Good News About Rainier Beach HS

Hello

I wanted to pass along this article about Rainier Beach High School that appeared in the Seattle Times on Friday. As all of you can imagine, we are pretty proud of this, but are nowhere near satisfied. We still face huge challenges every day, but I would just like the larger community to know that real learning does take place at RB and that there is dedicated, talented and focused administration and faculty that are committed to the education of every child that enters the doors at RBHS.

When it comes to academic achievement, I wonder when the last time Roosevelt, Nathan Hale and Rainier Beach were used in the same sentence?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2004043795_rainierbeach30m.html

Comments

Melissa Westbrook said…
I saw this too, Michael, and was very happy for them. Maybe getting off the list and the infusion of help from the SE Initiative will help right RBHS and make so its name appearing on a list with Hale and Roosevelt will be commonplace.
11/30/07, 3:52 PM
Charlie Mas said…
I read the story too. This is certainly good news.

What is the story on the appeal? How do you appeal this sort of thing and what makes the difference in the appeal?
11/30/07, 8:47 PM
Michael Rice said…
Hi Mr. Mas

What was holding us back was our graduation rate. We had lost many kids form the class of 2006 from the time they were freshmen till they were seniors. Many of those kids transfered to another school. Some in Seattle, but many out of the district. Fortunately, our Registar, Ms. Mar, had kept a list of those students form 2002, when they were freshmen. Mr. Gary worked with some people at the district and they were able to track down most all of those students and we were able to confirm that they had transfered to other schools, so they became part of that schools graduation rate. Kudos to both Ms. Mar, for keeping the list and Mr. Gary for doing the legwork to resolve this.
12/2/07, 3:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Congratulations, Mr. Rice!

Rainier Beach SHOULD be included in sentences containing Roosevelt and others...You've done wonderful things down there and it's good to see some public recognition.

I'm glad you were able to access your 2002 freshmen lists and follow up. This speaks to a need for some sort of system that does this for schools district-wide, so we know who was where, is where, and went where.

Again, keep up the good work!

Gordon
12/7/07, 2:30 PM
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