Seattle Schools Community Forum

First up, the Department of Education has backed off - way off - on its "no money if you have DEI initiatives" due to a federal ruling last month.  The Education Department is NOT appealing the ruling. But the story below may hold what happens in the future on DEI.  From  Portland Public Broadcasting , Portland Public Schools' own initiative for Black students. Portland Public Schools is under a federal civil rights investigation for moving forward on a voter-approved effort to better support the district’s historically marginalized Black students. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights  announced this week  that it’s looking into allegations of race-based discrimination at PPS. The investigation is specifically tied to a complaint over the district’s effort to create a new learning facility formerly known as the Center for Black Student Excellence. The complaint , filed by the conservative education advocacy group Defending Education in Dece...

I hope you saw the joyful and wonderful Olympic performance of gold-medal winning figure skater, Alysa Liu. That she did it with a Donna Summer medley made a big smile appear on my face. I've been watching figure skating for a long time and I have almost never seen someone perform so loose and happy.  She's the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in 24 years. As well, Alysa became the first skater to win a gold medal in her 20s since a 24-year old Japanese skater in the 2006 Olympics.  Her athletic story is interesting as she won the U.S. title in 2019 when she was 13 (she's now 20). She was in the Beijing Games where she didn't medal and then she shocked everyone and "retired" at 16. She wanted sleepovers and more time with her family.  But slowly she made her way back and now has done herself proud. (I will say that in the 60 Minutes interview with her, it was shocking to hear her father say that he has probably spent about $500,000+ on her career. Most par...

  The first update on the Highly Capable program comes from something that happened at the last Seattle School Board meeting. At that meeting, there was a discussion about HC from the director, Dr. Paula Montgomery.  It has been astonishing to watch what the district is now doing ( after doing a near 180 on what HC looks like in SPS). They are keeping the cohort schools, both free-standing and within elementaries, AND will open cohorts in two elementaries - the newly remodeled Alki Elementary and the furthest south SPS elementary, Rainier View.  (Its building is old and small but they are on a 10-acre site. I'm also hearing that the principal is very dedicated. I would guess if the program takes hold, that RV Elementary will be on the next BEX list.) Those locations solve a long-standing issue of accessibility for students in West Seattle to a cohort AND having a cohort school in the southeast. It should save some money on transportation as the West Seattle HC students ha...

Monday is Presidents Day and so national parks will be offering free admission (any other services are still fee-based). I see this notation: Free entry is for U.S. citizens/residents;, beginning in 2026, fees are no longer waived for international visitors on these day. I'm not sure that the Trump regime's dislike of people from other countries is going to help tourism.    Speaking of tourism, a lot of chatter about FIFA moving World Cup matches out of the U.S . From The Los Angeles Times: What worries soccer officials, politicians and diplomats isn’t just ICE’s aggression. It’s also the mercurial and unpredictable actions of President Trump, who in the last month ordered the extraction of the president of Venezuela , threatened military action against Iran , fired on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, paused U.S. visa applications for citizens of 75 countries and insisted that the U.S. had to acquire Greenland.   “Seriously, can we imagine playing the World Cup in a c...

Agenda This was the first Board meeting for new superintendent, Ben Shuldiner.  Topp welcomed Superintendent Ben Shuldiner and noted his first 10 days included tragic deaths of students and a "beloved" l eader (I must have missed something).  She noted his school visits and handling a major event, the Seahawks victory  parade.  Superintendent Comments He thanked everyone from teachers to the Seattle community for being so welcoming. He offered condolences on the loss of the two students and called it " heartbreaking." Among his remarks: "All of our children matter, all of our children are our children." "Seattle is a pretty amazing city and I have visited over 20 schools." "Seattle Public Schools are great but we can be better."  He noted the huge budget deficit. He thanked the head of SEA as well as JSCEE staff.  He also stated he is a Jets fan but congratulated the Seahawks for their Super Bowl victory.  Student Board Members Student...

 From SPS: Dear SPS Families, Seattle is buzzing with excitement as we celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory! Moments like this bring our city together, spark pride across generations, and remind us of the power of shared experiences in our community. As the city plans celebrations, including a victory parade planned for Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m., we want families to know that  Seattle Public Schools will remain open with the normal early-release Wednesday schedule . Keeping schools open is an important part of maintaining stability, safety, and continuity for our students. For many families, schools provide not only learning, but also meals, transportation, specialized services, and trusted routines. Remaining open allows us to support students’ academic progress while ensuring essential services continue for those who rely on them. Please note: Attendance policies will remain in effect , and parade attendance will not be considered an excused absence. Famil...