Tuesday Open Thread
Update: the district let me know that they are working to make sure that Garfield 10th graders can take the PSAT on the same day/time as juniors. Not sure how PTA got info that it was going away (I suspect GHS administration) but the district is diligently trying to sustain PSAT testing for 10th graders at Garfield.
End of update
Garfield is now only allowing juniors to take the PSAT.
This year all Garfield 11th graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT. Unfortunately due to space constraints we will not be able to test any other students.
Apparently, 10th graders can still get a practice take-home test. As was pointed out to me, this is a blow to low-income students. Anyone know if this is happening at other high schools?
Robert Eagle Staff MS parents are extremely concerned about pedestrian conditions around their school and are urging parents to contact the City Council.
—Lee Bruch, Seattle Greenways
“The entire city planning process has failed our kids. It's not like the school just arrived from outer space. The City has been reviewing the plans for three and half years. In 2015, worried that adequate planning wasn't taking place, community groups began their own planning effort. They applied for and received two grants totalling $2.2 million in 2016. The City Council was informed ... and then ... well you see the result."
—James Dailey, FORESMS Safe Routes Coordinator
Here's what SDOT Safe Routes to Schools says they have done in the area.
I note that Garfield's football team took a knee at their last game, to protest injustice in this country. Is this happening at any other high schools this year?
I'm going to the BEX V Work Session today. What are the key facilities issues that you think that levy should address?
What's on your mind?
End of update
Garfield is now only allowing juniors to take the PSAT.
This year all Garfield 11th graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT. Unfortunately due to space constraints we will not be able to test any other students.
Apparently, 10th graders can still get a practice take-home test. As was pointed out to me, this is a blow to low-income students. Anyone know if this is happening at other high schools?
Robert Eagle Staff MS parents are extremely concerned about pedestrian conditions around their school and are urging parents to contact the City Council.
We are extremely disappointed in the approach that the City and SDOT have taken with respect to safety on 90th. As we understand their response, they are "hoping" to have the no parking signs, 20 mph flashing lights, rectangular rapid flashing beacon (pedestrian triggered), and painted crossings by the end of October. But implemention could happen at the end of December, or it could happen sometime in the spring.“It is urgent that the fixes be applied prior to the end of October. Waiting longer is an unacceptable and dangerous risk. We are approaching that time of year when the rains come, when it is dark, drivers have poor visibility, and the roadway is slippery making stopping more difficult and increasing the likelihood of a kid slipping while darting across the road between traffic. Worse, we are approaching the October rains when pavement markings cannot be applied, possibly delaying them until spring."
The City's response to this issue is unacceptable. Our kids lives depend on these safety provisions! Please help us push SDOT to reprioritize our children's safety by completing promised safety revisions before dark and rainy winter weather sets in!
—Lee Bruch, Seattle Greenways
“The entire city planning process has failed our kids. It's not like the school just arrived from outer space. The City has been reviewing the plans for three and half years. In 2015, worried that adequate planning wasn't taking place, community groups began their own planning effort. They applied for and received two grants totalling $2.2 million in 2016. The City Council was informed ... and then ... well you see the result."
—James Dailey, FORESMS Safe Routes Coordinator
Here's what SDOT Safe Routes to Schools says they have done in the area.
I'm going to the BEX V Work Session today. What are the key facilities issues that you think that levy should address?
What's on your mind?
Comments
lower&lower
-RamParent
FNH
It must be a space constraint from Garfield.
Momof2
I'd love to hear some discussion about this.
Puzzled
I suppose that's potentially helpful for the small percentage who have a chance at qualifying the next year and might get there via test prep, but for the vast majority of students the 10th grade PSAT is pretty irrelevant, isn't it? The 11th grade PSAT would be your SAT practice, and then there are lots of study guides and practice tests available.
I'm curious to hear why others--aside from the College Board ($$$)--think that having everyone take the PSAT as sophomores is so valuable. Isn't it just more standardized testing that's not linked to the curriculum? Couldn't they better spend that time in class?
And if it really IS that important, how does the Garfield "space constraints" excuse square with this from the College Board website? The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 are the same test, offered at different times of year. It seems like if they have room for juniors to take it on one day, they should have room for sophomores on another. Is the 10th grade class really that much larger?
Psst!
QA Parent
If "the district" is providing it, why would any one high school be able to determine who gets to take it?
RHS SophomoreParent
Parent
Because it's Garfield? Methinks their excuse is questionable given that other overcrowded schools - Roosevelt and Ballard - are managing to offer it to all 10th and 11th graders. The value of taking it in 10th is that there is still time to study for the 11th grade PSAT/SAT if needed. The 10th grade score can be a good incentive to study over the summer. Unlike the SBAC and other tests that took multiple days and were next to useless, the PSAT/SAT is taken in one sitting on one day, and can mean real $ for students.
lower&lower
This really shows your attitude about putting students first: you don't. Cynics might even think this maneuver was engineered to drive next year's freshmen away from you to other choices -- HCC from Ballard, Queen Anne, Magnolia, Greenlake, Viewridge, Bryant, Wallingford, etc, should go all-in to Roosevelt, Ballard and Ingraham and avoid you. Furthermore, current freshman can out of pull out and head to their reference high school. There's more for them there for 10th, 11th, 12th grades then there will be at Garfield. It's not just this PSAT --- it is ALL of it! Yanking World History AP from freshmen, yanking English Honors from freshmen, introducing 'menotoring' period, a total time-waster, etc. The numbers of bulldog national merit scholars shall drive down to …zero? The master schedule will make gaining access to course that make a student not just college-ready but college-desirable far too difficult as the pool of high achieving students dwindles. Look at all the open Garfield PTSA positions, compare that to 5 years ago. Think about what that lack of enthusiasm will mean when it comes to fundraising and the auction. Who's going to pay for all the learning specialist that help the most vulnerable Bulldogs? The school community has to truly welcome and embrace all learners, or it embraces none. Those who want to boot HCC out should think of the old cliché, be careful what you wish for. It's going to negatively impact everyone.
The bright side? Bulldogs won't have to worry about overcrowding anymore. Look at Rainier Beach, they don't have to worry about overcrowding .
bulldog
2081
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/k12-educators/psat-nmsqt-dates
Primary test day: Wednesday, October 11
Saturday test day: October 14
Alternate test day: Wednesday, October 25
Garfield administrators have a choice: they can check out alternative dates, or they can do nothing. Taking the PSAT in 10th can provide some helpful feedback about what topics might be helpful for students to study. Schools really need to drive the PSAT process. With the SAT, as others have noted, you can go to a variety of locations, but with the PSAT, schools are not really set up to take outside test takers. This has been a major challenge for some students at an online school I'm familiar with.
I would suggest some Garfield parents call the College Board and see if it is possible for students to take the test on the 25th.
I think that also should be an option for students.
Just Curious
Limbo
Algebra 1 (which I skipped since I had it in 8th grade)
Geometry
Algebra 2 plus Trig
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
We had to take Pre-Calculus before we could take Calculus.
HP
https://southseattleemerald.com/2017/09/25/when-does-rainier-beach-high-school-get-its-turn/
Something I have wondered too. If they want more kids to want to go to Rainier Beach, then they need to remodel it so it is attractive.
HP
https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/473913/what-is-a-standard-precalculus-
syllabus has a good rundown.
Its definitely, one of the least well defined classes in the math sequence and overlaps Alg II in some topics. (In my High School, you also went from Alg II, to a semester of Trig to Calculus.)
-MIH
-
Just Curious
-North-end Mom
Northend Mom, I can't see how John Rogers wouldn't. Northgate has a sad building but I think it far more reasonable than JR's.
Robert, you sound jaded. Staff ceding SE high school students to charters? Hmmm.
It also appears that there has been a lot of preliminary design work done for other schools/potential projects, much more than what was done at this stage for BEXIV projects, and it does not appear that there has been any community input collected prior to this design work being done.
-North-end Mom
Apparently local community colleges are having major budget issues. Wondering if this will also impact Running start programs at community colleges?
Can someone clarify if this is the case. Sheesh...if true they give with one hand and take back with another. We need to be investing in community colleges!!!
-fed up
21 major projects (plus minor ones) = $1.7B. That's for all projects under consideration. $175M for a downdown high school with stadium. Rainier Beach HS? $50M. That's pretty much chump change for a new high school.
Not going to happen. I myself would NEVER vote in that kind of money to this district.
One of the projects is Franklin High. Wait, what? It was rebuilt in ....1990. Mind you, these are updated but I find it shocking.
One minor project is for South Shore K-8, $225K for classroom sound systems. That, my friends, is a disgrace because that's IS a very new building and BEX has to be for buildings that REALLY need help and shoring up. Not updates like this. I think LEV could front the money for this,given SS K-8 is their project.
$100M just for technology (equipment, operations and support). And another $75M for tech infrastructure.
$75M for business and operations support
I'm thinking they want something north of $1B.
In the past I have mounted modest campaigns against a BEX levy more to let people know the oddities and issues but this one might need a real campaign if it does not look more realistic.
I also note they claim the BMAR (backlog of maintenance and repair) will drop to $100M with BEX V. What staff never wants to admit is that the BMAR is the really major stuff but that the district, as a whole, is NOT maintaining its buildings properly.
As to RBHS, I'm not jaded, just observant. I've heard that exact charge about district staff starving RBHS to help charters from several leaders in the community, and that charge is bolstered by the news in this recent article about emails sent between SPS leadership and Summit charter schools: https://seattleducation.com/2017/09/17/the-stealth-campaign-for-charter-schools-found-in-emails-of-seattle-public-school-employees-and-the-candidacy-of-omar-vasquez/
But just as a political observer, I am pretty sure this will go down if RBHS doesn't get what it needs (and based on the presentation it looks like SPS is finally getting serious about it).
I think most Seattle voters would give $1.7 billion to the district *if* they believe it's going to address the needs at schools.
"We are offering the PSAT/NMSQT to all sophomores and juniors again this year. The exam will be the morning of October 11th in the main gym and is free of charge. Freshman and seniors will have classes as usual. The PSAT is designed to prepare students for the SAT exam. Students received practice booklets in Mentorship this week and free practice is available at Kahn Academy. Juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT are screened for the National Merit Scholarship program and other scholarships."
- Hale yes!
Only school districts and certain education advocates are hoping the supreme court increases the sanctions per McCleary and prolongs the lawsuit. The rest of the programs are praying that the court ends McCleary.
Also, McCleary doesn't negatively affect Running Start. Running Start is funded out of K-12 dollars. When basic education funding increases, so does the funding colleges receive for Running Start students.
Cabot Lodge
Center for Reinventing Education (CRPE) latest nonsense:
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2017/09/crpe-public-schools-should-assist-their.html
There is another report about charter schools and "stranded" costs which, IMO, will lead to the continue decline of public education:
“The report documents and explains in detail what we’ve known for years, that the absurd charter law and inequitable funding system means that this unfettered charter school growth is unsustainable,” said City Councilwoman Helen Gym. “It’s a system that cannibalizes public school districts at the expense of all students.”
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/09/13/implications-stark-for-philadelphia-in-charter-report
To me, this problem highlights the issues of site based management.
Also funds for all PSAT testing are baseline, not grants.
Cordially,
Leslie Harris
Director, Dist. 6,
VP, Chair Audit & Finance
leslie.harris@seattleschools.org
206.475.1000
QA Parent
There are maps attached to the agendas for a couple of the most recent meetings but they haven't made any recommendations yet.
or, God forbid, too close to the real action.
A hit here, followed by a few misses.
lol GladysKravitz
curious
Scenarios E and F had I5 as a hard east boundary. Scenario G, H, and I change the eastern border to both east and west of I5 and push Roosevelt further north than NE 85th, into Hale's boundary, with some portions of the Hale boundary as low as NE 80th. Scenario H has even more changes, with Ingraham boundaries shifting further south to Green Lake, and Lincoln including all of Queen Anne/Magnolia, and northern boundaries just blocks from the school.
curious
egads
Ram
curious
HP
I don't think this is a good idea and leaves the district more segregated than if we retained the HC pathway and just worked on teachers to encourage more kids of color to take advanced classes. But I agree it's also not minimizing disruption.
RAM
-sleeper
Period
off base?
Why does every single issue always circle back to HCC. JHC there's a dedicated blog for HCC , so go there and rant all you want.
So what's it going to be Westbrook? Endless HCC bitching and moaning or something better?
-Tired
As well, the district itself is making HCC a big deal, including it in with high school boundaries and the SAP.
JAMS has HCC, which lowers the FRL percentage. With the proposed boundaries, Hale's FRL percentage will probably increase. The boundaries, in general, did not seem to take demographics into account.
I'm perplexed by the Hale should be an option school thing. Is this because of the 9th grade academy structure and time set-aside for mentorship? Doesn't seem to be alt-enough to be deemed an option school. I do think there should be more AP/advanced coursework offerings. A good number of Hale kids go the Running Start route, but I don't know how the number of RS students at Hale compares to other high schools.
-North-end Mom
HF
-Hale yes!
Also seems odd that Cascadia has room for 150 more kids this year and Decatur has room for 63 more kids this year but the district wouldn't allow the wait list to move for families that wanted to be in the one or the other. So nonsensical. There's room at both. Why not move the wait lists?
QA Parent
No, not bashing, just explaining why Hale feels different enough, from the outside, that some think it sounds more like an option school. Goodness.
HF
I can see why kids ready for Chemistry or Biology in 9th grade, wouldn't be served very well at Hale but you can start at your math level and language level in 9th grade. I think it works pretty well for everyone else. More AP classes are needed though. Not enough Physics classes and huge Calculus classes were a problem.
HP
I'm a Hale parent. Hale has a traditional curriculum, with perhaps more student supports built in than other local schools. Option high schools typically have a curricular focus, like STEM, Arts, etc... My kiddo is doing Running Start this year, due to some of the issues raised by HP, above.
-North-end Mom
That's the problem with Hale on top of all the super creepy parents that seem to think kids want them at the high school.
GF
per https://garfieldhs.seattleschools.org/academics/testing
10th & 11th grades can take PSAT on Oct 11th.
the link to specific information states in part...
11th graders need to arrive to school by 7:30, and find their testing room (posted outside main office).
All 10th graders should arrive to the gym by 7:15.
To Bring: Students need to bring their own calculators and #2 pencils.
Students should be dismissed in time for lunch.
After the test? Students will dismissed to school/lunch upon completion of the test.
GHSweary
The Supreme court poised to deliver a blow to unions:
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-unions-20170928-story.html
You don't know Hale.
Also, other high schools have lots of parental support for sports, drama, music, etc. At Hale, I got to know parents from many groups, not just the ones my kid participated in. Hale works hard at being inclusive.
HP
The Supreme court poised to deliver a blow to unions:
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-unions-20170928-story.html
Of course they will. They are big corporations are people supporters. Especially with Gorsuch on the crew. He always rules against unions.
HP
There WAS rude behavior on the busses for the after graduation celebration, but I brought my secret weapon, a flashlight!
They did not want what they were doing advertised!
Too bad kids!
BTW, I did not volunteer with AP classes, but with the regular classes.
It may be that many students don't want adult support around. Perhaps they have parents or tutors or college search advisors that provide enough support outside of school. That is not true of every student. There are many other students whose parents don't know how to get science project supplies, or organize their footnotes, or set up an interview with a college rep. Not to mention those who need help acquiring soccer cleats, or eyeglasses, or opening a bank account. Teachers don't have time to fill these rolls. My kid's Seattle high school has over 100 homeless students and more that are food insecure. Adult volunteers are extremely valuable in many roles in our school. It's shocking to me that there are parents who resent that assistance for students.
-Volunteer math tutor