Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Asking for Input on Family Survey

Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Asking for Input on Family Survey:

SPS Asking for Input on Family Survey

SPS is working on the Family Survey and are considering some new questions to add to it.  They would like your input but please get this back to them by the end of this week. 

Send feedback to  research@seattleschools.org

I applaud the district in asking for this input.   


My input is that I find some questions quite broad (see first section #1).  Is it the district's job to prepare a child "for the future?"  I'd like to see that kind of language tightened up to "to continue onto a career path and/or higher education?" 

Same section #5 - I'd add "fair and equitable" to make sure that discipline is meted out in similar ways.

Same section #6 - I'd have to know what a "supportive academic environment" looks like because I think different parents would have different ideas in their mind.

Under Parent/Family Knowledge and Confidence, #23, I'd add "I know special Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Asking for Input on Family Survey:





Demography Talk 

The talk by SPS demographer, Dr. Natasha Rivers, on January 29th didn't have much new information.  She stated that there are links to her reports at the SPS page on demography.

To note:

- the district is definitely working with the City on housing trends

- she stated that the district had thought they would grow by 1,000 students as they had in previous years but only gained 336.  That number seems much lower than I recall from the fall.

- fun fact: the average age for new mothers in Seattle is 32 and for fathers it's 35. 

- the growth in SPS is not equally scattered.  Most of the growth is in the NE/NW, some in the Central area but down somewhat in the SW and especially down in the SE.

- The district hired a local firm, Integrated Economics, that has a fairly sketchywebsite to do a housing study.  I'll have to ask for a copy of this document.  Naturally, this is to track how development affects enrollment, track cycles, and "using this as alternative to augment estimation models fro enrollment at the Demography Talk