Good News from Seattle Public Schools

Franklin High ranks #1 in Seattle high schools in sending students to UW and 6th in the state. (I'm assuming the #1 ranking is for public schools and the 6th is includes private schools.)  From a letter from UW President Ana Mari Cauce about the incoming class of freshman (partial):

For example, last year Seattle’s Franklin High School ranked sixth among all high schools for sending graduates to the UW, which I imagine is a point of pride for Principal Jennifer Wiley, who herself earned two UW degrees. Her students have faced challenges throughout their lives, with 70 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches and an unknown number having faced discrimination, whether because of their race, their nationality or their language.
As someone who knows from personal experience how access to education can change a life, I’m thrilled that we’ll be welcoming students like those from Franklin and beyond who are eager to learn with you.

Let's see - positive academic outcomes for low-income students of color? I guess it isn't just for charter schools.

Aki Kurose's principal, Mia Williams, has been named the Washington State Middle School Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals.  From Dr. Nyland:

Under Mia's leadership, Aki Kurose has consistently been one of the highest growth schools in the entire district. Year after year, students at Aki have shown some of the strongest annual academic growth. 

Mia recently spent time at the White House after being one of the few principals across the nation, invited by the Johns Hopkins University's Everyone Graduates Center.

Let's see - positive academic outcomes for low-income students of color? I guess it isn't just for charter schools.

Also, the last sign-off by the Board has been done and then this announcement:

Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, families will no longer pay tuition for a full 6-hour day of kindergarten

It also means SPS will provide:

- Family Connections visits: an opportunity for families to meet individually with their child's kindergarten teacher at the beginning of the school year

- District-wide implementation of the WaKIDS whole child observational assessment – an inventory of how each child is developing skills in six areas (social-emotional, physical, cognitive, language, literacy and mathematics). WaKIDS helps teachers find out what each child knows and can do at the beginning of the school year. Knowing more about children’s entering skills and strengths helps teachers and parents work together to support student growth in the kindergarten year

- Stronger collaborations between schools with community-based early learning centers and childcare providers who teach and care for children prior to kindergarten