Calendar Updates

Rainier Beach High School is having an Open House and several school tour dates:

Thursday, January 19th - School Tour from 8-9:30 am and Open House from 6:30-8p.m.
Thursday, , February 9th - Tour from 8-9:30 am
Thursday, February 16th - Open House from 6:30-8:30 pm
Thursday, March 1st - School Tour from 8-9:30 am
Thursday, March 8th - School Tour from 8-9:30 am

For more info, please contact the Main Office at 206-252-6350.

Also from SPS Communications:


In response to strong enrollment growth in West Seattle, Seattle Public Schools will be opening a new elementary program for fall 2012: K-5 STEM at Boren.

The new STEM program will be housed in the Louisa Boren Building (5950 Delridge Way SW). It will be a K-5 option program and will open with all six grades in September 2012.

Family Information & Input Night: There will be a K-5 STEM at Boren information meeting on Wednesday, February 15 from 7:00-8:30 PM at Schmitz Park Elementary (5000 SW Spokane Street). Interested families are invited to learn about STEM and help identify program priorities as this new educational option is developed. 

Because STEM at Boren will be an option program, it will be open to any student in Seattle who will be entering grades K through 5 in September 2012. Bus transportation will be provided for students who live within West Seattle. Families who wish to apply to K-5 STEM at Boren can do so during the district’s Open Enrollment process from February 27 through March 9, 2012. Families can also apply after Open Enrollment through September 30. School Choice forms will be available at www.seattleschools.org beginning February 27.


End of press release.

So they are starting up an entire K-5 STEM school from scratch to go on-line in September.  That's a big job and a big sell.  I think it will be difficult to attract parents to a program if it doesn't seem fleshed out and, isn't in its permanent home.

It's unlikely I can attend the information meeting so I hope some of you West Seattlites will attend and let us know how much detail they have for parents.

Comments

dan dempsey said…
MW wrote:
"So they are starting up an entire K-5 STEM school from scratch to go on-line in September. That's a big job and a big sell. I think it will be difficult to attract parents to a program if it doesn't seem fleshed out and, isn't in its permanent home."

(1) STEM is the current USA Ed Fad of the moment.

(2) Cleveland STEM had a completely defective Action Report which was filled with misinformation approved on Feb 3, 2010. District then upon legal appeal dropped that SBAR report entirely and constructed a new SBAR on March 12, 2010, which gained final approval in early April.

Is Boren k-5 STEM any further behind? If so not by much.

(3) About the only different is Cleveland had a permanent home.

(4) If the district states that as a STEM k-5 Boren will NOT be using Everyday Math that will be a huge draw.

(5) Draw a few Schmitz Park teachers to Boren especially Craig Parsley with Singapore Math at grade 5 and this plan will be good to go for parent approval and confidence.

(6) Northern West Seattle has overcrowded elementary schools with portables .... Boren will not be over crowded.

=============
This does not look like a difficult sell job to me.

Especially since the district has a horrible track record for Math and continually fails to even hint at a positive change, much less actually acknowledge how any positive changes occurred (outside of Top Down Direction).

See Dr. Enfield's video => HERE

Enfield does not even define what Mercer is doing but says that the district will spread it elsewhere.

STEM SBAR approved on 2/03/2010

STEM SBAR written on 3/12/2010.... and approved of April 7, 2010.

======================
It seems that Boren k-5 is not much further behind Cleveland STEM at this stage of development.

It all has to do with the selling. NTN STEM was a pathetic performer and the District spent $800,000 for a pointless tool.

STEM is the current EDU-FAD. How can Boren k-5 STEM be a difficult sell given conditions in WS and in math in the SPS. The fact that this school will eventually move out of Boren may in fact be a selling point for some parents.
======

If I had to make a decision about enrolling a child at Boren k-5 .... my biggest concern would be if the district sees STEM as a discovery/inquiry program.

The SPS has continually demonstrated that discovery/inquiry produces poor results but is not effected by this reality. An emphasis on skills needed to pursue a STEM career should focus on acquisition of knowledge and skill development.

William Evers thoughts HERE
2/9/12, 9:52 AM
mirmac1 said…
How about attracting kids downtown?

Business leaders want an elementary downtown

Yeah, that'll be a draw.
2/9/12, 12:01 PM
Anonymous said…
Melissa, could you also note on calendar the SCPTSA General Meeting Mon. 2/13 on School Budgeting. From the District website:

Seattle Council PTSA invites school community members to Feb. 13 meeting to discuss school budget process

The Seattle Council PTSA invites community members from all schools to learn more about your school's budget process. Whether or not your school has a PTA, please join us at our next Seattle Council PTSA General Meeting where we will discuss the nuts and bolts of school budget allocations. School Board President, Michael DeBell, Sherry Carr, School Board Chair for Audit and Finance, and Cathy Thompson, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, will be at the meeting to answer questions.

Thanks!

CityMama
2/9/12, 10:16 PM
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