Local/State Education News Updates

Two Special Education stories of note.
First, the Times reports that the State will accept SPS's Special Ed plan with a few extra conditions.  The concern seems to be that the staffing plan seems more worried about teachers's needs than meeting student needs.  The State also wants the district to spend more federal dollars on consultants to help to shape/improve services. 

Also, the AP is reporting that Bainbridge School District has to pay the family of a student with Asperger's who was bullied $300,000 in damages.  The lawsuit started in 2010 when the student was then 14 and at Bainbridge High School.  The parents had gone so far as to get a restraining order against four male students as well as contacting the Bainbridge Island police.   The students were found guilty of criminal conduct relating to their actions towards the victim.

Another STEM school with an aviation twist has opened in south Seattle.  The school, Raisbeck Aviation High School opens Thursday in its new building.   The story is here at the Times. 

I like this idea because it is a fully-fleshed out STEM school with many, many links to businesses like Boeing, Alaska Airlines and Raisbeck Engineering who will provide mentors, internships, etc.  Some students are from Highline, others from Seattle and around the Puget Sound.  There is a competitive admissions process.  It is run through Highline Schools.

Update from the Garfield hazing incident; nine students have been suspended for their participation in it.  Six students received five to nine days and are back at school.  Another student was suspendd for 15 days and two other received a 20-day suspension.  There had been 11 students but two were found to be misidentified and their records are cleared.  

All those suspended are apparently appealing their suspensions.   All those suspended will not be allowed to attend school dances this year including the senior prom. 

Even though the deadline for letters of intent for charter applicants are not due until Tuesday, October 22nd, there are some already up at the Charter Commission website (thanks to reader Rufus X for this info).  Not very impressive.  I think might be good ideas but if this is what passes for a letter of intent, hard to say what the actual application will look like.

There are:

• Cesar Chavez Charter School,  a dual-language school in Yakima (this one looks the most promising to me), K-8
• Cedar River Academy, an already existing private school in Enumclaw, PreK-8 (I'm a little unclear if the law will fund the Pre-K part - will be a conversion charter)
• E.Y.E. (Empowering Youth through Education), 6-12
• Green Dot (which is a major charter school player - the only applicant from out-of-state but planning for Tacoma), 6-8
• Int'l Technology and Education Institute, the most sketchy of all, says "pre-adult" for ages served, Seattle
• Melody Lane School of the Arts (also in Yakima)
• Pioneer School, Spokane, K-4 for highly capable students for 60 students - a conversion (so someone in Spokane should be getting a heads up - someone wants your school or part of it)
• Pioneer Youth Corps, a military school (one already operates elsewhere but this would be somewhere in Thurston county for grades 6-12)
• Rainier Prep, college prep in Highline for 5th-8th (sounds a lot like KIPP)
• Yakima Academy, for grades PreK-12 (starting with 9-12) by someone out of Texas and oddly, "to serve 100% at-risk students, substance abuse issues, gang affiliation issues, anger issues and students who have already dropped out of high school."  I'm thinking that just the 9-12 students.

The application deadline is November 22nd.