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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, January 18, 2009 WASL's successor looks a lot like WASL by Jerry Cornfield Herald Columnist Randy Dorn pledged to toss out the WASL if elected to run Washington's public schools. He won the job of superintendent of public instruction. He's ready to make good on his promise. Wednesday he'll reveal details of an extreme makeover of the exam, beginning with a new name because, as he says, "WASL" is kryptonite. Questions will be fewer in number, shorter in length and able to be answered and scored on a computer in his blueprint. His goal is to have students spend less time taking it, teachers spend less time giving it and the state spend less money on it. If he gets his way, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, as we know it, would be gone by the spring of 2010. On Thursday, Dorn briefed Gov. Chris Gregoire and she supported the concepts he presented. To keep her on his side, two things can't change – students must have their knowledge rigorously tested and they must be required to pass the new incarnation in order to graduate from high school. Which raises the political question: If it looks like the WASL, sounds like the WASL, reads like the WASL and counts like the WASL, isn't it the WASL? A close examination of the economic stimulus package released by Gregoire this week could lead one to think there is nothing to stimulate in Snohomish County. In nine pages covering $800 million in proposed projects, funds are targeted for only two projects in the county: $300,000 to clean up a contaminated former gas station site in Darrington and $2 million for replacing "cable feeders, switches and transformers" in a "failing primary distribution system." No other projects at area colleges, in the communities or on the roads met the "ready to go" criteria used in compiling the list, according to the governor's budget office. That should be concerning to elected leaders in the county and the cities. Congress is going to approve a national stimulus package. Federal lawmakers and President-elect Barack Obama will require many of the dollars be poured only into projects they consider "shovel ready." Unless planners sharpen their pencils, this area will get shut out again and politicians will have some explaining to do. When it comes to filling key leadership spots in the Democratic and Republican parties, it's two down and two to go. Snohomish County Republicans have tapped Jim Kellett to be chairman of the county party, while Democrats have chosen Bill Phillips as their party leader. Next weekend, the men who run the state parties face re-election. Republicans will gather in Tukwila, where they should easily re-elect Luke Esser as chairman. Democrats will gather in Olympia on Saturday for what will be a bit spicier duel. Chairman Dwight Pelz faces a challenge from Mark Hintz, the former head of the Snohomish County Democratic Party. Political reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

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