News from the Seattle Council PTSA

Bernardo Ruiz named new SPS Family and Community Engagement Coordinator

“The Family and Community Engagement Division of Equity, Race & Learning Support was recently developed to begin taking a systemic approach to family and community engagement. The Family and Community Engagement Division works collaboratively with other district programs, student families and diverse community organizations to support student academic achievement. This division plans and provides professional development on best practices to enhance school and district staffs’ ability to engage families from diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds. It also provides trainings for families on how to support their child in school and acts as a resource connecting them to services in the community.”

Bernardo Ruiz 206.252.0693 - bjruiz@seattleschools.org

Hung Pham (Bilingual Community Liaison and Consulting Teacher for the Asian Community)
206.252.0163 - hpham@seattleschools.org

Mohamed Roble (Bilingual Community Liaison for the East African Community)
206.252.0696 - maroble@seattleschools.org

Diversity Calendar for 2007-08

SPS has published their new Diversity Calendar for 2007-08 showing dates important to a number of different cultural communities. Many PTSAs have asked for similar information and Bernardo Ruiz’s office will be happy to e-mail you this SPS calendar. You can also contact us at info@seattlecouncilptsa.org and we will forward the documents to you.

Comments

Dan Dempsey said…
This is amazing. SPS adopts the most ethnically discriminatory math curricula available k-8, while ignoring all the relevant data in regard to ethnicity and disadvantaged learners during the adoption process.

Now lets spend even more dollars on administration rather than the classroom.

Read "A Textbook Case in Textbook Adoption" by Garelick at
http://www.thirdeducationgroup.org/
9/12/07, 10:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Mr. Dempsey, you keep making these broad statements, but do not include any data to explain your accusations to those of us less familiar. It is unproductive to just throw something out their without explaining how, why, your theory is relevant.

How, EXACTLY, is the new math curricula discriminatory to ethnic minorities? Is it discriminatory to non minority students too? Please be specific.

Thank you.
9/13/07, 6:33 AM
Charlie Mas said…
Despite the diversity calendar, Washington Middle School went ahead and scheduled the WMS Music Open House for tonight, Rosh Hashanah. Like they don't know how many of the kids in the WMS music program are Jewish.
9/13/07, 9:59 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
The same thing happened for our 9th Grade High School 101 night at Roosevelt (and for Curriculum Night which is during Ramadan but Ramadan is a whole month and hard to schedule around). The reason I get is that the building schedules fill up quickly and they have to pick a date.
9/13/07, 2:55 PM
Anonymous said…
i just read the article referenced (Read "A Textbook Case in Textbook Adoption" by Garelick at
http://www.thirdeducationgroup.org/). It makes no mention of ethnic discrimination. It is, however, a broad-based attack on the Everyday Math curriculum.
9/21/07, 2:27 PM
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