Oh, fair hamlet to the North, your superintendent speaks music to my ears! Or writes, actually, in the Bellingham Herald. Yesterday, Kenneth Vedra, Supt. of Bellingham Schools, penned a terrific column in continued support of the State Board’s work to implement CORE 24 and increase state graduation requirements.

Writes Vedra, “Students should have a strong foundation in basic skills in order to retain the widest array of options after graduation whether the student goes to a four-year university, community college, or enters the workforce."

AND

“For naysayers who may wonder if the revised graduation requirements are unreasonably difficult for some students, let me share that in focus groups conducted by our district task force, students told us that they want to be held to a higher standard. Students desire - and deserve - to be challenged. Revising graduation requirements is about raising expectations and support for all students.”

I couldn’t have said it any better myself and, apparently, based on the recommendations of a district task force, Bellingham is already starting to implement key pieces of CORE 24. Way to go!

Hear that, legislature?