tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post784991061606939958..comments2024-03-28T23:38:22.511-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: I Should Have KnownMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14071654963203338752009-11-20T17:19:05.075-08:002009-11-20T17:19:05.075-08:00They haven't lost a levy in a long time. I...They haven't lost a levy in a long time. I'd find it hard to believe they would think it was a fluke and just try it again without some kind of thought as to why it failed. I also think district leadership would hear from various powers that be who would not be happy to see this happen.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3980623899361232342009-11-20T16:49:19.384-08:002009-11-20T16:49:19.384-08:00I have a question- re: property taxes and levies- ...I have a question- re: property taxes and levies- my property was reassessed- without my prompting, and my assessment went down over $100,000.<br /><br />I think it is good for me- but I am wondering if the levies will be taking that into consideration?<br /><br /><i>'m sure they have a contingency plan which is not a happy thought for the district but it probably exists.</i><br /><br />I expect their backup plan is just to resubmit the levy- isn't that what they have done in the past?<br /><br />(In 1996 it was the B & O levy- didn't get the supermajority)Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28910409731221775192009-11-20T15:38:40.477-08:002009-11-20T15:38:40.477-08:00Becca, that's a good question. First, if the ...Becca, that's a good question. First, if the levy fails, the district would need to retool their message (or do something to show good faith to the voters) and could bring it back in a month, two months. Anytime in the calendar year.<br /><br />Viewlands isn't the most expensive; that would be McDonald at almost $15M. They would likely open Sand Point and divert other capital funds to its opening. (Ingraham's addition is tied up in appeals over the grove of trees issue. They could take that money and use it. Is it fair? Probably not but they would need to get Sand Point done. Money gets diverted all the time.) Viewlands and Rainier View aren't as problematic at the this point in terms of reopening for capacity. <br /><br />Is it the cart before the horse? Somewhat but a levy hasn't failed in almost 20 years. However, there are a number of issues lining up to make this one in some doubt. I'm sure they have a contingency plan which is not a happy thought for the district but it probably exists.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45369118139378288862009-11-20T15:04:32.556-08:002009-11-20T15:04:32.556-08:00adhoc, your plan (IS in each area of town) is star...adhoc, your plan (IS in each area of town) is startlingly sensible, and therefore the district will never go for it. Oh well. (And Viewlands COULD feed into Whitman, which I understand has very good language courses, if not immersion. I don't have a kid there, so I may be wrong, but that's what other parents have reported to me.)Josh Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242600011474990770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33284843549103393222009-11-20T13:32:10.897-08:002009-11-20T13:32:10.897-08:00Does anyone know what will happen to the boundary ...Does anyone know what will happen to the boundary maps if the Levy is not approved, and Viewlands (which is the most expensive school to reopen, I understand, due to the vandalism) cannot be reopened? What if there isn't enough money to reopen any of the other three schools, for that matter? Isn't it putting the cart before the horse to approve a plan that isn't funded?Becca and Camhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07312026079006392759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4387278382441520522009-11-20T12:44:49.417-08:002009-11-20T12:44:49.417-08:00Perhaps you have some heartfelt advice for the sup...<i>Perhaps you have some heartfelt advice for the superintendent in her next job. Mine would be for her to try to be more down-to-earth, more receptive to criticism, and more ready to admit mistakes.</i><br /><br />THat was some advice for G-J from Charleston a few years ago, doya think she listened?Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9153722898999520622009-11-20T12:15:24.409-08:002009-11-20T12:15:24.409-08:00Gavroche,yes the district has lost levies. They h...Gavroche,yes the district has lost levies. They had various ones in the early '90s that lost for various reasons. The fact that it hasn't happened in a long time AND that it would happen on MGJ's watch would not be good for her or the district's management.<br /><br />Reporters have told me the same thing about getting info (see my other thread today).<br /><br />Joseph Olchefske was quite a piece of work but no, even he wasn't as bad publicly. (But as a finance guy, which he was, he left this district in financial tatters.) Raj, no, Stanford (the gold standard for public interaction) and Kenndrick (he was okay). <br /><br />Your last line made me laugh outloud.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66308776390335694812009-11-20T12:03:37.498-08:002009-11-20T12:03:37.498-08:00Blogger Melissa Westbrook said...
lak367, Mic...<i>Blogger Melissa Westbrook said...<br /> lak367, Michael said the one employee they have control over is the Superintendent? Very funny. They don't control her, they don't manage her, they don't pressure her - they go along with her.<br /> I had someone tell me recently that Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, one-on-one can be intimidating. I believe it but I also believe that she's been to Superintendent Charm School (read: Broad training) to use methods to strong-arm off any opposition or challenge. It seems to work but there is a tipping point.<br /><br /> Maybe the BTA Levy is it.</i><br /><br /> Hmm, maybe the levy is it. This School Board and Supt would certainly look bad -- has Seattle ever voted down an education levy before? But there are dangers to letting MGJ & co declare another "financial crisis" -- it's their catch-all excuse for imposing anything they want.<br /><br />I also know of at least one parent who was threatened at work by MGJ when this parent voiced dissent over the closures; a teacher who spoke out publicly against MGJ, who then showed up in this teacher's classroom the next day (this teacher was among the RIFs, btw -- coincidence?);a vocal parent who has been critical of MGJ suddenly without explanation lost his/her job at a company that has ties to MGJ; a former principal was warned by a current principal not to speak out publicly against the closures "if you ever want to work for the District again." <br /><br />A reporter told me that s/he has never had so much trouble getting district staff to talk to him/her until MGJ came here.<br /><br />Director Martin-Morris promised to provide an official District response to parent concerns about the influence of the pro-privatizing Broad Foundation (on whose board MGJ sits) on SPS back in the summer. He has yet to produce this report. Did someone put the kibosh on it?<br /><br />We know that two Special Ed teachers were suspended earlier this year by MGJ for following the parents' wishes. (http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2009/03/two-seattle-special-ed-teachers.html)<br /><br />We know that MGJ sent layoff notices to teachers <i>on Teacher Appreciation Week</i><br /><br />We know that MGJ RIFed 165 teachers and counselors, only to call back many of them because enrollment numbers are up. The question still remains: Why dd she do it in the first place? Financial considerations -- or intimidation?<br /><br />We know that MGJ (illegally) sent a letter to all 3000 district teachers threatening to end their contract.<br /><br />What is going on here? <br /><br />Has any other superintendent in the Seattle history relied on such Mafioso tactics?<br /><br />Such methods lead me to believe that MGJ & Co know that their clandestine (corporate "reformist") agenda would not be embraced by the community if they were upfront with all of us about what they are really up to.<br /><br />And/or she's simply a bully, plain and simple. (Maybe we should send her copies of the "anti-bullying" rules & creeds from our kids' schools.)<br /><br />None of which is good.<br /><br /><i>Come back, Raj, all is forgiven!</i>gavrochehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11336376340965305696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74299229918245736972009-11-20T11:32:29.380-08:002009-11-20T11:32:29.380-08:00Adhoc, Central wouldn't have a language immers...Adhoc, Central wouldn't have a language immersion school (at least as the option clusters currently are configured). If Central were given transportation rights to one of the newly opening schools (Hay seems to me most logical) I would think that would fix the problem; I don't think there literally needs to be an imeersion school in every service area, but I think every service area should have transportation to (and a proportionately fair shot at accessing) an immersion school.djhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01720927162286657378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57923070075838492922009-11-20T11:06:59.210-08:002009-11-20T11:06:59.210-08:00lak367, Michael said the one employee they have co...lak367, Michael said the one employee they have control over is the Superintendent? Very funny. They don't control her, they don't manage her, they don't pressure her - they go along with her. <br /><br />I had someone tell me recently that Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, one-on-one can be intimidating. I believe it but I also believe that she's been to Superintendent Charm School (read: Broad training) to use methods to strong-arm off any opposition or challenge. It seems to work but there is a tipping point.<br /><br />Maybe the BTA Levy is it.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72588830660296688872009-11-20T11:00:26.873-08:002009-11-20T11:00:26.873-08:00@lak367: I read it that way as well. That's cr...@lak367: I read it that way as well. That's creative spin; I'll give that much.<br /> <br />@GreyWatch: I understand your context: it looks elitist when you consider the location and restrictions on attendance. For all the money blown on the testing industry, and now the coaching and consulting class, we could've provided at least one world language at every school by now. Covered, not enrichment funded by only certain PTAs at certain schools. Especially with K-3 kids, I think multiple language offerings boost learning across the board. It doesn't have to be enrichment for the few.WenDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07754473793580185814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11660437200955965042009-11-20T10:42:25.336-08:002009-11-20T10:42:25.336-08:00"The one employee we have control over is the..."The one employee we have control over is the superintendent," DeBell says. <br /><br />Wait, was this a story in the Onion? The board thinks they have control over her? I don't know whether to laugh or cry right now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13469242945994739112009-11-20T10:27:41.872-08:002009-11-20T10:27:41.872-08:00WenG - "elitist" was probably a poor cho...WenG - "elitist" was probably a poor choice of words. I think the more language the better. My concern is about access and perceptions of privilege (right or wrong). <br /><br /> If the programs are neighborhoods schools, they are available only to those who live in the area -- an elite few with elite being defined as those who have access to something others don't. Having these programs in affluent neighborhoods perpetuates the sense of elitism. <br /><br />I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly, that the US is behind the curve in terms of language. I would love for all schools to have language programs, not necessarily immersion, that are more effective and enriching than the often very weak one or two day a week programs that a few schools consider themselves lucky to have. <br /><br />I also think we need a lot more PE.GreyWatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15177134279070087546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54304578793179885642009-11-20T10:19:57.698-08:002009-11-20T10:19:57.698-08:00This is a truly bizarre bonus system. If I unders...This is a truly bizarre bonus system. If I understand Steve Sundquist's argument, the district could have done significantly, materially WORSE in all 17 areas -- and it would be fine! Just great! The Superintendant would still have "earned" her $264,000 and everyone would be happy. ANY bump above that entitles her to more, but no failures or missed goals, or bungled cost saving efforts have any negative effect. This is a classic "have your cake and eat it too" system. She gets the benefit of a huge salary package that is not subject to any hits for failure to perform -- AND an incentive system that rewards ANY pittance of improvement. <br /><br />IF they want to do an incentive pay system like this -- they need to knock down basic compensation to something MUCH lower ($60 to $70thousand) and then build in a really strong incentive system for the 17 benchmarks. It appears to me that each improvments achieved currently carries about a $1300 bonus -- which is not much incentive when you start at $264,000. If you started at $60K, (built your incentives right -- so it included things like community engagement, expansion of programs with demand, etc.) and each incentive that you hit resulted in an additional $10,000 or more, maybe the board would be seeing different-- and better-- results.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18171991585667195445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6523932307611055882009-11-20T09:59:55.850-08:002009-11-20T09:59:55.850-08:00Kellie, agreed.Kellie, agreed.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80840259578723573152009-11-20T09:58:04.874-08:002009-11-20T09:58:04.874-08:00Blogger Stu said... So did MGJ get her well-deser...<i>Blogger Stu said... So did MGJ get her well-deserved raise? Let me know when she hits 300k!<br /></i><br /><br />Stu, fyi... (reposted from the Supt. Bonus thread)<br /><br />According to Nina Shapiro at Seattle Weekly, the proposal was introduced at the board meeting and will be voted on Dec. 9.<br /><br />I'm envisioning a protest with signs reading: "What $5,280 could buy for our kids' schools: [fill in the blank]"<br /><br />Check out the tortured logic DeBell and Sundquist give for the bonus:<br /><br /><b>"School Board Proposes Yet More Money for Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson" <br />http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/11/school_board_proposes_yet_more.php#more,<br /><br />By Nina Shapiro in Education<br />Thursday, Nov. 19 2009 @ 12:38PM</b><br /><br /><i>(Goodloe-Johnson, shown here accepting a gift at a Seattle Goodwill breakfast, has been much less visible during the controversy over the district's neighborhood schools plan)<br /><br />As the Seattle Public School Board approved a landmark new assignment plan last night, it also introduced a proposal to give Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson a $5,000 performance bonus. One might think that the superintendent already makes enough money in recession times, having received a 10 percent raise last year, bringing her salary up to $264,000--more than that of the governor.<br /><br />"Are you out of your mind?" asked parent, schools blogger and onetime SW contributor Sue Peters in an e-mail to Boardmember Steve Sundquist, who introduced the proposal. The timing of the bonus is also questionable given that the superintendent has done little to publicly sell or explain the assignment plan that for the time in decades assigns students to schools based on where they live.<br /><br />The superintendent attended few of the community engagement meetings that took place across the city over the last month. Instead, she left that task to board members and Enrollment Manager Tracy Libros, who showed up night after night to answer questions from parents, many of whom voiced concern about mandating neighborhood schools in light of the fact that some neighborhoods have better schools than others. Libros, rather than Goodloe-Johnson, also briefed the press and, often, the board.<br /><br />How different from former Superintendent and onetime Army General John Stanford, a master at rallying public support, or even from Goodloe-Johnson's predecessor, Raj Manhas, who personally handled announcements of school closures and other big district decisions.<br /><br />"Raj owned those tough decisions," School Board president Michael DeBell acknowledges. "He carried the weight. He got out in public." Regarding the contrast with Goodloe-Johnson, he says, "I'm not sure what to say about that," but adds that she has a "different style. She delegates quite a bit to those she considers her key and trusted managers." Goodloe-Johnson has not yet responded to a request for comment.<br /><br />In any case, the bonus is based on an evaluation that does not take such things into account. Instead, Sundquist explains, it looks at the district's performance on 17 measures, most of them related to WASL scores. The district met improvement goals on four of those measures, thus allowing the superintendent a proportional share of the $26,000 in bonus money she is eligible for.<br /><br />The district committed to performance-based bonuses when it hired Goodloe-Johnson, DeBell and Sundquist note. They say the board would eventually like to institute performance pay throughout the system--an idea the Obama administration has been championing--and are starting at the top. "The one employee we have control over is the superintendent," DeBell says. The board will vote on the bonus on Dec. 9.<br /><br />Whether the public will approve of the bonus is another matter, especially if its interaction with the superintendent is limited during tumultuous times.</i>gavrochehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11336376340965305696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14947167289182883922009-11-20T09:49:25.240-08:002009-11-20T09:49:25.240-08:00Mel, as usual, I agree with you completely. My pre...Mel, as usual, I agree with you completely. My preference would be that all new schools are opened as option schools. I think it was completely inappropriate to draw boundaries for schools that don't actually exist. <br /><br />I would further argue that all new schools have this international programming or other programming with demonstrated demand. This would improve access, equity and excellence. I argued for this during the boundary process and was told multiple times that this is not on the table. Charlie argued multiple times that a full option school is the same number of seats but the district is going only for boundaries and attendance area. I do not agree with that all all. <br /><br />However, if they are not going to bend on the option portion, at least get the language immersion in place while there is that opportunity and continue to fight for the equity and access. <br /><br />It seems to me that this administration is 100% against access to special programs. I don't agree with that but it think the greater problem would be to stop going to excellence when there is the opportunity. This "problem" is going to come up again. Every cluster is full. How this capacity problem gets solved will effect everyone.kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47609483185585822882009-11-20T09:47:10.564-08:002009-11-20T09:47:10.564-08:00GreyWatch: I disagree with your comment on languag...GreyWatch: I disagree with your comment on language immersion being elitist. In many countries, it's standard for children to start learning more than one language beginning in kindy. This is key toward educating children for a world where being multilingual will become standard, if not required. We have ELL; we also need to offer 2nd languages for everyone, starting as early as possible. Unless a student is highly motivated, middle school is a more challenging place to start, with fluency less likely to occur. <br /><br />I'd like to see both MacDonald and Sand Point schools start out with language immersion offerings, or at least a daily world language class. We've got to do this in every school, so I'm in total agreement with K B-S on this one. I'm hoping she can make headway without creating a boondoggle that fails to produce results like so many other schemes we've seen.WenDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07754473793580185814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37743918695944447422009-11-20T09:32:14.468-08:002009-11-20T09:32:14.468-08:00If the district opened Viewlands, Rainier View, Ol...If the district opened Viewlands, Rainier View, Old Hay, MacDonald, and Sandpoint, as immersion schools they'd have one immersion school in every area of the city except West Seattle (I'm assuming Central Seattle would use Old Hay?). Rainier View serve SE and WS until WS could get it's own immersion school up and running (which I'm guessing is in the near future with Denny/Sealth there). Each region would have it's own all region draw school. That would not add a huge cost for transportation, and it would give much more equitable access to families all across the district. <br /><br />Then once there is an immersion school in each region begin to look at next most popular options like Montessori, environmental science, etc.SPS parenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766426598026724476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88168754892574824062009-11-20T09:24:42.754-08:002009-11-20T09:24:42.754-08:00Adhoc,
I was referring to continuing immersion in...Adhoc,<br /><br />I was referring to continuing immersion in the middle school as being expensive, and that language only should be offered after elementary school. I said nothing about dismantling the immersion elementaries. <br /><br />How many kids are in the immersion classes at Hamilton? My assumption based on the #s coming out of JSIS is that it would have to be less than 28 which is where I'm getting my unsubstantiated impressions about high costs. <br /><br />The difficulty of immersion in middle and high school is challenged by numbers (kids going off to different schools, interests) and finding quality teachers. I think McDonald is on the right track in this regard, as they could provide the numbers fix (in 6 years). I still think most parents with kids in these age groups would be delighted with a quality language class -- something the JSIS grads now in high school aren't all getting. <br /><br />I think immersion programs are great (and not for everyone), and yes, I'm well aware how successful JSIS is on many levels. I'm also aware how much money the parents there are able to generate (as likely would be those at McDonald) to help make the school successful.<br /><br />Does anyone know how this program is working at Beacon and Concord? I know Beacon has been more aggressive on the fundraising front than in years past. When my kids were there, the annual fundraising goal was $20 per family. My friends at JSIS were shooting for $1000.<br /><br />Would love to see a cost/benefit analysis on these types of programs, both here and in other parts of the country. My perception that they cost more could be entirely wrong. I can certainly see the benefit, as can anyone who has had their child on a waiting list for one of these schools.GreyWatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15177134279070087546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78474911240532621452009-11-20T09:20:51.743-08:002009-11-20T09:20:51.743-08:00And Karrie -- I think if these schools were all op...And Karrie -- I think if these schools were all opened as language immersion option schools, hooray (although -- transportation issues with how the district right now is conceptualizing option services). But I imagine the problem is that there are capacity issues and that these programs will not draw as well from the areas that have those issues (with all of the posts on here clamoring forcefully for Bryant access, I'm imagining that no option program could peel families off of that school). Of course, if the projections that are being thrown around about the McDonald area, Laurelhurst underenrollment, etc., are correct, then the option school model with a small geographic zone around the school would suddenly seem pretty sensible, I would think.djhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01720927162286657378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13562370979081566262009-11-20T09:17:56.990-08:002009-11-20T09:17:56.990-08:00Kellie, it's not a race to the bottom argument...Kellie, it's not a race to the bottom argument. More language immersion schools, yes. More excellent opportunities, yes. But intentional planning about where to put them and to increase access to them, particularly for students in the city who already are underserved.<br /><br />Adhoc, I didn't read Greywatch's post as advocating getting rid of language immersion programs; I read it as advocating making language immersion programs option schools (certainly I could be wrong).djhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01720927162286657378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19550397905683381992009-11-20T09:09:52.376-08:002009-11-20T09:09:52.376-08:00I'm not arguing against McDonald's right t...I'm not arguing against McDonald's right to lobby for what will may be best for your school - go for it. But expect others who can only dream of getting their child into an immersion program to argue for it to be an option school so they can have a chance get in. <br /><br />There seems to be so much demand for immersion - open all 5 of them (including Old Hay) as language immersion OPTION schools with a small geographic boundary presence. If the demand is there, students will come. <br /><br />Old Hay - who asked for Montessori? Why Montessori? At the two QA/Mag community meetings regarding Old Hay, the majority of attendees preferred an Immersion OPTION over proposed Montessori OPTION. But we were told off the record that Old Hay is too close to JSIS to be politically tenable. Guess not... <br /><br />Fun times.Karriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14650432496008469559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24746650981841910582009-11-20T08:57:51.611-08:002009-11-20T08:57:51.611-08:00Greywatch, Hamilton MS does offer a Spanish and Ja...Greywatch, Hamilton MS does offer a Spanish and Japanese immersion program for those students rising up from JSIS and for students whose first language is Spanish or Japanese. All other students are assigned to their "regular", non immersion program, where they get language classes but not language immersion.<br /><br />Greywatch said "Personally, I think that a language class is all should be offered after elementary school. The other model is too expensive, and elitist, especially if it is a neighborhood based draw"<br /><br />Did you know that JSIS was ranked one of the top schools in the nation? Are you suggesting that instead of replicating such a fantastic program and offering it to more students, we should dismantle it, and replace it with a regular, non descript school, that offers ordinary language classes?<br /><br />I agree that immersion schools should be all city draw, or at least multi region draw schools, available to all by lottery. And, we should relentlessly advocate for this. But to say we should just get rid of them because they are "elitist" is not only counter productive, it's self defeating.SPS parenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766426598026724476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9489809673395352892009-11-20T08:55:10.790-08:002009-11-20T08:55:10.790-08:00No Kellie, there has never been a building reopene...No Kellie, there has never been a building reopened in the district so all the 4 schools being reopened are a first (albeit with difference timelines). However, JA is a new school in a building already in use (as is Old Hay).<br /><br />Lastly, look at where these reopened buildings are. Sand Point is in the NE, Rainier View to the far SE and Viewlands to the far NW. And, as has been said, McDonald would fulfill the district's wish to have two feeder schools feed into Hamilton.<br /><br />Open all of them as language immersion. They know the model, they have great experience with Karen Kodama, they have Kay's support for sure and boy would they make these schools popular out the gate. <br /><br />Problems? Were would RV,SP and Viewlands feed to? I'm not sure it's that important that there is a feeder school. All the middle schools have foreign language and these kids would come out of elementary with a very solid footing. I think the issue for most parents (help me out) is having foreign language while their kids are young and not waiting for middle school. <br /><br />Where to find the teachers is the biggest issue I see. But if there were the will then the district could find out if it could happen.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.com