Seattle Schools Community Forum

Sorry I didn't see this sooner but Seattle Public Library has a host of things to do with kids this last day of 2016 at various branches including movie shorts, games and crafts. Of course, it is a beautiful day (but cold) day so there's that.  (I'm going to see Amy Schumer tonight.  For some reason, when a famous person is in town, I'm always happy when it's good weather so it shows off our beautiful region.) A couple of things I have learned thru this difficult year: - it's the little things - it's little daily victories - you DO get by with a little help from your friends (and family) Best wishes to all for a safe and peaceful 2016 (with some joy and happiness thrown in.) 

You either get to be Carnac the Magnificent and make a prediction for public education in our state/district OR you get to put forth your most hoped-for wish for our district/state for 2016.  The sky's the limit. (And if you are too young to know who Carnac was, good for you.) Let's hear 'em.

Here's the latest in a recurring topic. School Board policy 3208, Sexual Harassment , requires an annual report. The Superintendent shall make an annual report to the Board reviewing the use and efficacy of this policy and related procedures. Recommendations for changes to this policy, if applicable, shall be included in the report. The Superintendent is encouraged to involve staff, students, and volunteers and parents in the review process. I have written to the Board on numerous occasions over the past two years - since the NatureBridge incident - asking for this annual report. Every time before that I have asked for it, I have been told that no such report has ever been made. That story just changed. I just got an email from the Board office saying that the report has been made. How did I miss it? Because the claim is pretty weak.

I was just in Minnesota - great place with good education.  (Funny thing - in my sister's city, they have an out-of-retirement superintendent running their district.)

Today I received a notice about the kick-off for the Seattle Schools levies via Schools First.  They also asked for money to help support and run the campaign.  But they started out saying: Fifty-two thousand students in Seattle’s public schools need our help. And I thought, "What? That's not the number of kids in SPS." So I went to the district's Fast Facts and here's what it says:

I normally don't publicize events or Ed Lab stories from the Times.  (We're not fans of each other and I'll leave it at that although I have enjoyed working with a number of ed reporters there.) But, in the interest of my readers perhaps having a great public education idea AND wanting to get it out there, here's the details on an upcoming Times event .  Basically, you send in an idea for a 5-minute talk/slideshow. 

Via Director Leslie Harris, the Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship .  The Seattle Public Library Foundation is pleased to announce the Stimson Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship Competition. High school seniors and undergraduate students who live, work or attend school in Seattle are invited to participate.

A lot to catch up on so here we go. The latest interactive map on our geographically challenged city is out from Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management. Check your home, office and especially, your child's school.   This is not a scare tactic but to get people to think about and get prepared for a natural disaster in our area. Uh oh, the Times is reporting that Washington is one of 12 states whose test-participation rate was lower than 95% and the state could face federal sanctions because of it.   Washington had about a 91% test rate, mostly because of high school juniors (grades 3-8 were fine.)  Among the sanctions, schools and districts have to prove a plan on how they will get those rates up.

Fortune Magazine Fortune magazine has a special report that came out this week on Common Core - Business Gets Schooled. It provides a window into the thinking of big business and public education and folks, it is, by turns, sad and horrific.  This being Fortune, they kind of "tsk tsk" but more over the naviete of some (see Bill Gates) than what these titans of industry say about children and learning. Please - if you don't read the article, don't read my entire thread - scroll down to read what Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil has to say to you as parents about your children. (I'll highlight it in red.) What's equally fascinating is that any dissent mentioned in the article by ordinary folks gets the "blogger moms" attitude with a complete brush-off of what noted education experts have said about CC.  It's like all the dissenters are just the anonymous, ignorant and unwashed masses.  You know, the little people. They also chose to l...

Lately at the blog, my observation is that much of the discussion around charter schools is about whether they are useful, not useful, take resources from other public schools, etc. I'm not going to be talking about those issues any longer. Why? Two reasons. 1) From some comments, I get the feeling there are some charter supporters (employees?) who are here to stir the pot and/or waste my time. Mind you, I do recognize several names of long-time readers who disagree with me on charter schools and that's fine. However, my stand on charters is clear and unchanged. I have done my research, I have visited some charters and I feel my opinion has been created on a solid foundation. If you disagree, again fine, but you won't be changing my mind. (To note, I separate charter school supporters/funders from charter school families. I don't believe the thinking or knowledge base or agenda is the same in both groups.) 2) Like the Supreme Court, I am not here to argue th...

From Director Burke: I'm having a meeting today, Monday, Dec. 28th at the Greenwood Public Library from 6:30 to 7:45 PM.  Sorry about the short notice, but I just booked this last-minute because I wanted to hold a community meeting before the Jan 6th Board Meeting. Approval of school CSIPs are up for action, Acceptance of ORCA card grant from City of Seattle and near-term capacity management actions are up for introduction on the 6th. Of course, anything is up for discussion and I'm happy to hear your ideas for improving the district. Please also share feedback about whether midweek evenings or weekends are preferred for future Community Meetings. If you can't make this meeting but want to bend my ear about anything, please let me know at rick.burke@seattleschools.org.

This will be a bit rough as I am writing it on the fly.  I feel this is important to get out, though. because it has information on the thinking of every single Board member AND marks a significant change from previous Work Sessions. Previously, I had heralded this Work Session as "vital"  and I continue to believe that but the meeting itself did not play out as I thought.

I am very glad to see that a number of charter school proponents have been active on this blog. That's wonderful. We all benefit from an open discussion that includes a variety of perspectives. It's true that Melissa and I both find charter schools an unnecessary distraction that detracts from public education, and it is also true that a large proportion of those who read this blog share that view.

The blog is going to be powering down for a bit.  We all need a break to enjoy our families and our holiday traditions.  No open thread this week unless I see some breaking news to get out to you. I am told there is a Christmas Eve  event in the sky (seriously).  Newsweek is reporting: On Christmas Eve, a gargantuan asteroid is on track to be visible from our planet via telescope. But not to worry: There’s no danger of a Christmas Day apocalypse. The 3-kilometer-long asteroid (named 163899, or 2003 SD220) will be sailing by at a safe distance of 6.7 million miles. Also of interest, there will be a rare full moon before the sun comes up on Christmas Day.  It's the first full moon since 1977 so Santa and all the reindeer will be able to see the way very clearly.  

Let's start with charters. You may recall the "yet another faux ed reform group" called Act Now for Washington Students .  This group is organized by the usual suspects - LEV, Stand for Children, DFER and the Washington State Charter Schools Association.  All these get money from the Gates Foundation. They have formed a PAC that hopes to raise (and presumably spend) $500,000 just for this legislative session to influence legislators on charter schools.  They have already spent $20K on 13 House members (each got $1,000) including Seattle's charter cheerleader, Eric Pettigrew.  This is in addition to the number of print and tv ads running.  It is not cheap to run a local ad during football Sunday. 

(Editor's note: I seem to recall that some were saying that "Common Core was here to stay." Read on.) This reads like it's from The Onion but nope, it's from the NY Times regarding a taskforce that Governor Cuomo of New York created around Common Core:

Two words - not impressed . This is not to say that the Superintendent dissed the Governor.  No, he liked: Inslee does fund some increases to Jobs for Washington’s Graduates , CorePlus , Career and Technical Education , Healthiest Next Generation initiative , language access for families and discipline equity. And he did raise beginning teacher salaries and increase funding for  mentoring to help decrease our state’s teacher shortage .

Just an FYI, courtesy of the Stranger Slog. Next year, along with becoming council president, Harrell will chair the Education, Equity, and Governance Committee, a new spin on what's now called the Education and Governance Committee.  Bruce Harrell is the new president of the City Council AND will head the committee overseeing education.  The Vice-Chair is Lorena Gonzalez, Debora Juarez, Member and Tim Burgess, Alternate. That is not the line-up I would want to see if public education in Seattle is to continue operating independently, but in partnership with, the City. Harrell cares about public ed but between his new presidency and the fact he's not the most active City Councilman, I worry about who will really be directing that committee.  Given that the Vice-Chair is closely connected to the Mayor, I have to wonder. I also wanted to mention the conversation I had with the Mayor recently.  It was at a holiday event so it was not lengthy. 

From Chief Sealth Int'l High School : Many people have asked if there was a way to help support the family of Christy Phu, the Sealth student who was killed last week. Here is the link to the fund if you would like to contribute. There was a fire early this morning at 15th Ave NE and NE 65th (right by Roosevelt High .)  This is right by my house so I was aware this was going on.  SPS is saying that Roosevelt will start on time. ( Update: the Times is reporting that 15th Ave NE/NE65th will be closed in all directions for several hours.  I know this is an early release day for the holidays so take note of this if you are coming in this direction. Metro routes are being detoured around the fire.  And yes, it was one of the Sisley slums.  Of course.) Governor Inslee's supplemental budget proposal reflects raising the salary for starting teachers to $40,000 per year.  From The Capitol Record : That increase is in addition to the 4.8% cost-of-liv...

I didn't know this newsletter, Global Talk, existed and I am glad to provide the link.  They provide information on travel opportunities for both students and teachers. Here's one of their great articles. Earn High School Credits for a Language You Already Know Are you an 11th or 12th grade student who speaks a language other than English? Can you read and write in it too? Do you want to earn credit for it? If you answered yes to all three questions, then you are a good candidate for the World Language Credit Program. These credits can help meet high school graduation requirements for elective credits and 4-year college admissions requirements for world languages. Seattle Public Schools is able to sponsor tests for 11th and 12th graders. Younger students (8th-10th grades) may also sign up for testing, but they'll need to pay for their own tests at this time. Over 70 students have already tested this fall with over 70% of them earning 4 credits! Upcomi...

I say that here, over and over, but with two regional stories about students who are misusing words in social media, it bears saying again. I think the issue may be that either parents or schools are not helping kids to understand that certain words are incendiary and considered hate speech.  (Maybe schools need to have assemblies with skits to explain this or perhaps Ballard's great film/video program could produce some videos.)  Many students know about the First Amendment and may believe they can say whatever they want to whoever they want.  There are countless court cases to prove that belief to be incorrect.  One of the easiest ways to explain it this concept, even to younger students, is to talk about not being able to cry, "Fire!" in a crowded theater.  Speech that can incite is open to legal action.

Yes, I like that Local 609 continues to stand up for its members who work for Seattle Schools.  They have, once again, prevailed in "wage theft" cases against the district.  From The Stand: In July, Local 609 attained settlements of $11,000 on behalf of six members in the Nutrition Department for missed meal and rest breaks that their work schedules prevented on a daily basis. As part of the settlement, a whole new employee time-reporting system has been implemented at Seattle School’s Nutrition Program that will help address this issue of missed breaks and unpaid “extra time.” They also settled an issue where workers were required to take mandatory training off the clock. This month, two settlements of just under $30,000 were also achieved on behalf of two longtime workers in the Facilities Department of the School District, who had been misclassified for nine years. This settlement was a lengthy and extremely difficult process. No, I don't like that t...

The presentation for this Work Session finally came up and I took a gander at it. I would say this is possibly one of the most important Work Sessions of the school year and certainly will be a test for the new Board.   District Scoreboard I'll let you peruse this at your leisure but it's certainly a mixed bag.  You can say that compared to state numbers, the district is doing much better with green (for plus side improvement) everywhere on page 2. One down note is that for climate/satisfaction surveys of students, families and teachers, most of the numbers are down especially the family engagement survey.

Three years since the Sandy Hook shootings . The SEA , at their representative assembly last night, voted in a resolution in support of Middle College High School (MCHS) for its almost 25 years of serving students of color who are disenfranchised or in crisis.  They note that this means that six teachers of color have been administratively displace or removed from their positions. State that SEA’s position is that the historical focus of the MCHS program and curriculum on social justice and critical pedagogy at all sites must be maintained. We believe failure to do so would contradict the focus on equity agreed to by both SEA and the district during the recent contract negotiations; Los Angeles schools were shut down today over an electronic terror threat relating to backpacks and was directed at schools themselves (not places like buses.)

With the coming of the next installment of the Star Wars saga this Thursday/Friday (official is Friday but I see times on Thursday), the radio show, Here and Now, pulled the original NPR review by Tom Shales of the first Star Wars.  It's pretty fun to listen to with notable statements by Shales. 

Update: another parent wrote AL and asked this question about taking the SBAC or MAP as a requirement: "And what if a parent has opted their students out of those tests?" AL: I believe that this year only, we will offer achievement testing to students who do not have district administered achievement scores but have CogAT scores in the qualifying range. It is my understanding that in the future, opting out of district achievement testing may constitute opting out of Advanced Learning.  

Monday is the  last day of Hanukkah  - we hope all our Jewish readers had a happy and hopeful holiday.

Gifted Education Universal screening in one Florida county found many bright kids of color but naturally, the costs were an issue.  From The Washington Post Wonkblog An article on the Growing Homeschooling Movement from AlterNet

KPLU's Sound Effects has created a wonderful, vital piece of work in Renaissance Beach, a story about the turnaround of Rainier Beach High School.  It is told thru the eyes of staff and students and is truly compelling.

Statement from the Washington State Charter Schools Association on First Place Scholars, the first charter school in Washingon, closing as a charter and going back to being a private school: We support First Place Scholars in its decision to pursue converting back to a tuition-free independent school model – a model that was successful for years and made First Place the one the first schools to truly serve some of Washington’s most underserved populations. First Place will lean on 25 years of experience as a tuition-free independent school during this time of uncertainty, doing what’s best to serve their students."

 Petition to save EEU inclusive kindergarten program . The mandate has come down from the Supreme Court to King County Superior Court on the SC's ruling on the charter school law. The opinion and the order changing opinion became final on December 9, 2015.  This cause is mandated to the superior court from which the appellate review was taken for further proceedings in accordance with the attached true copy of the opinion. I assume the KC Court will be issuing its own final mandate on the issue soon.

I have no comment except WOW.  To note, SPS former chief academic officer, Carla Santorno, is the superintendent of Tacoma PS.  (I want an interview.) Here's the press release from Tacoma Public Schools Communications (bold mine):

Update : the Washington State Charter Schools Association chimed in yesterday and boy, do they stretch the truth of the situation. 1) They have gone from calling the issue a "glitch" to saying: Washington’s public charter schools are narrowing in on a stopgap solution that would keep eight of the state’s voter-approved charter schools open and public for the remainder of the school year while advocates work with the legislature on a permanent fix that reflects the will of the voters. Oh, so now it's a "stopgap" measure until there is a "permanent fix."  Then they go right back to calling it a "glitch."  2) They call the Supreme Court decision "foolish."  3) They mention the "partnering" with Mary Walker SD (which it really isn't) and don't mention how it got to the district of a former Charter Commission who is the superintendent of that district. 4) They also claim that the current schools are ...

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has a lengthy article on state public school spending since the Great Recession.  Not a pretty picture.  Washington state comes out - barely - above in most categories but I suspect that is thanks to the Washington State Supreme Court and McCleary. Lots of graphs to dive into, pretty meaty insights here. Also, related to funding, is this article from SCOPE (Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education),  How Money Makes a Difference: The Effects of School Finance Reforms on Outcomes for Low Income Students.  It's from May 2014 but ties in nicely here.

It appears there were several schools with power outages this morning (and Cleveland was closed because of it) but the latest SPS tweet says power has been restored everywhere. In some very sad news, an SPS student died after falling off a building at Seattle Central College on Saturday around 4 pm. From the Seattle Police Department blotter: The Seattle Police Department is conducting a death investigation after a 16-year-old student died after falling from a balcony in the Capitol Hill neighborhood on December 5th.

I've been talking a lot about charter schools lately and both Charlie and I have been speculating what will happen to them due to the Supreme Court's final ruling that the Washington State charter law is unconstitutional.  But I did have an epiphany this morning as the thunder woke me up.  (I'll again state - I'm not a lawyer but I think the issue has been made clear by the Court.) It's really just three days left that charter schools in the state of Washington will exist as charter schools.  How do I know this? One, Monday the 14th is the likely cut-off date for state funding for the schools themselves AND their authorizers.  (I think I understand that the charters have enough state money to finish their December school month.) If a charter school has no state funding and no state oversight, under the current charter law, it's not a charter school. And, to boot, there is no charter law left. Two, the Supreme Court struck down the ENTIRE law.   There...

From SPS Twitter: Please expect bus delays this morning due to heavy rain and traffic. I woke at 5 am to thunder and it sounded like it rained heavily all night.  It's 7 am now and it's fairly dark outside. Please, be safe as you get to work and your children get to school.

Just saw this at the Soup for Teachers Facebook page. The Superintendent has program placement in his arena but I would expect that the Board would receive early notification of ANY change in programming. This is a long-term program that has been highly successful and any dismantling of it should raise an alarm.  I see this as coming from Deputy Superintendent Michael Tolley's area of control. Friends, I'm asking for your help... My colleagues at the Haring Center for Research and Training in Inclusive Education just learned that Seattle Public School s has made the very poor, very short-sighted decision to pull all funding for the Experimental Education Unit's inclusive kindergarten program. This is a blow to our community, and a blow to everyone who values inclusion and believes that all kids have the right to full, equal access to their neighborhood schools. Video about this program.

I'm a bit late with this but this week marks UW's Computer Science and Engineering Department is having several events.  UW CSE has organized a series of events on campus this week to engage UW students and their friends and family members in the Hour of Code , an annual event organized by Code.org to engage people in computer programming. More than 190,000 Hour of Code events are being held around the world to celebrate Computer Science Education Week . Altogether, we expect more than 400 people from the extended UW family to take part in CSE’s Hour of Code activities throughout the week. It’s not too late to join in! If you can’t make it to an event, try the Hour of Code from wherever you are with one of Code.org’s online tutorials . Even new UW President Ana Mari Cauce has joined in.

That was one uneventful and less-than-insightful Charter Commission meeting.

I'm looking for families of color who have considered - or enrolled in - gifted/highly capable programs in Seattle Public Schools. I'm working on a story for KU OW Public Radio about the reasons behind the lack of diversity in the district's gifted classes, and I'd like to hear your experiences. Email adornfeld@kuow.org - and feel free to share this request with anyone you know! Thanks so much!

Update: as we speak, the US Senate will be considering the new version of NCLB (ESSA) with a vote possible today.  It has already passed the House. I going to be interested to hear what the Charter Commission will be saying today in their special one-hour phone meeting.  The agenda seems to have gone missing; my recollection is an immediate executive session followed by updates on the situation.  I note that the King County Superior Court ruling on the end date for state funding for charters has not yet been announced.  Dial-In Telephone Number U.S. and Canada: (800) 245-9874 Access Code: 7784207 Very moving video, "Tomorrow" of a UK teen with Asperger's who documented the bullying directed at him. From SPS via Twitter: Our hearts go out to the family, students and staff of the Chief Sealth student killed over the weekend in the Columbia City neighborhood. Sadly, it appears that the student was related to her killer.  It is unclear what the situa...

There are many contradictions between what OSPI tells regular districts about Alternative Learning Experiences (ALEs) versus what is being said that will be done for charter schools and ALE programs. (I have repeatedly tried to get clarity on these issues from OSPI. I am now using the documentation they have at their website.) There are two main issues.

From SPS Communications and congrats to all these schools (and to note, these schools cover the entire district region.) Seattle Public Schools has been identified as having 12 schools to be recognized as Schools of Distinction award winners. The award recognizes outstanding improvement in reading and math sustained over a five-year period. The recognized schools are honored for landing in the top five percent of improvement of schools in Washington State for increased math and reading achievement for their levels over the past five years. The School of District is a statewide award led by the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) in partnership with K-12 education organizations representing school board directors, principals, administrators, educational service districts and others. 

OSPI announced today the release of new data on student discipline.  According to the press release:

The Seattle Times is reporting that the decision from the City on the use of $1M of a transportation fund set aside for low-income citizens will be used to pay for ORCA cards for all middle and high school students in Seattle students (no matter where they live from their school.) This decision came largely because of the unwaivering efforts of the Rainier Beach students who made it a front and center issue from last summer on.

Looks like it's an all-Audit&Finance week which is probably a good way for the new Board to get up-to-speed.

This from a Michigan state lawmaker, Marty Knollenberg, who was reviewing state K-12 test scores.  State Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R) made the comment during a hearing Thursday after seeing state data breaking down academic performance among different demographic groups. The data indicated most students who were struggling were students of color, Knollenberg later told WXYZ Detroit .

We don't really know how it would work if an urban charter school in Western Washington became an Alternative Learning Experience program of a rural school district in Eastern Washington. Since we don't really know, let's make some wild conjecture about it.

State Superintendent Randy Dorn issued guidelines for districts that want to take in charter school students under ALEs (Alternative Learning Education.)

From OSPI : Washington has the largest group of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for the third consecutive year, according to numbers released today by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. A total of 329 Washington teachers achieved their certification this year. Washington ranks fourth, nationwide, in the total number of NBCTs (8,614)*.

Update: This wasn't in the original release but Noel has children in SPS. From SPS Communications: It is with honor and excitement that Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announces that Noel Treat will return to the district as General Counsel.  Treat has devoted his career to public service with more than 20 years of experience in education as well as legal, management and policy issues facing local governments.  

Downside: this article from The Guardian , with infographic, of the mass shootings in this country over the last two years. If this doesn't chill you, then how about this.  Yesterday the U.S. Senate voted down an amendment that would have kept guns from people on the U.S. terrorism watchlist and an amendment to expand background checks for online gun sales and gun shows. American exceptionalism indeed. Upside: a new girl-empowerment/self-acceptance/self-love group called I Am That Girl has started up nationally, with a chapter here in Seattle. I Am That Girl is a movement inspiring girls to love, express, and be exactly who they are. The Friends of the Seattle Public Library is having their first ever Children's Book Sale, Sunday, December 6th from 1-4 pm at the Ballard Branch Meeting Room.  Most books will be between $2-4.  Bring your own bag. Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to the Seattle Symphony and some of the donation will go towards music education fo...

2016 Board Officers:   Director Patu - President   Director Peters  - Vice President   Director Harris - Member-at-Large Please note that any director's direct e-mail address is: first name.last name@seattleschools.org To write to just the entire Board - SPSdirectors@seattleschools.org To write to the Board plus senior leadership - schoolboard@seattleschools.org This Board's first retreat is this Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm at JSCEE.  Agenda .  Lots of new member issues like "hopes and aspirations for the coming year," committee assignments (both within and outside of the district), and, as always, governance. SPS photo

To start, consider this from Inside Philanthropy (one of my new favorite places to stop by and read awhile:)

Update 2:  I wrote to Kevin Jacka, the superintendent of Mary Walker School District, to ask him about his resignation from the Charter Commission and about taking the orphan charter schools into his district. Here's what he said (or didn't say);

Today's walkout at Hale .  From 350 Seattle: Nathan Hale High School students organized a ‪#‎ ClimateStrike‬ walk out today on the first day of Paris talks. About 100 students with flags signs and banners p rotested chanting "Climate Justice" and "Solar Power" at a busy intersection. Students who participated told the school, braved the cold, and were marked absent. The student club formed about a month ago.

A much larger than normal crowd for the oath of office for our four new board members. Quite the sight as compared to other years.  I see former Board director Irene Stewart here. Fun fact: turns out that we have been inducting board members incorrectly for the last - what? - 10+ years.  Turns out the oath can only be given by a superintendent, judge, principal or assistant principal.  Other years, we have seen husbands, wives and even children give the oath.   Legal counsel John Cerqui looked up the law and figured it out.

Sorry I'm seeing these all late but this Give Tuesday is a big one.  This #GivingTuesday, help to make education more inclusive #ForEveryKid. Google is teaming up with DonorsChoose.org, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform for teachers, to make it easier to fund as many special education projects as possible.   If donors like you fund the first half, we’ll get the rest, up to $1MM.

From SPS Communications: Thanks to the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras’ (SYSO) Southwest Seattle Strings Project students at Arbor Heights, Concord, Highland Park, Roxhill, Sanislo and West Seattle elementary schools, and Denny International Middle School have paid, musical lessons from professional musicians, but many of them still need instruments. SYSO is partnering with Seattle Public Schools in asking for donations to help build supply baskets that will include replacement strings, chin rests, shoulder rests, rosin, and music books. Learn more about Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras on their website. Anyone can help by chipping on the  Power2give.org fundraising campaign webpage.

KBCS-FM ,  In partnership with Northwest Harvest,  is holding a one-day only fund drive today, Tuesday, December  1st. They are raising funds to provide food backpacks for kids in our region over the holiday break. All donations are tax-deductible. To donate, call KBCS at:  425.564.5000  or go here . #fillthepack

Funny article of the day (but a possible teaching moment for your children) from The New Yorker , Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans. I have found that presidential campaigns are a good time to talk to your children about what "facts" are, how to prove them and why some people might not actually use them when trying to get elected to office.  (Of course, discussing politics with your children may make them jaded before their time so use caution.) Thinking of holiday gifts? Cross " Hello Barbie" off your list. The Washington State Budget &Policy Center has a very good article on poverty and children in Washington State.  What is compelling about their argument is that it's a "two-generation approach."  Meaning, you need to help parents at the same time you help kids.  You will often hear ed reformers say all it takes is a good teacher but that's pretty much nonsense when you talk about poverty. It's no...

This was tweeted by J.K. Rowling: Speaking as someone who would never have succeeded if she hadn't first failed on a grand scale, I enjoyed this.

The vote on the next version of No Child Left Behind is coming up for a vote this week, first in the Senate and then, next week, in the House.   There are several issues that have come to my attention via Diane Ravitch and the Network of Public Education. Here's a link to all the Washington State representatives and senators.  E-mail is great but there is also great value in calling their offices and registering your vote.  (I interned for an Arizona senator once and my job was taking phone calls from constituents on issues of the day.  They registered every single call.) However you do it, PLEASE contact our congressional reps on this vote.  When you do, please note to them that this is a much better bill than the original.

Gentle readers. I turned off the comment moderation.  I don't like it,  you don't like it and so we'll go back to the way we have done it since this blog started. Most of you have noticed that we now have a person (and most of us know who it is) that blames me for his shortcomings in life.  He is being vicious and unkind and some of you even find his comments to be threatening to me.  That he has even stooped to saying hurtful things about my late husband speaks volumes about his lack of character and humanity. Not to worry; I don't. What I ask is for your patience AND to please ignore him.  Do not answer anything he says.  Answering him will only egg him on. While I'm sure this immature behavior is the highlight of his day, let's not give him any kind of attention. If we ignore him, he has no audience. 

Is there an explanation for how quickly Middle College is sliding downward in just a matter of months?  And, with very little in the way of real explanation to the SPS community?

Tuesday, December 1nd Oath of Office for the four new members of the Seattle School Board.  JSCEE auditorium from 5-6 pm. If I had to guess committee choices for new Board members, I'd guess that Leslie Harris would like either be on the Executive or Audit&Finance committee and Scott Pinkham, Rick Burke and Jill Geary would like Curriculum&Instruction.  Wednesday, December 2rd School Board Meeting , starting at 4:15 pm.  Agenda (And into the fire quickly for those four new members. It's always fun to see them figure out the microphones as well as see where each member gets seated.) Highlights - Native American program annual review - Board self-evaluation narrative.   I liked this line: Directors also noted the need to strengthen how the Board ensures accountability for progress on the Strategic Plan.  This is interesting. At the November 10 work session, Directors discussed the progress the Board has made from previous behaviors...

Sorry, I just flaked out on Friday. I am reading and posting all comments (but the amount of spam we get is pretty amazing.) What's on your mind?

Update: I am attempting to get info on Mr. Kinsey's services but the West Seattle Blog has nothing nor have I found anything listed elsewhere.  Several former students have contacted me about wanting to attend any services so if you learn anything, please post it here. end of update. Sad news from the WestSeattle Blog :

As reported at Crosscut : After the big box madness that has become Black Friday is the totally lovable celebration of Small Business Saturday . Saturday also acts as Indies First, a day to show your love for local booksellers and meet authors as they talk to you about books at the counter of your local bookstore. Sherman Alexie, the mastermind behind the event, will be at Elliott Bay offering book recommendations, Book Larder will be hosting a bunch of local cookbook authors (including Renee Erickson), and there will be a YA panel and sci-fi panel at University Bookstore . Don’t forget about Ravenna Third Place, Phinney Books, and Ada’s Technical Books , among others, and make this holiday one where you give the gift of books (I’m pretty excited to give my sisters an adult coloring book and Humans of New York: Stories). Big shout-out to Ada's Technical Books , one of the coolest bookstores around. I also endorse the coloring books for adults (but I have not yet see...

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving; this blog is thankful for all our readers. Two fun things, one for vegetarians and one from Ellen for the hope that is education.  Kids really are little sponges.  "My little brain just remembers." 

A wonderful story from KING-5 news - Franklin High School was the surprise receipt of $17K worth of new band instruments via Stub Hub/Mr Holland's Opus Foundation.  Music teacher Geoff Ogle made it happen and, looking at the faces of his students, they are happy he did.  Orca K-8 put in a new playground.  According to district Communications: The project is the culmination of a handful of funding partners including Orca PTSA, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, King County, the Norcliffe Foundation, Windermere, Microsoft and hundreds of volunteers who helped put it all together.  Good work to all those parents and community members who made this happen. Big shout-out to Garfield High 's football coach, Derek Sparks, an award from Angels in Sports ,  for his hard work in supporting student athletes.  Angels in Sports is a non-profit org for "high striving underprivileged youth applicants that require assistance in achieving their athletic and ...

We keep dipping into this discussion, so let's dive into it. I hear and read people using the words "Equitable" or "Equity" as if they were synonymous with "Equal" and "Equality". I continue to see these words used as if they were interchangeable. They are not synonyms. They are not interchangeable. They are, in fact, opposites. Equality means providing each with the same. Equity is providing each with what they need or deserve. Since everyone needs or deserves something different, equity means providing each with something different, which is the opposite of providing each with the same.

Over at Representative Chad Magendanz' Facebook page, there's quite the discussion over fulfilling McCleary and also what to do about charter schools.  He has much to say on both topics. He starts with this: Our bipartisan group working on the charter fix remains firmly committed to addressing the issues identified in the Supreme Court’s ruling and keeping our charter school doors open. The Senate committee testimony Thursday really highlighted the need for these innovative schools that serve our most impoverished areas, and the timing of the Court’s press release was particularly cruel to the students who travelled down to Olympia to show their support. Again, as if the Court has time to tell their staff to keep them updated on what groups come to Olympia to speak to legislators.  That's just not plausible.   Also, that "bipartisan group" - I think their one Dem might be Seattle's Rep. Eric Pettigrew who seems to make it his life's work to ju...

OSPI has released their survey and its subsequent findings about teacher shortages in Washington State. The survey The findings. From the survey:

My colleagues in student data privacy are warning against anyone taking this so-called "most used word" Facebook quiz .  Read this article and see if you agree; if so, warn your kids. Ever wanted to know more about school emergency and safety programs.  I found this great page at OSPI chock-full of good info. The Times has a lot to say over a couple of days.

I want to be sure that everyone has seen this. It's important. CLOSING OPPORTUNITY GAPS An Action Plan for Accelerating Achievement for African American Males and Other Students of Color In this document, the District commits to some very specific benchmarks: Every student will achieve proficiency in Reading and Mathematics by end of Grade 2. Every student will have a personal learning plan and an advocate/mentor to keep him on track to high school graduation and successful post-secondary transition. Every student will meet standards of performance in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science at the end of key transition grades. Every student will receive fair and equitable treatment regarding discipline and access to rigorous instructional programs. Every student will graduate from high school prepared for success in college or career. Whenever I see commitments of this kind from the School District, I always want to ask "What if it doesn't go like that?...

Or rather, the Boston Globe.   I had many people send me links to this story that appeared in the Globe on Saturday, Nov. 21st.  It's part of their "Divided Nation" series and I hope to read more of the articles ( they cover a number of topics, not just public education.) Here was a self-described progressive state with a Democratic governor and House, an electorate that last year voted to improve school funding, and many cash-flush corporations famished for qualified graduates. If a solution to gridlock couldn’t be found here, how could other states — or the other Washington, the nation’s capital — break out of their political stalemates?

From The Washington Post's The Answer Sheet, a story about Indiana governor, Mike Pence,   remark that teachers "shouldn't take it personally" when their students' scores plummet because of a new state test.  One teacher, Donna Roof, a 30-year veteran teacher, answered back.  (In Indiana, teacher evaluations do use test scores although the Governor says that, given the test is new, they get a one-year reprieve.)

By Representative Gerry Pollet, 46 th  District: Thursday offered a “learning moment” for students in charter schools , parents  and legislators. Blue-shirted charter school students and parents came to the state capital to urge that legislators “save” their schools. Ironically, the Supreme Court released its opinion the same day reaffirming its prior unanimous opinion that charter schools were not “common schools” and its majority opinion striking down the entire charter school initiative as unconstitutional. A group of 8 or 9 Summit Sierra Charter  HS  9 th  graders and two parents were leaving my office as I returned from committee hearings. Although I had a large group waiting for their scheduled appointment with me, I didn’t want to disappoint high school students who had made the trek – and, were eager to tell me about the “unique” learning experience offered by their school. So, I stopped to engage them. It was a learning moment for me, an...

I may have mentioned it but to clarify, this "new" group, Act Now for Washington Students, is an astro-turf, Gates-funded group made up of DFER, League of Education Voters and Stand for Children.  You don't get more ed-form and Gates-guided than those three.

 Update: I queried OSPI about what might happen.  Here's what the immediate issues are: The ruling from the Court removes footnote 10 on page 11, the footnote that caused the “glitch” issue; namely, that funding for other categorical programs (Running Start, the Schools for the Blind/Deaf) might be in danger. Other than that, the Court simply said it was rejecting the motion for reconsideration of its original opinion, meaning that charter schools – at least in their current incarnation – will no longer be able to operate in Washington state. So yes, they will be gone. The issue we’re trying to determine is when. We’re not sure if this order is effective today or not. The Court has a meeting on the books for December 14 , possibly about the mandate. The Attorney General’s Office and OSPI are trying to find out from the Court if that means that money for November can be paid to the schools or not. We should have clarification on that by next week. Reg...

KPLU's Community Advisory Board is meeting on Monday the 23rd from 2-:30pm at the Westin. Here's a link to their Facebook page; I'm still looking for an e-mail address for the Board.  You could also write to KUOW, programming@KUOW.org. Here's a very good story from Crosscut on this situation.  Apparently, a lot of this deciding happened behind closed doors even though it's public radio. I've worked with a lot of reporters over the years and can tell who cares, who follows up and who gets into the weeds.  These two guys are good solid reporters. Let's save KPLU's great reporters like Gabriel Spitzer and Kyle Stokes.  

From the Seattle Times on "Green Friday": Washington’s two most-visited national parks, Olympic and Mount Rainier, are joining to offer free entry on Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, in celebration of the holiday and as a way to encourage healthy outdoor time. “The day after Thanksgiving is a great time for fresh air and a little exercise,” Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said in an email. “Thanksgiving is a time-honored American tradition, and we invite families to create new traditions by enjoying a fee-free day at two of the Northwest’s premier national parks.” As well, if you have a 4th grader and want a free Christmas tree, Colville National Forest has a deal for you. All fourth graders are eligible to receive a pass that allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. In support of this initiative, the Forest Service will make available a free Christmas tree permit to every interested fourth-g...

Deputy Superintendent Charles Wright announced, via a letter to staff, that he is leaving SPS, effective Jan. 5, 2016.  It's a bit of a curious letter as he doesn't say anything about his future plans but does give a long list of the accomplishments that he has worked on.  He also says this: As you prepare to work with a new board, more closely with the community, and continue to work with one another to strengthen the system’s ability to support students, I encourage you to read the book The Trust Imperative by Stephen Hacker. Some of you may recall that I mentioned this book to you in September 2014.  It will be an excellent resource as you engage in intentional conversations about re-building trust where you believe it does not exist. The book offers insights and tools to help you understand and build trust across a spectrum of key elements including trust readiness, worthiness and willingness. I have heard that he has been handing this book out and I hope...

This from a survey done by Seattle Greenways 

Checking the Seattle Times, the final charter school ruling from the state supreme court is now gone from their home page.  There's not even a listing under their "Education Lab" section.  I guess the editorial board is now busy writing their latest missive to prop up what is truly a battered law. As I said in one of my comments there, the Legislature would have a lot of explaining to do if they really tried to turn this around.  They'd have to create some quasi public/private system for charters, find the money to prop them up (as well as the Charter Commission who would still need to oversee the majority of them) and then, of course, explain to the public why, during a short session with a lot of work including McCleary, they are choosing to do this work and divert money from other programs. I think this law is on life-support and maybe the Legislature should just pull the plug and start over with a new law.  A constitutional law. Here's the trailer from ...

One of the recurring themes among the criticisms of Seattle Public Schools centers on annual reports. These reports are required by policy but either the reports simply are not made, such as the report required by Policy 3208, Sexual Harassment, or the reports clearly fail to meet the requirements listed in the policy, such as the quarterly and annual reports required by Policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs & Services. You should all be familiar with the routine. Each year the superintendent and staff submits a woefully inadequate report. Each year I complain about it and beg the Board to demand a compliant report. Each year the Board accepts the report without complaint. Each year the culture of non-compliance is strengthened and transparency is weakened. But this year there's something new. This year the superintendent and the staff are bringing forward a different kind of report for Policy 2090, Program Evaluation & Assessment.

The Court released its ruling today and upheld its decision to strike down the charter school law.   The ruling was 6-3, 5-4. The decision in the original ruling becomes final on December 14th. The majority did strike out one footnote ( page 11, footnote 10) about the use of School District No. 20 v. Bryan.  A bit interesting as this does revolve around Article IX on funding but they were likely addressing the issue of funding for other education programs. 

From the Washington Post's Answer Sheet:

A few thoughts after that long Board meeting (and I even left after the Action items so good for everyone who stayed until the bitter end.)

Update :  the staff IS recommending that the waitlist dissolve on August 15th.  The change is in the BAR. Good job, parents. end of update A parent at the Board meeting is reporting that Ashley Davies, the Enrollment Director, is going to recommend an August 15th waitlist date, not May 31st.  Will let you know if this comes to pass.  If so, quite a win there for parent power.

Carr restarts meeting, mentioning the number of Action Items to get thru (and says that some Board members had previously left during Intro items - I didn't know this - and as long as there are four of them, they can do the work.)

Packed room for start of meeting.  A whole contingent of neon-yellow shirted kids from Schmitz Park Elementary, questioning the funding at Central versus school-based including class size. RBHS students opened with a spirited call-and-response, singing and cheer-a-long.  They recognized the Board especially those directors who are leaving the Board.