Friday Open Thread
It's near the end of the school year and a time when awards - both in yearbooks and at events come out. Unbelievably, there are grown people - in charge of watching over these awards - that seem to have the worst judgment. There's this one from Texas.
The Board has a retreat tomorrow at JSCEE from 10 am to 3 pm. Agenda. The retreat is open to the public but no comment/testimony is taken. It is a great way to buttonhole directors either before the meeting starts or on breaks. Two big topics - Racial Equity Training: Stereotype Threat and Identity Safety and Equity in Highly Capable Programs.
Director Burke has another meeting on Monday to discuss Lincoln High School at Hamilton IMS from 6:30-8:30 pm.
What's on your mind?
A group of teachers are being disciplined after they thought it would be funny to name a student “most likely to become a terrorist.”I am reminded of a similar thing that happened to one of my sons in a high school yearbook. If an award is not funny or complimentary and, most importantly, not something you would want said about you, teachers/advisors should say no.
Lizeth Villanueva, 13, said a teacher gave her the award during a mock ceremony in her college prep class at Anthony Aguirre Junior High School in Houston on Tuesday. Lizeth said the teacher warned students that the awards “might hurt their feelings." She then handed out the certificates as other teachers watched and laughed. But Lizeth didn't think it was funny.
The Board has a retreat tomorrow at JSCEE from 10 am to 3 pm. Agenda. The retreat is open to the public but no comment/testimony is taken. It is a great way to buttonhole directors either before the meeting starts or on breaks. Two big topics - Racial Equity Training: Stereotype Threat and Identity Safety and Equity in Highly Capable Programs.
Director Burke has another meeting on Monday to discuss Lincoln High School at Hamilton IMS from 6:30-8:30 pm.
What's on your mind?
Comments
http://westseattleblog.com/2017/05/move-stem-k-8-so-boren-could-co-house-alki-and-lafayette-ahead-of-tomorrows-meeting-district-explains/
yuk
Unless the courts shut this puppy down as an unconstitutional failure to live up to the paramount duty of our state's constitution. Which I would be in COMPLETE favor of.
http://westseattleblog.com/2017/06/video-louisa-boren-stem-k-8-parents-supporters-demand-district-restate-its-permanent-status-rather-than-consider-a-move/
Board Special Meeting
School Board Retreat
June 3, 2017 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Auditorium, John Stanford Center
2445 3 rd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134
Agenda
10:00 am WELCOME
10:00-10:30 am TEAM BUILDING / ICE BREAKERS
10:30-12:00 pm RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING: STEREOTYPE THREAT AND IDENTITY SAFETY
12:00-12:30 pm BREAK & LUNCH
12:30-1:00 pm BOARD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOAL REPORTS
1:00-2:00 pm STRATEGIC PLAN: PLANNING PROCESS OPTIONS
2:00-3:00 pm EQUITY IN HIGHLY CAPABLE PROGRAMS
3:00 pm ADJOURN
Go Hmmm
-JG
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jun/03/quasi-religious-great-self-esteem-con
Oldhill
Would love any available help for better understanding how SPS choice/option waitlists work. My new-to-sps 5th grader public school child is newly included the revised attendance area for Eckstein, but we've got zero interest in going there (and want to avoid a crowded & large school, and seek decent spectrum/AL support).
We put three schools on our choice form (tops, hamilton, salmon bay), and when I use the 'assignment lookup tool' it says we're assigned to Eckstein's AL program. But also on waitlist for hamilton (with no mention of the other two schools? Is this typical? ). It also says 'waitlist rank 15' for general education ...But says nothing about spectrum/AL.
So...
Does this mean we're 15th in line to join Hamilton?
Does this mean there's no room in AL at hamilton, or is there another step in order to get on THAT waitlist? (or some other 'route'?) Our child has a friend who went to hamilton's AL program last year and so were hoping to line ourselves up for that.
Alternatively, we're renters and our lease is up: I've read that if we move into a new attendance area, we should be able to get into the corresponding area school automatically. Is that true?!? Or is there a deadline involved? We're truly willing to move if that gets us into the better fit for our kiddo's special learning needs.
Thanks so much for info and help!
J & S (near GreenLake/MacDonald)
-sleeper
Students are placed on only one waitlist. I'm guessing you listed Hamilton as your first choice.
All Spectrum students are guaranteed access to services at attendance area middle schools - so if your child were assigned to Hamilton, they would receive services there. This doesn't apply to option schools.
If you move into another middle school attendance area over the summer your student is automatically reassigned to the new school. If you move after the year has started, they have the option of completing the year at their current school or moving mid-year.
The upside to renting is that you can choose your schools. The downside if that if you're forced to move (landlord chooses to sell for example) and can't find a new home in the same attendance area, your children must change schools for the next school year.
Hope that helps!
I'm curious how your child was assigned AL entering SPS, rather than Gen Ed. Was your child identified at their previous school? We are also new to SPS this fall but coming from a private school across the country where no kids are designated AL, but where the curriculum is advanced for all. My middle schooler is assigned to Washington as Gen Ed and though we will test after arriving, I'm concerned that he wouldn't be designated AL until 2018-19. That means a year potentially lost. I'm under the impression that Washington blends their classrooms so perhaps AL designation is less critical there, but I also discovered recently the rezoning that is happening this fall, which will transfer many higher SES students from Washington to Meany. We are #4 on the wait list for Meany.
Still unsure what to do with our middle school kid. We may abandon the thought of public altogether until high school when the AL designation no longer matters.
FNH
Have you already signed a lease/bought a home or is it possible to move into the Meany attendance area?
We own a home in the Washington attendance zone. For private we are considering the French school (FASPS) on Mercer Island. They have rolling admissions and our child is bilingual having been in the French system until two years ago.
FNH
Good Luck
Bilingual
-Mixed
Now, we hear that HCC middle school is better than a private FRENCH school on Mercer Island.
Sour grapes...
anyone?
My concern is that Washington's rezoning seems almost purposely designed to hollow out students in the middle of the academic curve, leaving only the highest and lowest performers. My child probably would not qualify as HCC (we will still test) but coming from a private school that already works a year ahead, a Gen Ed classroom dominated by struggling kids would not be an appropriate placement. Hence, we are looking at options.
FNH
Sweet Grapes
HP
Fix AL
Billings focuses on experiential and expitiditionary learning. Lots of camping trips and year long academic themes. It's closest kin in SPS would be Thornton Creek or Salmon Bay. My HCC qualified child attends there and although we've had to advocate for more challenging math (and received it) it's been a great experience. Billings can accommodate neurodiverse kids and others with unique needs because of the small clas size, typically 15 in a class and it's inclusive philosophy. I'm not sure where you got the impression it was an exclusively special needs school though. Maybe because it's more diverse than your typical independent school in Seattle?
Public & Private
2e kids
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