Mann Building Update
Water/electricity/heat are shut off. Illegal tenants have a generator running and "guards" at the building. There are many more signs up on the fence and black plastic draping the stairs.
Naturally, there have been no classes going on and most educational materials are being stored in the portable at the site.
KIRO reported receiving a voice mail asking them to not shine their camera lights on the building as the guy on the roof has an "itchy trigger finger." KIRO claims the call came from a cell phone in the building but the illegal tenants say it was someone trying to create drama. (One of several reporters on the scene seems to think an ID can be made of the voice but that information has been passed onto the police and they can figure that one out.)
I think many within the district are tiring of this situation and it is likely to be resolved before the end of the week.
Naturally, there have been no classes going on and most educational materials are being stored in the portable at the site.
KIRO reported receiving a voice mail asking them to not shine their camera lights on the building as the guy on the roof has an "itchy trigger finger." KIRO claims the call came from a cell phone in the building but the illegal tenants say it was someone trying to create drama. (One of several reporters on the scene seems to think an ID can be made of the voice but that information has been passed onto the police and they can figure that one out.)
I think many within the district are tiring of this situation and it is likely to be resolved before the end of the week.
Comments
UW uses private blanks for their keys, so they can't be duplicated at just any lock shop. Maybe SPS should consider the same. Obviously too late for this time, but for the future.
I feel confident that Superintendent Banda will convene a group of African-American leaders, educators and parents from all over the city and address these issues in a timely and transparent manner.
I think the Washington Alliance of Black School Educators would be a good place to start.
First off, I want to say that I personally wish there was more attention on the ISSUE that the AEIC is PROTESTING, rather than the drama around protest tactics.. The obvious issue is that Seattle schools are doing a poor job of connecting with and educating many students of color. The educators at the AEIC have been creating specific techniques for connecting with these students that could be replicated and serve greater numbers of students (of ALL backgrounds) in the future. In places like Tucson, educators have had great success creating culturally relevant and engaging curriculum and that could be done here.
I also want to say that I may not agree with EVERY one of the ideas being promoted by EVERY one of the AEIC educators. There are likely some ideas that I personally would disagree with. However, I fully support their attempts to address the larger problem. In that same spirit, I have walked miles in the rain with Melissa flyering against Charters, even though we may disagree on other aspects of education.
(To answer an earlier question from Lynn - homophobia is not acceptable to me, and I have personally seen LGBTQ folks involved and welcomed at the AEIC).
Like Melissa, I do not think the people in the building intend anyone harm, they are simply very committed to an idea and have been given limited options. However, I remain concerned that the media narrative of ‘violent extremist’ is being propagated as an excuse for draconian action on the part of the SPD and/or ‘vigilante’ neighbors. Historically, the dominant culture over-reaction in these cases is completely disproportionate.
By its own admission, the district has NO PLAN for acting to improve the quality of education for students of color. THAT should be the real story.
No one would disagree with you that SPS does a bad job at educating African American kids, but your blind loyalty to the problem has limited your ability to see many involved with AEIC as supporting racist, homophobic antisemitic sentiments.
I'm sure that there are many within your group that are good meaning and have sound ideas, but the Garricks have been a plague on the CD for years and as long as they are involved I can never support or believe that they have children's best I interest at heart.
You say they have specific techniques, well what are they and what data is there to support its success. They have been been asked time and time again to provide this info and they refuse only to say we don't have to justify ourselves to the "dominant culture" well I'm sorry but they do if they want resources from that same group.
I for one hope that Omari and his band of misfits don't get hurt, but they do nothing to help the cause of the failure of SPS educating African American children.
We can fault the district all day for their failures. We should push for change. We should not support dishonest agitators who seem to be more interested in police bating then in the well being of the students of this district.
It looks like the occupy/anarchist community has now stepped into the mix. I do not think they are well informed on the issues. They are using rhetoric- claiming that "educators have been forced out of the building, and will now have to teach in the street." Only those who have been uninvolved can make such claims. I also wonder if they are aware of the racist, homophobic, misogynistic beliefs and teachings of many in leadership of the Africatown. I wonder if they are aware that their actions create substantial stress for thousands of other students and families- including some of our most vulnerable.
Banda and the district really messed this up. Africatown really messed this up. The latest M4M recruits really messed this up.
missed opportunity
The real problem if not addressed will eventually close more than the item of distraction called the Mann building, through federal court order, class action etc. The Mann building is just a metaphor of how absolutely useless are for black children and youth; any many of students.
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION FROM UNEQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FROM SPS IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE
WHEREAS, The United States Department of EDUCATION is investigating the Seattle Public Schools for its discriminatory treatment of Black children and youth
WHEREAS, The Seattle Police Department is under Federal Court Supervision for its inequitable treatment of nonwhites
WHEREAS, there is a State of Emergency in Education for Black children and youth in the Seattle Public Schools
WHEREAS, the Seattle Public Schools has disproportionately disciplined Black children and youth
WHEREAS, the Seattle Public Schools has overrepresented Black children and youth in Special Education
WHEREAS, the Seattle Public Schools has underrepresented
Black children and youth in Advanced Placement Curriculum
WHEREAS, Black children and youth are not safe from DISCRIMINATION in Seattle Public Schools
"That on the Nineth Day of November, 2013, the Black Community, protector of our children and youth within the City of Seattle, therefore, shall be in resistance against these inequities by the Seattle Public Schools, BLACK CHILDREN AND YOUTH shall be then, henceforth, and forever Free; and the African American Community in the City of Seattle, will collectively use any governmental entities, laws, facilities, equipment, books, and/or other resources necessary to educate and protect Black Children and Youth from the continued educational abuse of their dignity, identity, culture, and humanity in Seattle Public Schools.
We, declare this right as citizens and residents of the United States, under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, under the Equal Education Provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, under the Free and Appropriate Public Education Provision of IDEA, and under Chapter 392-190 of the Washington State WAC.
Who has the solutions ?
http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/UmojaFest.aspx
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2013581711_horacemann03m.html
http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/WorkItOutSeattle.aspx?bv=nposearch
http://crosscut.com/2012/01/17/education/21790/Seattle-district-needs-schooled-on-students-realit/
PSP
Thank you. I agree with so many of the comments you have made.
As I previously posted, when I visited the Mann building it was explained patiently and respectfully to me by two leaders of Africa Town why they and others felt it was necessary to take this action as our District was unable or unwilling to correct the mis education of certain groups of students of color. It was heartbreaking to walk around in that cold building without children and observe the colorful drawings that were proudly displayed on the classroom walls. It continues to be heartbreaking that this action was deemed necessary to draw attention to the inequities that exist in our District.
I have no doubt that the two educators with whom I spoke are sincere in their commitment to educating students. I am also convinced that they will continue to work to correct the disproportionality which exists in academic achievement and discipline sanctions between certain groups of students of color and white students.
Whatever the outcome of this effort, attention to the disproportionality which exists in education has been publicized. No longer can anyone in our District or in our City ignore that disproportionality exists. Perhaps because of these efforts, effective solutions to the deplorable condition of disproportionality will be found. Nothing else has been effective so far.
Disproportionality has never been a priority on this blog, and it wouldn't surprise me if some can't wait for the relief of going back to the mainstays of pressing topics for most readers--APP and neighborhood boundaries.
Thanks, Ed Lambert, for your consistent message of justice.
Thanks, Carol Simmons, for your relentless work on this issue over many years. Your voice is one which needs to keep being heard.
It's convenient to focus on the well known whack jobs like the Paul Schell assaulter. What about the legitimate voices who have been advocates for this movement?
Good job doing some past tutoring in the schools, Melissa. Maybe a refresher course would be helpful about now.
--enough already
"I just wish the interest and energy that Melissa and others have put into getting Africatown out of the building were put into dealing with the education inequities in SPS."
I have consistently fought against educational inequities in our district. That's one reason I became an activist. And I know that those whose opinions I value know it.
For example, it would be an educational inequity to assign Central Area students to Meany if it is not renovated as it is the building in the worst condition in our district. I don't want that for them and that's why I believe Africatown needs to vacate Mann.
Consider I just finished yet another tutoring assignment out at Ballard for Hispanic students, no, I don't need a refresher course.
I doubt very much that the LGBTQ community at Nova, including students of color, is comforted much by your personal observation. CD neighbors are not. AIC actively promoted the teachings of Dr Umar Johnson, a radical homophobe.
neighbor
-Concerned In The CD
"We, declare this right as citizens and residents of the United States, under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, under the Equal Education Provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, under the Free and Appropriate Public Education Provision of IDEA, and under Chapter 392-190 of the Washington State WAC."
Isn't that against the rules on this blog?
--enough already
One thing that I personally need to make clear is that I am not going to be threatened by anonymous people. I will take slings and arrows (and even praise) from anonymous people but I will not be threatened.
Empowered got very upset over my question and I have now remove that comment and his/hers follow-ups with threats.
The understanding should be that this blog is a public service but it is one that Charlie and I work very, very heard at and yes, we have the final say on what gets printed.
I will now have to consider whether or not I will comment again. This is disheartening but it would be very problematic for me to have my identity and workplace revealed.
With that said, I certainly don't condone threats against Melissa or anyone else.
--- disheartened
I wished I had copied ec comments, but ec did not threatened Melissa, just reacted when Melissa removed ec's comments after it was stated ec did not work for the employer, Melissa asked about, and ec expressed concerns regarding privacy. EC questioned Melissa on the ethics of that. Why should Melissa be interested in any of our employers and remove our comments after she states she will be contacting them. I have never experience this on any blog!! More than disheartening, disturbing!
Melissa wrote--
"Lynn, that is interesting as Ms. Qaasim has a Facebook page called Seattle Public School Boycott. Today they posted an "Emancipation Proclamation from Equal Opportunity in the City of Seattle" against the SPD and SPS.
"That on the Nineth Day of November, 2013, the Black Community, protector of our children and youth within the City of Seattle, therefor, shall be in resistance against these inequities by the Seattle Public Schools, BLACK CHILDREN AND YOUTH shall be then, henceforth, and forever Free; and the African American Community in the City of Seattle, will collectively use any governmental entities, laws, facilities, equipment, books, and/or other resources necessary to educate and protect Black Children and Youth from the continued educational abuse of their dignity, identity, culture, and humanity in Seattle Public Schools."
What's baffling to me is if Africatown hates SPS so much, why not go charter? Seems to be what they want which is control over a building and over the curriculum/teaching.
I do find it somewhat odd that someone that works for LEV seems to hate public education this much (as least in Seattle). LEV seems more like a solid-citizen group than a firebrand group but that's just my take."
11/9/13, 11:16 AM
It seemed to me like Melissa was trying to link emancipation culture to this person at LEV.
Also, I certainly did not perceive ec comments as "threatening" Melissa, but ec stated that he/she would alert LEV that this situation had occurred in order to make sure the person in question was aware of this breech.
Accountability is quite different from a threat in my world.
--enough already
The only thing I can say is that I get to decide what a threat is in my world. But I suspect I know where this comments are coming from so it doesn't matter.