Friday Open Thread

Two stories about Garfield (neither about Honors for All.)  The first is from KOMO tv about a staffer at GHS, Joe Bland, who has been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer and how the school is rallying around him.
Bland is a proud Seattle educator. For 26 years he’s been the locker room attendant at Garfield High School – at least, that’s his official title. Students would say he does much more.  Joe served several roles at the school. He was a disciplinarian who helped run Saturday detention. He also joked with students and gave guidance to those in need. His portrait is painted outside the locker room, where he’ll be missed this Fall.

If you'd like to help, you can do so here.
From the GHS PTSA Facebook page, this news:

GHS Quincy Jones Auditorium & Gym will be the site for the 2016 International Imagine Cup Finals and a Robo World Cup Hackathon. Donuts in the am and a tasty lunch...plus a celebrity judge! Open to ALL GHS students (including 2016 and incoming 9th graders).

DATE: Friday, July 29th from 9am - 2pm

Don't miss out! Permission slips and details available via the Garfield website.
As a judge they have the actor, John Boyega from the new Star Wars series.  It's unclear to me if this is open to the public; I have a call into the district.

I note that the Board is having an executive session today from noon to 1 pm on "potential litigation." 

Director Rick Burke has a community meeting tomorrow, Sat. the 23rd, from 4-5:30 pm at the Fremont Public Library.

What's on your mind?

Comments

Carol Simmons said…
Joe Bland is a gentle, caring, counselor to so many students and staff. He is loved by so many. Back in the Day when schools were dealing with gang members, Mr. Joe Bland was able to effectively care for the Garfield school community because of the respect gang members had for him. Mr. Joe Bland was on the grounds of Garfield H.S. and in the halls, and in the gym, and in the lunchroom and across the street. He was our 3rd Assistant Principal and did a far better job than the rest of us.
7/22/16, 10:41 AM
Historian said…
Peter Maier served on Seattle's school board from 2008-2011.

Maier and 3 others were supported by Seattle's business community. During his campaign, Seattle's business community spent $500K to get three board members into office. Maier's votes were predictable and ran along the corporate model of education reform. Some can not remember a single time Maier cast a NO vote.

The state auditor charged Maier's board with failing to oversee- district operations. There was a terrible audit which stated public assets were at risk. There was a scandal on Maier's watch and some were not surprised.

After failing to oversee district operations, and a scandal..Maier was appointed to the State Board of Education.

Maier is now contributing to Democrats for Education Reform; an organization that seeks to privatize education and run by Lisa MacFarlane. I'm not surprised to see Maier's contributions.

http://web.pdc.wa.gov/MvcQuerySystem/CommitteeData/contributions?param=REVNT0VSIDEzMw====&year=2016&type=continuing

7/22/16, 1:57 PM
Historian said…
Correction: Seattle's business community spent $500K to get four members onto the board.
7/22/16, 2:03 PM
Mayor Putin said…
Mayor Ed Murray (Mayor Putin) has a way of consolidating power. He uses a top- down system, closed door meetings and calls people racist if they don't agree with him.

“Neighborhoods are starting to call Mayor Murray ‘Mayor Putin’,” said Miranda Berner, president of the Wallingford Community Council. She said she voted for Murray because “he seemed to really listen” but got involved in Wallingford last year out of frustration with development plans.


“If he doesn’t like your input, he finds a way to dismiss it because of the color of your skin or the neighborhood you live in,” Berner said.

It is interesting that Murray(Mayor Putin) gets a quote an individual in NE Seattle, but on the other side of town:

“Most people are just insulted that the mayor accused us of being some exclusive white privileged organization … We have representatives from the African American museum, the Central Area Chamber of Commerce, just a year ago we admitted the Union Street Business Association, an African American business group,” says Sanchez."

http://crosscut.com/2016/07/seattle-neighborhood-district-council-mayor-ed-murray-upended-reactions/

Mayor Ed Murray (Mayor Putin) uses race to consolidate power. It is only a matter of time before he moves onto education.
7/22/16, 2:21 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I intend to write a thread about this new use of the word "equity" as a weapon and a shield for everything from running cities to running schools.
7/22/16, 2:27 PM
Anonymous said…
"I had a good talk today with Wyeth Jessee (and I hope to do a write-up at my blog in the next 24 hours.)" - MW

Thanks, I'd be interested in hearing more.


7/22/16, 4:54 PM
Po3 said…
I have also noticed that "equity" is being tossed around a lot and if you question it, your racist.

7/22/16, 4:56 PM
Advanced Learning said…

The district is asking for feedback related to Advanced Learning:

http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=11749302
7/22/16, 5:35 PM
NESeattleMom said…
In Danny Westneat's column in the Seattle Times where he had interviewed a local Trump supporter, who had to admit things were going pretty well in his stratosphere, Danny mentioned a Western states public university reduced tuition exchange program. Here is the link. I didn't realize that program existed. http://www.wiche.edu/wue
7/23/16, 4:29 PM
Jan said…
If anyone else lives in the 37th legislative district and has insights they would be willing to share on Representative Tomiko-Santos's current view on public education, I would love to hear them. I know quite well where Mr. Pettegrew stands (he of the effort to have the mayor directly appoint 2 of the school board members); I am less clear on Ms. Tomiko-Santos -- though my recollection is that she was a sponsor of, or early supporter of, the bill to split the District into 2 parts using a horrible piece of legislation that would clearly have singled out ONLY Seattle (based on size). I am not a local politics wonk, but I am quite sure that that was NOT discussed by her prior to her last election, nor was it listed in any of her election materials (mailers, voters guides, etc.) that I read. Given its HUGE impact on Seattle schools (attendance, governance, costs of duplicating TWO administrations full of highly paid bureaucrats, etc.) I found the whole exercise very concerning, but would be willing to hear if there are other positions she has taken that are more helpful to public schools (the real ones -- not the pseudo-public charter schools that get public dollars to run their private schools).

7/24/16, 9:47 PM
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