Actual Dismissal Dates for Last Day of School

Okay, so I now have it clear about the last day(s) of school for SPS students.  It has been a challenge for all involved, especially Communications, as (1) the info for them changed over two days and (2) the website coordinators have not kept up and there is differing information right on the SPS homepage. 

Here's the correct info right off the webpage from Communications:

Tuesday, June 21 - Last Day of School for Elementary and K-8 Students with a one-hour early dismissal
Thursday, June 23 - Last Day of School for Middle and High School Students with a one-hour early dismissal

HOWEVER

Tuesday, June 21st, all elementary, K-8 and middle schools will have a one-hour early dismissal (except Aki Kurose which will stay on its regular schedule).   Even though the middle schools are releasing one hour early that day, it is NOT their last day of school.

High schools will release on a normal schedule on Tuesday EXCEPT for Chief Sealth and West Seattle which will also release one hour early.

I have never seen such weirdness for the last day of school.

Comments

SP said…
From the district's 6/14 email to families:

"However, to ensure all of our schools meet the required number of instructional hours, there will be no early dismissal for our middle and high schools on Thursday, June 23."

So, once again the WA state requirements of instructional hours are blatently ignored with the change to early releases on June 23rd. You would think they could have figured this out last winter after the snow days messed up the schedules.

It's really interesting that the district even acknowledges the existance of an instructional hour requirement at all, as often it is totally ignored (ie "late start days" missed for 7th & 8th graders this year, unlimited early releases in middle school and high schools for site-based professional development (as much as 32 this year!), stay home days for all non-test takers in high school, passing time & "20 minute 2nd breakfasts" included in instructional time, etc).
6/20/11, 9:59 AM
Chris S. said…
When you think about what does on in the last hour of the last day (yearbook signing) it would seem silly to keep them in for that hour. However, the fact that missing an extra hour on Tuesday is being required by transportation IS a little unfortunate. I don't know what I suggest, but I suspect if they had begun thinking about the logistics of make-up snow days right after they occurred, a better solution might have been found.
6/20/11, 11:00 AM
Charlie Mas said…
It continues to astonish me that Seattle Public Schools runs dangerously close to missing the state-required 150 hours of planned instruction for each high school credit.

On one hand, you wouldn't believe what is included in that "planned instruction" time. It includes the passing time between classes. It includes the days spent on standardized tests. It includes unstructured study hours or personal reading time at some schools.

On the other hand, the school year is supposed to be 180 days long.

Yet, amazingly, despite being given every advantage, the District has trouble hitting the 150 hour requirement. Remarkable.
6/20/11, 11:01 AM
Anonymous said…
Instructional days. OH Please!! Our ES checked out 3 weeks ago. It has been pretty much non stop fieldtrips, assemblies, school wide events, fun class days, computer games, etc. And they want to get serious on attendance compliance. Of course my kids love school, it has been non stop play this month.

-Monday Blues
6/20/11, 11:53 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
6/20/11, 2:05 PM
wsnorth said…
Yeah, what happened to water balloon fights and everyone skips out at lunch!?
6/20/11, 10:24 PM
Diane said…
and don't forget the 3 annoying auto-dialer calls just to be sure we understood each change! (which i don't dare opt out of, less I might miss a last minute snow day alert that PR neglected to get out to TV/radio)
6/20/11, 11:38 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more