Seattle Schools Community Forum

Via Facebook: I have a high school student that wants to start a Seattle coed wheelchair lacrosse team . She needs 8 players to start a team. In efforts to try to recruit I said I would also reach out to this network. Here are the coaches emails if you know of any high school students that would like to play wheelchair lacrosse.  Thanks ajsteinberg3@gmail.com shelbt@sheltonfamily.com Are you interested in the dual language/immersion program at Lincoln High School? Michele Aoki and dual language pathways principals will be there, including Ruth Medsker. Come learn and ask your questions about dual language at Lincoln. Sponsored by the JSIS, McD and HIMS PTAs

SPS has apparently hired 15 more buses/drivers but, according to KUOW , there are still kids getting to school two hours late.

This sign was on the door at JSIS this morning.  Anyone see one at their school?  I'll be asking district administrators about it this afternoon but just wondering if anyone has any insights about what it means.

On October 26, 2018, in a split decision, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the charter school law created by the Legislature, after a voter initiative was thrown out in 2012, is valid under our state's constitution.  Here's the ruling .

Perhaps more will be revealed at today's Work Session on the Strategic Plan.

 Via: Twitter

Monday, October 29th Work Session on the Strategic Plan from 4:30-6:00 pm at JSCEE.

Here's my op-ed at Crosscut along with the pro side. I'm putting both in because I'm a fair person AND because I want you read the detail in my side versus the pro side. Because, yes, the devil is in the details. I watched the Seattle Channel panel on the various ballot issues including Prop 1.  Two panelists think it will pass, mostly because it's "an established levy" but Joel Connelly of the PI says that when Mayor Durkin was running she said she would have "mercy" and there would be no doubling of levies except for mental health issues.  So much for that campaign promise here. Vote NO on Prop 1.

 Congrats to Hawthorne Elementary :

This news comes from the Tukwila School District which announced today that he will become their interim superintendent on November 1.

Congrats to Ballard High principal, Kevin Wynkoop , who was selected as Washington Library Association Principal of the Year by the Washington Library Association.

Monday, October 22nd Work Session on Assignment .  Agenda .   Highlights:

New internal audits at Seattle Schools available here .

How about some good news in a school? Very sweet and uplifting.

The passing of Microsoft co-chair, Paul Allen , is sad news.  He gave much to the community in so many directions - music, art, sports, libraries and a whole building is named for him at UW.  I saw him earlier this year when the final beam was being placed in the new Computer Science & Engineering building, this one named for the Gates.  

An interesting article from Geek Wire which itself comes from one in Non-Profit Quarterly in August of this year.  I loved the NPQ title: Why Smart People (at the Gates Foundation) Can’t Learn

It's a topic that heating up over at Facebook.  It's worth discussing because of the central issue - historical patterns of enrollment or racial equity?

Via GeekWire : Amazon is announcing a $2 million grant to help Seattle school students. But the focus isn’t the latest shiny education technology. Instead, it’s that missing raincoat, a weekend backpack full of food, or unaffordable school supplies.

Monday, October 15th ITAC (Information Technology Advisory Committee) from 4:30--6:00 pm at JSCEE.

I don't know how many other debates are coming up; this will be my fifth.  But if you are interested, the debate is Saturday, October 13th at Byrd Barr Place (the old firehouse at E.Columbia and 18th and formerly CAMP and Centrestone) at 722 18th Avenue.  It's sponsored by the Squire Park Community Council.

A great story worth showing your tweens/teens about a Rohingya boy who escaped - but not for a long time - from persecution in Myanmar, leaving his family behind.  He ended up in Mercer Island. This story was created in KUOW's RadioActive Intro to Journalism Workshop for 15- to 18-year-olds at Jack Straw Cultural Center.  What's this? Some school districts replacing libraries with maker labs?

Updates:   There a new survey from SDOT called Safe Routes to School Racial Equity Analysis .  Plus there is a separate survey just for high school students.  They also have:

Parents, be aware of an uptick of acute flaccid myelitis , with six cases in our region.  As well, there are pockets of cases throughout the U.S. including in Minnesota and Illinois. From KIRO-tv :

Thru the course of the last several days, I have participated in several debates on this levy.  Here's the Seattle Channel debate with myself, former Councilperson Tim Burgess, activist Saul Spady and Nicole Grant of the King County Labor Council. Updates:

OSPI head, Chris Reykdal , put out his budget .

I want to preface this thread by noting what former Councilman Tim Burgess, the co-chair of the current levy campaign, said at an event. He said that voters have always supported this levy because it supports Seattle's kids. Okay but here's the thing - every single time ANY levy comes before voters, they should examine it. Question it. Review it. There should be no emotional blackmail - "it's for the kids! - for any kind of vote. Because tax dollars are so precious, whatever we spend them on needs to have clarity in vision and the confidence that the dollars will be well-spent. I came to this decision to say no to the levy with sadness because I have supported this levy since its inception. But this current levy, the Families, Education, Pre-school and Promise levy is a radical change from previous ones, both in scope and cost.

Of note from the Washington State Dems : On-line and mail-in voting registration is due Monday, October 8th.

I attended last week's BEX V Work Session.  Here's the presentation .   The work on BEX continues next week with another work session on Wednesday, Oct 10th at JSCEE from 4:30-5:30 pm.  Given the short time for the latest work session, I suspect this will be the final list as they want to introduce the list at the Board meeting on October 17th.

I think we may all agreed on something (but it won't come true) - could we not hear the name "Kavanaugh" for a least a week?  This issue has been so many things but exhausting comes to mind right now. For the record, though, I think he's a liar and even if he gets on the Court, his black robe will not hide the stain that got him there.  (I also suspect Chief Justice Roberts will take him aside and tell him, "bully for you doing anything to get on the Court; however, don't try that crap here. Ever.")  Of course, he did say himself that "what goes around comes around."  Says the guy with two daughters who themselves might be faced with such a situation someday.  They sure won't go to dad. There is some irony here as the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to activists fighting sexual violence.

Hi everyone! I am a second-year graduate student at UW in the College of Education getting a PhD in School Psychology.

Tonight's Board meeting should be a lively one.  The Board is voting on a resolution in support of Initiative 1639 , for better gun control.  I suspect that there might be more than a few people coming to protest this action.  Agenda here. Approval of this item would adopt Resolution No. 2018/19-4, which declares support for Initiative 1639, which would require increased background checks, training, age limitations, and waiting periods for sales or delivery of semiautomatic assault rifles; criminalize noncompliant storage upon unauthorized use; allow fees; and enact other provisions. As well, SPS teachers may be coming in numbers to protest the recent cuts/realignment of teachers throughout the district.  There's a timely article from Philadelphia's The Inquirer.

Thurs., Oct. 4, 7 - 8:30 p.m. Central/North Town Hall Co-hosted with PTA partners Location: Ballard High School 1418 NW 65th St.