Wednesday Open Thread
Heads up - bus strike by First Student drivers starts tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 1st. From the district:
Turns out Amendment 4 on HC pathways for high schools is from President Harris and also Director Eden Mack for current 6th/7th graders from West Seattle attending Washington MS now to grandfather to Garfield. It looks like that would be about 40 students. Double the number of HC students are enrolled at Madison MS and would go to West Seattle HS.
There is an Amendment 5 but there is no link or documentation. It just says:
It appears that the district is softening/changing its stance on the proposed high school science curriculum changes (at least at Ballard). This from an inside source I have. Theirs may be a different sequence from the rest of the high schools (which I'm sure may prompt some of them to say, "Why can't we, too?" Biotech at Ballard is saved. As well, there may be a delay in more advanced science courses to allow students to build math skills they need for those courses. I also hear the Board may want to weigh in on the process. Stay tuned.
Hey, Washington comes in third in the nation for state charter school laws but gets dinged for having a cap on the number of them. Oh well. However, the strength of the law gets these points:
I attended the Work Session on the superintendent search yesterday. Pretty spirited discussion. It appeared there was a tepid attempt to derail the search but that went nowhere. I'll have a thread on that as well this weekend but I can say that the Board is moving forward and explicitly said they want more engagement as semi-finalists and finalists become known.
What's on your mind?
The First Student bus drivers have stated they are going on a strike starting Thursday, Feb. 1. This means there will be no yellow school bus service starting Thursday and until further notice. You will need to use your family’s plan to get your student to and from school. We will remind families who will be affected by the strike by phone and email on Wednesday, Jan. 31.Huge speaker list for tonight's Board meeting - 25 speakers plus 31 on the waitlist. Looks like the majority of speakers will speak on high school HC pathways and boundaries.
We recognize the inconvenience this will have on Seattle families. We have prepared answers to some of the questions you might have, and those are listed below.
We will use the website and social media to provide regular updates. When the bus service resumes, we will notify families using email and voice messages, too.
Turns out Amendment 4 on HC pathways for high schools is from President Harris and also Director Eden Mack for current 6th/7th graders from West Seattle attending Washington MS now to grandfather to Garfield. It looks like that would be about 40 students. Double the number of HC students are enrolled at Madison MS and would go to West Seattle HS.
There is an Amendment 5 but there is no link or documentation. It just says:
Amendment 5: Provide 9th and 10th grade highly capable students in the new Lincoln pathway area the option to attend Lincoln, and allow all 9th grade highly capable eligible students district-wide to attend their pathway school. Approval of this item would provide 9th and 10th grade highly capable students in the new Lincoln pathway area the option to attend Lincoln and allows all 9th grade highly capable-eligible students district-wide to attend their pathway school.Kind of odd - the Board is to vote in a resolution in support of Black Lives Matter Week at tonight's Board meeting, Superintendent Nyland sent out a letter to families about Black History Month including wording on Black Lives Matter Week and yet there is nothing on the website about it. If the district supports this effort, why is nothing being said in the one place where most parents get information? Not even reprinting Nyland's letter? I have a couple of documents that Nyland sent to staff that I will post under the BLM thread.
It appears that the district is softening/changing its stance on the proposed high school science curriculum changes (at least at Ballard). This from an inside source I have. Theirs may be a different sequence from the rest of the high schools (which I'm sure may prompt some of them to say, "Why can't we, too?" Biotech at Ballard is saved. As well, there may be a delay in more advanced science courses to allow students to build math skills they need for those courses. I also hear the Board may want to weigh in on the process. Stay tuned.
Hey, Washington comes in third in the nation for state charter school laws but gets dinged for having a cap on the number of them. Oh well. However, the strength of the law gets these points:
Its score increased because of changes in the methodology for Component #3 (Non-district Authorizers Available) and clarification about existing policy for Component #8 (Comprehensive Charter School Monitoring and Data Collection Processes), Component #10 (Transparency Regarding Educational Service Providers), Component #12 (Clear Student Enrollment and Lottery Procedures), #16 (Extracurricular and Interscholastic Activities Eligibility and Access), and Component #17 (Clear Provisions Regarding Special Education Responsibilities).They suggest that charters need access to state capital funds. I did attend the Charter Commission meeting and there are updates on the Green Dot high school zoning departure. I'll have a thread this weekend.
I attended the Work Session on the superintendent search yesterday. Pretty spirited discussion. It appeared there was a tepid attempt to derail the search but that went nowhere. I'll have a thread on that as well this weekend but I can say that the Board is moving forward and explicitly said they want more engagement as semi-finalists and finalists become known.
What's on your mind?
Comments
FHS85
That has changed, right? The information I can find from the district now says “All first choices will be processed first, then second choices next, etc.” (http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/Enrollment%20Planning/Student%20Assignment%20Plan/STUDENT_ASSIGNMENT_PLAN_2017-18.pdf) If that is true, if I have school A listed as my second choice and someone else has school A listed as her first choice, she will get an open spot before I do even if my lottery number is better. So if I put my true first choice in the number 1 spot and my true first choice is a popular school that I'm unlikely to get, I will in effect burn up that round. If I'm misunderstanding this, I'd love to have someone explain. Also, does anyone know for sure whether time of submitting forms during the two week choice period matters? I have had many people tell me yes and many tell me no. Thanks so much.
--k/5 mom
This sounds like a good idea for any struggling student.
Fairmount Parent
unclear
If you think want to get into a school that normally has a waitlist, you need to put that school first. But if you don't get in, you run the risk of ending up at your assignment area school. If you are unwilling to attend your assignment area school (where you should be guaranteed a spot), you should think about your strategy carefully. You may want to pick a first choice school that you have a better chance of getting into. The math varies a lot from neighborhood to neighborhood and school to school, so maybe ask specific questions and see if someone can help you guestimate it out.
If you submit your choice form during the open enrollment window, it doesn't matter when during the window you submit it. All the ones that are turned in during the window are treated the same (so, as long as it's within the window, being a day or two earlier than someone else doesn't matter).
Looking at what's happened historically can give you a better sense of how to guestimate availability/chances:
Historical wait list info:
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/Enrollment%20Planning/Reports/Annual%20Enrollment/2016-17/Section%202.pdf
General enrollment reports:
http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/one.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=745564
But there's all kinds of other factors--tie breakers, siblings, geographic zones, how crowded the school is, if your child needs a particular program vs. general education, if you made it during the open enrollment window or if you're turning in your form after that, if the district moves the waitlists, etc. Ask people specific questions and they can give you more helpful answers for what you're considering.
I did report last year that the Board agreed to the focus on AA males and there's a kind of educational trickle-down theory that as those students do better, other minorities will follow.
West Seattle HS is nowhere near full so I would think you would get in. Chief Sealth is much fuller. But yes, apply on-time.
If you would like to talk about your experience in a charter school, I'd like to talk with you. Write me at sss.westbrook@gmail.com.
Good luck!
k-5 mom
and the results of
the Tennessee Achievement School District
RESULTS
School reformers made giant promises
and in most cases delivered nothing
or produced even worse results than before.
The promise was to raise schools from the bottom 5% into the top 25% in 5 years.
One moved to 9%
most are a 3% now after 6 years of "improvement".
This is reminiscent of the promises made by Maria Goodloe Johnson in her strategic plan. Ed reformers were sure big on grandiose promises. There was never any data or research on which these promises were based. Simply promoting baloney.
How much baloney is still being promoted?
-- Dan Dempsey
I think the principal is expected to do a better job with these students because he’s African American himself.
Fairmount Park
=scrambling=
What is up with the HCS AC. Seriously nothing burger here. Perhaps they knew that things were going to be sorted out (that the Board was going to kill the DeWolf and Geary amendment) but their silence has been deafening. In addition, the full onslaught by Kari Hanson and Wyeth Jesse on HCS is still in place. Their deceit on this matter is bordering on malpractice. How much do we pay them to hide information from the Board and to the public? Finally, Michael Tolley is still chipping away at HCC just like he killed spectrum one school at a time. HCC has three years and without a real Superintendent, who follows best practices, and not renta-cop Nyland we will be recreating the wheel once they leave.
zztopenish
I would ask that the Board suspend any contract with ThoughtExchange as it is garbage in garbage out and what did it help in this whole process? Nothing.
zztopenish
Yes, the district does spend money on a variety of interesting things that somehow don't pan out.
And every day it seems somebody is shot in Seattle.
madness
Wake up
Concerned parent
http://discussapp.blogspot.com/2018/02/february-18-open-thread.html
help
As for the Times, they VERY much cover what they want. They are covering the superintendent search from the view - of some - that it should be stopped. I, too, was at the Work Session on the superintendent search and it was interesting.
But the Times is just not interested in real reporting but just reporting as pertains to their editorial POV.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Take your time to respond. Everyone will understand.
SAB
Thanks for all you do Melissa.
-Cynic
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