasts between 40 and 45 minutes in elementary school and 50 minutes in middle school. Students are given a 5- to 10-minute break between consecutive classes. During the morning hours there are four classes, and many elementary schools also include a 20-minute recess.
Lunch time starts at twelve thirty and lasts for about 40 minutes. At public schools, where school meals are provided, the students are responsible for carrying the meals to their classroom - where they eat - and serving portions, and for cleaning up afterwards.
After lunch it's time for recess, which is about 20 minutes long. Some schools use this time for cleaning the classrooms: The students move the desks and chairs to one side of the room, then broom and wipe the floor, clean the blackboard, and throw away the trash. Afternoon classes begin after the cleaning.
In lower elementary school classes are only in the mornings, and the children go home after lunch. But in upper elementary school and higher there are five classes each day; middle school students even attend six classes on some days of the week.
Elementary school students can choose from a wide variety of after-school clubs, which usually meet once a week. Through club activities the students have the opportunity to receive training in sports, or to deepen their understanding of subjects that interest them. Elementary school students in Japan usually leave school at around three o'clock.
Once the students enter middle school, though, extracurricular activities take on a bigger role: Some clubs meet several times a week, or even everyday, and on some days the students won't leave school until around five o'clock.
Photo courtesy of Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

OK

ok i'll stop.

Hey this has some good negative and afferimative!!!!!!! And a kittle of special ed. kids

AUGUSTA -- A four-day school week offers cash-strapped school districts the potential for savings but might harm special-needs students and school employees.
That's the message the Legislature's Education Committee heard Monday as school officials, a union official and a parent spoke on a bill that would allow districts more scheduling leeway.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford, said discussion about four-day school weeks picked up during the fall months of 2008 when heating oil prices increased to more than $4 per gallon.
While those prices have dropped, he said, school districts must still contend with cuts in aid from the state.
"There is going to be enormous pressure on school officials to be creative," said Millett, a former education commissioner. "This is just one tool, an arrow in the quiver, for them to think outside the box."
The bill would not impose a four-day week as the sole option for an alternative schedule.
Current law sets the school year's length at 175 days of instruction. Millett's bill would allow districts to offer an equivalent amount of instruction over a different time span.
Mark Eastman, superintendent of Oxford-based School Administrative District 17, said the scheduling alternative would work well in large, rural districts with high student transportation costs.
"In this mandate for consolidation, we're creating more large, rural school districts," Eastman said. "So I think that will broaden the appeal (of the bill)."
William Shuttleworth, superintendent of Bath-based Regional School Unit 1, estimated a district could save 4 percent of its budget instituting a four-day week.
"I don't take that lightly," he said.
The savings would come from eliminating or reducing student transportation one day a week and shutting down building operations an extra day, saving on heating costs.
The switch to a four-day week could also reduce some employees' hours and cut into their wages as a result, said Joe Stupak, director of collective bargaining research at the Maine Education Association, the state's teachers' union.
A bill allowing alternative school schedules could also provide for school system employees and their bargaining representatives to be involved in a district's scheduling decision, Stupak said.
Heidi Bowden, of Augusta, said a four-day school week would not work well for her daughter, who has autism. She worries that her daughter could not handle longer school days, and that she would struggle to readjust to school after three-day weekends.
"The alternative to you saving some money means my daughter has to suffer," Bowden told legislators.
"There are a lot of unanswered questions about this," Shuttleworth, the Bath superintendent, acknowledged.
A four-day week could complicate child-care arrangements and scheduling of athletic and extracurricular events, the superintendents agreed. And students could benefit from longer periods of instruction in some subjects while losing out from one day less of instruction in others, they said.
"Those problems will be addressed locally, where they belong," said Rep. Thomas Watson, D-Bath.
Discussions about four-day weeks are not new in Maine or elsewhere in the United States.
Seventeen states currently allow alternatives to five-day school schedules, Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron told legislators.
In the 1970s, a Waldo County school district piloted the four-day week in an effort to save money.
Matthew Stone --legislative panel debates pros and cons of a 4-day school week 1/27/08

Please Stop!

Please stop posting things in bright and different colors. It is really hard to read. If you would stop, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Emilie

Please Stop!

Secret Posts

Hannah is like typing a secret post, whenever i walk over she closes the window and says "what???"
So Hannah just post and tell me what's up???
Why keep it a secret???
Zoe

We need information

Please someone give me and Zoe some information on the kids sitting on the bus for a long time.

Question for Elli

I did try super hard!!!!

Question for Elli

Elli the matthew stone article i can't find it i searched and i can't so now how do i get that good aricle.

I found a little article its not much

I got it from ABC news so here it is:


Across the country, at least 17 states now have school districts that have switched to a four day school week. The days are longer, but come Friday students have no class.
For many districts it's about saving money. A school can save a great deal of money by dropping a day, especially what it spends on fuel for its buses. Proponents also argue that besides costs, a four day week provides parents and children with a free day for at home learning, activities and doctor's appointments. Then there are the parents and educators that feel a four day week is a terrible idea. There is not a great deal of research on how it effects learning. But many -- President Obama included -- argue children need more time in the classroom not less. They say it is a burden on working parents who will be forced to scramble for childcare.
Times are tough and schools are trying to figure out how navigate a recession. What are your thoughts on dropping a school day?

You can also tell us what websites are good to find this information.

Hey we need more information on how long the kids stay on the bus.If you have any please tell us.

Hannah and Renee that was so so rude what you said the debate is about respect so STOP IT!!!


thanks elli

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
They have to usually go 6 days a week and sometimes on Sunday too to work on projects. They have tons of homework and have shorter vacations than kids in the US. I don't mean a little shorter either. American school looks like a joke compared to school in Japan.
3 years ago
Report Abuse
Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:
thanks!!!!!

Those extra pounds Americans are carrying around are causing climate change. Considering eating more food requires more agriculture production and transportation costs, obese people are contributing to food shortages and higher energy prices, according to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “We are all becoming heavier and it is a global responsibility,” said Phil Edwards. “Obesity is a key part of the big picture.” 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are produced by agriculture.
Image: colros on Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Tweet This Post

Can You Imagine Your Kids Going to School 4 Days a Week?
Written by Jennifer Lance
Published on July 28th, 2008
11 Comments
Posted in Education
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In the summer, our school district’s central office moves to a 4-10 work week (4 days a week for 10 hours) to save energy and give employees longer weekends, an idea that originated during the 1970’s energy crisis. Some schools have tried a similar schedule during the school year, in which children go to school four days a week instead of five days. As a parent and a teacher, I like this idea in order to give familes personal time. As an environmentalist, it makes sense to cut down on energy use and transportation costs with such an alternative schedule.
Approximately 100 rural schools in the United States have adopted a four day a week school schedule, mostly to save fuel costs where buses travel up to 100 miles a day. Districts are reporting up to a ten percent savings on fuel and four percent savings on facilities energy use. I know from personal experience on our district’s budget committee that transportation is the largest expenditure in the entire budget (more than teacher’s salaries, etc.)
» See also: Boys And Girls: As Different as Cats and Dogs?
» Get Eco Child’s Play by RSS or sign up by email.
Saving fuel and energy is a great idea for strapped school districts, but states mandate the amount of minutes and sometimes days that children must attend school. A four day a week calendar means longer days for students to meet these minimum requirements. For the littlest ones, this is a concern from a developmental perspective. For oldest ones, the long day means not much is accomplished during the last hour of the day when fatigue and boredom set in.
In Custer, South Dakota, Superintendent Tim Creal says the school has saved an estimated one million dollars since they switched their calendar eight years ago. He believes children benefit, as they get more instructional time. In contrast, Lake Arthur School District went back to a five-day a week schedule after 12 years on the alternative calendar. Superintendent Michael Grossman says that two studies failed to show any academic improvement, because children were too tired by the end of the day. Other districts have demonstrated improved student attendance with a shorter week schedule.
I am not opposed to a longer school day if children are not assigned homework during the week. Homework has not been show to increase children’s learning, and if the school day was longer, there would be absolutely no time for this extra, busy work. Some parents have expressed concern for finding childcare on the fifth day when their child would normally be attending school, but as more businesses and states move to a four day work week, this will become a moot point. Of course, homeschooling may just be the most energy efficient way to educate your child.
Image: Freefoto
Related posts on education:
The Green Schools Act Will Lessen Your Child’s Carbon Footprint
No Child Left Inside Video
Can Schools Help Reduce Obesity Rates?
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Tags: Education, energy, four day week, homeschool, homework, transportation
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Boys And Girls: As Different as Cats and Dogs?
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Debate Article

West Glacier approves 4-day school week
By KRISTI ALBERTSON/Daily Inter Lake
Published: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 12:10 AM CDT
digg_url = "http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/05/06/news/local_montana/news_8758413504_03.txt";

Trustees also vote down proposal to start junior highStarting next fall, students and staff at West Glacier School will have Fridays off.The West Glacier board of trustees voted 2 to 1 to implement a four-day school week beginning next fall, Principal Cortni King said in an e-mail to the Inter Lake.
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The decision is a reversal of an April 21 vote, when the board voted against the proposal 2 to 1. At that time, trustees said they wanted more information about districts that may have gone back to a five-day school week after trying a four-day week.West Glacier originally began considering a four-day week as a possible way to save money, but actual savings would be negligible.The district could save about $700 in utilities and its custodial position — about 20 to 25 hours a week — would be cut by 20 percent, King said at the April meeting.Nationwide, about 100 schools operated on a four-day week. One-fifth of those are in Montana.Also at Tuesday's meeting, trustees voted 2 to 1 to not retain its seventh- and eighth-grade students.The district, which currently outsources its seventh- and eighth-graders to the neighboring Columbia Falls School District, had considered starting a junior-high program. The move would have brought West Glacier additional funding from the state.Trustees tabled the proposal at the April 21 meeting, stating they needed further information before voting. The board will not consider the proposal again at least until the 2009-2010 school year, King said.Further details about the meeting were not available at press time.
Also see:
[relatedheadlines:10]
//-->

Okay guys,

Does a ton of people really have more than 41 sheets? I mean, get real. Is this like a joke or something?

Okay guys.

hello

Hello fellow debaters in Ms. Vaughn's reading class or other people reading this blog! When you guys debated, who did you think won and why. Please tell me! And Hannah I already know about and so the same with Elli and Gabe(Hannah and I so beat you by a long run! we rule). Either leave a comment or make a post but I really want to know who the good debaters are so if we debate against them in the debate contest I know your weakness'.
Toodles, Renee

opening speeches

hey everyone,
how are all your opening speeches going?
Post back if you thin you won or lost the debate and who your oponent was.
By the way we so beat you Elli and Gabe

What about a six day school week?

From By Kyle EdwardsMN2020 Undergraduate Research Fellow. May 2, 2009. Minnesota is looking at going to the 4 day school week. Many there really don't like the idea. They are saying that THIS IS GOING BACKWARDS. We should be moving in the other direction. "While Barack Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan is pushing for six day school weeks to keep up with educational attainment of students from Europe and Asia, should Minnesota policymakers be forcing cuts and shorter school weeks on our students? Education needs to be given priority during this time of economic hardship, so we can come out on the other side more prosperous and innovative than ever. The alternative only leads to lagging educational attainment compared to the rest of the nation and the world. In a global economy, sputtering markets cannot result in education cuts." So these people are arguing that even if we save A LITTLE MONEY IN THE SHORT RUN, WE ARE LOSING MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.

Hello!!!!!

Okay so where is everyone?
I mean the last person who posted was Ms. Vaughn and that is just like really sad because Ms. Vaughn is not supposed to post that much and so if you guys won't post then that is just sad.
Emily Ronhar can type fast. She says that she spells her name: Emilie Ronhaar but I am the grammer genuis here and I say that her name is spelled Emily Ronhar. That is just better peoples. She also says that I am random but really the truth is I am just beautiful, cool and beautiful. That is just the truth and that is why Emily says that I am random. It is because she is jealous of my good looks.

Opening Attention Grabber

Don't forget you need an opener that grabs people's attention as you write your opening speeches. For the negative, I think it's best to focus on the fact that No Child Left Behind has been pushing kids to learn more, achieve more, work, work, work . . . And now you're saying, ah . . . nevermind . . . that's too expensive . . . You only need school 4 days a week?

What is the message we are sending to kids? Are they supposed to work harder and harder or are they supposed to have a three day weekend???

A few pieces of data

• Schools in Arkansas saved $40,000 per year by going to a 4 day school week. And student achievement increased! (The School Administrator, March 1999)
• Challis Elementary School in Challis, Idaho reports (according to Bruce Bradberry
  that the four day week has worked very well. These are: (a) there has been a great deal of public support for the four –day-week, (b) some money is saved through utilities, custodial and lunchroom hours and transportation, (c) student absences were greatly reduced, and (d) student instructional time has increased ISAT results
• Economic Benefits in Orofino School District
  1. There are savings made particularly in small schools on transportation, heating
  and substitute teachers. For instance, Orofino School District in Idaho made the
  following savings. The district saved $143,700
  • Non-certified staff $ 72,500
  • Substitute pay $ 25,054
  • Benefits $ 21,101
  • Custodial/utilities $ 9,032
  • Maintenance $ 181
  • Transportation $ 11,448
  4
  • Food service $ 4,350
  • TOTAL $143,666
  2. Transportation and food services can be cut as much as 20%. According to Bear
  Lake School District in Idaho, savings will be made in a four-day week because
  • Heat will be reduced to a minimum on the day they do not have school, i.e.,
  Friday.
  • Twenty percent less fuel is used in buses
  • Buses will not be purchased and repaired as often
  • Bus drivers will be needed and paid 20% less
  • Custodians will be needed and paid 20% less
  • Classroom aides will be cut between .5 and I1 hour weekly
  • Cafeteria worker time will be cut 20% but no savings will be realized by the
  district, because cafeterias are self funding.
• Other advantages found in Idaho
• 
  Instructional Time
  1. There are longer instructional time blocks for students. Students spend an average
  of 7.5 hours a day on instructional time. If Monday is a holiday then classes will
  be held on Friday or vice versa. Students do not loose instructional time.
  2. Teachers have more time to collaborate.
  3. There is a marked decrease in the frequency of teacher and student absenteeism.
  4. The fifth day can be used to attend to personal appointments, quality staff
  development, and sports schedules such as football games, and for special events
  such as field trips and homecoming and therefore there is no loss on instruction
  time due to conflicting schedules.
  5. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is no difference in academic performance
  between students in a four-day week and a five-day week.
  6. In rural schools, the model allows schools to keep art, music and other classes that
  would normally be eliminated where budgets cuts are experienced.
  7. Four day-weeks generally improve student morale as students are left with time to
  pursue their own interests outside the school.
  8. Decrease in disciplinary infractions.
  9. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is no difference in academic performance
  between students in a four-day week and a five-day week.

I'm finding that there isn't much in the way of actual data is there???

Posting

Hey all! Good work posting. I am going to be at a conference all day Tuesday and will have time to help so if anyone still has a question let me know!! I will try and answer it here.

Yes, Elli, I do read the blog. But I haven't really looked at it for a few days . . . I'll get caught up on it tomorrow!!! (Tuesday)

Nevermind!

I got another argument, so I don't need help anymore!

really good link

Coming subtractions in Washington offer a sobering preview for Oregon
by Bill Graves, The Oregonian
Thursday April 23, 2009, 9:45 PM
OLYMPIA -- As Washington leaders race to balance their state budget this week, looming cuts in schools and services offer Oregonians a preview of the hard choices and pain coming our way.
Federal stimulus money and a rainy-day savings account helps soften the blow, but Washington lawmakers have reached agreement on nearly $4 billion in cuts over the next two years.
Before they adjourn Sunday, legislators are expected to eliminate about 40,000 people from the state's health insurance plan, reduce enrollment at colleges and universities by 9,000 students and lay off as many as 4,300 state and university workers.
"This is the first session I've experienced in my 17 years where the stakeholders get it: They are not going to get raises, that they are going to get cuts, that we have an all-cuts budget," said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who helps write the budget as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Even so, Washington appears better positioned than Oregon to weather the recession.
Proposed cuts in Washington for 2009-11
• Public schools: About a $794 million cut, or about 5 percent, after federal stimulus dollars.
• Universities: Between 16.5 and 21.5 percent. State says the effect will be about a 7 percent reduction after a 28 percent tuition increase.
• Health care for low income: 43 to 64 percent cuts.
• Social and health services: 23 percent cut.
• Fallout: 3,500 to 4,300 state and university jobs, and hundreds to thousands of teacher jobs, increasing class sizes; university enrollment drops by 9,028 students and 40,000 adults are eliminated from state health insurance plan. The state has a stronger economy with better-paid workers, a lower jobless rate, a more diverse tax base and a flush $3.6 billion unemployment trust fund, among the nation's richest.
Washington voters also approved a 9.5-cent gas tax increase three years ago that helped raise $3.5 billion for 1,400 transportation projects that have become a job stimulus program.
Overall, Washington spends more per capita than Oregon, giving it more room to cut. Washington is trimming certain services and programs that Oregon doesn't even offer.
Bottom line: It's going to be worse in Oregon.
Washington relies on a sales tax for nearly 61 percent of its revenue and has no income tax. Oregon depends on the income tax for 86 percent of its money and has no sales tax. As Oregon unemployment climbs, lawmakers in Salem are waiting until May 15, when state economists predict how much money the state will get over the next two years.
Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature and the governor's office in both states and have similar political priorities.
If anyone comes out ahead in Washington's budget battle, it most likely will be children. Gov. Chris Gregoire put an emphasis on protecting children's health care, early childhood education and public schools in her budget.
Washington provides health insurance through Medicaid for 567,000 children from low-income families, which combines with private insurance to cover 95 percent of Washington's children. Oregon is trying to reach 95 percent coverage by proposing a tax on hospitals and insurance companies that would insure an additional 80,000 children.
Washington expanded its preschool program for low-income children by 38 percent over the last two years to 8,226 children, and the governor and legislators want to keep it that way.
Oregon nearly doubled its preschool program for poor children in the last two years to serve 6,389 children, but that progress is threatened by cuts.
Washington leaders are proposing to trim about 5 percent of the money spent on schools, which is far less than school cuts being considered in Oregon.
Washington legislators agreed to suspend voter initiatives that require class-size reductions and cost-of-living increases for public school and community college teachers.
The cuts will force districts to lay off teachers and increase class sizes, said Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association, which counts at least 800 teachers whose contracts won't be renewed this fall.
Won't cut school days
Washington will not eliminate school days, which is expected to happen in Oregon schools.
Washington leaders are making deep cuts in higher education. As a result, they likely will allow universities to raise tuition up to 28 percent over two years to help offset the reductions.
"We are going to have to accept raising tuition in a way we never would have anticipated," Gregoire said, "but it is better than closing the doors to higher education."
Still, the rising costs will take a toll. The university system is bracing for the loss of 9,000 student slots and thousands of jobs, said Bill Lyne, a Western Washington University English professor and president of the United Faculty of Washington State.
The University of Washington alone has announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs.
Washington lawmakers are proposing to trim Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes by about 5 percent, slice up to 25 percent of social services and cut by half the state's Basic Health Plan, which helps the working poor buy health insurance.
Washington Republicans criticize Democrats for relying too heavily on one-time stimulus and reserve money to balance the budget instead of making structural changes to trim state spending to a sustainable level. The crisis will be worse in two years, they predict.
"This is the time to be looking at innovation, creativity," said Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia.
Legislators have floated a variety of proposals to raise money, but Democrats don't have the two-thirds majority they need to raise taxes. So they would have to refer tax increases to voters.
One proposal would impose an income tax on people earning $250,000 or more. Washington residents, however, are as adamantly opposed to an income tax as Oregonians are to a sales tax.
"I see no appetite out there" for an income tax, Gregoire said.
Sales tax boost?Sales tax boost? The measure most likely to reach voters is a three-tenths of a percent increase to the 6.5 percent state sales tax for three years to backfill health care cuts.
In contrast, Oregon Democrats hold a super-majority in the House and Senate and can approve taxes on their own. However, Republicans and anti-tax activists vow to gather voter signatures to put any big tax increases on the ballot.
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and legislative leaders want to tax hospitals and insurers to leverage another $1 billion in federal matching money to expand health care for uninsured children and poor adults and increase Medicaid payments to hospitals.
In addition, they are looking at raising vehicle fees and fuel taxes to raise more federal matching money for job-producing transportation projects. They also are considering sin taxes, an income tax increase for the rich and higher corporate taxes.
But Kulongoski adds: "The magnitude of this is so large you cannot tax your way out of this. It is going to be a reduction of service"
Oregon, like Washington, will make protecting children and other vulnerable residents a top priority, said House Speaker Dave Hunt, but schools and universities can expect big hits.
Both Kulongoski and Gregoire say they want to take advantage of the crisis to reform government, restructure taxes and lead their states into a green economy fueled by alternative energy industries such as wind, solar and biofuels.
"I refuse to lose sight of what I came here to accomplish," Gregoire said. "We're not going to give up because we're in a crisis."
-- Bill Graves; billgraves@news.oregonian.com


~Elise

HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I need help like, desperately!! I can not find anything about if the four day week will make students sluggish. I either need 3 reds for that, or I need a new argument. Either way, I really really really really really really really really really really need help!!!!!!!!!
Emilie
P.S. Did I mention that I REALLY need help?

How many sheets does everyone have?

Hey Guys,
Just wondering how many sheets you guys have. I've got 13 and am working on them right now. I seem to have run out of sheets if that's possible. ( Did you see the stack of sheets Katie and I had?)

See ya,

Alli

P.S When will people start to post? No one has posted for a while and it's getting irksome.

When will Elise post that good article?

Hey Elise,
Just wondering when you'll post that good article.