Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Pro-Charter Forces Now over $8M

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Pro-Charter Forces Now over $8M:


Pro-Charter Forces Now over $8M

Kind of takes your breath away.  Of course, it isn't like the donors are any big surprise.  There's:

Bill Gates - he's thrown in another $2M (he's at about $3M but that doesn't count the money he threw to get 1240 on the ballot)

Alice Walton (of Wal-Mart) - must really love charters in Arkansas and Texas because she put in another $1.1M (that makes about $1.7M altogether)

A U.S. congressman from Colorado, Jared Polis

DeShaw - --> "a global investment and technology development firm"

An interesting couple, Anne Dinning and Michael Wolf, from NYC who have helped create Turnaround for Children, a non-profit that helps low-performing schools with high-needs students (wonder if they help all those low-performing charters).  What's interesting is here's 

BEX IV Update

From Superintendent Banda today:


·         Arbor Heights Elementary: Replace existing building with new/expanded facility by 2019. The school will be at an interim site starting in 2017. We understand the building is in need of replacement, but we will not have enough cash flow from levy funding to move this project up within BEX. However, we will analyze the pros and cons of other funding options to hopefully start this work sooner.

·         Bagley Elementary: Modernize and build an addition by 2020.

·         Fairmount Park building: Open this existing building with necessary upgrades, add classrooms and a