tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8012193397480505547..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board Meeting RecapMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11544749364984085042011-01-22T11:23:29.769-08:002011-01-22T11:23:29.769-08:00Can we have a separate thread on the new transport...Can we have a separate thread on the new transportation plan?Spruiternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85061406444085759532011-01-21T17:18:58.404-08:002011-01-21T17:18:58.404-08:00I don't know if it is "elementary schizop...I don't know if it is "elementary schizophrenia" or advanced schizophrenia, but we will all be paying for years for the trashing of West Seattle schools. <br /><br />What the district did to Cooper and West Seattle is terrible. We live within a half mile of two wonderful (and overcrowded) elemetaries, yet where is our "assigned" school? .9999 miles down a steep hill via a dangerous street! <br /><br />If they would have designed NSAP with transportation in mind we could ditch almost all Yellow busses and all breath easier.wsnorthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03795943009142572757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35853494548109963202011-01-21T10:45:41.804-08:002011-01-21T10:45:41.804-08:00Mom of Four, it's my understanding that kids i...Mom of Four, it's my understanding that kids inside an attendance area but outside of 1.25 miles would be inside the 'attendance area school transportation zone' so would get regular stop busing (not have to walk to the nearest school). Right now, Tom Bishop is proposing that south end kids going to TOPS would walk to a community stop (maybe just at Aki Kurose and Mercer? It's not clear to me) and get buses to TOPS. But there is no commitment to do that past next year, so please write to the Board about that if you think grandfathering should be extended until the current 1st graders get to middle school (2015).<br /><br />maureenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62518525775827543342011-01-21T10:27:48.155-08:002011-01-21T10:27:48.155-08:00I have to second Seattle Mom's questions. What...I have to second Seattle Mom's questions. What happens to kids who live over 1.25 miles from their reference school? There are definitely areas where this is the case. My kids are at TOPS, which IS in walking distance for us, but our reference school (Montlake) is around 1.7 miles away (we are at the far end of the referenec area). I guess in our case the neighborhood kids attending Montlake would walk to TOPS & catch a bus there? That doesn't really seem to change much, as it is still over 1.25 miles away from Montlake, and basically all would be do is consolidate the bus stops. I'm sure there are places where there are NO schools within 1.25 miles, although I haven't scrutinized the map to verify this.<br /><br />Any word on South-end bussing for TOPS? If they can consolidate north-end bussing with Lowell, that helps, but there are actually more kids living south who are looking at losing their bussing.<br /><br />Mom of FourAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3334150461817506152011-01-21T09:19:39.155-08:002011-01-21T09:19:39.155-08:00I wonder how the bus issue will impact kids who at...I wonder how the bus issue will impact kids who attend before/after child care clubs at a non-school building (for example Small Faces on Crown Hill). These kids rely on the yellow bus to get to Northwest Schools, and some are definitely more than 1.3 miles away (West Woodland for example).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41104272298929986092011-01-21T08:32:54.221-08:002011-01-21T08:32:54.221-08:00oops, that last anonymous was me, my google login ...oops, that last anonymous was me, my google login doesn't work here anymore. maureenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87097257375979761372011-01-21T08:31:37.772-08:002011-01-21T08:31:37.772-08:00I thought the reason that SPS backed out of extend...<i>I thought the reason that SPS backed out of extending the IB accelerated program to new-to-APP 9th graders was because there was some concern that a 9th grader who qualified for APP could reasonably ask for an assignment to Garfield.</i><br /><br /><b>Tami,</b> where did you hear that?<br /><br />I talked to Bob Vaughan about this before the presetation Wed and he said it was because they didn't think newly identified kids would have had the right coursework to start with the APP kids in 9th grade. That contradicts letting in kids from outside the District or private who say they were in gifted prgrams as well of course.<br /><br />He said that next year they would have requirements that kids take the SAT Bio subject exam for instance to show they can do the course work. I hope they require the APP kids to take the tests as well, so we can make sure they are prepared enough to keep up with the private school kids who get in. (According to Vaughan: APP kids are supposed to all have taken: Algebra and Geometry, HS level Physical Science and Biology, and AP level history from Neolithic to 1000 CE)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44863884319472943092011-01-21T08:28:00.381-08:002011-01-21T08:28:00.381-08:00Tami wrote: My understanding of the APP/IB proposa...Tami wrote: <em>My understanding of the APP/IB proposal is that APP 9th graders would have contained prep classes in grade 9 and enter the IB in grade 10, and complete it in grade 11. They would have IB classes with students in grades 11/12 while they were in grades 10/11.</em><br /><br />Originally the proposal was to have <em>completely self-contained</em> IB classes for the APP-qualified students, on the model of the program at Interlake. Has that changed? I hope it has, because I think it's an incredibly bad idea to set up a two-tiered IB program. (And I said so at one meeting, on the discussAPP blog, and on the survey.)<br /><br />I'm not surprised they backed off on letting students in after 8th grade once they realized that meant yet another way people might try to get into Garfield. It's always capacity management driving everything else around here.<br /><br />Helen Schinskehschinskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10316478950862562594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49549312551943399732011-01-21T06:20:31.709-08:002011-01-21T06:20:31.709-08:00WSNorth-
The evicted Cooper kids are now shunned ...WSNorth-<br /><br />The evicted Cooper kids are now shunned to Layfayette. Can't wait to see them all schlepping up Admiral Drive with their backpacks...<br /><br />Point is, most of the Cooper kids don't live 1.25 miles away from ANY elementary school...Olliesdadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55119520560036699602011-01-21T00:08:15.366-08:002011-01-21T00:08:15.366-08:00I don't understand the sudden changes in the t...I don't understand the sudden changes in the transportation plan. The final new student assignment plan (www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/final_assign_plan_June17_Cleveland.pdf), clearly states on page 15:<br />"School bus transportation is provided for elementary students to their attendance area school and to any other K-5 or K-8 attendance area or option school located in the service area." This is in the final plan, not the transition plan. Is the reduction of transportation to a 1.25 miles radius of each attendance area school already breaking with that plan? That seems not ok with me. Or are kids outside of the 1.25 mile zone supposed to walk to their closest/attendance area school first and then get transported to a different attendance area school (if that is where the child goes) as one poster here suggests? What if they don't live in the walk zone for the closest school? Two buses? And what about the JSIS and Macdonald kids who opt out of language immersion and get assigned to BF Day? I am sure some of those will be >1.25 miles away. The new transportation plan sounds like a logistical nightmare that will need a lot exceptions, probably won't save any money, and seems in contradiction of with the text of the NSAP document in the first place.Sabine Meckinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17894106929137582679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-22591988089197598592011-01-21T00:01:20.383-08:002011-01-21T00:01:20.383-08:00Seattle Parent: thank you for the reminder about w...Seattle Parent: thank you for the reminder about why the 10% open choice seat plan was a good idea. It's a shame it is essentially gone for half of the high schools, and as you noted, with no discussion from the board save Ms. Patu's question of Ms. Libros.<br /><br />Some Garfield numbers (assuming the #'s the district supplied are actually true):<br /><br />Number of Garfield students beyond capacity 2010-11: ~150<br /><br />Number of those overenrolled students who are living within the boundaries & the district "didn't expect": ~100<br /><br />Number of APP Students at Garfield: ~450 (possibly more?)<br /><br />Number of Garfield students admitted through open choice seats 2010-11: 31Rufus Xnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39759620906037302832011-01-20T23:45:44.604-08:002011-01-20T23:45:44.604-08:00151 = total number of students in area 4
http://ww...151 = total number of students in area 4<br />http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/011911agenda/area_stevens_charts.pdfjoannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02017196722611730669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34946412120904764552011-01-20T23:42:53.280-08:002011-01-20T23:42:53.280-08:00WSNorth,
We live within a mile of our neighborhoo...WSNorth,<br /><br />We live within a mile of our neighborhood school. But due to capacity issues our oldest could not gain entrance.<br /><br />Two years later our 'walkable' school is even more crowded than two years ago, but still the guaranteed school for our youngest.<br />As the school of the older kids is also super crowded, youngest likely won't get in.<br /><br />We'll all walk to the school of the youngest, put the older on the bus (as we won't be able to have four people all be at two separate schools all at the same time) and voila. <br /><br />Me -- won't be participating in school assemblies, helping out with classroom parties, PTA, parent/teacher conferences, curriculum nights, that all occur on the same day and time.<br /><br />I know...wah, wah, wah -- but isn't this the same sort of elementary schizophrenia that West Seattle is now starting to experience?<br /><br />Kudos to all of the planners who made data based decisions, engaged parents and the community, and put students (in all areas of the city) first and foremost.StepJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11375599834945035820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10998124372403087432011-01-20T23:17:51.763-08:002011-01-20T23:17:51.763-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.StepJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11375599834945035820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8136506880328521352011-01-20T23:08:21.517-08:002011-01-20T23:08:21.517-08:00re: the end of HS Choice seats & "assurin...re: the end of HS Choice seats & "assuring availability of Open Choice seats".<br /> (with NO discussion from the Board)-<br /><br />from Enrollment page FAQ's (still up from last year)-<br /><br />Will some students in a high school attendance area be denied seats due to the availability of Open Choice seats?<br /><br />No. High school attendance area boundaries are drawn to accommodate both the students projected to attend from within an area and a certain percentage of students from outside the attendance area.<br /><br />What happens if there are more students within a high school attendance area than the capacity of the school—will the District eliminate the Open Choice seats?<br /><br />No. Our demographic model is designed to predict enrollment through 2015, including making 10 percent of the seats available as Open Choice seats. We do not anticipate this being a problem in the foreseeable future.<br /><br />Why don’t high schools have feeder patterns?<br /><br />The locations of middle school and high school buildings in Seattle make feeder patterns impractical. But even if the middle and high school buildings were located in alignment with each other, high school students often have many different academic and extracurricular interests. As a result, some students may want to attend a program at a school outside their attendance area; the opportunity to participate in a particular academy offered at a school is a good example. Also, since most high school students get a bus pass to take Metro transportation, any student can get to any high school.<br /><br />Open Choice seats enable students to apply to a high school with a program that interests them. The seats identified as Open Choice seats are built into an attendance area. In other words, the attendance area boundary does not fill the school, assuring availability of Open Choice seats.SPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12726295210572942506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9444236485534386352011-01-20T23:06:17.343-08:002011-01-20T23:06:17.343-08:00My understanding of the APP/IB proposal is that AP...My understanding of the APP/IB proposal is that APP 9th graders would have contained prep classes in grade 9 and enter the IB in grade 10, and complete it in grade 11. They would have IB classes with students in grades 11/12 while they were in grades 10/11. In grade 12, they might be able to take a college course taught at the school, and more IB courses. <br /><br />I thought the reason that SPS backed out of extending the IB accelerated program to new-to-APP 9th graders was because there was some concern that a 9th grader who qualified for APP could reasonably ask for an assignment to Garfield. SPS doesn't want to make the pool of students who can expect automatic assignment to Garfield any bigger.<br /><br />TamiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48421075486177444022011-01-20T23:00:52.312-08:002011-01-20T23:00:52.312-08:00Josh, I think option/Alts retain their grandfather...Josh, I think option/Alts retain their grandfathered transportation next year. At least that is how I read it. Of course I read English , not Board-ish. So who knows what it really says.<br /><br />-altmama.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15129182095066043402011-01-20T22:53:54.311-08:002011-01-20T22:53:54.311-08:00Hey Josh,
Option Schools are a different animal f...Hey Josh,<br /><br />Option Schools are a different animal for Transportation.<br /><br />AS1: For Elementary, K-5, no transportation within the walk zone, but transportation inclusive of the whole Eckstein MS service area -- so no 1.25 mile limit.<br /><br />For MS I believe it is an ORCA pass outside of the 2 mile walk zone but please read the proposal to double check me.<br /><br />The Transition Plan/Transportation did not list Yellow Bus transport beyond their MS zone for any Option school -- seems that multi-zone transport for Option Schools is proposed to be phased out.<br /><br />Only exception is grandfathered transportation.<br /><br />If you had grandfathered transportation last year you still have one more year left.StepJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11375599834945035820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55758386594461008042011-01-20T22:30:22.620-08:002011-01-20T22:30:22.620-08:00StepJ sez:
A walk zone (except for Safety Concern...StepJ sez:<br /><br /><i>A walk zone (except for Safety Concerns, Special Education, or Medical Needs) is:<br /><br />1 mile for Elementary<br />2 miles for Middle School</i><br /><br />Not to throw a spanner in the works here, but what's the walk zone for a K-8 school? I've assumed that AS1 will largely lose its remaining paltry yellow bus service next year, but just want to make sure.Josh Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242600011474990770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39001686212652173412011-01-20T22:25:19.101-08:002011-01-20T22:25:19.101-08:00Does everyone in Seattle live within a mile of an ...Does everyone in Seattle live within a mile of an elementary school? Cancel all yellow bus and let them walk or ride their bikes. We'd have less childhood obesity and a greener planet. <br /><br />The advanced learner kids can calculate for themselves how much they are adding to climate change by taking a 1 hour bus ride each day. Let them figure out the cost and charge them. Free for FRL, of course. <br /><br />Am I being sarcastic? A little. Check with me in 20 years when oil is $500 a barrel.wsnorthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03795943009142572757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62977647184347846682011-01-20T20:31:45.547-08:002011-01-20T20:31:45.547-08:00OK, I read through the APP IB/Ingraham proposal. S...OK, I read through the APP IB/Ingraham proposal. Still have some questions. <br /><br />Is the APP (IB) option going to run in conjunction with the regular (IB) program? In other words will interested, non APP, students still be able to opt in to the IB program, in 11th and 12th grade, without testing, as they can do currently?<br /><br />If so, will the "regular" students be in the same IB classes as the APP students, just in different grades (APP students in 10th/11th grades and regular students in 11th/12th)? <br /><br />Or is this APP (IB) program replacing the regular (IB) program? And now only APP students will be eligible?<br /><br />Can someone clarify?anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51221387272674546112011-01-20T20:21:45.660-08:002011-01-20T20:21:45.660-08:00I don't know if Tom Bishop does not understand...I don't know if Tom Bishop does not understand the new <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/011911agenda/transportationstandards.pdf" rel="nofollow">Transportation Plan</a> or, if he explained it poorly.<br /><br />The new Transportation Plan clearly says in many places that if a student lives within a schools walk zone that they are not eligible for transportation.<br /><br />A walk zone (except for Safety Concerns, Special Education, or Medical Needs) is:<br /><br />1 mile for Elementary<br />2 miles for Middle School<br /><br />This would clearly preclude living across the street.<br /><br />We would like to provide a clear and understandable explanation of the new plan to the families at our school. Why must it be presented it such a confusing and obfuscated manner?<br /><br />Aargh.StepJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11375599834945035820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90915737113710752072011-01-20T19:54:54.090-08:002011-01-20T19:54:54.090-08:00Everyone knows teenagers need more than eight hour...Everyone knows teenagers need more than eight hours sleep, typically....So they should all be in bed by 9:00, asleep...no reading by flashlight...so they will be at school bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:45. Parent/guardians, get those kids to bed!seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40590006258005110042011-01-20T19:45:36.198-08:002011-01-20T19:45:36.198-08:00Eric, you know why? Because of inertia. "Th...Eric, you know why? Because of inertia. "This is the way it's always been." "Kids better learn now to get up; we had to." "You'll ruin after school sports and activities with a later start."<br /><br />One of my first activist actions was doing research on late starts. There's a pile of evidence for it (including lower teen driving accident rates) so imagine my relief when I found out Hale had it. After last night, I have to wonder if they can keep it. <br /><br />You need masses of parents and a Board member (Kay?) to rise up and say no.<br /><br />After the Open Choice promise (and actual statement in the NSAP using the word "will") was broken last night, there is NO promise that should be considered valid by this district.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47550879319061026912011-01-20T19:31:08.847-08:002011-01-20T19:31:08.847-08:007:45 start times for high school is STOOPID and fl...7:45 start times for high school is STOOPID and flies in the face of research. <br /><br />This is terrible for teenagers and learning.<br /><br />Why, why, why?Eric Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17663977355241677800noreply@blogger.com