Tuesday Open Thread

Have at it.

Comments

Charlie Mas said…
I got this in the email:

Take action against classroom over-enrollment

Madison is experiencing a critical issue and needs you to get involved. As some of you know, Madison's enrollment is higher than expected and some class sizes are over 40 students (max is 32). According to Dr. Gary, enrollment numbers will not be finalized and funds allocation will not be determined until after Oct. 1. The school administration and teachers have requested that members of the Madison community reach out and email Superintendent Banda, demanding funds be allocated to our school to hire more teachers as soon as possible. Send your emails — passionately and often — to StartOfSchool@SeattleSchools.org.
Anonymous said…
It seems to be happening all over WA state. My friend in Vancouver, her son can't get into an Algebra II class in high school because the two classes are already at 40 students. Sounds like it is time to add a third.

HP
Anonymous said…
Is there any information floating around about what will be presented at tonight's Growth Boundary working session?

-Curious
Anonymous said…
West Seattle Blog tweeted yesterday that boundary info is embargoed until today at 4pm. Look for news to be posted on the Seattle Times and other news outlets around then.

Ann D.
Anonymous said…
Congratulations to Nathan Hale's own radio station!

Nathan Hale's KNHC C89.5 named 'Best Dance Station' at national radio conference
Sept. 17, 2013 | Audience: Families, Community, Staff | Contact: Communications Phone: (206) 252-0200

Radio station KNHC C89.5 FM, operated primarily by students at Nathan Hale High School, won the Crystal Trophy for "Best Dance Station" in the country during a national radio conference last month.

KNHC C89.5 won the prestigous award over entries from major commercial stations, including stations in the Clear Channel group and Sirrius XM. KNHC had been nominated several times over the years, but never had won until this year.

The Promo Only Summer Sesssions was held August 11-13 at Revel hotel and casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

Congratulations to Jon McDaniel, Program Director, and the student music staff at C89.5!

HP
Anonymous said…
Is SPS considering extending its deadline for waitlists past Sept 30?

Given the very late start enrollment services had in making moves, this would seem to be a reasonable option. Any idea on whether it's something that's being discussed?

And...if not...any suggestions for the best way to get this suggestion considered?
Anonymous said…
Growth Boundaries presentation documents are available:

Presentation
Handout

- Read/Weep
Anonymous said…
Ann D - thanks for the plug but remember we are a news outlet as well. Veteran journalist-owned, journalist-operated, national-award-winning. Anyway, we are doing "as it happens" coverage - albeit with a West Seattle skew - on our site right now. I have the maps and am adding a few more doc links. The info was embargoed until 4:30 pm but those who were here in person got a sneak peek several minutes before that. - Tracy
Jamie said…
Are high school current boundaries staying the same? I don't see those anywhere.
Anonymous said…
This assumes that Pinehurst K-8 program will be closed. The building will be demolished in summer 2014 to allow for construciton of a new 660 seat building to house Jane Addams K-8. option school The existing Pinehurst K-8 program is significantly more expensive than other option programs, and staff has not identified any viable alternative locations to move the program.

I'm not familiar with their program but from reading here Pinehurst has a devoted following.


Ann D
Zella917 said…
I've been pouring over the new boundaries presentation and I'm surprised at how it shakes out in terms of adding elementaries feeding into Hamilton. And if JSIS and McDonald are options schools, does that then mean they don't feed into Hamilton any more? And if not where do they go? (And if they're still all going to Hamilton, I wonder how all the kids will fit, even without APP . . . )
Zella917 said…
Adding to my last comment; the Wilson-Pacific vs. Hamilton boundaries are not at all what I expected. We live almost across the street from Wilson-Pacific, but on the other side of 99, so it looks like my 3rd grade daughter who's currently at Bagley will go to Hamilton. Not really complaining, just surprised about how they decided to draw the lines.
Anonymous said…
ST just posted a story about proposed boundary changes. Wow, almost 60,000 students by 2020!

http://seattletimes.com/html/education/2021844102_schoolzonesxml.html

reader
Jamie said…
Zella, in the handout on page 4 it says JSIS and McDonald will still feed into Hamilton.

It also says HS boundaries will be decided at a later date, so pls ignore my previous question. :)
Anonymous said…
So much for walk scores in Wallingford, which is now primarily a "non-walkable" area for elementary schools! Did anyone notice anything anywhere about geozones (or not) for the new language immersion option schools?

HIMSmom
Maureen said…
HIMSMom, I don't have any inside info, but just look at the maps.

Pretty much all of the kids who are currently (then their sibs and growth) at JSIS, McDonald, BFDay, and Greenlake will still need to fit into those schools. So figure the max capacity at Greenlake and BFDay. The GeoZones will probably be exactly the same as the current boundaries (what's the point of carving out three or four blocks on the margin?). Not everyone in those boundaries will get in so the immersion programs can predict their exact enrollment (nice side effect of being an Option school and actually makes sense for immersion programs.) They may (I hope) manage to hold some seats out of the local lottery for native speakers, but all of the rest of Wallingford/Greenlake will be sent back to the old days of not quite being sure what school your kid will go to. (It will be interesting to see if parents start advocating for a distance tie breaker, in which case they will really be back to 2005.)
TechyMom said…
I'm really pleased that downtown moves from Hay/McClure to Lowell/Meany. That should fill Lowell and reduce crowding at Hay. Meant has a whole lot more schools than Washington. I guess to fit APP at Washington? Seems like Meany may have too many. Also, Madrona K8 is listed for Meany but TOPS isn't. Its on the map, so probably an oversight.

For me personally, I'm glad the mcgilvra/madrona line didn't move. McGilvra has only recently gelled as a school that serves both Madison park and valley. Now I'm just hoping that my kid goes to Washington instead of meany-at-some-temp-location.
Anonymous said…
So are geozones a given? I didn't see any reference to them. And if it's truly an "equitable access" issue, how does a geozones that mimics current boundaries help open up the program to others? I see how it helps for capacity management at the school level, though!

HIMSmom
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
TechyMom.

TOPS doesn't feed to Meany because it's an option school. TOPS students have the option to stay at TOPS for 6th grade - or attend their attendance area school.

Lynn
Anonymous said…
Any comment from the standardized testing debate at Town Hall tonight?
- interested
Anonymous said…
My APP 5th grader will probably leave APP and attend Hamilton next year. We've had it with being housed in temporary space. Quite a few of our 5th grade APP peers that live in the Hamilton feeder zone seem inclined to do the same thing. Maybe we can even create an informal "APP alum" cohort that keeps some of the friendships formed in elementary APP alive. It's sad that it's come to this.

Can anyone give me any input on the likely differences in academic offerings between Hamilton without APP and the future 6th grade APP housed at Marshall? I have a hard time seeing how Marshall could offer classes that would not be available at Hamilton.

Last Straw 2

Anonymous said…
Once you leave APP program, can you return back to it a year or two later without going through the testing again?

curious
Anonymous said…
Last Straw 2,

A few things to think about:

How happy/unhappy was your child in school before you switched to APP?
How does Hamilton handle Spectrum?
Without a large APP cohort, will Hamilton offer geometry in 8th grade?
Is being able to start real science classes in middle school important to you?
Will your assignment area high school work for your child?

Good luck with your decision.

Lynn
Stevens parent said…
My son is assigned to Stevens, but will be in Middle school one year before Meany opens. Will he go to Washington and then switch? Or just stay at Washington?
Anonymous said…
curious - you can't leave APP and then get back in without testing. parent
Charlie Mas said…
Stevens parent, the District has not yet decided whether to start Meany one year early at Van Asselt or to wait until the Meany building is ready and to start it there.

The Board will decide about grandfathering, but they are likely to allow students who start at Washington to finish at Washington if they like. Grandfathering in middle schools isn't so bad - it's a two-year transition that is half done after just one year. Grandfathered transitions at elementary schools is a much longer process - five years - and is a more complicated decision.

Other districts typically do not grandfather students, but the schools in other districts are more generic. As Seattle schools reach a parity in reputation and quality, grandfathering will become less of an issue.

Could the District grandfather students in the third grade or higher and re-assign students in K-2?
Joyce said…
North Beach commenter: That boundary is absurd! I live in Olympic Manor and instead of a nice, safe walk, they will need to bus all those kids to Loyal Heights! All the kids in the proposed North Beach boundary will need to be bussed, too! ABSURD! Way to pull a neighborhood school out of the neighborhood. WOW. This won't affect my family since I have a kid at NB and also one in APP, but it is a huge loss to the neighborhood, community and incoming families to not be able to walk to school anymore.
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
Is it common in Seattle Schools to require that students acquire their own books? A friend's 8th-grade son has a list of more than 8 novels that the teacher requires that students bring from home.

Truly?

Ann D
Anonymous said…
I'm aware there is an equity issue, and teachers should not require so many books to be purchased ... but still, I'd be over the moon to find my kid reading 8 entire books during a school year. Neither kid has ever read that much for school, not in Spectrum, not even in AP Language Arts. In our experience few entire books have been required; usually abridged copies or excerpts or shorter-form writing is used.
Anonymous said…
I second what Lisa said - I'd be more than happy to buy books (many are probably available used) if it meant they were reading full novels as a class. I'd donate some to the class, anything to bring about some higher expectations.

parent
Maureen said…
My D has had teachers who recommend that kids buy their own novels if possible because then they can annotate them and have them to keep, but they have enough available so that no one is required to buy them. (this is at IHS). At TOPS they never bought their own books (but rarely all read the same thing). As I recall, at Roosevelt, novels were provided by the teacher, but you might not get to read what you wanted to. I think there were enough for everyone when all were reading the same book.)

Ann, Your friend might want to check and see if the teacher is requiring or just recommending (or begging) that they buy their own.

Wasn't there a MS LA adoption (including novels) sometime in the last few years?

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