in today's education headlines

1. Kent teachers defy court order; continue strike. (There's no Becca Bill for teachers.)

2. Obama urges all children to assimilate into the Borg.

3. An instrumental version of "Ave Maria" breaches the wall of separation, apparently.

Happy school year, everybody.

(Oh, and one more: Washington's doomsayers predict swine flu for a third of us.)

strikes and lawsuits and swine flu...

...add your own "Oh my."

The school year commences in Washington state with a strike in the Kent district...

More than 1,000 striking teachers packed the picket line outside Kent School District headquarters Friday to let everyone know about their unhappiness with contract talks.

With only two days left to work out an agreement before school is supposed to start, striking teachers from every school in the Kent district showed up for the rally.

"We feel very put against the wall, painted into a corner - very disrespected that the district wasn't willing to bargain," says teacher Pat Deming.

Meanwhile, the Teamsters did a drive-by of support for the teachers' demands from the district as some teachers shouted, "Class size! Class size! Class size!"

(And read Ryan's take for some criticism of a critic; Lake Stevens is striking, too; at least Shoreline seems to have avoided the worst.)

...and a court date for the NEWS lawsuit...

Right in the middle of a recession that has created the worst atmosphere for school budgeting in decades, a coalition of Washington school districts, parents, teachers and community groups is going to court Monday to demand that the state start paying the full cost of education.

Attorneys for both sides say the economy will have little or no influence on the outcome of the non-jury trail, scheduled to begin on the first day of the school year for many district and to continue for six weeks of testimony in King County Superior Court before Judge John Erlick.

School districts have been struggling economically for decades, so while the recession makes things worse it doesn't make them different, said Mike Blair, chair of the group calling itself Network for Excellence in Washington Schools.

...and, of course, a potentially deadly flu strain.

Yay?

swine flu predictions worsen; is your school ready?

Word from a White House report says that 50% of Americans could contract H1N1 this coming autumn.

The virus, clinically called H1N1, could cause symptoms in 60 million to 120 million people, more than half of whom might seek medical attention, and could peak before a vaccine is widely available, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology estimated in an 86-page report assessing the government's response to the first influenza pandemic in 41 years.

Although most cases probably would be mild, up to 300,000 people could require intensive care, which could tie up all those beds in some parts of the country at the peak of the outbreak, the council said.

If it gets that bad, you know that schools will be hit hard. Education Secretary Arne Duncan offers recommendations:

Duncan said schools should evaluate what materials they have available for at-home learning. The latest guidance provides more details on methods schools could use, such as distributing recorded classes on podcasts and DVDs; creating take-home packets with up to 12 weeks of printed class material; or holding live classes via conference calls or "webinars."

Federal officials said earlier this month schools should close only as a last resort. They also advised that students and teachers can return to school or work 24 hours after their fever is gone; the old advice was to stay home for a week. The virus prompted more than 700 schools to temporarily close last spring.

Online school: a solution that was evident back in April--or sooner, for some.

Upodate 8/29: Some 200 students at Washington State University have reported sick, many potentially with swine flu. In a pattern we're seeing across the country, the flu seems to strike within a week or two of the start of classes.

swine flu headed here, for reals?

A week ago, I wondered if/when swine flu was going to hit the South Sound. The nearest purported case, in Lakewood, turned out to be a bust. Maybe this one will, too:

Thurston County likely has its first reported case of swine flu, according to the county's Health & Social Services Department.

The case involved a 31-year-old man who was sick with Influenza A; tests have not yet confirmed that it was swine flu. Most Influenza A cases end up being confirmed as swine flu by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the health department.

The man since has recovered.

“This confirms what we already knew; that Swine Flu H1N1 is present in Thurston County” Sherri McDonald, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services director, said in a news release.

Well, only if that "most" includes this instance. I'll wait for confirmation before extending my weekend.

swine flu headed for the Sound?

Have to start wondering if/when the swine flu outbreak will finally reach the South Sound. Lakes High School in the nearby Clover Park School District is closed today, due to fears of potential H1N1 case.

It's the sixth school in the Puget Sound area to close as a precaution against the spread of swine flu. Three others are in Seattle, one in Des Moines and one in Mukilteo.

As long as I have cable internet, a staycation won't be so bad.

Update: It wasn't swine flu, the News Tribune reports.

Friday night, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced that additional tests from the state health lab showed that while the students remain hospitalized with influenza, it’s not the swine flu strain.

That's one thing being lost in the swine flu shuffle: non-swine varieties can be just as pernicious.

Here's hoping that's the last we hear of swine flu this close to the South Sound.