Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, October 1, 2012

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV:


BEX IV

I attended the BEX IV meeting at McClure last Thursday.  More on that in a moment.

Want to make your voice heard?  Write the BOARD.  Don't write the district, write the Board.  They will make the final choice.

Let me say that given the push from the Downtown Association, they have heard loud and clear from some of those folks.  (And, they have probably heard from the City Council and the Mayor as well.)  They need to hear from YOU.

Write them at schoolboard@seattleschools.org.

Now our friends at the Times printed an op-ed from a nice parent on Queen Anne/downtown.   I would gently say this woman gets a few things wrong but she is certainly entitled to her opinion.

I would say, though, that EVERY neighborhood should be entitled to ITS own op-ed to advocate for the schools in its region.  So here's the link to the Times' op-ed guidelines and I urge you to write for your 



Meet the Superintendent

This week the Superintendent brings his road show to Bryant Elementary School on Monday and to Concord International Elementary School on Tuesday.

Mr. Banda may say that he wants to listen to folks and get to know the District before he starts any new initiatives, but he will, in fact, be starting some. BEX IV is certainly a new initiative. He says that he will not be inactive, but continuing the work that is underway.

October 3, 2012 Board Meeting

The School Board will be meeting on Wednesday, October 3. The agenda is posted online and is full of pretty normal stuff.

The Board will vote on three action items: to update a fairly non-controversial policy about fair use and copyright, the change order for Fairmount Park, and the approval of the revised Creative Approach School MOU. Yes, this is the same Creative Approach School MOU that we were told could not possibly be revised this quickly and easily when the need for the revision was first raised. Funny, huh?

The introduction items are equally routine: a policy revision for actually tracking the District's assets, a contract for the new enterprise software for student information and gradebook, an administrative requirement for the E & O levy, a conditional certificate for one Teach for America corps member (only the second one this 

Seattle Schools Week of Oct. 1-6

Monday
Another of Superintendent Banda's Community meetings, this time at Bryant Elementary 3311 NE 60th Street from 6-7:30 p.m.

Director Peaslee Community meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Lake City Library, 12501 128th Ave NE

Tuesday
Superintendent Banda Community meeting, this time at Concord International,  723 South Concord Street from 6-7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
School Board meeting at 4:15 p.m.  Could I put in a plug here?  Please write to the Board and tell them that