OLYMPIA, Wash. – Last week, the Washington State House of Representatives approved House Bill 1674, sponsored by Representative Skyler Rude (R-Walla Walla). The bill replaces the term “alternative with “personalized” in statute when referencing programs that allow students to fulfill public education requirements outside the traditional classroom.

Rude said the change is intended to remove the stigma attached with the term “alternative.”

“Names matter. The term ‘alternative’ signals to students who participate in these courses that what they’re doing is ‘different,’ and that can sometimes make...