Seattle Schools This Week

Monday, November 7th
State of the District event at Franklin High School from 5-7 pm.

This is always a fascinating event to attend because of the players that show up and the happy face whoever is superintendent generally puts on.  And I think there are things to celebrate for sure but I'd be willing to bet if you did a truly independent parent survey, the results would show a very high level of frustration and dissatisfaction with how the district is run.


Tuesday, November 8th
Hang on kids, our long national nightmare of an election will be over by 7 pm our time.

Wednesday, November 9th
Board Work Session - 4:30- 7:30 pm, JSCEE, no agendas yet available.

4:30-5:30pm:  District Scorecard/Operations Data Dashboard
5:30-6:30pm: Growth Boundaries Amendments*
6:30-7:30pm: Executive Session: Evaluate the Performance of a Public Employee (closed to the public)

*To note about Board Work Session; they are open to the public but there are no public comments/questions allowed.  It's a time to listen to the Board interact with staff on agenda topics.  However, this could be a early peek into what everyone is thinking.

Transitions (18-21 years) Family Workshop, 6-8 pm, Original Van Asselt Building,
7201 Beacon Ave. S.

This workshop will focus on helping families of children who receive Special Education Services to understand the Transition Process in developing vocational, social, and independent living skills so that they may transition to adult life as productive community members.

High Community Meeting on Educational Specifications Design Standards 7:00-8:30 p.m., Rainier Beach High School Performing Arts Center, 8815 Seward Park South.

Interpreters present: Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese. Chinese, Amharic and Tigrigna

Thursday, November 10th
Audit&Finance Committee meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm, JSCEE, no agenda yet available. 

High Community Meeting on Educational Specifications Design Standards, 7:00-8:30 pm at Ingraham High School Library, 1819 N. 135th Street. Interpreters present: Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese

Friday, November 11th Meeting moved to Thursday, November 17th as Friday the 11th is Veterans Day
BEX Oversight Committee Meeting, JSCEE, Room 2750 8:30-10:30 am, no agenda yet available.

Saturday, November 12th 
Community meetings with directors
Director Geary - NE Branch Library from 10 am-noon
Director Blanford - Douglass-Truth Library from 10 am-noon  

Comments

Green Lake Parent said…
The agenda has now been posted for the Board Work Session on Wednesday November 9th. At the end of the packet (page 72) is a section on Growth Boundary Amendments. Director Peters has added three new amendments.

http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/16-17agendas/11_09_2016/20161109_Agenda_packet.pdf

-Green Lake Parent
11/7/16, 10:28 PM
Wildcat said…
Thanks for posting, GLP. Am I missing something? No one has yet addressed the Whitman issue? I thought there were rumors swirling that a feeder school or two would be put back into Whitman?
11/8/16, 11:01 AM
Anonymous said…
Agreed, Wildcat. As a Whitman parent, I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of attention to the emptying of Whitman. This seems to be adding to the capacity problem. Whitman NEEDS more bodies--it needs to keep some feeder schools.

I'm also troubled by the amendment to only allow grandfathering to rising eighth graders, particularly since the district committed to grandfathering Whitman's rising seventh graders, as well. If Whitman needs students, why forcibly break up the community?
11/8/16, 12:26 PM
Wildcat said…
I've sent a few e-mails and gotten no responses.
11/8/16, 1:34 PM
Green Lake Parent said…
After following everything, I've been really surprised that there are no amendments related to Whitman/Eagle Staff. Are Whitman parents writing to the Board? How about the PTSA? The argument was made when JAMS opened that a viable cohort was needed in order to open a comprehensive middle school. But here with Eagle Staff opening, it looks like Eagle Staff could be over enrolled from the beginning, and Whitman could no longer have a viable cohort. Something needs to be done to correct this.

Do you think current Whitman parents are just assuming they'll opt their 6th and 7th graders back in to stay at Whitman next year, since there will be space? That could increase enrollment somewhat in the immediate future, but long term more feeder schools are needed.

Just wondering from the sidelines on this one...

-Green Lake Parent
11/8/16, 1:38 PM
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