Friday Open Thread

Not sure if everyone saw this - it's a report commissioned by the Mayor and created by Peter Steinbrueck about neighborhoods in Seattle.  It's interesting reading.  There are mentions of school issues on page 10, page 32, page 100, page 101 (where they speak of the WASL) as well as maps of the district.

Yes, it's true - the wonderful murals at Wilson-Pacific have been cleaned and, to my eye, keep their wonderful vibrancy.  I'm still wondering what the plan is to preserve them when W-P is rebuilt.

What's on your mind?




Comments

Anonymous said…
So wonderful to see the murals repaired. They are so beautiful.

-Fedmomof2
Anonymous said…
Today is the deadline for submitting an application for the new high school HCC program, but I'm wondering how many people even know about it? I found out about it last week through comments on this blog (thanks, Lynn!), but without that I'm not sure how I would have known. I sent out the link and info to 10-12 friends, all of whom have kids who were in elementary and middle school Spectrum and not one of them had heard about it.

If anyone is interested, it would still be possible to submit an application (just a one-page form)today at the John Stanford Center. The rest of the documentation is due by 3/26.

From what I can tell, there may not be a huge benefit to getting this classification, except that if AP classes are over-enrolled, HCC kids will have guaranteed access. That in itself could be huge at some schools.

http://seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=323015&sessionid=cbe813af216f10c8732caf8d53781c85

-Seattle parent
Anonymous said…
I don't even see the HCC enrollment deadlines on the district calendar. It seems like a pretty hidden program...

-Seattle Parent
Anonymous said…
From Shoreline District Headlines - Shoreline School District is now closed to new non-resident boundary transfer applications for grades K-6 for the 2015-16 school year.

just fyi
Eric B said…
Leonard Nimoy passed away today.
Anonymous said…
"From Shoreline District Headlines - Shoreline School District is now closed to new non-resident boundary transfer applications for grades K-6 for the 2015-16 school year."

This year, established families at John Rogers who live out of District (mostly Shoreline) were denied their transfer applications (2014-15 school year), and could not continue at John Rogers, due to capacity issues.

Things must be getting tight on both sides of 145th.

- North-end Mom



Anonymous said…
When we looked at Shorecrest High School 3 years ago, they warned us that the transfers would be ending. Their enrollment is increasing too.

HP
Joe Wolf said…
Melissa - there is a very specific plan in place to conserve the murals (meaning save and store them in a secure location), and re-install them in both of the new schools on the W-P site.

Specific questions about all of the above should be addressed to Eric Becker, Sr. Project Manager for the Wilson-Pacific project.

Here's a link to the W-P "Planning & Construction Updates" page:

http://bex.seattleschools.org/bex-iv/wilson-pacific/construction-updates/

Here's a link to the Departures Hearing presentation, lots of good elevation renderings and site detail.

http://bex.seattleschools.org/assets/bexiv/140528-WP-Departures-02.pdf
Lynn said…
News on the Title IX Task Force was included in the Friday Memo. Garfield's football coach is one of the members.
Anonymous said…
So just because your kid is able to jump through the hoops of the HCC application process (questionable at best) in 8th grade or beyond for high school due to a parent's being "in the know", they get a guaranteed seat in an AP class over whatever bright, motivated, engaged student, who may even be a wee bit smarter, but without parents who are reading blogs about SPS.

This is just wrong. Hopefully all you critical thinkers can agree that this is fundamentally unfair given the lack of communication about the (questionable) process. Having had kids go through high school recently, they never experienced a wait list in an AP class, and were always able to get whatever classes they wanted and needed. The benefit of being admitted to HCC for high school seems to be moot, but the intent to follow the new state regulations to offer continuous service and test in K-12 is achieved. It seems much ado about nothing, and yet the desire to grab a seat in a class over another equally qualified but less well plugged in kid, is off-putting at best. But bottom line, it is all about SPS following the rule of the new law.


Glad to be gone

Anonymous said…
Someone posted the SPED budget and I can't believe they get away with a $6.4 million other bucket.

Audit please
Anonymous said…
From the Feb 19th School Beat link on HCC in high school:

"Students found eligible for the Highly Capable designation will receive HC services at the high school in which they are currently enrolled or in their attendance area.
The HC designation at this level does NOT grant placement at Garfield High School or Ingraham High School.

Are guaranteed a placement in any offered Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses in which they choose to enroll and meet all prerequisites. While any high school student who meets the prerequisites may enroll in AP/IB courses, Highly Capable students are guaranteed a seat.
May ask the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee to reassign them to a different high school if their academic needs cannot be met at their current high school (if they have taken all available advanced courses, for example)."

So, how much of a benefit is this for students? Seems rather limited.

SEMom
Watching said…

W. Seattle charter school update and I'm not impressed:


http://www.westseattleherald.com/2015/02/26/news/charter-school-supporters-get-their-feet-wet-firs
Anonymous said…
I looked into this and it seems that the HCC application is for current 9-12 graders only. It did not seem to confer any particular benefit, and the whole thing sounded rather like bunk.

Plus, as someone else mentioned on an earlier thread, I just could not see EVER asking my child to write an essay on "how and why you feel you are an example of a Highly Capable student." Yikes. I don't think I'd be able to respect myself in the morning.

-lilliput
Lynn said…
lilliput,

Well said.
Anonymous said…
"Someone posted the SPED budget and I can't believe they get away with a $6.4 million other bucket."

Seriously?

Reader
Anonymous said…
I can't believe the Sped department lets schools get away with using sped staff (the money) for any old purpose, and then cries about money.

Seriously?

Another Reader
Anonymous said…
Interesting article on the Wedgwood Community Council site about the new school being constructed at the Thornton Creek site.

In the article it says that the current Thornton Creek school will remain in the Decatur building, and the new building will house a new school.

Makes me wonder if the new school will be an Option school or an Attendance Area school? And if an Option school what the program focus will be?

-StepJ
Anonymous said…
@Step J

Interesting article, that's for sure!

According to the SPS BEXIV webpages...

"A new, additional school building will be constructed on the site of the existing Stephen Decatur school. Thornton Creek School, which is currently housed in the Decatur building, will move to the new building when it is complete."

Also,the article says that construction will begin in 2016. The District website says construction will begin summer 2015, with completion in 2016. Maybe this has changed, due to the appeals?

- North-end Mom
PreKCommonCore said…
Did anyone realize that SPS's Strategic Plan commits PreK to common Core?

Strategy 3: Commit to early learning education as the foundation for future academic success
Initiatives/Objectives
A. Further develop and align city, state and federal partnerships to enhance kindergartner readiness
B. Implement an early learning mathematics plan aligned to CCSS
Joe Wolf said…
StepJ -'

The Wedgwood Community Council piece is flat-out wrong.
So Joe, I read the piece. It seems pretty straightforward to me.

What did they get wrong?
Anonymous said…
I'm assuming Joe means that it's wrong in that Thorton Creek School is going in the new building, not staying put. Right Joe?

Guesswork
Anonymous said…
It seems like they have corrected the piece to reflect that only one school is expected to operate on that property.

Guesswork
Joe Wolf said…
Melissa - Guesswork is correct.
Anonymous said…
@ Joe Wolf

When is construction planned to begin on the new Thornton Creek building, and when is completion/opening anticipated?

Thanks.

- North-end Mom
Lynn said…
North-end Mom,

Here's the BEX-VI website. You'll find good information in the monthly status updates and more details under each project's link.

Joe has posted some great pictures of projects as they near completion. (Check out the Mann building!)
Lynn said…
Wow. These schools are all expected to open in September of 2016:

Genesee Hill
Thornton Creek
Arbor Heights
Pinehurst
TT Minor
Anonymous said…
@Lynn

Yes, the BEXIV page is very informative. The Wedgwood CC article reported that construction would begin for the Thornton Creek building in 2016, which differs from what is posted on the BEXIV page. There have been appeals, so I'm curious if those appeals have impacted the completion date.

- North-end Mom
Joe Wolf said…
North-End Mom: The new Thornton Creek campus is on-track to open Fall 2016. Best contact for staying current on project status is Sr. Project Manager Mike Skutack.

Lynn, thank you for the photography shout-out. I did a shoot at Fairmount Park shortly before it opened, link to album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157646476560006/

I've also started "existing details/conditions" albums as reference tools for schools coming up in BEX IV. Two are posted so far.

Daniel Bagley campus:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157646476560006/

Meany campus.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157650999623925/

Anonymous said…
Thank you for the clarification Joe.

-StepJ

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