Maybe all this is of interest only to education insiders but there's more today on Washington state's potential for scoring more education stimulus money from the Obama Administration.

In addition to the cash already doled out, the administration set aside $5.3 billion worth of carrots to states that start reforming their schools. The feds want new data systems to measure student progress, systems to make sure each classroom has a competent teacher trained in the subject matter, adoption of high standards and a plan to turn around the lowest performing schools. Obama also wants states to offer charter schools as an option to traditional schools.

A complex set of application criteria is coming out of Washington, D.C. and education officials are trying gauge whether their states will make the cut.

Gov. Chris Gregoire said earlier in the summer that Washington hasn't done enough yet to be eligible. While passage of House Bill 2261 was a good start, much of the reform work is yet to be done.

Then the League of Education Voters issued a report saying the state has done plenty toward reforms and should apply. That caused state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to issue a statement saying that he has always intended to apply for money.

Here's his statement:

From: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Re: Race to the Top money

A recent editorial by The Everett Herald as well as a report by the League of Education Voters might have created some confusion that I want to clear up.

Washington will be applying for Race to the Top money.
The exact requirements needed to receive the money have yet to be announced. But, as I’ve said many times before, we are confident about our chances based on what we’ve heard from the U.S. Department of Education.

While Washington voters have said no to charter schools, this state features many schools that are similar to the charter school philosophy, such as Aviation High School in Des Moines and the Tacoma School of The Arts. We have a system in National Board Certification that is more popular every year and rewards teachers for additional work. Our new data system tracks students by year and by class, our standards are top-notch and our assessment system is one just a dozen fully approved by the federal government.

Second, there is no penalty for applying. We’ve been told that all applications will be reviewed carefully, and applicants will be informed of where they fell short if they don’t receive money in the first round.

The application is due in the fall. When we have more details, we’ll make them available to you.

Which is the opposite of what Gov. Chris Gregoire has said.

Race to the Top is the special $5.3 billion pot of money set aside by the Obama Administration to encourage states to reform their education systems. Gregoire has said she doubts the state would be eligible because it hasn't met many of the criteria set up – making sure each classroom has a competent teacher, improving achievement in low-performing schools, having a good data collection system to measure results, offering charter schools.

Gregoire said perhaps the state would be ready for a second round of funding if the next session of the Legislature acts on some of these issues.

But a report by The League of Education Voters asserts that the state meet minimum eligibility and should apply for funds now.

"In the wake of the WASL and AYP results announced last week showing flat scores and little progress in closing the achievement gap, Washington State needs this funding more than ever to improve our schools and increase student achievement," LEV said in a statement. "And despite some rumors to the contrary, Washington does meet the minimum application eligibility requirements for the Race to the Top Fund. A bold application would make Washington a legitimate contender for this funding, which would give a much-needed boost to the state's education system."

"While almost every other state in the nation is discussing how to compete in the Race to the Top, Washington State seems to be engaged in a Race to the Sidelines," said Chris Korsmo, executive director of the league.

Pearse Edwards, communications and external relations director for Gov. Chris Gregoire, is trading in Gregoire for North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Edwards just dropped by the office in person to say he's leaving in early September. If he didn't set the record for tenure as a governor's spokesperson, he came close. His tenure was 19 months.

"It's an an opportunity to go home and be close to family," Edwards said. "And to give back to the state that gave me so much when I was growing up."

(Polished professionals learn to talk that way.)

Gregoire's office combined the two jobs of communications director and external relations, so not only was Edwards the main spokesperson for the governor he also oversaw her constituent relations staff.

The Guv has liaison folks in Vancouver, Pierce County Eastern Washington and King County-and-north.

Edwards said The Guv's office will be advertising for a replacement for him "soon."

(No. I won't be applying for the job. Nor will I be going after the chief of staff job that is opening up with the departure of Cindy Zehnder.)

Former state Sen. Jeralita Costa, a Snohomish County Democrat, has been hired for $57,240 a year to become an advocate for female inmates who are victims of staff sexual misconduct.

This job was created by the state Department of Corrections as part of a deal with some inmates at Purdy who said they were assaulted.

I wrote a story about this a couple years ago, but I'll have to look it up in the TNT library. Also, I recall getting a couple e-mails during or right after this past legislative session about the deal that had been struck by lawyers for the Purdy inmates and DOC, but I was swamped at the time.

I'll see if I can find those, too.

UPDATE: (3:38 p.m.) I'm having trouble with the link I wanted to post to a Seattle Times story that Jennifer Sullivan wrote and which ran in The News Tribune in late June about a settlement. The state settled for $1 million. Later, perhaps.

And from DOC:

DOC Appoints Jeralita Costa to Victim Advocate Post

OLYMPIA – The Department of Corrections has selected a long-time advocate and former state legislator to provide advocacy services for female offenders in women’s prison facilities who are victims of staff sexual misconduct.

Jeralita “Jeri” Costa will serve as the agency’s Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Victim Advocate, a position that was established as part of a stipulated agreement between DOC and plaintiffs in a 2007 class action lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct by agency staff.

=> Read more!

Cindy Zehnder, chief of staff for Gov. Chris Gregoire for the past two years, just called to say she is stepping down from that job.

(Actually, she called me 50 minutes ago, but she said the news was embargoed until 12:30 p.m. today because she and The Guv are going to announce it to Gregoire's cabinet at their meeting during the lunch hour.)

Zehnder said she and the governor are talking about the possibility of moving elsewhere in Gregoire's administration, so she might not be going far.

If you recall, former DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams moved from that post to the head of Gregoire's policy shop not too long ago.

UPDATE: Here's what her boss had to say:

Gregoire’s statement on chief of staff departure

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today released the following statement on Cindy Zehnder leaving as chief of staff:
“It is bittersweet to hear of Cindy’s announcement to pursue other opportunities. Her gracious strength is something I admire and will greatly miss. In her tenure as chief of staff, she has supported me and led this team through two very difficult legislative sessions, multiple natural emergencies, and a deluge of every day matters that required constant diligence.
“Given these accomplishments and around the clock commitment, I understand now is the time for change. I wish Cindy extraordinary happiness in her next endeavor.”

I think Zehnder was in the top echelon of cabinet salaries at about $163,000, although hers was not a cabinet post, per se.

Zehnder used to be president of Television Washington. I found the original news release that announced her appointment to the chief of staff job, which appears below.

=> Read more!

Christopher Liu sent an e-mail to inform others of his decision to leave the agency, and it was kindly forwarded to the TNT.

Liu's salary in April 2008 was $120,000 or so. Still is, according to The Guv's budget office. (The state salary schedule that usually comes out on Jan. 31 of odd-numbered years still is under production at the governor's budget office. And I'm trying to get it so we can post it on our Web page.)

To all,
The start of the fiscal year is often a time to reflect back as well as look ahead. With that in mind, I’d like to draw your attention to the amazing work this Lottery team has done in just the short time since I’ve been lucky enough to join the agency. I have set very high goals and the Lottery team has worked hard—together--to accomplish those goals, which include strengthening our relationship with retailers to provide the best possible business advice and make a case for other local businesses which may be interested in selling lottery products. We’ve diligently worked to grow relationships with the Legislature.

=> Read more!

Sharon Foster will be chairwoman of the Washington State Liquor Control Board, although the chairmanship isn't the appointment plum that it used to be. It's a 60 percent board, so the pay is in the $50,000+ instead of $70,000+

Gov. Gregoire appointments of Sharon Foster as Liquor Control Board chair

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today appointed Sharon Foster of Olympia as new chair of the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Sharon will start on August 15, 2009.

“I am incredibly pleased that Sharon is taking on this leadership role at the Liquor Control Board,” said Gregoire. “I know that she will serve the people of Washington well from this position.”

=> Read more!

I missed this morning's meeting of GMAP (Government Management Accountability and Performance). It was at 8:30 a.m. and I guess I don't check the governor's Web site often enough.

But others were there.

Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Council has this post today.

It's worth reading. There are some good tidbits.

This just in from the National Conference of State Legislatures:

Our former governor, Gary Locke, who is now U.S. Commerce Secretary, will be the featured speaker tomorrow at the Legislative Summit in Philadelphia. He'll be talking about the "next steps" in the economic recovery plan to about 5,000 legislators and staffers.

Locke, as many of you know, used to be one of them. He was the consummate budget wonk when he was a legislator from Seattle.

State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee, will be in the audience. Not sure how many other Washington state folks are there. I think the state House and Senate stopped paying for that kind of travel, although they would pay for registration. And some Washington legislators could be traveling on their own or with the help of another "sponsor."

White House Brings Message to State Legislators
Commerce Secretary to discuss trade, 2010 Census, smart grid

PHILADELPHIA – In just the first six months of the new administration, the White House has worked with state legislatures to address the most pressing issues affecting states—budget shortfalls, rising unemployment, increased Medicaid enrollment and a rise in welfare case loads. In February, President Barack Obama signed the sweeping $787 billion stimulus package that provided much-needed assistance to states.

Now, state lawmakers attending the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Legislative Summit in Philadelphia will hear an update on Thursday from Washington on the next steps for economic recovery from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.

=> Read more!

The creation of "green" jobs was all the rage over the past session.

There's a lot of flexibility in defining green. For instance, an electrician can be green, if he or she knows how to install solar panels.

There's much more detail on the issue at this link.

Here is a link to the Washington Policy Center posting.

Our former colleague over at the state election HQ, Dave Ammons, sends us a heads-up about the status of Referendum 71. The folks who are trying to force a vote on the expansion of gay rights in Washington (in the hope voters will overturn what the Democratic majority in the Legislature and Gov. Chris Gregoire did this past spring) say they want to turn in their signatures on Saturday afternoon.

As Ammons notes, we don't know yet whether they have enough to win a spot on the ballot. Saturday is the deadline for collecting 120,000-plus valid signatures.

FYI: Sponsors of Referendum 71, the challenge to the “everything but marriage” domestic partnership bill, SB5688, have requested an appointment for 2 p.m. Saturday to bring in their petitions. They did not mention how many signatures they have in hand as of now, or how many they expect to bring in. To secure a ballot spot will require 120,577 valid voter signatures (4 percent of last year’s vote for governor). Election officials suggest referendum sponsors also submit a 25 percent pad to offset any invalid signatures – or about 150,000 total.

http://blogs.secstate.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2009/07/r-71-sponsors-plan-saturday-signature-turn-in/

=> Read more!

Austin Jenkins of Northwest Public Radio put in a request for public records on travel to see how the "ban" was working.

The Guv's original ban expired, then the Legislature imposed its own travel ban for a while, but that one expired June 30. Exceptions were allowed for critical stuff.

Now, state agency travel is limited by their lower budgets: If they think they can afford it, they do.)

Here is Austin's piece.