Update 2: So I have seen a message from President Liza Rankin on why she, Director Evan Briggs, and Director Michelle Sarju backed out of this meeting. In a nutshell: - She says there was no organization to the meeting which is just not true. They had a moderator lined up and naturally the board members could have set parameters for what to discuss, length of meeting, etc. All that was fleshed out. - She also claimed that if the meeting was PTA sponsored, they needed to have liability insurance to use the school space. Hello? PTAs use school space all the time and know they have to have this insurance. - She seems to be worried about the Open Public Meetings law. Look, if she has a meeting in a school building on a non-personnel topic, it should be an open meeting. It appears that Rankin is trying, over and over, to narrow the window of access that parents have to Board members. She even says in her message - "...with decisions made in public." Hmmm - She also says that th
Comments
HP
So what gives? Are people just not doing it on time? Is this a blip, dip in babies born in 2009 due to the Great Recession? Did Shoreline see an uptick? Private schools?
-sleeper
http://www.engr.washington.edu/prosp_students/undergrad-adm.html
Nothing new
WG
I have been thoroughly convinced that this increased enrollment is here to stay overall, but that doesn't mean there won't be any low years. Just wondering if this is one, and if so, why.
-sleeper
Queen Anne and Magnolia are STILL missing their high school. Who ever sold it, does he still have a job? Good job!
#SPSWTF
My buddy Ian who teaches U.S. History and LGBT Studies at Maryland sent me this latest gem on Common Core. (Using my non-professional voice here ...)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/19/common-core-gay_n_5353629.html
I was at Adams last week to speak with the PTA, and did a quick photo shoot afterwards. The building is very Michael Graves PostMod, a visual narrative that works well IMHO for kids. I'd like to hear what kids, teachers and parents think of it.
Photo album link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157644704760956/
Here, link to my shots of Andrew Morrison's murals at Wilson-Pacific.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157644668845174/
As always, feel free to email me at jawolf@seattleschools.org with concerns, questions, etc.
In the spirit of collaboration, I did that 10 seconds of google research for you.
Search query "closure and sale of Queen Anne High School" yielded this initial result, which covers many details.
http://seattletimes.com/html/education/2002440838_queenanne15m.html
I put it on my comment card at the WilPac meeting last week, but it wasn't one of the "5" questions chosen to be read aloud and answered. That's supposed to be funny.
First, I think you are awesome for posting on this site. It's brave of you considering the "anonymous" crowd.
So, since you're reading, I thought I'd ask my question again. The timing is relevant due to the Board vote tomorrow on extra money for the K-8 inside the WilPac MS. I am NOT against the K-8 at WilPac. I am against redesigning a building that will be around forever when it's possible APP and/or the K-8 will not fit in the building on day 1.
A woman asked why you were building Kindergarten rooms in the WilPac elementary when APP doesn't have K. You answered that not having K rooms would reduce the building's flexibility in the future and the building shouldn't be built for the program, but it should be built flexibly to accommodate long-term needs. I 100% agree.
My question was about WilPac MS:
If that is the thinking, why is SPS redesigning the MS to incorporate the K-8 program? Shouldn't the same philosophy apply to both buildings? I have to wonder if the MS couldn't be built in a flexible enough way that the K-8 could house there if there's room, but if there's no room, the building isn't needing to be renovated before it even opens in 9/2017.
Thanks,
Robyn
There are rules around BLTs (I haven't reviewed them in awhile) but I do not think a principal can be in sole control of who sits on it.
#SPSWTF - There are several of us who believe many issues have arisen because QA/Magnolia never got a comprehensive high school. It will continue to be a problem.
Once again, what happens in one part of the district WILL ripple out. People who think doesn't happen don't understand district history.
Your school should have BLT rules somewhere that covers agendas and minutes.
Could you provide the link to the post open enrollement report? I'd like to see it too,
Thanks
Maybe sleeper was referring to this?
-sleeper
In addition to your advice for WG regarding the principal controlling who is on (or not) the BLT, do you have suggestions for what parents in general can do in addition to the more formal measures you suggested? Petition? Everyone keep their kids home from school one day as a form of "input" for the principal on her decisions? Seriously, what are effective approaches?
This is same principal who recently reduced the librarian position to .5 after it was voted to fully fund it as 1.0. NOTHING has been communicated to families about the BLT stuff or the librarian position. Not only are decisions being made without family input, they're being made and then not communicated.
While the PTA is figuring out how to navigate with this principal and decisions that are being made NOW for the fall, families don't know what's up and how it will affect their kids. What's an effective way to inform them?
--Sad for Whittier
On the agenda for the June 3, 2014 Bellevue School Board meeting is possible approval of Policy 3247, which authorizes the use of tasers, handcuffs, pepper spray and other police-like restraints against students with disabilities who pose no safety threat to anyone. See http://www.bsd405.org/portals/0/administration/board-policy/readings/3247.pdf. This discriminatory restraint policy would apply only to special needs students. If Policy 3247 is approved, special needs students could be physically restrained for any “unpredicted, spontaneous behavior,” regardless of whether the behavior poses any danger.
Unfortunately at least 19 other school districts already have approved the same policy based on bad advice from the Washington State School Directors Assocation (WSSDA), a state government agency that distributes “model” policies to school boards around the state. Bellevue School District would be the largest district to implement the policy if it passes on June 3.
WSSDA has advised school boards that adopting Policy 3247 will bring school districts into compliance with current laws and regulations. In fact, the opposite is true. Policy 3247 conflicts with WAC 392-172A-03120(1) and WAC 392-172A-03130(3) because it authorizes physical restraints against students with disabilities in response to any “unpredicted” behavior, regardless of whether the behavior is dangerous. WSSDA’s “model” procedure also conflicts with WAC 392-172A-03125(1), which prohibits any use of tasers against students with disabilities. When confronted with these problems, WSSDA has refused to revise its policy recommendations.
It is imperative that families advocate against the adoption of Policy 3247 in Bellevue. Our children should not be treated like criminals simply because they act “spontaneously” without threatening anyone. The School Board meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, at WISC Rainier Room, 12241 Main Street, Bellevue. If you are unable to attend, please take the time to write to the School Board, expressing disagreement over this policy’s adoption and implementation. You can contact all members of the board by emailing board@bsd405.org.
Please see below for additional information and links to key documents. If you have questions, please contact Melanie Streight, WAAA Puget Sound Advocacy & Resource Coordinator at 425.894.7231 or melanie@washingtonautismadvocacy.org.
Background
Last year the Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1688 to make sure that parents are informed when special education students are subjected to physical restraints or isolation in schools. The bill was not designed to expand the use of physical restraints. ESHB 1688 merely defined methods of isolation and restraint and established requirements for documenting and reporting their use.
The Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) has presented Policy 3247 to school districts throughout the state as a purported guide to proper implementation of ESHB 1688. But WSSDA’s policy omits a critical detail in ESHB 1688: that restraint and isolation are to be used only when necessary “to preserve the safety of other students and school staff.” This is what Policy 3247 says:
“District staff are authorized to use isolation, restraint or a restraint device:
A. When responding to unpredicted, spontaneous behavior; or
B. As specified in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), aversive intervention plan (AIP) and in a manner consistent with Chapter 392-172A WAC or in the student’s 504 plan.”
Policy 3247 omits the critically important limitation that “spontaneous behavior” must pose a serious safety threat before a staff member is allowed to use handcuffs or other restraints on a child with disabilities. Omitting that limitation is not only inconsistent with ESHB 1688, it also conflicts with this state’s special education regulations. WAC 392-172A-03120(1) and WAC 392-172A-03130(3) allow physical restraints under only two circumstances: 1) when approved by a student’s IEP team as part of an aversive intervention plan (as a “last resort,” after all positive interventions have failed to control a student’s behavior); or 2) “to control unpredicted spontaneous behavior which poses one of the following dangers: (a) A clear and present danger of serious harm to the student or another person; (b) A clear and present danger of serious harm to property; [or] (c) A clear and present danger of seriously disrupting the educational process.”
See http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=392-172A-03120 and http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=392-172A-03130
Policy 3247 also conflicts with WAC 392-172A-03125(1), which prohibits any use of an “electric current” with special education students. Under Policy 3247, school employees could zap students with tasers, which use electric currents to temporarily incapacitate a person. See http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=392-172A-03125
--Sad for Whittier
Because the end of the school year is coming fast, I would, again, write to the Ex Director and region's School Board member. I would request a meeting with the PTA president, a member of the SCPTA, Ex Director, principal, a member of PASS (the principals' organization) and some involved parents. You might also ask Bernard Ruiz, who is in charge of parent engagement.
If the meeting does not happen, I would go up the chain to Charles Wright.
If the meeting does happen, have your PTA president calmly explain the issues. Express them as concerns around communication about changes and direction for your school. Explain that parents feel they do not know what is happening and are worried.
Put the principal at ease with explaining how he/she is making decisions, how they are (or are not) transparent and how he/she feels any changes are benefiting students.
Then calmly express that more communication and transparency need to happen at Whittier because parents are coming to the PTA with concerns and it's the PTA job to be the liaison and conduit for information from principal to parents.
I would not go to any kind of walk-out or petition until you have done this. If the principal is unwilling to sit down and talk, then you may have to thing of other ways to push the issues.
There are two reasons why K enrollment is down at this point in the year.
1) Folks can enroll anytime they choose. No rush.
2) Pay for K is exceptionally expensive and many families are simply waiting for first grade. You will notice that there is now a first grade "pop" in the enrollment numbers.
So new students is really new K students plus new first grade students.
Here is a link to a recent editorial in the NY Times about the dangers of tasers in schools and the resulting lawsuits. Students have been seriously injured. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/opinion/torturing-children-at-school.html?_r=0
Other than attend the next school board meeting in Bellevue, which isn't exactly at a convenient time for working parents in Seattle, what can we in Seattle do?
APP parent
There also was a dip in births all over the country in 2009 as a result of the recession. It popped right back up in mid-late 2010, but whatever we see next year has to also incorporate that dip. If it ends up going up anyway, heaven help us for 2015. That is going to be massive.
-sleeper
WHY isn't there a sliding scale for pay-for-k? My family, though not wealthy, would be willing to pay more so families who are over the FRL line but can't afford the full cost could afford to participate in full day K.
parent
I haven't seen any by grade numbers yet for the upcoming year but for the last few years now, first grade has been a larger cohort size than K. You couple that with the only places where there is stagnant growth in K is in predominately middle class neighborhoods and it is not too challenging to piece together a narrative.
For 2013, K growth in the NE and N West Seattle has continued. K growth has also continued in schools with free pay for K. But K growth has stalled or declined in the NW. I would expect that this pattern would also be in place for 2014 enrollment.
When they release the numbers, it will be interesting to see if the reduced 2009 birth rates are reflected in a smaller cohort but we really won't know until we have the corresponding first grade information.
I think an email to the Bellevue School Board is a good way to let your concerns be known. One need not be a Bellevue resident to have serious concerns with a policy like this. How long will it take before Ron English thinks this is just peachy for disabled SPS students?
I am sure it was just an oversight, but I am pretty steamed he had to take it! I would like to make sure this does not happen again. Now what?
Opter-outer
You deserve an explanation and a promise that your child will never be intimidated by an adult in the building again. Because your child cannot advocate for himself and you made your wishes clear so any action beyond that by staff, to me, is intimidation.
Please come to Principal Schweitzer's evening talk on June 9th. PTA meeting right afterward.
C. Holden
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/fyi-guy/2014/05/22/census-seattle-is-the-fastest-growing-big-city-in-the-u-s/
-sleeper
What is the timeline for the building of plumbed PORTABLES for the two developmental preschools moving to the SACAJAWEA playground? I assume, of course, that they will be ADA compatible AND the bathrooms will accommodate more then one student at a time.....Will there be sinks in each classroom (preschool) Will those programs remain there for the foreseeable future?
Thanks.
Casey
The new Jane Addams Middle School may have a schedule that compresses the homeroom time into two days and won't have homeroom on the other days. Does anyone know the details of the proposed schedule? I am trying to understand the advantage of such a schedule, and why there isn't some general standard for all non-option middle schools. How do other middle schools use homeroom time?
-wondering
I vastly prefer individual schools to be able to set the schedule that works for them rather than standardize. I don't see the benefits of standardization there; this seems like a harmless place to allow schools to try to innovate. And if it works, it can spread.
-sleeper