Friday Open Thread
Update: it appears that the district is working with the City and the Downtown Seattle Association on a proposal for the former Federal Building. I am somewhat surprised given the district's seeming lack of interest. The proposal is due July 3rd. I have no further details until I hear back from the district capital spokesman on this issue.
End of update.
The West Seattle blog reports on a fire at one play area at Schmitz Park early Thursday morning. It did $50K in damage to a playground that the district paid for last year. That likely means it is covered by insurance. The Fire Department is unsure if it was arson, an accident or spontaneous combustion (from wood chips).
From Principal Kischner:
“We appreciate the prompt response of the Seattle Fire Department, which prevented what could have been a much more serious outcome. Although the heat was enough to blister paint on the outside of the building and crack numerous windows, there was no damage to the interior or the structure of the building. Mr. McNaughton and school district maintenance responded quickly this morning to secure the area and repair windows. A security fence is expected tomorrow, and it is likely that the damaged structure will be removed fully next week.”
As we learn of an uptick in measles cases in King County, a ruling from NYC over a policy that bars unvaccinated children from being in school when another student comes with a disease that a vaccination could prevent.
In the ruling, Kuntz wrote that the Supreme Court, "strongly suggested that religious objectors are not constitutionally exempt from vaccinations."
Three families filing suit contended that the school policy preventing their unvaccinated children from attending school at risky times is a First Amendment violation of religious freedom.
I don't want to start a fight but we are living in an area where the numbers of children NOT being vaccinated is rising. Please, go do your research but understand that having measles come back as a childhood disease is wrong and will hurt many children and adults especially babies.
There is still a petition out for later start times for secondary schools in SPS. Consider reading it and adding your signature.
What's on your mind?
End of update.
The West Seattle blog reports on a fire at one play area at Schmitz Park early Thursday morning. It did $50K in damage to a playground that the district paid for last year. That likely means it is covered by insurance. The Fire Department is unsure if it was arson, an accident or spontaneous combustion (from wood chips).
From Principal Kischner:
“We appreciate the prompt response of the Seattle Fire Department, which prevented what could have been a much more serious outcome. Although the heat was enough to blister paint on the outside of the building and crack numerous windows, there was no damage to the interior or the structure of the building. Mr. McNaughton and school district maintenance responded quickly this morning to secure the area and repair windows. A security fence is expected tomorrow, and it is likely that the damaged structure will be removed fully next week.”
As we learn of an uptick in measles cases in King County, a ruling from NYC over a policy that bars unvaccinated children from being in school when another student comes with a disease that a vaccination could prevent.
In the ruling, Kuntz wrote that the Supreme Court, "strongly suggested that religious objectors are not constitutionally exempt from vaccinations."
Three families filing suit contended that the school policy preventing their unvaccinated children from attending school at risky times is a First Amendment violation of religious freedom.
I don't want to start a fight but we are living in an area where the numbers of children NOT being vaccinated is rising. Please, go do your research but understand that having measles come back as a childhood disease is wrong and will hurt many children and adults especially babies.
There is still a petition out for later start times for secondary schools in SPS. Consider reading it and adding your signature.
What's on your mind?
Comments
-New Mom
Born in 1954, I am a product of the first real vaccination push in the US. Because of it I did not get polio (though know a few somewhat older people who did), measles, mumps, or TB. I got chicken pox when I was five and have one no-longer prominent facial scar to prove it. I was lucky.
I did, however, get Rubella in high school, as did many of my friends. One teen was, sadly, pregnant at the time; her child was born with both a heart and hearing defect.
I vaccinated my child born in 1995 (yeah, I was 40) despite the growing movement to do otherwise. It's a personal decision, but with the decision domes consequences. Having your child turned away from school for a few days may be one of them.
I agree there are a number of sites that deserve but do not have playground equipment. The price for equipment ranges from $22K to $50K (and that's for pre-k sets).
Of course if insurance covers this, then by all means it should be replaced.
The new (short-term) "Early Learning Center" (a city pipe dream with no city $$) at old Van Asselt has no pre-k playground. SPS will be out of pocket - that is IF they put one in.
Funny they use the term "WILD MEASLES" to explain why the disease comes back in to the population. Should they aerial spray to kill all the WILD MEASLES"?
I believe the vaccine companies profits are being harmed by the 60+% drop in vaccination use.This is what is driving the scare tactics. Oh and don't forget the office visit to your $500 per hour doctor!
The CDC is a lame duck bureaucracy, because they never screen nor stop airlines from bringing infected travelers into this country. They just issue warnings after the fact.
When you look at the numbers the whole scare tacit approach doesn't hold up. More people die in falling in the bathtubs in on year than have EVER died from measles.
Want be scared look at SARS, EBOLA, MERS pandemic prospects.
I had measles, mumps, chicken pocks and had many vaccines injected at SCHOOL...who the F knew what was in those pneumatic powered guns! We all just lined up and zip.
There some reasonable risk to take and probably a few vaccines you should get, but there's no room for forced vaccinations in my country.
Now if their intentions are sincere then offer all vaccines at NO COST! to everyone.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
--Get a grip
--Michael
I am wondering the same thing. Why did John Marshall get a new playground when the k-8 will only be there 2 years? Many children will have spent 5 years at Lincoln with no playground. We were told they wouldn't spend the money due to Lincoln being an interim location. Um.....BS!
Also, if there are other schools without playgrounds, I have only sympathy and we should rally together and demand EQUITY!!! What about equitable access to play equipment? :)
My comments here by no means imply Lincoln kids deserve a playground but other schools that don't have them do not deserve playgrounds.
How about we get a list going of K-5s or K-8s without playgrounds and RALLY for equality.
Lynn, We should do a public records request on the John Marshall playground. It's absolutely unfair to our kids. Again, I don't want it taken away from the JA K-8. They deserve it, but so do all the other young children in SPS without - it's especially bad given the very little PE we get. And, Lincoln PE had many classes that were NOT physical. They were learning about the body and nutrition. So lame.
Are you stepping out of your APP bubble again?
--Michael
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/measles-20140206/en/
Prevented 13 million deaths ? Impossible to reach that conclusion even using everyday math!
Funny I had the measles along with most of the kids in school.
I can't remember anyone dieing from it. I'm not saying it didn't happen just not to any of the 250 students in my school.
At least 9 measles cases in Washington, including 8 cases in south King County (members of one family) and another case in Pierce County (an infant who was exposed to members of the other family when they sought treatment in a local hospital), all linked to another person who had returned from the Pacific Islands in May. (2014)
Wow it's a ZOMBIE apocalypse!
--Michael
Yeesh.
Measles Outbreak Traced to Fully Vaccinated Patient for First Time
http://news.sciencemag.org/health/2014/04/measles-outbreak-traced-fully-vaccinated-patient-first-time
BTW why would you vaccinate a person who already has the anti-bodies?
I guess when you are running a scare tacit campaign basing science is forgotten.
--Michael
Also, Marshall had a pot of money associated with it to get it ready to be an interim site, which I think made it easier to get a playground - whereas there wasn't a dedicated pot of money for Lincoln as an interim site, as far as I know. (There should have been, but I don't think there was.) This might explain why the initiative for more play equipment has had trouble gaining steam.
~ thinking
Sherry Carr had very complimentary comments about the condition of the renovated Marshall building at a school board meeting recently. It would be a good idea to arrange for her to tour Lincoln with the principal and the executive director for the region.
--Was there
- seenit
The situations are actually fairly similar in that the pre-existing equipment at both schools is insufficient for the current populations. One got a new, bigger structure, and the other didn't.
The bottom line is that we need transparency. There should be a policy or stated goal for what type of minimal playground equipment is needed based on school size and configuration. That would help a lot to ensure equity.
Waldorf always let everyone know that if there was an outbreak, your unvaccinated kid would be asked to stay home. No one had any issues with that or with unvaccinated kids being around.
I have to say, that I have always wondered why the mumps vaccine. I had it as a child and it wasn't that bad. Mono was way worse and there is no vaccine for that. Mumps vaccines for adults makes sense but I never saw the point for kids.
HP
How much you want to bet that the Chamber's Alliance will dangle a few bucks for "start-up" or "conceptual design", but will leave the rest to the taxpayers and the Capital Fund.
A: Almost all people with mumps fully recover after a few weeks. During the illness, many people feel tired and achy, have fever, and may have parotitis. Some may feel extremely ill and be unable to eat because of pain around the jaw, and some may develop serious complications. Men and adolescent boys can develop orchitis, which rarely results in sterility. Women and adolescents girls may develop oophoritis. Meningitis and loss of hearing can also occur, and in rare cases this hearing loss can be permanent. The most serious complication is encephalitis, which can lead to death or permanent disability, although rarely.
I don't make my kids wear seat belts, because I turned out fine. I think it's all a scam by the auto makers to charge you more for cars with seat belts and airbags!
Fight the man
The Fed building is just a...Squirrel...distraction that pulls us away from what must be done. I'm not sold on the "world-class" city crap. Seattle won't be if it can't house, feed and educate its children. A costly, flashy school downtown will be lipstick on a pig if other overburdened schools must do without maintenance and improvements.
Second, my siblings - especially one sister - all had polio. You do NOT know what it was like before vaccines and you don't want to know.
Meningitis? It can kill a child in 48 hours?
We can all have our own opinions but I believe that if you choose not to vaccinate your child, I do not agree with allowing that child at a public school. That's just me. We will lose the crowd ability to keep off major waves of disease if many more parents do not vaccinate their children.
The reason there no huge outbreaks? Most kids are vaccinated. Is it that hard to understand that?
Pro Vaxer
Wouldn't it be a good location for the World School? I wonder if the DSA would want to help with that? We could then reopen TT Minor as an elementary school.
cynical
I was told by my board certified doctor that most deaths are caused by secondary infections, so don't count those numbers.
My Mom had TB in 1937 I have never met another who has TB.
Do you really want to stop those diseases in the US? STOP importing them!
I'm under NO obligation to inject something into my body because the US refuses to stop people from bringing in the diseases. If they would do that first then I would consider it, but since I already have the naturally obtained anti-bodies there's no need.
Oh wait they claim it's "IN THE WILD" diseases we have to worry about, so even when there are no new cases you still need to go and get the "BOOSTER" shot wink wink at $180 plus and office visit.
PT was right, "one born every minute".
--Michael
Fortunately, I didn't care at all for my first grade teacher, so I didn't miss her, but I did miss my friends.
My family was upper-middle class, I attended a small, private school, and we had health insurance. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for families under less fortunate circumstances.
- North-end Mom
Think about that they next time you see a pregnant women at the school performance next to the other kids infected relative from Zimbabwe.
So don't throw down your self righteous flawed thinking as logical...it's not!
--Michael
Go ahead and delete the APP post it was out of line.
Michael, you are getting very close to the line of not being allowed here. I don't like your tone about immigrant children.
The fact of the matter is since vaccines there are massively fewer outbreaks of disease. You can believe that vaccines are bad, your child, your call.
I hate to feed your anti vaccination rants, but seriously, you are out of range with your facts and even your opinions. First of all, I don't know why you are even mentioning TB. There are no vaccines for TB. Secondly, I have friends who have polio. Two of them had siblings who died. Your doctor who says everyone died of secondary infections? Of course! That's the perfect response. No one dies of HIV infections, either, they all die from secondary infections or cancer. So, please, don't fear AIDS, because no one really dies from it. Your board-certified doctor is playing off people's fear and ignorance, and frankly, if you are paying him $180 per visit for that advice, you should get a refund. The facts are that vaccinations save lives, vaccinations are available for children from birth to 19th birthday for free in the State of Washington through the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). (5% of vaccine providers in the State are members of this program.
I was warned by others this is how you roll. "Immigrant children" really, very typical of your type to again play the racist card.
Maybe I should have used Iceland, no because they do not have a large infected population immigrating to the US.
You and your 4 other blog-etts can have it all to your selves.
Have a nice PC summer.
--Michael
My little sister was born in 1961 after my mother contracted measles/rubella during her pregnancy. My sister was very beautiful and often today I still remember her lying in her crib even though I was only three years old then. She was born with a fatal heart defect which shortened her life to just three months. I vividly remember her loss and now I can only imagine how devastating this must have been to my brave parents.
Michael, your vituperative comments do seem to show a disturbing lack of concern for children and their families who have been hurt by measles infections, as well as for all those who could be in the future without vaccinations.
The reason relatively few people die of preventable diseases in the U.S. now is that (surprise) most people in the U.S. are vaccinated, so the diseases don't spread easily. Sealing the borders against diseases is completely impractical. It would require an in-depth exam of every person crossing the border, and even so it would fail because people don't show symptoms immediately after getting diseases. Diseases are still in the U.S., and building a wall won't keep them out. Diseases can be dormant or in animal populations. They will come back if our herd immunity drops by too many people skipping vaccinations.
Yes, there have been immunized people who still get diseases that they should have been immunized against. It's rare, but it can happen. Maybe it's a bad dose, maybe the booster requirement is not as frequent as it should be, maybe the disease has a new stronger strain. But with herd immunity, if a few percentage of a population hasn't been immunized, there are still too few vulnerable people for the disease to spread easily. The existence of flaws in the immunization is actually a strong argument for immunizing as many people as possible, so that the general immunization rate is still high.
There's still bubonic plague in the southwest U.S. wild rodent population, too.
The upside of this approach is that it allows for creativity in deciding just what would work best at a particular school. E.G. a couple of years ago Salmon Bay needed new equipment for its youngest kids to utilize, and since they were raising the money themselves they were able to design and implement a playground that has many features that are particularly great for kids on the autism spectrum.
A few years before that they raised money for a non-standard-sized playfield, something I can't imagine the District ever doing. Both have been hugely successful additions to the school..
--Weird
She never said 'mama', never ate solid food, never lifted a hand to wave, never smiled. She wore diapers and sat on the floor rocking for 43 years. Nothing else. Ever. My great aunt and her husband alternated weeks to go to church. In forty-three years, they never took a vacation together - just an occasional day trip when another great aunt watched their daughter. Never went to a family wedding together.
My great aunt's daughter is gone now - and so is my great aunt - but I wish every single freaking anti-vaxxer in the whole country could have met my cousin and eaten my great aunt's cookies. She was a great baker, because for more than 40 years she was never farther from her daughter than the kitchen.
My cousin never tasted her mother's cookies.
Because of a preventable disease.
You want that? You want to give the gift of rubella to a pregnant woman? You do not have the right.
You think these diseases aren't so serious?
You do not have the right in your (I"m not allowed to use names here) science-denying myopia to give that disease, or any disease, to the lady next to you in the supermarket. You do not.
Do you WANT your unvaccinated daughter to give you a grandchild someday? Or do you think you'll just roll the dice on rubella and preventable cervical cancer and measles scars and all the rest?
Vaccinate. It's not just your kid. My great aunt and her daughter didn't have the choice.
Signed: math counts
"Think about that they next time you see a pregnant women at the school performance next to the other kids infected relative from Zimbabwe."
That's why I perceived you don't like immigrants. I did not say you are racist.
We have never "blocked" anyone; just moderated.
But maybe you are right. This is probably not the blog for you to read and make comments.
-New Mom
I can't help but think of the reasoning and cost behind the JSCEE acquisition. Now many of us rue the cost (although I wasn't really attuned to Cap. projects at that time...). But, boy, I'll guess it seemed a bargain! How does it look now?
Granted the whole thing with NWC was unfortunate (some would say tragic), but in my mind they are bound by the lease no less than any other tenant. Hey, that's my line of work. I think they realized this, that is why they went political immediately Nice card if you have it. Where do we draw the line? Contract language (like statutes) is what it is, otherwise why did you sign it? If your case is strong enough to go to court, then please do it. (BTW, I thought the whole politicking behind their appeal was disingenuous and manipulative; Hate me because I believe in laws and court precedence.)
There are alternatives to another albatross.
I have spent lots of time at John Marshall and in the original playground over the last several years waiting for a choir rehearsal to get out. The structures are as non removable as Lincoln's. It is shorter but wider. I know you don't like when Lincoln parents say anything about Hazel Wolf, but it is an exact analogy. Even, at this point, down to the number of students who would be using each structure!
On a more general note, I certainly do not believe parent should be required to purchase their own playground equipment. We should fund extra support at schools which don't have the parent support to fund it(I think especially in the area of after school enrichment, but obviously other areas too) but that absolutely does not include a playground. That is basic. And also a capital expense, not operating- just not a parent group's job, and to the extent it happens already, is malfeasance on the part of the district.
-sleeper
I can't think of a building we could regain as easily as we can remodel this space. Maybe he Ravenna Eckstein community center, though I doubt anyone wants to sell it, and I think a similar sized property half a mile a way went for a prettier penny than we have. Not positive. I still like the option high school downtown- civics, social justice, in partnership with the courts and many social justice orgs down there?
-sleeper
I think you are seeing some irritation that the k-8 did not have to go through the initial step of several years of "no, it's just an interim location, and that is final," and was allowed a yes in a timely manner after reasonable advocating like the rest of us might like for our own needs, but that is directed at the district for playing favorites(or dis favorites depending on your point of view) not at a school for advocating for what they need. Unfortunately I do think it's worth daylighting when the district appears to be playing favorites and in doing so not offering basic needs to little kids. It would have been ridiculous if they'd said no to Hazel Wolf, right? 900 kids need to learn and play there, and that playground was way too small. Same with Lincoln. The Lincoln building community is just trying to do the same as Hazel Wolf, for the app program and for Licton Springs k-8.
-sleeper
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_of_the_Seattle_School_District#Historic_School_Properties
The Fairview school is quite a nice property though displacing a private school through eminent domain may not be ideal.
Ann D
P.S. BTW, I know you are better-informed than most.
Yes, of course vaccines work, the question is, by how much? Efficacy is like measuring teachers, not an easy thing with many variables at hand.
So, like testing, there will never be enough required vaccines or boosters. Wait ten years, it will be double or triple.
Polio is not Chickenpox. I'm not buying everything out of the medical establishment. They are as self assured as the CCSS promoters, when in fact, everything is not as cut and dry as they would have you believe.
-nonamenocredit
As for polio is not chickenpox, from the CDC:
Some people with serious complications from chickenpox can become so sick that they need to be hospitalized. Chickenpox can also cause death.
"Some deaths from chickenpox continue to occur in healthy, unvaccinated children and adults. Many of the healthy adults who died from chickenpox contracted the disease from their unvaccinated children."
Adult men who contract chickenpox tend to be more severely affected than women.
I will note that in the UK a chickenpox vaccine is not required.
All of life is taking chances. Parents make these decisions for their children and that's fine. But when it affects other people's children, then it becomes a societal issue.
"Michael, you are getting very close to the line of not being allowed here. I don't like your tone about immigrant children"
I wouldn't blame Melissa.
Hard to believe people still have chickenpox parties and won't vaccinate their children.
There was one particular comment related to TB. This individual saw ONE case of TB. It should be noted that drug resistant TB is on the rise.
So next time you go to a crowded area, the safest people to sit next to are those immigrants from Zimbabwe and wherever that you are maligning. Immigrants are the only ones you can be sure are fully vaccinated.
JSIS' and Adams' PTSAs paid for their playground improvements and play structures. MacDonald's was paid for by Friends of MacDonald Elementary.
CCA
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2014/06/25/huppenthal-says-he-wont-resign-over-blog-posts/11361853/
Racism pops up all over.
And yes, vaccinations matter. I've seen some medically fragile special needs kids get deathly ill because they CANNOT get vaccinated, yet end up exposed thanks to some ignorant ant-vaxxer's kids. What about the needs and rights of those kids NOT to be exposed to someone/something that may kill them?
CT
I am getting really tired of the pro-vax crowd vilifying anyone who doesn't agree with them. You decide what is right for your child. I will decide what is right for mine.
HP
I think what is being said is the research and data do not support not vaccination kids.
I also think that parents worry about kids who are not vaccinated at schools. That's a valid concern.
Tennessee, CC and PARC
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023956811_gatesnewbossxml.html
Awaiting swk....5..4...3...2...1...
Is test-prep teaching? It takes up 18 percent of school time
We homeschooled our child for a short time and used the state standards as a guide for what topics to cover in math. The WA state standards were very clearly written for math and it made it pretty straightforward in terms of what to cover. Each standard also had some accompanying sample problems, which we used for practice.
Our child did very well on the state tests. Was this test prep, or simply covering the standards? Looking at the new CCSS for math, it's not as straightforward. I will miss WA state's old math standards. If the new standards seem more convoluted to a parent, I'd imagine some teachers might be experiencing the same.
homeschooler
LILIA