Friday Open Thread

Just a shocking overnight in Boston.   As Betty Draper of Mad Men said (when JFK was killed), "What is going on?" 

My younger son came home from college for the weekend and I asked if he had discussed the Boston bombings with friends and classmates.  He said not much.  It seems like this kind of happening is almost commonplace for young people.  I am greatly saddened by that.

On the thread, Seattle Schools This Week, I had said there were two Director community meetings tomorrow.  I will check but I don't think they are happening as both DeBell and Martin-Morris are likely to be attending Cheryl Chow's memorial at 10:30 am at Town Hall. 

Great things happening out of Ballard High with members of their BHS Video Production Program. 

What's on your mind?

Comments

Benjamin Leis said…
I have a grab bag of random thoughts /questions about capacity. if the administration were less opaque about its planning process I wouldn't have to sit around speculating.

1. Does anyone know how Madrona K-8 is doing at increasing its draw from the neighborhood? There hasn't been much news about it recently.

2. What does the district plan for the Lowell Building? I'd love for an official statement like we're planning to change the boundaries by some date, or we're planning to add an option program to fill the space etc.

3. Same goes for Hamilton, it would be nice rather than a lot of speculation to have an official statement that there is or isn't going to be an adjustment for next year or even a simple "We're aware of the issue and working on it".

Ben
4/19/13, 11:00 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Ben, good questions all. I'll see what I can find out.
4/19/13, 12:10 PM
Josh Hayes said…
I do know that some people from Lowell talked to some people from Pinehurst about the possibility of co-locating Pinehurst into the Lowell building.

I'll be well out of it when Pinehurst has to move (unless the district pulls a switcheroo and throws us out next year, rather than the following year), but this strikes me as a great idea. I think option programs with all-city draw should be located as centrally as possible: one of the biggest problems AS1/Pinehurst has had to face is the loss of all-city busing coupled with its way-the-hell-north location. Locating in Lowell might stabilize the enrollment for the school/program.

But I doubt it'll happen. The district as an institution dislikes option schools and schools which deviate from the standard model, and I think they'll be perfectly happy to let Pinehurst disappear. Maybe I'm unduly harsh there, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em, and anyone who doesn't see the hostility to option schools in SPS is simply not looking.
4/22/13, 8:03 AM
Maureen said…
It would be great for Central families to have access to another Option School. TOPS is not really child directed enough for many families who are looking for an alternative to their neighborhood schools and seems to have become progressively more conventional over the years. Lowell is a little close to TOPS to be ideal, but it would return AS#1 (Pinehurst) to a central location they were promised eons ago.
4/22/13, 9:43 AM
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