tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post948124088132647984..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Enrollment and WaitlistsMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34610410390252055552017-04-27T10:10:40.183-07:002017-04-27T10:10:40.183-07:00Back on the topic of waitlists, I haven't been...Back on the topic of waitlists, I haven't been able to easily find precise policy of siblings. Our index school is Ballard. My oldest kid is a senior getting her IB diploma at Ingraham, and my second kid is entering 9th grade next year and she wants to do IB as well, and she's on the waitlist. Either the sibling policy does not cover "legacy" situations like this, where we already know the school, teachers, principal, staff, etc., but will not have 2 kids currently enrolled at the school, OR a mistake was made. Any thoughts on that?<br /><br />MM<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48165449326860030852017-04-25T13:12:56.495-07:002017-04-25T13:12:56.495-07:00"The real issue is that SPS continues, by des..."The real issue is that SPS continues, by design and choice, to have highly impacted FRL schools."<br /><br />Yes. And we should figure out how to fix that. Splitting the district, however, would make that harder to fix because there wouldn't be many options. But you're right, FWIW, that there doesn't seem to be a lot of political will to fix it now, either, while it's conceivably possible. The NSAP has had mixed results--some schools are more diverse now and some are less, some are more poor and others are less--and moving away from a geographic assignment plan could potentially allow for the creation of more well-balanced schools (while adding transportation costs, assignment uncertainty, etc.). But it's tricky. Even many of those who decry the disparities don't like the idea of bussing kids around to even things out. They want "local schools for local kids."<br /><br />data seekerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13060894300068375482017-04-25T09:18:41.357-07:002017-04-25T09:18:41.357-07:00"The real issue is that SPS continues, by des..."The real issue is that SPS continues, by design and choice, to have highly <br />impacted FRL schools."<br /><br />agreed.<br /><br />no capsnot mc trollnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45782730513573872812017-04-24T14:51:32.982-07:002017-04-24T14:51:32.982-07:00What about the issue itself of highly impacted FRL...What about the issue itself of highly impacted FRL schools in SPS that could<br />be changed, Simple Math? You did not address that.<br /><br />Federal grants, according to previous posters, are currently denied due<br />to the current construct of the district.<br /><br />On the other hand, the proliferation of PTA funding to the "have" schools<br />exploded when the WSS formula was enacted because it seemed unfair.<br /><br />The real issue is that SPS continues, by design and choice, to have highly <br />impacted FRL schools. That is my issue. I am not advocating about a district<br />split or not.<br /><br />FWIW<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86672933526675148362017-04-24T14:12:43.609-07:002017-04-24T14:12:43.609-07:00The difference, FWIW, is that a split district cou...The difference, FWIW, is that a split district could not shift $/student from low need to high need as easily. Throwing out purely fictional #'s, suppose $10,000/student is provided to districts. SPS could spend an average of $4,000/student at some schools (like Bryant) while spending an average of $15,000 per student at other schools. Take the Bryants out of the district, and you have a lot less to go around. How is counting on Federal $ for high needs schools, which has a lot more strings attached, an improvement?<br /><br />simple mathAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39701382081014810222017-04-24T13:56:18.186-07:002017-04-24T13:56:18.186-07:00"High FRL schools are generally NOT a good th..."High FRL schools are generally NOT a good thing."<br /><br />They are already rampant in Seattle because of the SAP.<br />This discussion about not splitting the district because<br />it leaves a tale of two cities is disingenuous.<br /><br />It is already a district of haves and have nots as<br />long as SPS continues its neighborhood assignment plan.<br /><br />And, yes, highly concentrated FRL schools are usually correlated with much<br />worse outcomes for students.<br /><br />But fixing that fixable disgrace isn't on anyone's bucket list right now.<br /><br />FWIWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23665878089323152662017-04-24T11:35:01.089-07:002017-04-24T11:35:01.089-07:00The idea that splitting the district such that we ...The idea that splitting the district such that we ended up with smaller, poorer ones that could then qualify for more grants has me scratching my head. It's like saying "Hey, good news--I'm going to cut your salary in half so your kids will qualify for free lunch!"<br /><br />Being needy enough to qualify for aid isn't the ideal. Federal aid doesn't offset the increased needs. High FRL schools are generally NOT a good thing.<br /><br />data seeker<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9161347661636326382017-04-23T20:06:02.901-07:002017-04-23T20:06:02.901-07:00Queen 4aDay agrees with observer and JH, and cares...Queen 4aDay agrees with observer and JH, and cares greatly about teachers and students across our district. I've heard the same line from teachers that they are completely unsupported from the district re:curriculum. It's a waste of time giving the C&I or AL office another dime.<br /><br />Q4aDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30297245659417974222017-04-23T19:31:58.033-07:002017-04-23T19:31:58.033-07:00It doesn't matter where I live. My opinion isn...It doesn't matter where I live. My opinion isn't based on what's best for me. And it appears my opinion is supported by at least one person who has studied it. I haven't seen any credible support for your opinion. <br /><br />It just makes sense to me. We are not other districts regardless of size. We are a district that should be doing much better. But we aren't. So change needs to happen and not the tired change and whining that seems to be repetitive here. I read the blog. I learn from it. But that doesn't make you the experts. Informative yes. Problem solvers, not.<br /><br />Provide something concrete that will solve the problem besides more money. Honestly, I've just posted my opinion. If you have to be right, I probably won't concede it so we have nothing to continue talking about.<br /><br />observerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80501949138322707372017-04-23T18:34:17.490-07:002017-04-23T18:34:17.490-07:00So observer, which region do you live in and what ...So observer, which region do you live in and what do you think would change in your local schools if the district was split? For example, a split by region would leave the NE with 450 more high school students than are currently at Nathan Hale and Roosevelt. <br /><br />It wouldn't have to be a regional split of course. Anaheim has a pre-K to 6th district and a high school district. That would allow administrators to specialize. Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50113249124943899692017-04-23T18:25:26.111-07:002017-04-23T18:25:26.111-07:00I actually think the district is a reasonable size...I actually think the district is a reasonable size for a mid-sized urban district. LA, Chicago, now those are districts that are too big.<br /><br />I absolutely think it is within the reach of this district to at least function well. That we elect Board members - election after election - who do not at least demand a district that functions well - you know, like enrollment, curriculum, a decent website - is curious. No wonder the district can't tackle big issues; they aren't even getting the trains to run on-time. <br /><br />Is this the worst mid-size urban district? Of course not. But it's shameful that there are so many highly-paid employees at the district level and yet, they just muddle along.<br /><br />I was at an event last week for WPD with many other activists and their issues. I was chatting up a teacher who said she had taught mostly in Bellevue but, for the last couple of years, in Seattle. I asked her what the difference was. She said "day and night. If I need curriculum in Bellevue, it's there. Curricular resources? There. Support from the principal? There." <br /><br />You could surely break this district up but you will end up seeing a concentration of F/RL students in one or two districts and more manageable numbers in the north end. Then there will be cries about equity and we're back to square one. <br /><br />Naturally, it's hard to tell how much having fully-funded schools would make a difference for SPS. <br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83266465509757044652017-04-23T18:08:15.927-07:002017-04-23T18:08:15.927-07:00I just wanted to add that smaller districts would ...I just wanted to add that smaller districts would undoubtedly attract more corporate money as well as grant money due to the fact that it would be spread more equally and with greater oversight and less interference from bureaucrats. JH comment on Federal money makes total sense.<br />observerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34457688810759651542017-04-23T18:05:50.906-07:002017-04-23T18:05:50.906-07:00Whenever splitting the district comes up on this b...Whenever splitting the district comes up on this blog, you get the same tired answers about doubling or tripling super pay or some other tired and superficial money argument. A smaller district would enable administrators to do more and those administrators would be more visible to a smaller more local clientele. Smart people post on this blog but many have shown little imagination. That's why I post rarely. You get tired responses. The bigger the bureaucracy, the more the money goes down the money hole. It is true of all bureaucracies and large corporations. Wouldn't you rather deal with local business? I would.<br /><br />Thanks, JH, for your information. We are a district that needs to change to succeed. Doing the same thing over and over . . . well, Lynn, I bet you can finish that one.<br />observerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88678830126725951162017-04-23T16:30:07.096-07:002017-04-23T16:30:07.096-07:00P.S From a funding standpoint he felt Seattle scho...P.S From a funding standpoint he felt Seattle schools would be much better positioned to receive more federal funds if broken into smaller districts. He felt the north was a drain to the south end's more concentrated high poverty schools. He did not state two districts, just smaller districts. Tukwila received alot of grant money that schools in our South end could not but there was high need. UW also had federal grants with Tukwila, they could not work with Seattle due to federal and state grant guidelines. <br />-JHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60597110887759721382017-04-23T16:25:26.220-07:002017-04-23T16:25:26.220-07:00As JH points out--SPS is so big it is difficult to...As JH points out--SPS is so big it is difficult to secure grants or support (or agreement or collaboration) to effectively hone in and solve some of its issues. And, yes--Garfield would rather not be a magnet school for HCC. This is not a news flash, so why say "wow!"?<br /><br />Queen 4aDayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54217208441800121942017-04-23T16:18:40.228-07:002017-04-23T16:18:40.228-07:00"Obviously the district is dysfunctional. It&..."Obviously the district is dysfunctional. It's not because it's too large - this isn't a particularly large district compared to those in other areas. As of 2012, we were the 94th largest district in the country."<br /><br />I knew a legislative policy person who worked in upper administration at OSPI in Olympia who did alot of research on Seattle. He also concluded the district was too large to function well. At the time we were concerned with the fact that SPS was unable to garner federal grants like Tukwila. They did not qualify based upon the formulas although had pockets of poverty. One thing that stuck with me was his comment " Seattle Public Schools being so large results in mediocrity for all". <br />-JH<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87602778675844389722017-04-23T15:52:41.831-07:002017-04-23T15:52:41.831-07:00Splitting North-South, with BHS, Hale, IHS, and RH...Splitting North-South, with BHS, Hale, IHS, and RHS in the north, would create a north district around 20% FRL and a south district around 50% FRL (excludes Center School and Nova in calculations, and doesn't take into account HCC at Garfield). <br /><br />nonsensicalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11537850677667472482017-04-23T15:24:58.176-07:002017-04-23T15:24:58.176-07:00Splitting North-South would lead to a better funde...Splitting North-South would lead to a better funded north end and more poorly funded south end. Yes, there are students in poverty across the district, but disproportionately more in the south end. Fewer dollars would need to stretch even more to cover students with high needs, while in the north end, the $/student would actually increase as they'd have disproportionately fewer students with high needs. A split makes no sense, and would most likely harm those in the south end.<br /><br />realityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77729730494739064982017-04-23T15:15:36.131-07:002017-04-23T15:15:36.131-07:00If people want Garfield then move south. The south...If people want Garfield then move south. The south end has much more affordable housing opportunities. We need to stop busing kids around and work on local schools for local kids...<br /><br />Just stop Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-69338442480998094442017-04-23T15:14:58.464-07:002017-04-23T15:14:58.464-07:00"Garfield doesn't want you anyway."
..."Garfield doesn't want you anyway."<br /><br />Wow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50821937034142987592017-04-23T15:13:29.463-07:002017-04-23T15:13:29.463-07:00The existence of waivers is an opportunity to comp...<i>The existence of waivers is an opportunity to compare outcomes, however. Has the district done a comparison for various schools and groups? Do schools using waivers vs the adopted materials show any difference in outcomes? If so, are they doing anything else differently?</i><br /><br />The district has a "Research, Evaluation and Assessment" department, but they don't seem to do any evaluation of academic program effectiveness. They mostly seem to do scorecard-related data, which means looking at standardized tests and climate surveys. Their efforts seem to be primarily directed toward external reporting, with little or no emphasis on evaluation for QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. There are a lot of questions they could be asking and a lot of different ways they could be using the data they have--not to mention a lot of different questions they COULD be asking to dig a little deeper into any of the many issues that have been concerns for years and years--but they don't appear to be interested in looking beneath the surface. Maybe they're afraid of what we'll see?<br /><br />data seekerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80682018481838213502017-04-23T15:11:05.332-07:002017-04-23T15:11:05.332-07:00Lake WA is about half the size of Seattle. It also...Lake WA is about half the size of Seattle. It also has a 12% poverty rate in comparison to Seattle's 36%. Which half of Seattle would you be in if the district was split north/south? <br /><br />Here are the FRL %s for each high school attendance area:<br /><br />Ballard 12%<br />Ingraham 39%<br />Nathan Hale 35%<br />Roosevelt 12%<br /><br /><br />Chief Sealth 66%<br />Franklin 65%<br />Garfield 46%<br />Rainier Beach 76%<br />West Seattle 28%<br /><br />Only one high school attendance area south of the ship canal has a lower poverty rate than any school in the north end.Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-5104771153300062352017-04-23T14:51:13.114-07:002017-04-23T14:51:13.114-07:00It makes more sense to me to split the District an...It makes more sense to me to split the District and improve management by creating manageable sized districts vs trying to keep it together to preserve the big pot of money that is spread too thin and completely mismanaged. North /South split makes sense, but who cares how it's divided, just do something to improve things. Status quo isn't working. Different needs for north and south seattle was referring to financial issues, but also neighborhood cultures and communities. When has SPS been managed well? Ever? Never? Why not consider splitting it? The excuse for the $74M deficit was the unusual size of the district. Lake Washington school district is Big but not unruly, and they are not facing the same deficit and mismanagement issues we are. <br /><br />Could it be north Seattle doesn't want to lose access to Garfield? So, recreate Garfield at Lincoln and then split the District. Garfield doesn't want you anyway.<br /><br />Queen 4aDayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88450846452953664882017-04-23T14:48:09.455-07:002017-04-23T14:48:09.455-07:00parent - it's Meany Middle School. Here's ...parent - it's Meany Middle School. Here's a link to the <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/committees/Operations/2016-17/20170420_Ops_Agenda_Packet.pdf" rel="nofollow">agenda</a> for the March Operations Committee meeting. The Board Action Report begins on page 160. The purchase for Meany is on page 171.<br /><br />I didn't think the district had enough technology staff to keep the current computers running.Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82835474958235772972017-04-23T14:35:00.311-07:002017-04-23T14:35:00.311-07:00What exactly does a superintendent do for $250K pe...What exactly does a superintendent do for $250K per year. Why would you assume each district would need to pay someone $250K or that each district would require so many centralized staff...they would not. De fund JSCEE, split the district, sell off JSCEE building and empower each school to do excellence.<br /><br />Why not Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com