Tuesday Open Thread
Congrats to the Franklin High Mock Trial team for winning the National Mock Trial competition! The Franklin team came out on top of a field of 46 teams in Reno, NV the weekend of May 10-12.
Congrats to the Roosevelt Jazz Band for their honorable mention at the Essentially Ellington jazz competition in NYC last weekend. Props to Ballard High's jazz band which also competed.
From SPS Twitter:
Teachers spoke, we listened! Last Thursday marked the completion of laptop deployment to all 4025 certificated staff using BTA IV funds approved by voters. Thanks to Technical Support Specialists & Instructional Technology Support Resource Teachers for a successful rollout!
From SPS Athletics:
Congratulations to our 2018 Metro Track Champions!!!
Nathan Hale Boys Team
Job opportunity:
Congrats to the Roosevelt Jazz Band for their honorable mention at the Essentially Ellington jazz competition in NYC last weekend. Props to Ballard High's jazz band which also competed.
From SPS Twitter:
Teachers spoke, we listened! Last Thursday marked the completion of laptop deployment to all 4025 certificated staff using BTA IV funds approved by voters. Thanks to Technical Support Specialists & Instructional Technology Support Resource Teachers for a successful rollout!
From SPS Athletics:
Nathan Hale Boys Team
Job opportunity:
Are you a college or graduate student interested in experience putting educational leadership into practice? We have an Enrollment Planning INTERNSHIP opportunity for you! Applications close on May 25th Apply now: http://bit.ly/SPSInternEnroll
District gains grant for arts (from SPS Communications:
National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for the fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $100,000 to Seattle Public Schools to support implementation of The Creative Advantage.What's on your mind?
The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of initiatives such as The Creative Advantage in Seattle Public Schools, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”
The Creative Advantage has completed research, planning and mission alignment to develop the Seattle K-12 Arts Plan, which includes regional and school-based planning, increased certified arts staff, 21st-century arts learning that is culturally responsive, arts partnerships, professional development for arts and non-arts teachers and arts partners and a comprehensive evaluation. In its sustaining phase, The Creative Advantage has restored arts access to the Central Arts Pathway (CAP), which includes 13 schools with 6,475 students; the South-southwest Arts Pathway (SWAP), which includes 10 schools with 4,552 students; and launched in the entire Southeast Arts Region (SEAR), which includes 21 schools with 10,208 students.
Comments
It's getting warmer outside and I'm hearing stories about dress code violations from my kid. There are a coupe of issues, but one is that kids are apparently being sent home to change if they don't meet dress code and are unwilling/unable to change at school. Is that common in high schools around the district? My high school was a long time ago, but the admins had a couple of old and ugly smocks from the art room that students had to wear if they didn't meet the dress code.
I have heard that it is considered sexist because it affects girls more than boys but given girls have a much wider variation of clothing, it's not so surprising.
I used to say on high school tours - you don't have to dress like you are going to church but you can't dress like you just rolled out of bed/going to the club. It is okay to have appropriateness standards (but that's me and I'm old).
I don't have a problem with their dress code, it's quite reasonable. Where the administration has screwed up is in cracking down harshly 3/4 of the way through the school year, with no warning, on rules that have been ignored for literally years. If they want to enforce the dress code, they need to start the year doing so and to be consistent.
--L&E mom
Here is the policy according to the student handbook:
Students are encouraged to feel comfortable and express their individuality in the clothing that they choose to wear; however school is a place of work and students must dress accordingly
Dress must not promote violence, be racist, sexist, homophobic, vulgar, imply gang affiliation, or disrupt the educational environment
Dress should also not advertise or display any product or service not permitted to minors by law
Clothing must cover their torso — front and back — to mid-thigh area (and straps are required over both shoulders), regardless of gender
Footwear must also be worn
I have heard from my student that girls are getting dress coded for the width of their straps, which is not specified in the dress code. I have also heard there is a male classmate who likes to wear crop tops and is never dress coded.
-EP
Does that mean students can't wear political t-shirts, since they can't vote? Or they can't wear "get out the vote" shirts? How about Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines shirts? No t-shirts for rental car companies, rideshare services, etc.?
I'm with Eric B--the policy should just say what they mean. No need to beat around the bush.
say it
My student's teachers are AMAZING, it's sad to see the extent of this punitive exercise.
To what end?
Why now?
-TyRed
FNH
After an hour of lost class time, and a lecture from Mr. Howard informing them that they would be suspended if they didn't change, another administrator was finally able to see her and agreed her outfit adhered to the dress code. She was free to go back to class, no change necessary, she wouldn't be suspended for not changing. The next day her teacher accused her of changing clothes before she got to the office. This is ugly. The teacher has control over grades, so I told my kid to put her head down, get through the year, and not make a fuss. I guess this L/A teacher wanted to make sure Kafka is relatable, but I'm not sure what the learning goals are here...
--Franz
I'm sorry that happened to your daughter, Franz! That is really frustrating, and I agree doesn't really serve a purpose.
-sleeper
Not Uniform
56% Early Learning
33% K-12 Investment
11% Health Care.
That sure is a lot of money for the city to serve 2000 prek students.
Preschool spending would increase from $43M to %51
K-12 and Community investments would decrease from $25M.8-$23.4M
K-12 School Health would increase from $8.8M- $9.4M
Seattle Promise from $0 to $6.3M
I actually think the day for pre-k should be half-day (3-3.5 hours) rather than a 6- hour "academic day."