Wednesday Open Thread
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.
In 1950, Terry became the 1st black man to teach in SPS, beginning his tenure as a 6th grade teacher at Warren Avenue School.
His appointment came after Seattle hired its first black teachers — two women named Marita Johnson and Thelma Fisher — in 1947.
As a young educator, Mr. Terry had hoped his generation of students would work to solve inequality. “The problems of tomorrow will be solved by the youth of today,” he told The Seattle Times, according to an article in the Sept. 7, 1950, edition.“I feel that being a teacher I can help a lot in this racial business. Youngsters who have a Negro teacher may grow up with a better understanding of racial problems.”
A couple of good news items on the agenda; Rainier Beach HS is receiving a $300,000 grant for their IB program from As well, the district will see the Whole Child Whole Day program continue for another year at Mercer, Aki Kurose, and Denny as well as several elementaries via a grant from the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation thru the Alliance for Education:
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.
SPS mourns the death of its first black male educator, Robert Terry, story via the Seattle Times:It's called "leveling" — the process of shifting teachers based on enrollment changes more than a month into the school year. It's virtually nonexistent in other districts but is a thorn in the side of thousands of Philadelphia children, families, and teachers.But in the Philadelphia School District, the solution is different. A month into the school year, officials will pull the least-senior teacher from School A and send that teacher to School B.
Leveling, said City Councilwoman Helen Gym, is an "outdated practice that needs to end. It has a profound impact on school communities, disrupting the school year, and severing the relationships teachers and students build throughout the first weeks of school."
In 1950, Terry became the 1st black man to teach in SPS, beginning his tenure as a 6th grade teacher at Warren Avenue School.
His appointment came after Seattle hired its first black teachers — two women named Marita Johnson and Thelma Fisher — in 1947.
As a young educator, Mr. Terry had hoped his generation of students would work to solve inequality. “The problems of tomorrow will be solved by the youth of today,” he told The Seattle Times, according to an article in the Sept. 7, 1950, edition.“I feel that being a teacher I can help a lot in this racial business. Youngsters who have a Negro teacher may grow up with a better understanding of racial problems.”
A couple of good news items on the agenda; Rainier Beach HS is receiving a $300,000 grant for their IB program from As well, the district will see the Whole Child Whole Day program continue for another year at Mercer, Aki Kurose, and Denny as well as several elementaries via a grant from the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation thru the Alliance for Education:
The WCWD Initiative development relies upon changing practices to impact school culture & climate, disproportionate disciplinary actions, engagement of families, and inclusion of community-based partners with outcomes being increased instructional time for students leading to improved academic achievement with a focus on African American males and other students of color. The rationale for this approach came from the long standing demonstrated success achieved by Aki Kurose, David Denny International and Asa Mercer International middle schools in closing opportunity gaps and outperforming peers statewide with similar demographics. The schools deliver effective, high quality instruction in Tier 1; while also utilizing a care coordination/wraparound model that focuses on risk factors and builds plans towards sustainable protective factors in Tier II.Interesting article from the New York Times that includes Seattle Public Schools, Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life
The research has shown that where children live matters deeply in whether they prosper as adults. On Monday the Census Bureau, in collaboration with researchers at Harvard and Brown, published nationwide data that will make it possible to pinpoint — down to the census tract, a level relevant to individual families — where children of all backgrounds have the best shot at getting ahead.From the City of Seattle, Hygiene Services for Seattle Public School Students:
Seattle Parks and Recreation is making showers and restrooms available free of charge to Seattle Public School youth in need (and their immediate family). When arriving at a swimming pool, just show current Seattle Public School identification. Locker room use is limited to 15 minutes, no fee applies, and a towel is provided without cost. Times are after school hours and on weekend afternoons; effective through June 21, 2019.What's on your mind?
Comments
"What matters, the researchers find, is a hyper-local setting: the environment within about half a mile of a child’s home."
Also, it's critical to keep in mind that the findings are retrospective and derived from adult earnings of children born between 1978 and 1983. Seattle neighborhoods have witnessed tremendous shifts over the last thirty-five years, some more dramatic than others, as the authors themselves point out. But it's a good place to start in identifying neighborhood characteristics that benefit at-risk children the most.
FNH
Poor Black students fare much better in Renton and Shoreline than Seattle.
Poor Hispanic students have much better opportunities in Lake Washington, Bellevue and Northshore.
Poor Asian students have a greater likelihood of success in Bellevue and Issaquah.
Poor White students have numerous opportunity areas with greatest concentration on the Eastside and Mukilteo.
Data
Thanks!
FNH
FNH
Garfield 114.15
Ingraham 91.66
Sealth 79.59
Ballard 73.08
Franklin 66.44
Roosevelt 64.3
West Seattle 62.15
Cleveland 61.1
Hale 60.41
Rainier Beach 48.35
Center 14.49
NOVA 1.12
Total running start 736.84
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/REA/data_and_reports/P223_Sep18.pdf
I couldn't help but notice that this is about the same number of students that SPS's enrollment numbers was off by, thus necessitating all the teacher "leveling."
Future Lincoln
High Schools only: the Total Student Count includes full-time Running Start students.
The number of Running Start students should be a whole number, yes? Some are attending part-time, while some are FT, so the high school FTE would vary in increments from 0.0 to 1.0. Students can even take one class at their home school (0.20 FTE HS) and 15 credits at RS, at no charge. It looks like the number of FT RS students would be the difference between "Total Student Count" and "P223 Total Count," while the combined FT and PT RS count is more difficult to parse out. Wouldn't the total count of RS students, either FT or PT, be higher than the difference in FTE numbers?
confused
Garfield 24%
Ingraham 19%
Sealth 25%
Ballard 11%
Franklin 18%
Roosevelt 13%
West Seattle 23%
Cleveland 23%
Hale 20%
Rainier Beach 17%
Center 15%
NOVA less than 1%
0% would indicate Total Student Count equaled the P223 FTE, where each student counted for 1.0 FTE. Not sure what the differences in numbers actually include or mean (RS is only part of the equation), but Garfield is high on the list for reduction of FTE in 11th and 12th. It would be interesting to know actual RS counts, as well RS counts for HC identified students (Which HSs have higher percentages of students opting for RS? Are students at HC pathway schools being served, or opting for RS?, etc.)
(still somewhat)
confused
-also confused
That said, I'm strongly opposed to District using Running Start as a budget trimming tool. Schools should be fully funded for each and every student under their aegis.
FNH
Oct. student headcount 2004/05 2009/10 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19
SPS HS total 14,171 13,003 13,701 13,979 14,251 14,211
Running Start 783 651 791 1,052 1,313 2018 9th grade
Ballard 1,620 1,632 1,702 1,852 1,932 1,988 550
Roosevelt 1,623 1,653 1,715 1,743 1,868 1,907 516
Garfield 1,625 1,642 1,714 1,763 1,857 1,695 369
Ingraham 1,183 1,058 1,235 1,345 1,388 1,354 360
GHS descent is happening far more quickly, especially as other HS grow. Its cohort survival decay has accelerated (especially if you look at its trend of smaller successive incoming classes) yet total SPS HS enrollment has been steady during the same time. Next year will be even worse for GHS, because the few students from the north (mostly Hale and Lincoln territory) who padded the incoming class numbers will not show up. The enrollment at GHS is even thinner if you net off their RS students from their reported total enrollment. Bottom line: HFA was a success in managing certain students to avoid GHS. Put that together with trend of RS cohort survival expansion, and inescapable conclusion for SPS is that students pursue rigor, and if it is not available in the HS, they will escape and get it elsewhere. Mr. Tolley should take note, as should principals who want to preserve/grow their enrollments: pursue excellence and generate the highest achieving high school possible. Unknown/unknowable as to what Mr. Howard will do as staff will be cut next year. In a previous year, he tried to shutter the Latin program. Time will tell. But, with a smaller enrollment, more teachers will be cut, and so it is enviable that courses will be cut and there will be fewer sections of courses. Very unfortunate. That will also probably exacerbate off-loading to RS from that campus, as students seek courses they can't get in their schedule. It will be interesting to see how neighbors in Capitol Hill respond to a changing GHS: will they show up, or, pursue other options? Impossible to predict. The changes are too uncertain.
Ingraham is missing students. The district has artificially held freshman class low for the last 3 years by capping IBx enrollment, thus depressing overall enrollment. However, IHS's successively larger incoming class sizes means they will fill out their expanded capacity fast when the building enlarges to 1,500 capacity. Credit to Mr. Floe and a strong faculty, who openly solicit students to come and be challenged into a demanding programing.
Roosevelt will be the largest school in the system. By far. GHS will continue to shrink and Ballard will loose students to Lincoln based on address next September. RHS only has a small number of student residents (~100 students) who are to be split off. Will the district provide mitigation dollars to offset stress? Doubt it.
It will be very interesting to see this year's RS number. To witness the growth from 5% participation in 2009 to 9% 8 years later is dramatic, even if we are talking about a relatively small percentage of overall HS students (but maybe 1 in 10 is really not so little). As more become familiar with this RS pathway, its growth may accelerate even more.
DataDon'tLie
HJ
I am wondering if IHS will expand and become an option school to fill those 1500 seats. I suspect it will become less of a draw of choice for HC. Lincoln is slated to be the north end HC pathway school starting next year (unless that changes) and the IBX program at IHS is not attracting new HC students. Unless students pursue IBX, they cannot access much in 9th & 10th. Unlike most other schools there are no AP classes for HC in grade 10 at IHS.
Wondering
The whole school will have a project based learning theme. The theme for 2019-20 will be "The True Cost of Our Lives." Students will pick one topic (her example was "coffee" but she also mentioned fast fashion, sneakers, cell phone, etc. Students would each get to pick their own.) The students will then follow their individual topic through their core subject classes. So if you picked coffee, then you would examine the true cost of your coffee life and you would examine this in language arts class through writing and in math class through maybe calculating the cost of transporting the coffee to Seattle or cost to growers, etc.
Students would do an exhibition presenting their topic to share with the school community modeled after Hales.
They have a FB page: facebook.com/licolnseattle
Twitter: @lincoln_seattle and @CoreyEichner
Instagram: lincolnseattle
They're going to have a comprehensive athletics program:
Fall: cross country (girls, boys), football, golf (girls, boys), swimming (girls), volleyball, soccer (girls)
Winter: basketball (boys, girls), gymnastics, swimming (boys), wrestling
Spring: baseball, soccer (boys), softball, tennis (girls, boys), track (girls, boys)
I was not impressed by how put out she sounded like she was to have to host the dual language immersion and HCC pathways. She implied that those were really messing with her system and she would grudgingly work around them. There were info tables about all sorts of school subjects staffed by future teachers and other topics like sports and IEPs, but there was not one for dual language immersion or HCC. There was a list of courses that sounded pretty good.
Total running start 736.84
Do some school board members still think it is ok for HCC students to be served via Running Start?
Running start students could have made-up for district shortfall and teachers would not have gotten displaced.
Michele Aoki was at the world language table at the Monday meeting and had a nice hand-out for proposed language pathways at Lincoln for both dual immersion students and regular world language students. They are still working on it, but it looked really good to me. And while I did not see a HCC table, e.g. the science teachers are very much in tune with the different science pathways and it sounds like they are planning for a lot of AP classes. I did not hear the principal speak (since I was late), but overall I had a positive impression from the meeting.
Wallingford mom
SPS may not have info on the reasons students choose RS, but they should have the enrollment numbers and should be able to look at the trends over time. For each HS, how many students are enrolled in RS, either FT or PT? What is the reduction in FTE due to RS? Which schools are seeing increases in RS numbers? Is it impacting school budgets?
There are enough RS students to fill an entire high school - maybe SPS is okay with that as they can hold off building another high school. In the meantime, private high schools have been building out and expanding.
As for HC, BHS and RHS will most likely supplant GHS (for those who live within the redrawn boundaries). The feedback from the Lincoln meeting is not encouraging, IBX is just no more, and GHS strangely seems unsupportive of HC. This will mean more students considering RS as schools will be hard pressed to schedule courses for a more fractured cohort. Time will tell. Of course, maybe this is just fine with SPS as well - they seem intent on eliminating pathway schools for HC.
HS parent
FNH
-GLP
I may be in error but understood there is to be a more equal amount (than mentioned) drawing from BHS & RHS to Lincoln. Also, BHS is currently more over enrolled than RHS by about 100 kids or so. Even if they lose a bit more, they will likely probably still be at or above their own capacity. Maybe same for RHS as well or maybe there will even be some space.
I think it also will largely depend on how well Lincoln's opening goes! Will HCC stay or go to neighborhood schools either through choice or a board decision. That could change alot of things. I have heard parents lament about leaving RHS or BHS for Lincoln. There had better be lots of clubs, activities, strong dual language options and maybe most importantly a very good comparison to what BHS & RHS already offer to students in the way of AP classes.
HJ
In a previous year, he tried to shutter the Latin program." That actually came up at last night's Board meeting. There was a group of teachers (I believe mostly GHS) who had come to complain about the realignment of teachers. One teacher really let the Superintendent and the Board have it, saying they were doing nothing but offering excuses. Another teacher complained that the cuts were to PE and Health but when it was Latin, that got saved.
I don't know the whole background on the Latin issue but I think that was over cutting not just a teacher but a class. I believe GHS will still have PE and Health (although the claim was made that there is now just 1 PE teacher for 1,000 students - that seems terrible).
"Do we know yet when the trial is for the alleged Muir elementary pedophile that was allowed to continue his actions so long after he should have been fired?"
David, I have not seen when that might be but I'll let people know when I do. I think Muir is going to come off quite badly but that's something that a good ED might have seen coming.
GLP, to note, Roosevelt will continue to grow because the number of apartments around them - directly around them - is growing by the day. I would not put it past some families to rent an apartment to get their kid into Roosevelt.
Maybe not. Garfield and Ingraham which have lots of kids going to running start are perhaps also closer to the community colleges. Kids can do running start part-time. In addition, I know at IHS if kids don't want to do IB there are few other options besides running start. IB and its extra requirements, homework load and extra outside of school time commitment, is not a great fit for some kids.
MKL
Surprised Parent
The principal at Lincoln struck me as basically competent but also as very young (or am I betraying my age?), and she seemed somewhat inexperienced or naive about how things are going to go. What was clear was she definitely did not seem very not into HCC and very not into Dual Language Immersion. If I had to guess, she's in cahoots with her ED to make Lincoln seem relatively unappealing so that more and more HCC students enroll at their local high schools to effectively dismantle the cohort. But in high school the cohort isn't a "thing," so not sure what they think they're doing, if that's true? Maybe I'm clueless, but that was what I was thinking. Plus, she's going to have scores of non-HCC Ballard and Roosevelt families clamoring for similar offerings as they had at Ballard and Roosevelt. Because high school is about college prep for most people in Seattle. So...I dunno. It could turn out really well! But I'm expecting it go much more like a slow-motion train wreck. Someone please tell me I'm wrong.
I feel strongly that some or even much of the flak directed at executive directors ought to be directed instead at the assistant and associate superintendents, as I suspect the new superintendent well knows. Do you think she could be alluding to this with these comments about the EDs? She can't be unaware of all this whilst she is on her listening tour, if she has any understanding of the organisation of the district.
Frederike
HF
I think you're probably right about the assistant and associate superintendents. My guess is that parents cc: Executive Directors when they have an issue with the principal/district and parents are mad that Executive Directors "do nothing to help" and this is what she hears about the position during this listening tour. Juneau believes that the position is misunderstood. Regardless, I expect that there will be a name change and a more clearly defined definition for this position when Juneau unveils her reorg/vision for central administration. She also expects Central Admin to have deep cuts as the budget crisis worsens.
Surprised Parent
Not Pleased
I did glean this:
"If the principal does not resolve your concern satisfactorily, a written request to the principal’s supervisor. For help identifying and/or contacting that person, call the district Ombudsman 206.252.0529."
How odd to not say - for principal supervisor - the ED. Unless, it is now someone else.
From my reporting of a meeting in 2012:
"We were told that Job #1 for the Executive Directors is to support principals as instructional leaders. Also, parents, if you have a concern, you must go to your teacher first, then the principal and THEN the Executive Director. This was pretty much the extent of explaining the new regional system which I thought a little odd."
Hmmm.
Thanks for sharing. That is not great news at all. If anyone else attended can someone else please weight in their thoughts as well. Not a good sign if the principal is not in touch with the community that will attend her school and their needs & desires. They will need AP classes as well as clubs and programs on par (nothing less) with their neighbors. I hope the parents are expressing their concerns loudly.
I have been wondering about the future of dual language high school (as well as HCC) because I remember reading some post board meeting comments by the former superintendent last year. It believe the initial plan for Lincoln did not include Dual Language (or HCC). It seemed like he was not in favor of dual language, but kind of like they were in a conundrum because "promises were made". Something to that effect.
HJ
WOW. So, these 5 SPS employees' job duties are nothing more than coaching working principals? Is that effective? How is their effectiveness measured? Can principals not do their jobs without whatever direct time afforded to them with his/her ED? Are SPS principals so utterly hapless they have not personally cultivated mentors or professional peer relationships to support their personal career growth? What student has a better school day because his/her principal had a meeting with his or her ED? Name that child, and then we can evaluate the utility of this bureaucratic layer.
If EDs are nothing but unaccountable glorified cheerleaders. CUT THEM N O W
Save $868,000 cash right now by issuing 5 pink slips (they are not in PASS, they are at will employees) and hire 14 teachers (at $60K each) right now to teach actual students. This will lower student/teacher ratios in other classrooms. Unlike EDs, this WILL have a direct impact on students and on principals too as children in their care have more contact time with teachers who are directly responsible for them. Priorities. Kids first. Bureaucracy last.
Kim Whitworth $176K
Helen Joung $164K
Kelly Aramaki $176K
Jon Halfaker 176K
Sarah Pritchett $176K
Laying them off is not personal: it is a function of being in a role that is redundant/unproductive/not necessary (3 of the 5 names on this list are persons most would happily see being principal of any building their kid(s) were in, 1 is unknown to me, and 1 is a disaster most would run from)
Waste Not
Good luck helping her find her people,
Another mom
"My incoming sixth grader is going crazy and the lack of fresh air an exercise is making her sad - she still has made no friends and has lunch by herself because she does not have a chance to make friends. She has only a 30 minute break in middle of day and after ten minutes is lined up to go to either library or gym. She has found a small patch of outside space in a courtyard where she goes by herself. This is too sad!"
In middle I do remember a big change on recess and not enough time to get outdoors. I am sorry to hear your sixth grader is having a rough time. I predict it will get better and she will likely make lots of friends. My daughter, very shy, had only one girl she knew enter with her at her middle school in 6th, by 8th she had so many friends I could not believe it. She had a fantastic middle school experience.
Your daughter will begin to see the same faces in her classes over time, and will have projects in which she works with other kids in class etc. Have her join after school clubs and/or electives where she might see the same kids, band, orchestra, choir etc. A phone believe it or not helped. We waited until middle to get our daughter her first cell phone and put restrictions and limits on its use. However, as kids communicate via phone so much, it helped her connect with other kids when she could text new friends, ask about assignments etc. Others probably have other ideas.
We are now going through the same thing with our daughter who started high school, double the size of middle school. Closest friends from middle school all went to different schools and some went private. But Seattle high schools have so many extracurricular opportunities Same advice applies, clubs and activities are helping facilitate friendships.
HJ
Can you elaborate? I have not been able to attend any of the listening tour but having now been through 5 supers and I'm only just a little past halfway through SPS, every single new super that has come in has had heaps of expectations piled on them and...sadly as a parent, it only feels like we are backsliding.
-Long Road
That is heart-breaking! Unfortunately I don't think recess is a "thing" anymore in middle school and high school. It's too bad, as I know in Europe young people do get longer breaks and usually have activity clubs and sport in the afternoons.
We have found ultimate Frisbee to be a very girl-positive sport in Seattle (boy-positive as well), so too archery. If your middle school offers these, I hope you will encourage your daughter to go out for them! They can be a wonderful way to make new friends. Scholarships are almost always available so everyone can participate. Sport would give her some exercise and outdoor time and a place to make new friends.
Has your school got an advisory period? If so, talk to her advisory teacher. Most advisory periods are intended to encourage new friendships, and most teachers will want to make sure she has a safe place to make those social connections and to nurture them where they can do.
Frederike
That is not very encouraging about Lincoln.
I was at Ballard HS Curriculum Night last week, and while waiting in the gym for the program to start heard other parents discussing the many, many families they knew setting up "alternate" addresses so their child could stay at Ballard. Another parent told me he has heard only about 200 students will actually be moving from Ballard to Lincoln next year (not counting incoming freshmen.)
My sophomore child has his last three classes of the day in the new portables, which I guess is preferable to going back and forth.
Sophomore Parent
My Garfield kid very much enjoys the Latin class and associated group, likely alongside NESeattleMom's. World Language is now a required course like Health or PE, isn't it, for 2021 and beyond? There is a single (excellent!) Latin teacher at Garfield who teaches multiple sections, losing him would end the program completely. (If you think finding a French or Spanish teacher is hard, imagine Latin!) My child's understanding is that PE and Health are continuing at Garfield with students taken in by other teachers. I'm not certain about this and haven't pressed Admin about it either because, well, my child satisfies the PE credit with sports and is currently taking Health online. (And not because we couldn't get into Health class, as I'm sure some will run with, but because in my opinion the time spent earning that required credit can be put to higher value use during the school day.)
FNH
Kim Whitworth $176K
Helen Joung $164K
Kelly Aramaki $176K
Jon Halfaker 176K
Sarah Pritchett $176K
How can this possibly be permitted. These people -- Joung? Pritchett? -- seriously?
Madasahornetnow
Even if one agrees with Juneau's defense of the EDs, and I don't, that role is a nice-to-have thing that gets funded only after all other classroom needs are met. Since those needs aren't being met, eliminating that budget item and putting the savings into helping preserve teachers at schools seems a really obvious and easy thing to do.
Pink Slip
I have a freshman at BHS and heard the same. Only 200 are slated for Lincoln next year and was not even certain if that was 10th graders or also included the reduction in entering Freshman. I am wondering if this amount will be lower, because I also heard of some who will try to remain. The Lincoln principal I hope will try her best to attract families who are not feeling so enticed.
Freshman parent
I guess my question is - how did they help/evaluate principals before EDs?
Lincoln should have had a rock star principal. Should have had a national search for the principal. Should have had either the respected BHS or RHS principal named as the inaugural leader. Should have been sensitive to how important music could have been and recruited a major star to head up the program, thereby giving confidence to Wallingford, Ballard, and Queen Anne families. (The immensely well respected WMS teacher just fled to Ballard). Instead, this principal placement is Nyland's parting gift.
Running Start is calling...
Shell Game
Darn, Mr. Aramaki was one of the three EDs who was respected and known to be a strong principal, though he was underused in this worthless ED role. The district website still shows him as the ED for "team 3".
Hopefully, those principals of "team 3" schools are managing to get by and conduct the day to day operations of their schools even though they are bereft of their professional cheerleader. How's it going, parents of students in Adams, Louisa Boren STEM, John Hay, Queen Anne, Lawton? Did the wheels fall off?
How is it equitable for students in team 1 or team 5 schools that their principals still get the sage instructional support of their EDs who are still on the job while those in team 3 buildings are cast adrift? (Forgive my sarcasm, it is so frustrating that kids in schools lost teachers when money is spent on a boondogle bureaucratic layer)
For those wanting to see salaries, go to Kitsap Sun database for public employees. Seattle Public Schools is Washington State's district number 171001 within Puget Sound Educational Service District 121. The $176K does not include benefits. Those are $30K, bringing total to $206K.
http://data.kitsapsun.com/projects/wa-school/district/17001/
Waste Not
Former Public
One, regarding Washington middle school and its geometry class. If you have class of highly performing 8th graders there is little to no impact between having 36 or 41 students in the class. These kids are well tutored up and performing. If class size mattered so much for performers then class size at the UW would reflect that and the data doesn't support that idea. Coming before that board and criticizing a school who is providing geometry class for 41 highly capable students is elitist and wrong.
Two, using 380 million dollars from the sugar tax to provided snacks to only a limited number of schools is wrong. Studies have data that shows much of the tax comes from those same communities where these schools are located. Why should students receiving FRL at schools above the threshold of 50% be left out? Why should the other non FRL students at those chosen schools get snacks...?
Once again the rubber stamp board provides no representation to parents who think, they only cow tao to emotional based rants.
Oh boy
There are some wonderful suggestions posted here for your daughter. Please talk with someone at her school about her situation. There are teachers, counselors, administrators, and other adults who will be able to help. Extra curricular activities are often the answer. Someone there will know what is available and many will be there to help. This is important.
School must pay a fine for each day class size goes over. Which is why the principal generally will not allow overenrollment even if everyone else is fine with it.
Mathman
Because I believe she was chosen and started developing the plan for a neighborhood high school. Then it was decided by the board that HCC & dual language would be put into the school after the fact. She may have known about dual language when she took the job, but she likely did not know about the HCC program pathway. I am still wondering if the program pathway will stick or not past 2019. The board was not happy about placing them at Lincoln even temporarily. The district plan was neighborhood schools (but not all can serve them) or 4 or so "regional pathways" which might have been a good idea IMO if we also did not have enrollment issues. They would need to balance that out and I think nobody trusts they can do that well enough.
PM
"I understand many parents are not happy with the specific Ed directors, their job performance etc. but that is also a different argument. I worked in the public sector. I can attest that unless you are internal, I highly doubt you can determine just how much work they actually do from the outside."
One, we have a right to know - as taxpayers - what work they do. Two, it was repeatedly advertised - to parents - to go to EDs for help. Sorry, not buying the "you don't know how it is inside" argument.
Oh Boy, middle school is not college. The school isn't "providing" anything - it's their legal responsibility.
"Two, using 380 million dollars from the sugar tax to provided snacks to only a limited number of schools is wrong."
Could you please explain the context for this?
I have to shake my head over the discussion about Lincoln. I again wonder about the power of principals. I thought the district had the power to tell a principal, "We have decided to put this program in your building and here are the supports." Not to have the principal say no or be an obstructionist. It's a weird, weird thing especially for a new school.
Since you purport to be a "parent who thinks," surely you realize that referring to high-achieving math students as "well tutored up" is disrespectful, right? Was that your intent--to take a subtle dig and imply they somehow bought their way in? Or do you acknowledge that math interest and abilities vary widely, and that students can excel in math on their own, without getting "tutored up"?
Also, class size at UW is irrelevant, and your example doesn't seem to provide the supporting data you think it does. First, classes are larger for cost reasons, not because large classes work well. It's the business model. Second, why do you think upper division classes are smaller, and graduate classes even smaller than that? Because the work is harder and students need closer relationships with the instructors to do well. Third, I'm going to take a wild guess here, but I suspect most of those large classes at UW have some students who do very poorly in them. The simple existence of large class sizes does not mean they are an effective approach.
All classes, and all cohorts, have students with a range of abilities. Some will be stronger in math that others. Some will need more help than others--even in HCC! Some highly capable students also have learning disabilities and IEPs or 504 plans--they are capable of working at that level, but they need additional support to help work around their special needs. To suggest that advanced classes should be so large that such students can't get the accommodations they need (and are legally entitled to) is wrong.
all types
P.S. - Maybe it was an autocorrect issue or something, but if not, I think the word you were looking for is "kowtow."
To be more clear, I was not arguing against the public being given information about Ed directors role or accountability. I was pointing out that public employees in many sectors, are often criticized as "lazy" or "useless" with the "taxpayer argument". I have witnessed public employees (albeit middle level employees city govt, college staff etc) with job descriptions pages & pages long, who are also underpaid and worked their buns off. They have years & years of stagnant wages having hit their payscale ceiling, then when they are up for a 2% cola, the "public" thinks they don't deserve it. I know people with doctorates with tons of job responsibilities in middle management roles at colleges working for much less than what your average teacher earns in Seattle. Thank god they finally unionized where I used to work. Somehow "the public" thinks they know everything they do, when they most certainly do not.
Former Public
HP
HP, maybe we should start a running list of questions.
Former Public
I don't mind them being highly paid; I just want to know what they do.
They also said there was a chance of club sports (Ultimate Frisbee, Crew, LaCross).
There's a meeting at the John Marshall building October 24 at 6:30 to talk about sports at Lincoln.
HP