News Update

Salmon Bay student, Leo Pfeifer, won the middle school competition of C-SPAN's national student video competition.  He wins $3,000 for his first place finish for his video, "Who Owns Free Speech?"   There's a link to the video at the Times.

Also, there are no Board director community meetings tomorrow. 

Best wishes for Easter and Passover  - I wish I had a child small enough to take to an Easter egg hunt.  And, enjoy this beautiful weather; I was able to get to the Quad over at UW and all the cherry blossoms are open.  We live in a beautiful place.

Comments

mirmac1 said…
Good for you Leo! Just remember to take anything Frank Blethen says with a grain (or million) of salt!
4/6/12, 4:41 PM
Anonymous said…
It is a very impressive video and everyone at Salmon Bay is very proud and excited! Way to go Leo!
beth
4/6/12, 5:19 PM
Michael H said…
http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2012/04/05/seattle-school-board-considers-expelling-bright-new-teachers-from-the-city-of-goodwill/

Discuss
4/6/12, 10:07 PM
Michael H said…
http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2012/04/05/seattle-school-board-considers-expelling-bright-new-teachers-from-the-city-of-goodwill/

Discuss
4/6/12, 10:07 PM
seattle citizen said…
The Seattle Times today has an odd little guest column about the job of an education ombudsman, by the state's ombudsman, Adia Simmons, that seems to be saying that an ombudsman can help end the polarization of people regarding larger educational issues:
"the contentious nature of our modern discourse has devolved into having winners and losers. Either you are for (insert educational issue) or you are against it...It is time that we stop with ideologies and focus on real and practical solutions to some of our most pressing educational issues. Ombudsmen can start the dialogue of a 'third way' of building consensus as opposed to entrenchment."

Hmm. I thought an ombudsman helped individuals navigate difficulties they experience as...individuals in the system, rather than serving as a "third way" on divisive eduational issues....Very strange column.
4/7/12, 7:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Well, as they say, SC, "Blessed are the peacemakers".

-tangled web indeed
4/7/12, 11:31 AM
seattle citizen said…
I'm with you on that, tangled web. I'm all for ombudsmen, I just thought it strange that their job description might include mediating betwixt "reformers" and those who are suspect of them.

I'm suspect of mediation between those two parties (if they can so neatly categorized) because I fear it's often the case where THEY say, "Let's compromise! Just TEN charter schools!" or "Why don't we meet in the middle, standardized tests will be only a part of a teacher's eval," or "The spam, eggs, suasage and spam...that's only got a little bit of spam in it!"

Any spam is too much: Give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile; bad things aren't better if you just have a wee dram of 'em...
4/7/12, 5:07 PM
Anonymous said…
That seems/feels disrespectful. If we don't agree, we need a third party to help us? We need a mediator? Sorry, not the job of an ombudsman. Perhaps more objective journalism might help?

n...
4/7/12, 6:26 PM
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