Washington’s Preschool Program Praised as One of the Best in National Report

Seattle Times | John Higgins | June 29

“A new national report holds up Washington state’s 31-year-old preschool program for low-income families as one of the best in the country, weathering good economic times and bad without sacrificing quality. It points to recent studies that have shown that the percentage of kids ready for kindergarten after attending Washington’s program exceeds the state average and that the students’ improvement in reading and math persists through fifth grade. The authors say that’s one reason why Washington — along with Michigan, North Carolina and West Virginia — are examples other states should follow. The report was done by Learning Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank led by influential Stanford researcher Linda Darling-Hammond.” Read more.

Home Prices Rise 5% in April, but Increases are Slowing

USA Today | Athena Cao | June 28

“Single-family home prices notched at least a 5% annual rise to the sixth consecutive month in April, but the growth is slowing. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index showed home prices increased 5% in April compared to a year ago, down from a revised 5.1% rise in March. ..Portland, Seattle and Denver led the price gains among the 20 cities, but showed signs of slowing…Home prices in Seattle and Denver rose 10.7% and 9.5%, respectively, a modest easing from their previous pace.” Read more.

BMW’s ReachNow Car-Sharing Service Expands Service Area and Adds More Vehicles in Seattle

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | June 28

‘BMW’s car-sharing service continues to grow in Seattle. The car-maker announced today that ReachNow is both expanding to additional neighborhoods and adding an extra 150 vehicles to its fleet. This past April, BMW debuted the free-floating car-sharing program in Seattle and quickly saw traction, racking up more than 13,000 members in the first month. At launch, BMW placed 370 free-floating vehicles — a mix of BMW 328xi Series sedans, MINI Coopers, and the all-electric BMW i3 — around town, allowing people to get around from Point A to Point B within a “Home Area” that encompasses much of Seattle proper.” Read more.

New Coding Boot Camps to Start this Fall at Seattle Central College

Seattle Times | Katherine Long | June 28

“A new federal grant will bring coding boot camps to Seattle Central College aimed at people without college degrees. The grant also will bring apprenticeships and new degrees in a growing field called mechatronics to five other colleges as well…On Monday, Seattle Central College won a $3.8 million grant to help students take coding courses that result in paid apprenticeships in Seattle-area startup companies. The program is expected to reach more than 700 people over a four-year period, with a focus on unemployed people under 30.” Read more.

Seattle TechHire Program, Aimed at Expanding Tech Training, Receives $3.8M Grant

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | June 27

“Three months after being designated as a TechHire community, partners involved in the Seattle-King County program have been awarded a four-year, $3.8 million grant from the Department of Labor. The grants were part of $150 million released to 39 programs across the country on Monday. TechHire is a White House initiative aimed at equipping Americans with the skills they need to land jobs in the tech industry. Seattle committed to serving up to 2,000 candidates by 2020, with a focus on women, people of color, and formerly incarcerated individuals, the city’s Office of Economic Development said in a news release.” Read more.