Friday Open Thread

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 for children.  Thanks, Tay-Tay.
The Seattle Symphony has received a major donation in the amount of $50,000 from recording artist Taylor Swift, in support of the future of the orchestra’s musicians and musicians of the future. Swift’s donation to the Seattle Symphony will support two signature programs, Link Up: Seattle Symphony, which will reach over 12,000 third through fifth graders this year, and the musicians’ pension fund.
What's on your mind?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I saw the testing schedule for our high school. I was surprised that SBA math will be given to all 11th graders. This is a cohort that is required to take EOC math exams to graduate. Most of them have passed the EOC math exams before 11th grade. Now they are to give up class time to take the SBA math exam as well evidently. Adding SBA to school day SAT & AP/IB exams, I guess they won't attending class at all during May.

-sigh
12/4/15, 9:54 AM
Anonymous said…
Excellent response to school bullying:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/lynelle-cantwell-ugliest-girl-facebook-1.3347311

"To the person that made the "Ugliest girls in grade 12 at hth" ask.fm straw poll. I'm sorry that your life is so miserable that you have to try to bring others down," she wrote. (more)

-McClureWatcher
12/4/15, 12:41 PM
Money Talks said…
Steve Sundquist has recently made a $2k contribution to Democrats for Education Reform's PAC. As we know, Steve Sundquist is former SPS school board president that was kicked out of office and obtained a seat on the state's Charter Commission.

DFER has recently made campaign contributions to: Hobbs, Springer, Pettigrew, Judy Clibblorn (Mercer Island), Mark Mullet, and Jay Inslee. Hobbs, Springer Pettirgew and Mullet are supporting a charter school fix.
12/5/15, 1:13 AM
Anonymous said…
Article about Middle College at Northgate Mall:

http://www.king5.com/story/news/education/2015/12/07/high-school--risk-youth-northgate-mall/76922854/

HP
12/7/15, 9:08 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more