Seattle Schools Community Forum:
Seattle Schools Community Forum
Friday Open Thread
Wedgwood teacher, Kelly Clark, has been given the 2014 Civic Educator of the Year Award. From Rep Gerry Pollet's office: The award is sponsored by the Washington State Legislature to honor outstanding instructors in civics education. Other SPS honorees:• Lori Dunn, program manager for Physical Education and Health Literacy, will be presented a Fellow for Professional Excellence at a convention
FEB 27
Finding Solutions: Where is the Leadership?
This issue of homes for Cascade and NW Center Kids is but one of the first capital dominoes to fall. The new 2014-2015 budget reflects that the growth isn't quite what the district expected. At this point, that doesn't matter.The district simply does not have the capacity for the students who continue to pour in. There will be more dominoes and the number and speed at which they fall will onl
Seattle Education - This and That
From two area PTSAs:We are proud to announce the Seattle Council PTSA Board and Northshore Council PTSA Board, which represents the PTA's in Woodinville, Bothell and Kenmore, have endorsed I-594. Join these parents and teachers to help make our schools and state safer for Washington families by endorsing 594 today: http://bit.ly/1hbXVd6This is the measure for background checks for guns. So I wa
FEB 26
Off to Austin for the Network for Public Education Conference
I am so excited to be attending this new conference. It will be great to meet other education writers and bloggers from around the country. The keynote speakers will be Diane Ravich and the head of the Chicago teachers union, Karen Lewis.Los Angeles special education teacher Vincent Precht will be carrying the conference on his channel here, at SchoolhouseLive.orgThe conference will begin at 8:3
District Puts Forth What is Likely Final Position on Cascade/NW Center
I attended a meeting today at the Cascade Parent Partnership school at Wilson-Pacific. The meeting was called by Superintendent Banda who was in attendance as was Facilities chief Flip Herdon and NE Ex. Director Kim Whitworth. The school had just finished a spelling bee and there were plenty of parents and students in attendance. I hadn't been to Wilson-Pacific in awhile. What a pit. There is
Boycott Common Core Assessments: Some Seattle Schools' Teachers Say Yes
The Stranger has an article (which I am in) about Common Core. I actually didn't know that the main thrust of it was about some Seattle Schools' teachers who plan to boycott the Common Core assessments. It seems to me like the same wolf in different sheep's clothing. How could we not boycott that?" says one longtime high-school teacher. "We objected to the MAP test because we didn't kn
Waiting to Hear from Advanced Learning? Good Luck
A reader sent in the latest info from the AL webpage:If you sent an appeal to the correct address, you may assume that it has been received and filed. We do not have the resources to send individual receipts. Our office is currently swamped with emails and phone messages which would normally be answered by the same people who are scheduling and conducting assessments, making eligibility decisions
On Switching High School/Elementary Start Times
From School Start Later-Seattle:As a brief update, the school board approved transportation standards for next year that will move us to a 3-tier system in order to save approximately $3 million. It was impossible to get the school board to consider putting secondary schools in the later tiers and elementaries in the earlier tiers.The good news is that Sharon Peaslee, board president has introduc
FEB 25
Tuesday Open Thread
More opt-outs of testing, this time at a school in Chicago where 300 parents have opted their children out. In an article from Catalyst Chicago, one superintendent sent a letter to parents telling them why they shouldn't opt their children out. One interesting note - they use the MAP test for screening AL but they have a much lower threshold than SPS.The letter also for the first time makes clea
Seattle Channel's Families&Education Levy Series
This series on Seattle Channel (21) premieres tonight. From Seattle Channel:The five-part series premieres tonight; chronicles levy programs to increase student success in school.www.seattlechannel.org/OurCityOurSchoolsSEATTLE – Since 1990, Seattle voters have approved a property-tax levy every seven years to support children and their families in the city’s public schools. The goal of the city-c
Arne Duncan Weighs in On Student Data Privacy
Arne Duncan spoke at a public education summit yesterday put on by Common Sense Media.From Ed Week:The event came in the midst of a recent flurry of student data privacy-related activity. In addition to the non-binding federal guidelines, expected to be made public Tuesday afternoon, a leading technology trade group released recommendations on the issue; major state legislation on the issue was pr
Great Thoughts from a Smart Guy
You know, there are some really smart people out there thinking about public education and public discourse. I wish more people would read their writings. It's people like Trish Millines Dziko who runs TAF Academy. (FYI, they are having STEM Day camps during Spring Break.) Vu Le, who is the Executive Director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association, is another one. He has the blog, Non-Profi
FEB 24
Youth Drug Summit
From Town Hall:Youth Drug Summit: Keeping Kids Safe in Changing TimesWednesday, Feb. 26th Town Hall $5 - 1119 Eighth AvenueDoors open at 6:30 pm with main event at 7:30 pmThe legalization of marijuana in Washington State has real implications for parents and kids. What are current teen attitudes about drug use and accessibility? How will things change when legal marijuana shops are open for busine
Northwest Center and Cascade - What Will SPS Do?
I am in receipt of an e-mail sent out to the Board, the Superintendent, the Seattle City Council, Mayor Murray and a few others in leadership. It is about a meeting about NW Center. It includes no wording about Cascade nor does it invite any of Cascade's leadership.It is from a NW Center parent; I am checking to see if this has been done through NW Center. I find that sad because NW Center seems
Student Data Privacy Debate
It's heating up.There was a great debate on Here and Now on NPR between Mary Fox-Alter, superintendent of schools in Pleasantville, N.Y., and Aimee Rogstad Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign (and note, DQC is a Gates group).A hugely important article appeared in the NY Times about a California legislator who is introducing a student data privacy bill. Who can truly argue with
Seattle IS Growing (It's Not Your Imagination)
The Seattle Times is reporting that, for the first time in 100 years, Seattle is growing faster than the suburbs that surround it. During 2011-2012, Seattle's population outpaced King County's by 25%. Seattle is the 8th fastest growing city in the U.S. of the 50 largest cities (Austin, Texas is number one).So was this - as the district's freelance demographic consultant said a couple of years bac
Seattle Schools Open Enrollment Starts Today
Enrollment page.Page that has EVERY form. I have to say this all looks very involved so read carefully and good luck. 2014–15 School Choice FormsPre-K (South Shore Only)KindergartenElementaryMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolEnrollment Information Line: 06-252-0410 Transportation Office: 206-252-0900 SPS Service Center and Bilingual Assistance: 206-252-0760 From SPS:Here's how the Open Enrollment p
FEB 23
The Shooting at Chardon High
An important story about a football coach who went above and beyond, not just one day but for all the days that followed when a shooting happened at his high school. A great piece from 60 Minutes.I will note - again - that in all the (sadly) multiple stories about school shootings that I have yet to read one where teachers or staff did NOT protect the students in the building. All the stories I
Seattle Schools This Week
Back to work.As one reader reported, the dates for school year 2014-2015 are up. One of the earlier last-day-of-school dates in recent memory, June 15, 2015.Tomorrow, Monday the 24th, starts the two-week Open Enrollment period. I expect to see JSCEE jam-packed this week (and I would advise getting there early). Info here. Unfortunately, the "choice" form for those who want an alterna
FEB 22
Rainier Beach and Basketball Greatness
Interesting story from The Classical (an independent sports website) about Rainier Beach High School and its history of basketball dominance.Locally, it's known as the best place to get Vietnamese food. It is perhaps less well known as an astonishingly fertile cradle of basketball talent, although it's that, too. This is a place that has produced more current NBA players than just about any other
All and All Your Kid is Just....
Another brick in (the data) wall.