tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8099387057242356773..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open ThreadMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68656429178365254592014-05-20T06:59:39.909-07:002014-05-20T06:59:39.909-07:00Unimpressed equals uninterrupted - darn autocorrec...Unimpressed equals uninterrupted - darn autocorrect.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56813884996424827952014-05-20T06:56:18.331-07:002014-05-20T06:56:18.331-07:00Still curious,
Perhaps you would prefer that some...Still curious,<br /><br />Perhaps you would prefer that some of the kids at Interagency or Middle College who have fallen behind or have behavior issues stay at traditional high schools to be frustrated, perhaps act out and disrupt classes and learning there, rather than get the assistance they need? If, as you say $12k per must make it a good program - yes it would be for the potential cost/benefit ratio of others unimpressed learning.... You'd prefer we throw them in the street? Checked out the costs of homelessness, and the court and prison systems lately?<br /><br />Again, tell us where you'd spend this money and effort - $5M pretty incidental to the bigger picture in SPS budget seen the Wilson Pacific or BEX threads lately?<br /><br />LeslieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9351687854220653242014-05-20T06:48:06.641-07:002014-05-20T06:48:06.641-07:00Still curious. You really are not. You seem to h...Still curious. You really are not. You seem to have a agenda and a point to make. Make it. Make it without the snark. Advise us of your issue. Is it the cost of saving lives? Is it the fact that the widgets/students aren't necessarily served on the same production line? Is it the fact that the teachers and staff who face extraordinary challenges with their populations @ interagency and middle colleges haven't been decimated like other alternative programs? What are your priorities? Why haven't you done your research? <br /><br />Speaking as someone who fostered a middle college student and known and assisted others, can assure you that they are taxpayers today and one of whom is getting his Master's Degree in counseling now - directly attributable to this fine program. Did you know for instance South Seatttle Middle College enjoyed FREE rent @ SSCC for 20 years before being moved? Is that efficient enough for you? <br /><br />Tell us your priorities, perhaps we can help.<br /><br />LeslieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72248408346091392882014-05-19T14:05:02.948-07:002014-05-19T14:05:02.948-07:00West Seattle parent, I understand your happiness. ...West Seattle parent, I understand your happiness. But I will have to delete your comment.<br /><br />However, you did not say "alleged" in referring to substance abuse by an SPS employee. You cannot make statements not based on proven fact. Please do not make such statements.<br /><br />That said, I can understand why this person did NOT use their name. It would seem like a bad idea given the allegations. <br /><br />CCA, was that posting about an APP teacher on this blog? Because I honestly don't remember that. And yes, I hear you on people who like to complain about school events but never step up to do the work themselves. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16941623953501927622014-05-19T13:15:28.927-07:002014-05-19T13:15:28.927-07:00BTW, last year when a very hard working teacher re...BTW, last year when a very hard working teacher received a teaching award, some APP parents posted, (ANONYMOUSLY of course) denigrating things about his abilities on the APP blog, saying he was undeserving, mediocre & other choice comments. Wellll, he was the person who put on the school's Science Fair every year. So guess what happened this year: NO Science Fair. I was shocked, shocked I tell you, that all those parents who could have done so much better than that teacher did not jump in to put on a much better Fair, since they were so much more capable and knowledgable than the teacher.<br /><br />Why should anyone bust their gut pulling untold unpaid hours and effort, just to be maligned by people who throw mud anonymously at them on public forums.<br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8042178030235029682014-05-19T12:55:26.921-07:002014-05-19T12:55:26.921-07:00I am extremely uncomfortable with anonymous people...I am extremely uncomfortable with anonymous people making scurrilous accusations against staff on a public blog. It is extremely unprofessional and morally repugnant. If you have proof of what you claim, why are you not posting under your name? These kinds of accusations are extremely serious, and can damage people's careers. You can get sued. You do realize your IP can be tracked if there is a legal investigation? <br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86776634304374426202014-05-19T08:18:04.214-07:002014-05-19T08:18:04.214-07:00Is the district obligated to provide an employee s...Is the district obligated to provide an employee some assistance with substance abuse prior to taking actions to dismiss them? If so, it's possible the district has taken some action, just not the immediate action you may want to see. <br /><br />observerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75565520886640180582014-05-18T20:56:58.846-07:002014-05-18T20:56:58.846-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73528954621738427382014-05-18T10:26:11.297-07:002014-05-18T10:26:11.297-07:00I think it's possible that still curious think...I think it's possible that still curious thinks this is an official SPS blog and is demanding answers from officials. Just a thought...<br /><br />--- swkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46114705628198978212014-05-17T17:26:10.775-07:002014-05-17T17:26:10.775-07:00DW, that is interesting you say that because on a ...DW, that is interesting you say that because on a walk today, my husband and I had paused to inspect some beautiful flowers and I was telling him what they were. A little girl - about 5- playing nearby came up and said, "Tell me what they are, too." She was listened very carefully - she really wanted to know.<br /><br />We have to encourage that kind of thought and excitement and interest in all children.<br /><br />Still curious, you seem to feel that because I don't have all the answers at hand you desire, I'm not doing my "job." <br /><br />First, you used a too-long moniker for your last comment and it was deleted per our rules.<br /><br />Second, you CAN go ask these questions - I'm just good and knowing who to ask and how. <br /><br />Third, this blog is interested in all district things. I have often wondered about the costs for MANY things but these types of "alternative" schools are the least of our worries.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73548990467853060322014-05-17T17:25:53.126-07:002014-05-17T17:25:53.126-07:00Still Curious,
As you are a "concerned tax p...Still Curious,<br /><br />As you are a "concerned tax payer", why not investigate the cost of our prisons, including all the money that is paid to the private prisons that the GOP is so fond of. Then compare that cost to the costs of giving vulnerable populations an education so they have choices of means to feed themselves legally as adults. Then come back here and tell all of us which option uses "our tax money" more efficiently: schools or prisons.<br /><br />We eagerly await your report, oh ye responsible, concerned tax payer.<br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54281863913458996782014-05-17T15:13:13.740-07:002014-05-17T15:13:13.740-07:00still curious,
Are you upset because I'm not ...still curious,<br /><br />Are you upset because I'm not going to jump up and investigate your concern on my free time after my fulltime job? Gee, not too concerned about your snark. I love how some think others are supposed to (ruff ruff) watchdog issues that only interest them. Hey the info is out there, if you are so interested.<br /><br />Couch potatoes can read the Seattle Times for great education news opinion... Hah!mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56367882266579277632014-05-17T14:57:44.605-07:002014-05-17T14:57:44.605-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68640822854368352492014-05-17T12:22:13.942-07:002014-05-17T12:22:13.942-07:00Why testing is so terrible - it's all about th...Why testing is so terrible - it's all about the rote answer, not the creative question.<br /><br />Excellent book on this - sections on how kids learn, what's wrong with schools based on the authoritarian model, how businesses grow - Google, Patagonia, etc.<br /><br />http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/<br /><br />I’ve learned that the #1 search that leads to this site is “Why do kids ask so many questions?” My question is, “Why do they stop?” Read my posts on how parents and teachers can keep the inquiry spark alive in kids.<br /><br />-districtWatcher<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3033922815768804202014-05-17T09:33:19.682-07:002014-05-17T09:33:19.682-07:00Nova and The Center School are not in the same cat...Nova and The Center School are not in the same category as the re-entry schools so I would be careful to lump them in together. <br /><br />The differences in students served and services given are very different (for good reason). <br /><br />I agree; if you are that curious/worried, the research is out there for you to do.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28512259294351131502014-05-17T08:43:32.148-07:002014-05-17T08:43:32.148-07:00still curious,
That sounds like a great thing for...still curious,<br /><br />That sounds like a great thing for you do to. To get the answer to your question.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42349889982438843942014-05-17T08:37:44.789-07:002014-05-17T08:37:44.789-07:00My cousin works at the Middle College at Northgate...My cousin works at the Middle College at Northgate. Most of these kids are either from the Indian Heritage High School or they have come from mainstream High Schools that did not work for them. They occupy a couple of rooms upstairs at the Northgate mall. They help these kids get the education they are entitled to just like every other kid and they help them graduate. Many of these kids would end up dropping out otherwise and never receiving a diploma. These high schools, like NOVA and The Center School, are open to all kids across the city. NOVA is more art focused and very dependent on the self motivation of the kid (a lot like Evergreen College). What a kid gets out of depends a lot on what they put into it. For some kids this is the focus they need and are bored and don't do well in regular high school. The Center School is more college prep without a lot of the extras found at traditional high schools such as athletic programs, etc. It is also smaller. Many kids do not do well in very large high schools and need these smaller programs to succeed.<br /><br />HPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88159249270047213062014-05-17T08:25:38.788-07:002014-05-17T08:25:38.788-07:00Link to the Bus Video that had to be edited. It w...Link to the Bus Video that had to be edited. It was done by members of the Seattle Youth Commission but on their own time.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upov6UT_5MA&feature=youtu.be<br /><br />HPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13098846001491073882014-05-17T07:51:26.936-07:002014-05-17T07:51:26.936-07:00So when you talk about what is going on in all the...So when you talk about what is going on in all these alternative options of which there are many with immense operational costs you have actually never been to any of them, seen the kids, met the teachers, reviewed the programs, the curriculum or well verified who is there and what they do.. sounds like accountability and responsibility...as a taxpayer being demanded to vote for more money sorry but I need to know what it is being spent on before I give more.. <br /><br />So again you have been to all of these schools.. interagency, MCHS, South Lake, NOVA, Center School, the Home Partnership and see what they do there for say a week at a time..<br /><br />---still curious Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80466327401349090632014-05-16T21:54:18.011-07:002014-05-16T21:54:18.011-07:00Amen IDWFI and RR. It's like medical insuranc...Amen IDWFI and RR. It's like medical insurance. Let's just pay for the people who get corns and halitosis. Screw those with cancer and chronic illness. <br /><br />Everyone has an equal right to medical care and an education.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1313761803762488872014-05-16T21:10:53.428-07:002014-05-16T21:10:53.428-07:00Not giving a shit only costs less in the short run...Not giving a shit only costs less in the short run. In the long run, it costs a lot more.<br />-RRAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-43677690450354634682014-05-16T20:52:13.809-07:002014-05-16T20:52:13.809-07:00Interagency both gives children their right to an ...Interagency both gives children their right to an education while they are incarcerated or otherwise unable to attend regular schools, and helps students have the opportunity to better themselves and increase their options regardless of whatever circumstances they happen to be dealing with at this time. They are likely to have special needs and require more support staff than the typical student, and that costs more. I don't think there are teachers sitting on their thumbs in empty state-of-the-art classrooms. When I taught in juvenile detention, attendance was great, because it was the one shred of normalcy and hope in the kids' lives. To me, that's worth a lot.<br /><br />Teaching this population can be difficult, messy, and doesn't always turn lives around, but it is very worthwhile. The only other option is not giving a shit, which costs a lot less than 5 million.<br /><br />Signed,<br /> I Don't Work For InteragencyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40622463921347501852014-05-16T19:27:45.722-07:002014-05-16T19:27:45.722-07:00I must not be very bright but 412 kids are "e...I must not be very bright but 412 kids are "enrolled" in interagency but how many actually attend? And with a budget nearly hitting 5 million dollars is that right? What is that per student 12k that must be an amazing program. Anything know anything about them or visited them?<br /><br />Still curious Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44993140897511894632014-05-16T18:33:20.598-07:002014-05-16T18:33:20.598-07:00I just happened to stumble on this site. I wish A...I just happened to stumble on this site. I wish ALL photos were uploaded. Hey, I'll admit I was hoping I'd catch a glimpse of me and my HS classmates in swabbies and puka shells...<br /><br /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/seattleschoolarchive/page1/" rel="nofollow">Seattle Schools photo archive</a>mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50628362980772092532014-05-16T15:51:37.831-07:002014-05-16T15:51:37.831-07:00I just saw the bell times for 2014-15, and they do...I just saw the bell times for 2014-15, and they don't look much like the change so many were advocating for middle and high schools. http://bit.ly/1oyFqob <br /><br />tamiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com