Tuesday Open Thread
It's Tuesday and time for an open thread.
What's on your mind? Horace Mann? Good hair? Charter schools? Strategic plan? Board priorities? Special ed?
The state rejected the District's special education correction plan seeking greater detail. Will they hold up funding?
What's on your mind? Horace Mann? Good hair? Charter schools? Strategic plan? Board priorities? Special ed?
The state rejected the District's special education correction plan seeking greater detail. Will they hold up funding?
Comments
Interestingly, OSPI want to see our comments. Hmmmm, it won't be pretty.
NE Mom
I hope Michael Tolley speaks out on this matter. It makes you wonder what is going on downtown.
reader
Bryant parent
• Meeting with Pinehurst K-8 families and staff.
• In the Pinehurst building lunchroom, 6:30-8 p.m.
• District staff will share information and request input and feedback from families and staff with regard to the possible closure.
Here we go again.
Pinehurst k-8/AS-1...
Fighting district closure threats since 1979!
See notice here.
Pinehurst parents, have you considered filing the paperwork to be a conversion charter? Seems like it would give you leverage, even if you didn't go all the way through with it.
wondering about SPS
Sps wins an award for *community engagement*
HA HA HA. TEE HEE HEE
Best laugh of the day. Thanks.
Readers:
Make up a tag line to go with the award - post here. Let's all get as many chuckles as we can from this. Because, seriously, it is that funny.
Thus, why not make it even more deliciously funny.
-irony inc
Had Enough
The District decides whether they get input or complaints when they determine the timing of the public input. Are they getting complaints? That's their choice.
A parent
I guess they were able to hire a teacher for Spanish 1 and AP Spanish...but my kid is still waiting.
One week of completely wasted class time with substitute teachers.
-GHS Parent
Sorry, don't mean to be flip. It is ridiculous that Spanish staff is not in place. But Latin really is that good at GHS.
sidneyd
sidneyd
GHS parent alum
- interested
Non APP GHS parent with high achieving kids
Third yr Spanish was taught by subs as the teacher was on maternity leave. Good grades, but didnt feel prepared enough to take AP Spanish senior year.
When suburban districts are teaching Japanese & Arabic, it is disheartening to Seattle having such difficulty finding SPANISH teachers!
Who said anything about APP? Foreign language is not a part of APP, and APP middle school students don't have special access to foreign language classes.
I understand that some folks like to blame APP--the programs, the kids, the parents, etc.--for everything, but it's just not the case. Nice try.
HIMSmom
Maybe Tony Wroten could send a check to pay to hire a Spanish teacher or two? It looks like he is employed.
I don't want to bother the schools or teachers during this crunch time but I'm trying to find some basic information on the MS science curriculum at various schools. I have looked at the some school websites and the SPS website, but I would like some verification of what is actually happening out there. Does your child's middle school use science textbooks or just the kits from the Science Materials Center and the teachers' own lesson plans? Does your middle school teach topics in life science, earth science, and physical science every year or separate them into a different content focus for 6,7, & 8th grade?
Any info would be much appreciated.
-Was There
Good for you and your high achieving kids. I'm glad Garfield is there for them to thrive in. I only wish folks like you would reciprocate instead of bashing APP all the time.
WSDWG
Tired
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/11/prweb4791294.htm
Also can somebody explain what the scheduling problems are and which schools are experiencing them?
Thanks.
Eckstein does not use science kits. Sometimes they use textbooks, but not for every unit & not driving the curriculum. Historically each teacher has done their own thing. Now they are working on aligning across grade levels.
Typically, physical science in 6th, biological sciences in 7th & earth sciences in 8th.
-eckstein parent
STEM parent
Science fair can be a good way of learning. Think of it as a little taste of project-based learning, driven by what the student is interested in with some guidance from the teacher.
Thank you.
EdVoter
It isn't on the SEA website yet either. Check there in a couple days. It shouldn't take this long to enter the minimal changes that were made to the proposal that was rejected.
SSD staffer
From Capitol Hill blog
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2013/09/schools-says-with-community-issues-sorted-out-14-2m-plan-moving-forward-to-re-open-hill-middle-school/#more-2067131852
NEmom
Thanks, RR
NEmom
Is it possible the teacher thought your daughter wanted to take it as a freshman? Biology is a prerequisite for that class and most kids (not enrolled in APP) don't have the opportunity to take it in middle school. I believe she could take it after completing biology.
Just a thought.
Lynn
(Eric, was it actually Marine Bio (not Oceanography)? That is a VERY popular class at GHS and includes a trip to Hawaii (and Eastern WA?). It used to be full of 10th graders and up. Since APP students are covering Bio in 8th grade, I hear many more 9th graders are enrolled and some people are concerned that the trips may not be sustainable because so many of the kids are so young.)
NEmom
( she graduated in 2008)
She did not win the lottery to go to Hawaii, but I was the only female chaperone on the eastern wa marine biology trip, which was a fantastic opportunity to see fossils on top of slate peak! ( marine fossils)
CCA
The list of MS science kit checkouts from the SMC is up, but its hard to tell if and when they are actually taught.
-Was There
WA State K-12 Science Standards
Unless, of course, your kid is in APP, in that case they're smart enough to deserve science.
Huh? APP uses the same science kits as the rest of SPS students, but in a different order. They skip some units in order to accelerate to the high school Physical Science and Biology in middle school - same texts as everyone else, just earlier. I think some WMS students can take Physical Science even if they aren't in APP (assuming they are also on an accelerated math track).
Just like math, there's a lot of room for improvement in SPS science curriculum.
SPSparent
STEM parent
My D is in the 1st week of the 1st year of IB Chemistry and I just don't see how she could do it without knowing some algebra. Maybe you are just referring to K-8 science, in which case I agree. Or maybe you are saying 10th graders with no math skills could still be taught some sort of Chemistry, but I can't imagine a level of differentiation that could serve kids who know algebra and those who don't all in the same HS Chem class. (Her 7/8th grade science teacher did it by teaching everyone the algebra they needed to make it work, but they didn't cover anywhere near the amount of Chem that HAS to be covered in IB Chemistry. And most of those kids knew very little algebra to start with.)
I'm saying exactly that, and I'm saying it isn't that hard to do. First of all, overwhelmingly, kids have algebra and it isn't that big a deal. Really, they could do Physical Science with anybody, at any level, no excuses. And probably, they could do some Chemistry in middle school. And, phone the neighbors, teach them the algebra (or skip it if they have to) in middle school too. If they can do it for some, they can do it for all. What passes for middle school science is a waste of time.
STEM parent