Seattle Schools Community Forum:
Saturday Director Community Meetings
Seattle Schools Community Forum
The Confusion that is Africatown
Here are a couple of photos, all taken in the same room at the Mann Building, that show why some of us are confused about what the real mission is for Africatown. I do not know when they were written but they were left up during the press conference I attended. Mann as a "safe haven for radical thought" or an art space or a fashion academy or a "cannibis farmer's market".They
Saturday Director Community Meetings
Any reports back from either Director Carr or Director Smith-Blum's meetings?
Mann Building Update
The Latest:Based on information I got today at the BEX Oversight Committee meeting, I knew that it was likely that an attempt would be made to clear the Mann Building. I observed the building for a period of time late this afternoon. I saw several people stop and look at the still-locked gates including a construction truck and private electrician company truck. I saw no one come in or out of t
I Support Kellie LaRue's "Let's Hit the Pause Button" Approach
We are fortunate to have some really smart, savvy and qualified-to-speak parents like Kellie LaRue. She has written to the Board about the Growth Boundaries and below are her thoughts. I support them all.Yes, I know that there has been a lot of good, hard work on this effort. But because parents were not really included in the planning in a meaningful way, we are now at the point where people a
Postive Climate and Discipline Advisory Committee
The district is looking for new members for this committee. The deadline is November 15th.This might be a good time to talk about discipline issues in our schools. What have you seen at your school, good and bad, in how teachers and principals handle discipline issues? What do you think would help - more strategies, more cultural competencies, stricter discipline (if you think it is lax), unif
Downtown School Update
There continues to be discussion of a downtown elementary school. The Downtown Seattle Association has released a new feasibility study and it appears to lend support to the idea. Downtown is proving an increasingly desirable residential zone for families with children. There are not a lot of school-age children there - not enough to justify the creation of a school, but the number is growing quic
Friday Open Thread
Two Director Community meetings tomorrow:Director Carr from 8:30-10:30 am at Bethany Community ChurchDirector Smith-Blum from 10 am to 11:30 am at Douglass Truth LibraryRemember that commercial about pollution from the '70s with the Native American man surveying what pollution had done to the land? The one that ends with the tear down his cheek? Here's an inspiring video that I believe all childr
NOV 07
Pinehurst and Its Fate
At the Board meeting last night, the fate of the Pinehurst program was discussed.There was an Intro item on the agenda to end the program. Before I left the meeting, I was handed a sheet that outlined the idea of AS-1 and Indian Heritage joining together. It's a pretty thoughtful piece of work that would co-join the goals of both programs. (They want to be at Lincoln for the interim and them mo
Growth Boundary Amendments
I still have to get the whole Growth Boundaries discussion done (but other fires to put out).BUT, you need to know the following information from the Board comments (and other sources):- All amendments to the plan HAVE to be to Flip Herdon and Tracy Libros by tomorrow, Friday the 9th. That's so staff can research and vet each one. So, you will have to get your thinking cap on and get going.- App
Dale Estey Concedes to Peters
From Dale Estey's campaign page:Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Over the last several months I have had the tremendous honor of meeting with thousands of voters across the city and hearing their hopes and desires for high quality education for all of Seattle’s kids. It has been an inspiring and overall fun adventure. I have learned a great deal from hardworking educators and leaders throughout t
Seattle Schools Latest Enrollment Figures Released
Here you go - I haven't looked through these but please do so and give us your thoughts.
Photos from Last Night's Meeting
As I get all my writing together for my upcoming threads, I thought you'd want to see some photos from last night's jumpin' Board meeting. I want to thank and credit all the children who came and, to a kid, were well-behaved and attentive. I felt for them when one woman went off; I'm sure it was quite shocking to young kids but that is civics. The latest from Mann; gate closed and chained with t
From the Live Blog thread, The Mission of this Blog
A lot of discussion arose in the live blog thread about the nature of this blog and the needs of the community. This blog can be the place for people to connect all across the District. If you have a thread that you would like us to start, then you are free to suggest it. We get a lot of such requests and typically fulfill them. There are open discussions twice a week. Please let us know how we ca
NOV 06
Peters Expands Her Lead
Update from 8:30 pm ballot drop:Peters - 52.03% 50,381Dale Estey 47.67% 46,157Peters is now up by 4,224 votes.I think this is pretty much done but it's up to Dale Estey to concede.End of update.Latest results from KC Elections:Peters - 51.78% 46,949Dale Estey 47.90% 43,430Peters is now up by over 3500 votes. About 27.50% of the ballots have been counted.
Live Blogging from Board Meeting
Always tough on my iPad but here goes. Room is filling up. I see people from Wedgwood, likely Mann building supporters, and Kimball Elementary (about walk zones and feeder boundaries to middle school).People are smiling but I wonder how long that will last.Sorry, too hard to keep up and think about what is being said. I will try to get something up tonight after I leave the meeting.
Do Feeder Patterns Make Gerrymandered Boundaries (the Crazy-Quilt Effect)?
Discuss among yourselves if this basic change might make the entire Enrollment plan better (Libros says her life would be easier) or should just be used for high school.
KUOW Vets the Charter Applicants - Not Quite the Quality 1240 Promised
I guess hope springs eternal for some charter school operators. Or they don't think anyone will check their backgrounds (and to those I say, welcome to Washington State). Over at KUOW, they DID check.But a KUOW analysis found that the six established out-of-state charter organizations that hope to open schools here are failing to consistently meet state standards where they operate. Pioneer You
The Showdown Tonight
Update: The Superintendent has asked that the Mann Building item be pulled from the agenda. I'm not sure if I'm glad or sad but I do know it's not good. I suspect that the Mann building is NOT cleared so there may be some other news about this in the next couple of days. Whether the Superintendent goes forward with these leases or not, he still needs to clear that building. End of UpdateBetw
NOV 05
Peters and Blanford Ahead; Patu Retains Seat
Update: the next tally of numbers will come at 4:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, the 6th.From King County Elections:District IV:Sue Peters: 51.46% - 39,177 votesSuzanne Dale Estey - 48.18% - 36,676 Write-in - 0.36% - 273 votesDistrict V:Stephan Blanford - 87.60% - 64,540 votesLaCrese Green - 11.93% - 8788 votesWrite-in - 0.47% - 344 votes District VII:Betty Patu: 98.49% - 586,889Write-in - 1.51% - 87
Testing News Nationwide
There have been a number of articles coming across my desk about opting out of standardized testing.One group, that I believe I have mentioned before, is United Opt Out. Their mission statement:We opt out of high stakes testing and resist all market-based reforms seeking to privatize and destroy public education.They have some great stories and resources at their website. The resources include:
Open Thread for Those Attending Neighborhood Growth Boundary Meetings
I have received word that there were several neighborhood boundary meetings last night for Wedgwood/Eckstein and Hamilton. It's unclear who organized them.If you attended, perhaps you could give us feedback.
Seattle Schools' Academies Recognized for Excellence
A BIG congratulations and hats off to Ballard High's Academy of Finance, Franklin High's Academy of Finance and Chief Sealth International High's Academy of Finance and Academy of Hospitality and Tourism for their award from the National Academy Foundation as "Model Academies."From SPS Communications:The high schools' three programs are supported by the District's Career and Technical Ed
Tuesday Open Thread
From Publicola:Ballot returns for tomorrow's off-year mayoral election are coming in lower than expected, according to King County Elections spokeswoman Kim van Eckstrom, who estimates that "about 250,000 ballots have been returned" as of this morning (that's about 40,000 more than you'll currently see on King County's official elections web site, which only reflects returns through Frid
NOV 04
Teens and Significant Other Relationships
I recently became aware of a serious issue with teenagers and their relationships called breakup violence. I learned more about it via a CBS show "48 Hours" (mostly about murders) and this one was about a "beautiful" high school couple. She was the petite, smart girl with the football boyfriend. But, their senior year, he became more and more possessive and controlling. Sh
Advanced Learning Taskforce Meeting Schedule
I couldn't find it at the website but Interim Supervisor Stephen Martin was kind enough to send it to me with an updated link to find all the information on this group easily. ADVANCED LEARNING 2013-2014 TASK FORCE MEETINGS - Revised SCHEDULEDate Time Room 10/10/2013 10:00 - 11:00 am 2700 10/23/2013 10:00 - 11:30 am 2776 11/5/2013 10:00 - 11:30 am 2776 11/19/2013 10:00 - 11:30 am 2778 12/3/2013 1
FYI, About Seattle Public Libraries
Seattle Public Libraries has decided that it's okay to carry a firearm into our public libraries. Just like it's okay to view hard-core porn in the libraries as well. From KUOW:The library’s board reversed its long-standing rule banning firearms after reviewing a state Supreme Court ruling last year allowing firearms in parks and community spaces. Marilynne Gardner, the library’s chief financial
Think You're Proud When Your Kid Gets a Good Grade?
This dad couldn't be prouder. From The Washington Post's The Answer Sheet:Here’s a video that went viral showing a father in Britain reacting strongly when he learned that his son had gotten a ‘C’ in math — which is a passing grade — after first flunking it.The dad is Farnoosh Shahrokhshahi and it was his son, Aria, who set up a camera just before he told his dad about his grade and posted the v
NOV 03
Staff Puts the Hard Decision on the Board about Mann Building
District staff have put the the Action Report for Intro/Action at Wednesday's Board meeting for the "Approval of lease of space to Africatown Center for Education & Innovation."I have NEVER read such a disjointed and ridiculous Action Report - with no less than six question marks. There should never be question marks in an Action Report. The staff either knows or doesn't know the
Seattle School Board Races: A New Low?
Honestly, I don't get it. Why is Suzanne Dale Estey running such a negative campaign? A new mailer has come out has come out that tops them all. (Apparently, some people have received this but, if they sent it citywide, some of you may not see it until Monday or Tuesday.)It is a flyer that uses an illustration created FOR No on 1240. It very clearly has a sticker with No on 1240 and says it acro
Seattle Council PTSA Asking for Input on Growth Boundaries Planning Process
From the SCPTSA:Dear PTA Leaders, Members, and ParentsSeattle Council PTSA is conducting a survey to measure awareness of the Seattle Public School (SPS) Growth Boundary Planning process. The link to take the survey is below. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete, but please complete the entire survey. At the end of the survey there is an opportunity for you to provide additional feedbac
Seattle Schools This Week
Monday, November 4thCurriculum&Instruction Board committee meeting from 4-6 p.m. Agenda. Items of note: Policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs and Services, Special Education Comprehensive Correction Action Plan, CTE, Student Assignment, Math Adoption Progress ReportTuesday, November 5thElection Day - get those ballots postmarked today!Road Map to College: application event for seniors.
NOV 02
You Be the Director: What Would Your Amendment Be?
I had a request for a thread on Board Director amendments. I say the SCPTSA and the SPED PTA should join together and get all the local PTAs to say no to this morass of a mess. But I don't think even the "go-slow" idea will get much traction. Here's the thing. Past experience shows that there is a fair amount of horsing trading among Directors when these big changes come along. Most D
Growth Boundaries Announced (Round Three) - Bound for Glory or Bound for Unhappiness?
(Note: readers started commenting on this at the Friday Open Thread. I had thought to try to transfer their comments to this new thread but was unable to do so. I created a new thread as to make this huge issue, front and center here.)From SPS:The recommendations below go to the Board on November 6 for action on November 20. (The information from previous proposals is now obsolete.)Two Types of