Farewell to Summit K-12, 1977-2009

Following is the letter I have just sent to the Board, the Superintendent, and the Summit K-12 community:

I have had the honor of being Chair of the Summit K-12 Parent Group this year. Thank you, Summit, for the 9 years you have been in our lives, and to all the Summit staff, past and present, for giving of your best to my children. As it is the last day, I wish to thank the entire Summit community for pulling together to make this last year a good one for our children, and to take a moment to write some words to the Board, too, about our experience.

My children and their friends - along with all of the Summit K-12 family that consists of teachers, parents, staff, students and alumni - have been grieving in various stages since September of 2008. The first grief was that which comes with knowing a move is pending. This was all too quickly followed by the grief that accompanies a loss - particularly a loss that could easily have been prevented. Unfortunately, insult was recently added to injury, and that has created yet another kind of grief - one accompanied by a great anger.

Had the District been content with closing our school, we could have dealt with that, and we were, regardless of the pain. I am appalled and disgusted, not to mention outraged, at the barbaric treatment we have all received at the hands of the current Superintendent and Board of Directors. Sending contractors and/or officials through the halls with blueprints during school hours is rude and insensitive, although potentially understandable. A "muck board" out front is also potentially understandable, if any attempt to communicate with the school were made. However, it was completely unnecessary, not to mention cruel and unusual, to start working on changing the building before the end of the school year. There was absolutely no need to paint out the name Summit K-12 on our building before the graduation ceremonies of the final weeks of school.

I'm guessing that the acts have simply been thoughtless...and perhaps it says a lot about me and my willingness to forgive injustices directed at me that I can even think that. I know many of the other folks I've spoken with about this feel that this is a deliberate act on the part of the District to attempt to erase our community. Here is one description that I wrote elsewhere:

It's hitting me this week that this is the last week of our school. We're dissolving the Parent Group, supporting our children and the staff as best as we can, and grieving all at the same time as we're trying to plan for the coming year.

The District has already painted over the name on our school...before the moving up ceremonies for our kids. They've also placed a muck board out front and had people with blueprints roaming the halls determining what will change before we're even out of the building. The overwhelming opinion I've heard so far is that the social Neanderthals downtown never did care about our school, and they wish they'd shut the only K-12 public school in Washington down years ago.

Our esteemed co-Treasurer of the Parent Group wrote a most excellent piece which has been widely distributed through the Summit community, particularly to each of the children this past week. I am including it here, as it gives a very clear picture of what has happened and the pure strength and resiliency which our community embodies.
Behold the dandelion, that most common of garden weeds. It is scorned and shunned. Its unwelcome arrival in the uniform, green lawn is greeted with poison and pulling. All too often, when the gardener is successful, the result is an inhospitable circle of brown earth. The grass, tenacious in its own right, seems unwilling to occupy the space once held by such a formidable foe. This battle is not fought for safety. Rather, it is about evenness, uniformity and control.

But let us look carefully at this much maligned plant. Physicians of old believed it had healing powers and used it to control fever and clean sores. The leaves are edible, the flowers are used to make wine, and the root, when dried and crushed, is used to make tea. It is exceedingly hardy, growing almost anywhere, even in the cracks in the sidewalk. Once it takes root, there is almost nothing that can kill it.

So here you are, the last students of Summit K-12. You have been treated like dandelions. Your school does not fit the uniform, green lawn of education. You sprout up, bright flowers standing out against a sea of conformity. Those who think they have control have yanked you out of the ground and blown your seeds away on the winds. What I ask of you now, is to
be dandelions.

Be tenacious. Sink your roots deep and don’t give up easily. Be a force for healing. Use the knowledge you have gained in hardship to help others. Be useful. Follow your passions and strive to make the world a better place.

Behold the dandelion, that most wondrous of garden weeds.

Kevin Cain
Summit Parent Group co-Treasurer


Is change needed? Always, else we run the risk of stagnating in our own hubris.

Is change pleasant? Rarely - even good changes are stressful.

Can change be eagerly accepted by those about to experience it? Absolutely. Without question, if the stakeholders are engaged in the decisions, change can not only be accepted, but welcomed with open arms. Also without question, change is rarely eagerly accepted when the stakeholders are railroaded into it. Civil wars have been known to start with tyranny.

If I were a Director on this Board, I would be ashamed of myself and feel the need to either tender my resignation or pull myself up by my bootstraps and do the right thing, which is to be strong for all of the kids and be an advocate for them and truly fight to ensure the best practices in their education, especially in planning ahead rather than reacting to the current situation, whatever that may be at any given moment. I would also be highly skeptical of anything the District administrative staff had to say to me, as they've consistently presented information that shows them in the best light rather than being accurate, as evidenced by their conflicting reports on capacity in the NE cluster in the past 6 months, not to mention the excuse of "It's too hard to get a cost-effective program for a new computer that will work a million times better than the VAX computers we currently have, and that's why we've not upgraded even though we've been talking about it for over 5 years."

One last suggestion for the Board - given the Recession along with the Seattle-wide disgust for the current Superintendent, if you were to cut her salary and slash the administrative staff in favor of rehiring all of the teachers that have been "RIFed," you might regain a slim margin of trust from the people. And that's my own opinion.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

My best wishes that all have a good summer break, and that everyone who has been adversely affected by these changes may "be a dandelion" and bring healing to the world.

Peace,
Sabia Becerra
Chair, Summit K-12 Parent Group

Comments

dan dempsey said…
In hind sight given the current capacity situation, Summit k-12 may have been killed because the Superintendent is all for uniformity.

Scott Oki's book "Outrageous Learning" definitely supports schools like Summit.

MG-J is for "Outrageous Uniformity" which is the death of learning for many. She wants mega schools which are killers of community.

Welcome to "Future Shock" and "1984" Goodloe-Johnson style.

Does anything need to make sense or will studies and research shows be good enough to pawn off this garbage on the populace?

Vote Mas ... a vote for sanity .. in an increasingly insane district.
dan dempsey said…
Oh please do not ever use the phrase "Best Practices" most of these can not withstand rigorous scrutiny. These are sham excuses to manipulate thinking.

Next time you hear "research shows" or "Best Practices" ask for proof.... rarely is there more than a thin veneer if that ... more blatant faking.

NMAP exposed the blatant faking of "Best Practices" in spades in regard to math. I doubt it is much different in other content areas etc.
Shannon said…
I am sad to see the end of Summit and its community and have known a number of families who found it a perfect fit for themselves and their kids.

Still, I wish we didn't have to revert to characterizations that undermine other school choices.

If we didn't choose Summit does that mean we chose uniformity and conformity for our kids? I certainly did not.

We each see learning through a different lens and I see differences in style and approach in the various SPS schools we have considered.

The children outside alts are not fresh mown lawn.
Anonymous said…
Shannon--

He wasn't talking to you. He was trying to give inspiration to a bunch of kids who got a raw deal.
Chris S. said…
Kids outside alts are not fresh mown lawn -- yet.
Charlie Mas said…
Closing Summit was stupid and pointless.
SolvayGirl said…
Charlie...
Unless the point was, as Dan noted so well, to create "outrageous uniformity" at SPS.

Closing Summit is just one of the things SPS has done that has scared our family away from The Center School (or even NOVA) and, consequently, SPS at all for high school.
dan dempsey said…
I meant no offense to those not choosing alts. Seattle has schools where one size fits many and that is a good thing.

If you read "Outrageous Learning" you will encounter many thoughts that are 180 degrees opposed to the MG-J line.

Mr. Oki on Tuesday talked about the need for a Million-Mom March and the impossibility of making uniform decisions for the good of all from the third floor of the JSCEE. For a non-educator .. he got a lot correct.

He has some great ideas .. and of course some not so great. AW but what do I know.
GiGi said…
I’m not advocating the closing of Alt schools, but rather than strengthening alternative education in a few schools in Seattle, I’d much rather see the best parts of Alt education incorporated into all schools – that is, I’d like to eliminate the need for independently housed Alt school.

Think of a school like Salmon Bay which is very popular with a long waiting list. Ballard (lovely as it is) is really not convenient to most north-end parents. What is it about Salmon Bay that they like so much and why can’t that be replicated at Olympic Hills or BF Day?

My biggest concern about Alt schools (and again, this isn’t calling for their closure, it’s just stating a point of view) is that those parents are regularly more involved than the general parent population. Wouldn’t it be great if a larger community (especially at-risk kids whose parents are less involved with their education) could benefit from that involvement?

I think we can agree that all kids – whether attending a traditional neighborhood school, alt school, or highly capable school are individual flowers that deserve to be cultivated. I hope that the Alt-school kids and parents who have been displaced by these unfortunate closures will work to make sure that all the little plants (dandelions or grass) get what they need out of school.
dan dempsey said…
GiGi,

Your thinking parallels Mr. Oki's thinking.

He wants School Principals to have greater autonomy and more control of budget. He wants each school to have its own board of directors to assist guide and support the principal as well as increase school identity and involvement.

Given the way JSCEE alienates the public it is pretty hard to muster support for education from many folks. A new structure is needed.
------------
Off track comment ... but if I was in the SPS teaching ... I would have a really hard time with MG-J getting a performace bonus for increased learning when that increase happened due to the efforts of students, parents, and teachers .... NOT MG-J (more likely inspite of MG-J).
dan dempsey said…
We need a POST for Cleveland STEM option now. There is no point in allowing further capacity mis-management this year.

There is much to say about what is proposed for Cleveland.
dan dempsey said…
Charlie said:
Closing Summit was stupid and pointless.

So how much money is saved when existing schools are closed so that moth-balled schools need to be opened?

This is not capacity management this is the department for the creation of Psychological Trauma.

When the strategic plan can not even be followed, what are the chances anything this crew does makes sense?

There must be massive laughter in Charleston these days. This is pretty much as advertized and was predicted by the Blog "Newsless Courier" in Charleston two years ago.

The SPS continues to fail in examining track records in making decisions .. all together now: But the SPS makes informed data based decisions and there is full accountability .. oh yes oh yes dueWop dueWop shoe-bee shoe-bee due.
suep. said…
Is there any way for Summit to be resurrected as a cooperative school somehow, somewhere, run by parents and the vested community?

After watching closely what has gone on in SPS this past year, it seems to me that all of us could run our schools better than this District does.

Parent-run schools -- how about that concept?

And parent-run school districts.

And do we really need a 'superintendent'? (Especially an overpaid, out-of-town, corporate trained short-termer.)

Or school board? (Especially an ineffective one that doesn't vote in accordance with the will of its constituents -- the parents -- and has a majority of members whose election campaigns were funded by business interests to the tune of a disturbing and unprecedented $400,000.)

Something to think about.
seattle citizen said…
gavroche,
If you want "public" education, you need the board, the super, etc. That's how that funding works.

I have heard that the "community school" concept might have a chance: It works as a city/district collaboration, where the city identifies services it would like to offer in the community, and meshes that with a school, I suppose a school affiliated with SPS, or through the state.
Sort of like a charter without the union-busting: the school would be staffed by district employees.

Sort of like how alts were formed lo, those many years ago.

The hitch is that, as Charlie has pointed out, while there IS a process for proposing new programs, it's has to to get the OK of the board (and/or super?) It seems like they just ain't in that business anymore.
I believe there is board policy that shows the way to request a new program, but forget which one it is, off hand.

If the city were to partner on the request, you might see some action, but then again, while the city talks a mean talk about the district, it a) doesn't have a heck of a lot of pull; what influence it does have, I suppose, is garnered by give and take, by quid pro quo as it emerges in discussions between the city and SPS. The city might be disinclined to "poke" the district by proposing a new program. But maybe it IS so inclined...
Elizabeth W said…
on 6/19/09 at 2:15 PM GiGi said...

I’m not advocating the closing of Alt schools, but rather than strengthening alternative education in a few schools in Seattle, I’d much rather see the best parts of Alt education incorporated into all schools – that is, I’d like to eliminate the need for independently housed Alt school.

...

If we do that, where will we get the next set of new ideas for continued improvement of education in the mainstream schools?

Having separate alternative schools as part of the system is an important resource for generating and evaluating new educational techniques. If you roll today's "best of alt" techniques into the mainstream, and take away independent alternatives, you may well temporarily improve mainstream education. You will also be creating an educational monoculture. Where will you then turn for the next round of fresh ideas?

Not every alternative thrives or has good results. If we are going to try some educational experiments, we need to be able to risk enough that we may fail. Furthermore, if there is an increased risk of failure, no child or family should be at such a school unless they choose to take on that risk. That virtually requires separate opt-in alternatives.

...


My biggest concern about Alt schools (and again, this isn’t calling for their closure, it’s just stating a point of view) is that those parents are regularly more involved than the general parent population. Wouldn’t it be great if a larger community (especially at-risk kids whose parents are less involved with their education) could benefit from that involvement?

...

I really don't know how to respond to this sentiment. Do you think alternative schools draw the more volunteer-minded parents away from other schools? That's certainly not the case for my family. We are more involved because the program at our school resonates with us and inspires us and because they value and make use of the kind of volunteering we enjoy doing.



...

I think we can agree that all kids – whether attending a traditional neighborhood school, alt school, or highly capable school are individual flowers that deserve to be cultivated. I hope that the Alt-school kids and parents who have been displaced by these unfortunate closures will work to make sure that all the little plants (dandelions or grass) get what they need out of school.

...

I'm sure they will. However, at the moment they need time to grieve. I don't think they should be expected to immediately shoulder a responsibility to support their new schools with more fervor than the families already there.

Furthermore, quite a few of those "dandelions" don't yet know whether they're going to be asked to lie flat and hide their yellowness. You've asked the "Alt-school kids and parents" to step up to the plate and tend to the needs of all children. Will you not also ask the traditional school parents to do the same for all children?
dan dempsey said…
Seattle Citizen said:
"If you want "public" education, you need the board, the super, etc. That's how that funding works."

I think the Oki model has a definite chance and would turn all this in a different direction.

Think France 1789.
Charlie Mas said…
There are now a number of closed buildings around the district. They include McDonald, Viewlands, Sand Point, Cedar Park, TT Minor, E C Hughes, Fairmount Park, Genessee Hill, John Marshall, Lincoln, Boren, Columbia, Van Asselt, Mann, and I'm sure some I've forgotten.

What's to say that one of these dandelion seeds doesn't land in one of these buildings?

Using the internet, a non-geographic community can be assembled that can pledge enrollment at a new alternative school - or schools - in one of these buildings. Then that community can put forward a Program Placement proposal in the fall.

Although the District refused/failed to properly consider program placement proposals this year, they may be sufficiently chastised about it that they actually do it next year.

If you can meet their secret criteria for approving a program, you should be able to get one approved for 2010-2011.

I think that you would have to demonstrate sufficient demand for the service and, perhaps, a little funding to get it started. Are there progressive educational organizations that might be willing to put some money behind their ideals?

Then, send a copy of the Program Placement Proposal to the Board and the media and everyone you can think of. Don't let the Program Placement Committee kill it through neglect. Make it a high profile matter that they will have to address honestly and openly. While you're at it, you can remind the Board and the media of how dishonest and secretive the Program Placement process has been in Seattle. That might provide the juice for the story that will get it into the press. Tell everyone that you're not worried about the success of the program or worried about having the support necessary to make it work, but that you are only worried about the Program Placement Committee killing it out of their spite and incompetence.

Then again, maybe you can catch more flies with honey.

In any case, finish mourning for Summit and then get up, dust yourself off, and try again.
SolvayGirl said…
Back to Summitt...

Did anyone else see the very sad news piece on KING/KONG last night?

Evidently, the District is planning on storing the steel drums used by Smmmit's terrific band. Only problem is, the majority of the drums do NOT belong to the District. It's just another cruel nail in Summitt's coffin.
Here's the piece:

By CHRIS INGALLS / KING 5 News |
SEATTLE - Seattle Police were called to Summit K-12 today by parents and staff involved in a dispute over who owns the school's extensive collection of musical instruments.

A group of parents, along with the school's musical director Michael Shantz, say they loaned to the Seattle School District many of the musical instruments that the students have used over the years.

Summit's last day of class was today and it's one of a handful of schools the district is closing for good for cost-cutting reasons.

The parents' group and Shantz say the district won't let them take the instruments that are rightfully theirs. Today they brought documentation to school officials to prove ownership of the steel drums, guitars and other instruments. They called police when the school's principal refused to let them take the 40 or so instruments out of the school.

KING

Summit K-12 is closing for good for cost-cutting reasons.

Four Seattle police officers responded, but left after about 30 minutes, telling the musical teacher and parents that their complaint was a civil matter. The parents' group has an attorney and is deciding whether to file a lawsuit.

Shantz says he doesn't want the district to lock the instruments away and not use them. He wants to use the instruments for a musical education program that is not connected to the school district.

A school district spokesperson says several people have made claims to the instruments and it is trying to sort out who the instruments belong to. He says the district may also claim ownership of the some of the instruments.

Drummers like Andrew Kauffman wonder if the instruments are headed for storage, since the district has shuttered its unique music program at Summit.

"It would be horrible," said Kauffman, a student. "These are wonderful instruments. They make beautiful music and there's no reason they should be locked up."

WV: aingist — we "aingist" foolin' around here; the District seems to have a heart of stone.
Wow. You'd think the district would have gone over this in advance with the school and its leadership. This is not the kind of thing that should be happening in the last days of school. I wonder how many kids saw this. If the parents have documentation they bought the instruments and the principal cannot prove they were gifts to Summit (meaning the district now owns them), the district should just back off and let them go.
MoneyPenny said…
I heard it 4 or 5 different groups/people are claiming to own the drums, and that the people at the school yesterday don't actually have anything that supports thier claims, though another person does and hired an attorney to make sure that Shantz and others didn't take away what isn't thiers.
Sahila said…
AS#1 was offered the drums but we dont have anywhere to store them in our very small building, or play them without distracting all the classes in the nearby rooms...

And we would have had to use $18K of our $37K budget to pay for the music teacher to come and teach our kids how to play them...

We were saddened that we couldnt make the equation work...

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