Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Time's Westneat Speaks Out on Advanced Learning/HCC

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Time's Westneat Speaks Out on Advanced Learning/HCC

Seattle Time's Westneat Speaks Out on Advanced Learning/HCC

From KNKX's Ashley Gross on yesterday's Curriculum&Instruction Board committee meeting discussion on Advanced Learning:

The Seattle school district’s proposal to change how it serves academically advanced students hit a roadblock Tuesday, after two school board directors voiced concerns in a committee meeting and chose not to advance a draft policy district leaders had put forward.

Board director Rick Burke said he was concerned that the district pushed ahead with the proposed change before an advanced learning task force of community members finished its work.

“We want our district to operate in a collaborative space. I’ve heard that from our superintendent. I’ve heard that from our board. I feel that myself,” Burke said. “And I do not believe that we’re in a collaborative space on this particular policy.”

Burke and Scott Pinkham, another board director, said they would not support moving the policy change out of the curriculum and instruction policy committee.

“Looking at what I’ve been hearing from the community, they feel that this still needs more work,” Pinkham said. “The people of color on the committee felt that their ideas weren’t included.

The mystery to me is why the district - of its own accord and direction - decided to take nearly two years for the Advanced Learning Taskforce to do its CONTINUE READING: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Time's Westneat Speaks Out on Advanced Learning/HCC

The Times on Math and Ethnic Studies


Like many times when SPS either tried to roll something out without clear communication OR when something gets out too soon and the district has to rush to explain, the Math rubric for Ethnic Studies is one of them.  And that brings us to the Seattle Times' story on that issue.


(I do plan to ring up OSPI and ask them why it was there in the first place.  Readers have said that is no longer the case.)

As background, if you have never read comments at the Seattle Times on public education stories, brace yourself. It's not always coherent or kind but it is a gauge of the public pulse outside of SPS and school communities.  Right now, there are nearly 600 comments which is huge.

Of interest:

Other states, including Vermont, Oregon and California, are already creating K-12 materials that prioritize the experiences of communities of color. But while some school districts are only building stand-alone ethnic-studies classes, Seattle is also rethinking existing courses to be taught through an anti-racist lens.

This "anti-racist lens" will come from the "anti-racist" policy currently being drafted by Director Jill Geary.

Two things struck me about the article.

One, is that, once again on a topic where the Times has a stand, they create a puff piece.  There is almost no discussion with any single person or expert. CONTINUE READING: The Times on Math and Ethnic Studies