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
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/marvin-gaye-nikki-giovanni-help-students-discuss-racial-violence/
David Edelman
* Any alternative that doesn't fall within the range of alternatives covered in the final EIS will take a supplemental EIS. Fat chance of that.
* The consultant and Pegi McEvoy did not seem real eager to add additional alternatives to the list considered.
* The draft EIS is expected to be released sometime in late July for a 30-day comment period.
* McEvoy said that state funding is pushing everyone to a 3-tier busing system, and any districts not on that type of system are getting dinged by the state. I'd appreciate anyone who knows about this weighing in.
* The consultant said that they would look at positive impacts of changes (eg later start times reducing traffic accidents). They did not seem eager to address positive social issues (eg a friend in public health told me that teen pregnancy happens between 3 and 5 on weekdays).
* Part of the reason for including the extended day option is to cover a 7-period day when the state goes to a 24-credit graduation requirement, allowing students to make up time. Equivocation on whether that means that students who are not trying to make up credits could take 7 credits too.
That last one raises an interesting equity issue. If disadvantaged students are more likely to be missing credits, is it fair that they are also required to jack up their sleep schedule to make up? I'm not sure where I fall on this as opposed to summer school, but it's something to think about.
You can give feedback on the EIS scoping until July 6 at arrivaltimes@seattleschools.org. Full project page about the EIS is here: http://seattleschools.org/familiescommunities/committees/seattle_public_schools_bell_time_analysis
Regarding Middle College: Very brave teachers and an extremely brave homeless student gave compelling testimony. Homeless shelters are often dangerous and these teachers help place students in hotels to assure these students are safe. I also note that it takes a lot of courage for a student to present themselves to the board and tell the board, with the exception of teachers at Middle College- they don't have support. I will be watching this story and it is shameful for any individual to support closing Middle College.
Harium Martin Morris's resolution to end elementary school suspensions is a step in the right direction and this story has made it into the Seattle Times. To date, the district refuses to hire elementary school counselors. K teachers have 26 students in their classes and the teacher: student ratios continue to climb in elementary school. Will Harium Martin Morris insist that the district fund elementary school counselors to support teachers? I doubt it.
The conversation regarding Amplify was interesting. Clearly, Amplify is aspirational and the district is no where near ready to roll-out this assessment throughout the district. Then, there is the issue of excessive testing. Credit is owed to Director Peters. Director Peters has continually pushed to support student privacy and limit data sharing. When pushed, the district DID add language to limit data sharing and protect student privacy. I found it interesting that Stephan Blanford feels it ok to use our children for educational research.
Based on Weatbrooks knowledge of education and the city, I will be voting for her. She also had some interesting things to say about city development and safe school routes in the midst of development.
I hope Melissa and others reach-out to Weatbrook. She is running against a popular incumbent and she certainly adds to the conversation.
HP
Now Director Martin-Morris is addressing halting suspensions for young kids. Seattle Times June 26, 2015. "waving off claims that those students merely misbehave more."
He calls the root cause "cultural disconnect-particularly around the notion of respect." I totally agree with this statement as one of the causes.
There are approaches such as "Restorative Justice" which significantly reduce suspensions, but there also must be structural changes such as policies and procedures in our schools that discriminate against certain groups of students of color. If we do not change those policies and procures, nothing will change.
I would hope that School Board Directors would halt all suspensions for all students in all grade levels. Jonathan Knapp and Director Martin Morris seem to agree on certain approaches to "reduce student misbehavior and suspensions." Knowing that "lots of behaviors are the result of things in kids lives that they bring to school" has always been known to teachers and administrators...it is how educators respond to students who have experienced traumatic experiences and bring these experiences into the classroom.
I have worked with so many teachers in 35 years of teaching on all levels who used creative approaches to discipline. They did not find out of school suspensions a useful remedy.
We should also beware lies, damn lies and statistics. Whenever we hear "five times as much" or "500 percent," we must remind ourselves what that means, in context: it means that if one group has 5% of its members suspended, while another has only 1% or 2% suspended, then 95% of the same group, and 98% - 99% of the comparison group are not being suspended. In other words, even with a 500% greater chance of being suspended than another kid, the average AA kid in SPS has a 95% chance of never being suspended. And in this "positive discipline" environment we seek, we should not lose sight of what the numbers really mean, and especially how and where they fit into the narrative of the Seattle Times and it's allied forces of Big Ed Reform throughout our community.
And while I shouldn't have to say it, No, I am not advocating for, nor defending, the status quo. I believe strongly in positive discipline and engagement versus alienation, and that work is already in progress in many schools in SPS, but you will not see anyone at the Times give due credit, because it's not part of their anti-public education agenda.
WSDWG
Will Harium Martin Morris insist that the district fund elementary school counselors to support teachers? I doubt it." I think his remark on "cultural disconnect" around respect is valid especially because I think there are different norms on classroom behavior and societal expectations for behavior that may clash with cultural norms.
I agree only because I have almost never seen Director Martin-Morris publicly work for something and see it thru.
Watching, Catherine and I have already had some productive conversations. I very much appreciate her focus on the many pieces that make the big picture for growth in our city and, that they all need to be working together. Mike O'Brien is okay and I will certainly try to talk to him but he's never been all that interested in schools.
HP
That is NOT, by any means, to suggest that disproportionality in disciplinary action should be acceptable. It isn't. But if there are in fact (and I'm not saying there are) racial differences in the levels of certain "misbehaviors", we need to understand them so we can devise effective strategies to deal with them. Do we need a lot of additional teacher training so they better understand these behaviors and become more skilled in using those more creative approaches to discipline, as you mentioned? Or do we need to better address the issue of what constitutes "misbehavior" in the first place--to either reset classroom expectations so they are more accepting of differences in cultural norms, or to provide better education re: what is expected? Or something else???
It seems to me that there are a combination of factors behind the disproportionality. It makes perfect sense that kids with more risk factors would be likely to have more behavioral issues. But at the same time, I think it's also a fair assumption that there's some racial bias and a lack of cultural competency within the system. Am I way off base?
I evidently was unclear so thank you for providing me the opportunity to clarify what I meant in my post. I believe that both are true. I totally agree with Director Martin-Morris that we cannot accept that "those students mostly misbehave more."
Likewise, I believe that many students do bring "trauma" to schools (regardless of race) Poverty, home experiences etc. all contribute. Poverty might be the most common tie, if there is one, and yet when I was counseling, I had many white students who came from affluent homes who were victims of trauma.
The Brain research that I was referring to is not associated with race, other than previous left brain/right brain cultural learning styles, that was discredited by some.
Thank you (wish I knew your name) for your interest and observations. It is long overdue that we are finally discussing (intentional or not) racial bias and a lack of cultural competency.
My teenage son's first response when hearing about the Seattle Times article on racial disparity in discipline was "You've got to be kidding me!" From his experience, especially this year, there have been many times that African American students have acted egregiously and gotten away with it because of their race. One was a girl who I observed yelling about someone's "black ass" down the hall, who my son reported was continually talking dirty with obscene language during a class activity. The teacher kept telling her to stop, which she would only momentarily. (Our kids shouldn't be in R-rated classrooms.) Then there's the recent incident when one boy's story was being cut off by the teacher and an African American boy yelled out "Let the niggah speak!" Those kids weren't disciplined, but my son knows if he did those things, he would be sent to the office immediately.
How does that lack of discipline help anyone, including the kids who didn't get disciplined? Most employers in their future will have little tolerance for anyone who talks loud and dirty or who frequently calls others "niggah".
I feel for the administrators and teachers who are under pressure to reduce "disproportionality", but it's also damaging to kids who see that schools treat different groups unfairly and one group is dangerous to be around because that group knows there is little consequence to their actions.
Momof2
Momof2 maybe it would help to talk to your son about reclamation- http://asalinguist.com/2012/09/17/take-two-words-we-cannot-say-except-when-we-can-2/#more-1924
It is different when a black person uses that word, and I think you could have a really good discussion about it. I would give other examples, but they are all offensive language, and this is a family blog!
-sleeper
-sleeper
I am not sure what this article means in relation to the deadlock on budget negotiations. Perhaps someone can interpret for me.
Janice Eng
This is what I see:
1) 17 y.o., OUT as GAY sexual identity, suspended for propositioning another boy and expelled from Bishop Blanchett after he refused to let school staff look at pictures on his phone.
Bishop Blanchett is Catholic, I went to a parochial school for many years, they are not known for acceptance of homosexuality. MANY parents send their children to Catholic schools because they are extremely conservative about sex. Premarital sex is a sin, homosexuality is a SIN and GOD HATE GAYS. This boy was branded a sexual preditor for propositioning and having pictures on his phone which the school was told to be "dirty" pictures that he showed to others. Well, then all of my boyfriends and most of my friends from 6th grade on are sexual predators. I was propositioned several times per day from 12 year old. We all went to each others' homes and several times we all looked at magazines and a couple of times adult videos that were left around by the parents, and this was before internet porn became freely available. I'd be amazed if there are many 17 year old around who haven't been exposed to some naked pictures.
2) I don't know whether this boy is a predator or not, I don't think ANYONE can make a determination either way from the info we have, which is ALL HEARSAY. To play devil's advocate here: gay boy fell in love with another boy whom he thought was gay. He expresses interest in a relationship. Other CATHOLIC boy freaks because of what he has been taught about homosexuality, tells parents, whom demand that the school remove the sinner from their son's vicinity. School suspends kid, tell him he must stay away from other kid, boy is upset, maybe goes and ask other boy why he hates him and want him to stay away. Parents freak some more. Rumor mill starts, freaked out parents asking their kids if they have been targeted by the SEXUAL PREDATOR. Some kids say, well, he has weird pics on his phone. Parents go nuclear, demand gay kid gone. School demand to look at boy's phone. He refuses,
because IT IS PRIVATE STUFF! (How many of you would be comfortable with SPS looking through your kids' phones or their computers?) School expelled kid. Maybe someone in admin thinks the whole thing is a gay witch hunt and put the EXPELLED in an easy to miss spot in the boy's records. Boy's CATHOLIC mom feel ashamed, take him to doctor,demand medication for a 16 YEAR OLD BOY who is interested in SEX. He MUST BE SICK!!
Continued
CCA
Today, I keep hearing those beautiful words over and over in my mind, "let freedom ring, let freedom ring". Long may she reign.
It feels like freedom has indeed rung. Loud and Proud.
It is a beautiful day.
And, isn't this the point of public education? To lead the way in supporting our messy and beautiful democracy to a higher ground of justice? Isn't public education the means to grow critical thinking in all our children, so they can all grow up and preserve, enjoy, enhance, and contribute to our vibrant society? Where all people are created equal? And, are equal before the law? Now, more so than ever before.
Public education takes all comers. All members of society, one who can't walk, ones who are brilliant mathematicians, ones who love reading, ones who wear head scarves, ones who struggle to speak, ones who are allergic to peanuts, ones who can't get enough of music. Public education may not do a perfect job, it may be flawed, it may be a work in progress, it may be fraught with controversies and it may even be under attack, but it is something! It is a grand American ideal of equal justice in motion, a tangible piece of the American dream for all, one ship to carry all kids. It is, and should be, the great uniteor. That is why I am a proud public school mama. That is why the educational standards, the floor, should never be allowed to become the ceilings. We should always aim high. We should always reject mediocrity or fractionation with both hands. That is why I voted against charters.
I am proud of our school in particular. How our community respects the dignity of each individual child. I'm proud our elementary school is the kind of safe and welcoming environment that transgender children feel secure and are fee to express themselves in their own unique identity, and, the other children don't bat an eyelash. Remember the next time you tray and measure diversity: there are more dimensions to diversity than just the ones reported to OSPI!
Lowell-Lincoln-Cascadia
Could be he is a predator. I don't know. But if he is, he must be a very rare one. Sexual predators, I've heard from my best friend's psychiatrist sister, always have a type of victims, They're very specific in sex and age: those who target boys don't target girls, those who go after teens don't go after younger kids, etc.
Consider this, please
1) Suicide is third highest cause of teen deaths. 157,000 teens are treated for self harm each year. 80% of teen suicides are boys.
2) Gay and trans teens kill themselves at many times the rate of heterosexual ones.
3) This boy has effectively been convicted as sexual predator by two school systems AND parents on a public blog without a trial. There are even people calling for him to be registered as a sexual predator!
3) Comparision are made between him and last year's boy, who alledgedly RAPED a girl, AND was NOT expelled, and whom DID NOT have anything on his official record proclaiming him a sexual predator.
4) Unlike that other boy, this boy has no defender, not even his mom,who is ashamed of him.
So what do we have, a gay boy whom is shamed, stigmatized, and isolated, considered SICK for his sexual yearnings and possible boundaries or social communication problems, at an age where there is major confusion with identity and when other people's opinions and acceptance are of outsized importance. Teenagers feel every sling and arrow so deeply. They don't have the experience yet to know that life won't always be like what they're experiencing, and that pain, alienation and rejection don't last forever. I really hope this boy reads Dan Savage, he could be in a really bad place.
Please take the threads down. It serves no benefit and possibly can cause some irreversible harm.
CCA
When a white person says "niggah" they are perpetuating cruelty, or subverting and castrating language, even if the intent is the same as the black person saying the same word. It is perceived differently, and is perceived as hate speech, and different standards apply. That is the difference. The issue has deep roots. We have history.
It is hard for children to understand this, especially if they do not have a history curriculum. Yes, a strong curricula will help children of all races. Why can't all those central admin get back to the task at hand. Education.
Academics Help
Either voters need to be better educated (pun intended) about the costs of initiatives OR voters know that some initiatives - by reading them and inferring the outcomes - cost money and want the Legislature to spend that money.
Or both. Some voters are ignorant or some want to use the power of their vote to direct change.
This is the initiative process. Certainly the Legislature can rewrite the law so that clear costs (and their direct/indirect impacts to the budget) are shown on any initiative measure.
But I find -once again - that legislators want to willfully ignore voters because they don't want to do the hard work and make the hard choices. Apparently they forgot they were voted in to do that.
I attended the KUOW Week in Review event at Northgate (the next one is July 17th at University Heights). They had Chris Vance, former head of the state GOP and former legislator, Joni Balter of the Times (?) and former mayor, Mike McGinn (who was very funny).
Vance, who had driven for two (!) hours from Auburn and came in late, said he believed that the Legislature would NOT get a budget done. He said that in order to get done all the things that he, as a former legislator knew needed to be done, they had run out of time by last night. I have no idea how right he is but he seemed discouraged.
He also was teased about the "liberal" wins for Obamacare and gay marriage. He surprised me by saying that on things like pot, gay marriage and abortion, the Republicans are done. He said, "the culture wars are over and get over it."
He seemed to feel like Republicans are just churning, at a national level, over things that many voters have moved on from.
On the other hand, state GOP leaders are more focused on economy issues.
CCA
The report is not just the investigator's opinion - it is research that he did. I don't know if he is qualified to call the male student a "predator" but the young man does have a history of sexual aggression.
There appears to be more to the Blanchet story than what you wrote - you need to read the whole report. But we cannot know what the whole story there is and never will. But gay or not, he cannot sexually assault other students as is alleged.
CCA, you seem quite the psychologist but honestly, we don't know.
But I printed nothing that gives his name or identity. This is a Seattle Schools issue that affected many students and parents. It may help raise awareness on many fronts. I stand by leaving the threads there. (And the report is readily available. Taking down the threads doesn't erase them from the Internet.)
Academics Help, it's going to take a lot for me to get to a point where I believe that speech is necessary in a classroom. It is not everyday language in academics nor the workplace.
I think it VERY important to have more cultural competency for both teachers and students but I do not think students have the right to use language in the classroom that other students cannot nor disrupt class. That's just me; I'm pretty old school on maintaining civility in a classroom.
http://www.queenannenews.com/Content/News/Homepage-Rotating-Articles/Article/Charter-schools-about-choice-in-education-parents-say/26/538/37574
You are making more assumptions and inferences than anyone else here.
Garfield is in need of new leadership.
As a tax payer I hate the waste. As a GHS parent I hate the risk.
Also yeah were is English? Are we paying him?
- disgusted too
Neither. The Charter school funds its own transportation program.
The school mentioned in that article will be located in the International District.
I also see a little bit of snobbery in the words of the executive director of Summit Sierra. I would note that charters that the WA State Charter Schools Assn likes, get assistance (via Gates dollars) in the very things she says she joined a "network" for like contract law compliance.
Did First Place Scholars not reach out to WSCSA? I'd have to ask but it seems odd that WSCSA is supporting nearly every other charter that will open.
And yes, as each charter is its own little district, they are responsible for transportation. (They don't have to provide it necessarily, but show parents what their plan is.) The only case where a district like Bellevue or Seattle would have to provide it is if a student was Sped and the parents could say their district wasn't meeting the IEP and the student needs to be transferred to charter X. (At least that's my understanding.)
I smiled when the Bellevue parent complains that her son has had less than five field trips in middle school. I actually would be surprised at a school that had more than 5.
The mother's statement's seem a bit odd to me (her son is working beyond grade level and he has mostly "honors" classes:
He’s had great teachers, but I think he’s a kid who would benefit from a smaller learning environment,” O’Neal said. “And not one geared toward honors. I’m fine with him doing age-appropriate coursework. He’s always working ahead of grade level. He’ll go to college, regardless.”
She's fine with her son - who works above grade level currently with one year old students - doing "age-appropriate coursework." Interesting.
Would you rather be paying Ron English his full salary and have him barred from the SPS offices, or, be paying him his salary and have in IN the office, making up policy, randomly executing his authority, and, my personal favorite, testifying to the Board, where he can talk a lot without explaining or committing to anything at all?
The third, obvious option, NOT paying him and NOT having him in the office, is apparently NOT an option.
I'm ok paying and having him gone. It pencils out in a way and is preferable in many ways.
If there is a separation, betcha' he washes up on the shores of the City, running preschool. Fun!
Less Damage
Has anyone heard anything about the wait numbers in the high schools? Anything about the Franklin/Rainier Beach discussion?
HP
It wouldn't surprise me if he went on to work for the City, but as an attorney, not as a manager.
I'll be writing something up in the next couple of days.
Funny, SPS did a lot of threatening Zakkiyah McWilliams that her administrative/medical leave was running out after just a few months. I'm speculating English's transgressions are SpEd-related, so SPS is being much nicer to the old war horse.
Ron English's woes can't be about SPED. Nobody died. That's what it would take to get a senior administrator gone over SPED. They all hated Zakkiyah, and her boss left - so then it was easy to get rid of her. She didn't really help herself though. So, we'll all have to wait and see what turns up with Ronnie. Surely the truth will come out. These things can't be kept secret forever.
reader