Friday Open Thread

Update
 To put on your radar - the Board is having a Work Session on Boundaries on Monday the 19th from 4:30-6:00 pm.  I would think they would be discussing Licton Springs/RESMS as well as Maple Elementary.  I will be attending.

end of update

A couple of good articles have crossed my desk via my kids' former (and amazing) Montessori teacher, Gail Longo.

The first is on getting your kids to go to sleep from Parenting Science.  One addition I make is anxiety.  I see a lot of anxious looking kids and that could come from a variety of reasons.  It couldn't hurt to ask your child - carefully - about what worries they have.
The second is also from Parenting Science on "working memory" in children.
Working memory, also known as WM, is a bundle of mechanisms that allows us to maintain a train of thought.
It's what we use to plan and carry out an action -- the mental workspace where we manipulate information, crunch numbers, and see with our "mind's eye" (Cowan 2010; Miller et al 1960).
WM seems to be a basic component of fluid intelligence. It affects how kids learn. It also influences how kids perform on tests, including achievement tests and IQ tests.

But we can’t equate WM with overall intelligence. For instance, working memory isn’t the same thing as IQ.
A report on the district initiative in ELA, Center for the Collaborative Classroom.
The instructional resource addresses the core reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills that students need to thrive academically and socially. CCC focuses on building up students’ foundational skills in vocabulary, independent reading, and phonemic awareness. Additionally, CCC is filled with diverse literature, reflective of the multicultural perspectives in the Seattle Public Schools’ community. 

 District info on what to do when there is inclement weather during a school day.

Director Scott Pinkham will be having a community meeting this Saturday, the 17th, from 10-11:30 am at the Ballard Public Library.

Director Leslie Harris will NOT be having a community meeting this Sunday, the 18th.

What's on your mind?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Anyone know anything about multiple Seattle Public Schools being threatened with violence over the phone today - apparently they are sheltering in place and have police presence.

stay safe
Anonymous said…
A letter from the Eckstein Principal:

"Families,
Today, at approximately 12:30 PM, multiple Seattle Public Schools, including Eckstein, received a threat of violence over the phone. The Eckstein team immediately Sheltered-in-Place and emergency procedures were followed, including contacting 911 and SPS Security.

The Seattle Police Department responded immediately and worked with SPS Security to track the phone calls to a New York number and determined the threat was a hoax. Seattle Police are continuing to investigate the situation.

The Shelter-in-Place has been lifted but all outside doors remain locked and will be monitored."


-StepJ
Sean said…
JAMS and Whitman, too.
Anonymous said…
The JAMS letter was similar but did not add the bit about the NY number or the determination of a hoax. It says they are having on site police support until dismissal.

@ JAMS
Anonymous said…
Today, the DeVos Department of Education published their proposal to amend Title IX regulations with respect to sexual harassment/violence. You can read the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) here. The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes.

Besides sowing further confusion about Title IX compliance in K-12 schools, the amended rules would have a chilling effect on K-12 students who might contemplate stepping forward and reporting sexual victimization by peers or school staff.

--Concerned parent
Anonymous said…
The district just proclaimed November to be Native American Heritage Month. Someone might want to remind them of that if they discuss Licton Springs K-8 at Monday's meeting.

HF

Carol Simmons said…
I had an opportunity to discuss Licton Springs School placement with a Licton Springs Staff member at the Native American/Superintendent Listening session at Daybreak star on Nov 15th. Licton Springs wants to remain on the Licton Springs site. I am hopeful the SPS District will honor this.

Additionally, Clear Sky/ UNEA was invited to present an Indigenous People's Day assembly on Friday Nov. 16th at Blanchet High School. The Assembly was extremely well received by the Blanchet Student Body and Staff. It is an excellent presentation that should be shared and presented for Seattle Public School District school students also.

If someone from the District or Community took notes at the Listening session at Daybreak Star please post them. There were many issues discussed that need to be addressed. An important video trailer was presented regarding Indian Heritage High School. Many folks attended this meeting including a few District staff members and Board President Director Harris. The Native Community was extremely willing and anxious to share their frustrations and successes. It was an important meeting.

Carol Simmons said…
Scott Pinkham, Seattle Public School Board Director and recent recipient of the University of Washington's Distinguished Alumni Award, was also present at the Daybreak Star Listening Session. His consistent support at so many meetings regarding Native American students and family concerns has been much appreciated during his tenure as a School Board member.
Thanks for these updates, Carol. What was the reaction from the Superintendent?
Carol Simmons said…
Hi Melissa,

Regarding the Superintendent's reaction, she was very personable, friendly, responsive and sincere about closing the gap in academic achievement and discipline between groups of students.

It is important to recognize and thank Former Senator Claudia Kauffman for organizing and presenting such a well attended and informative meeting.
McCleary 2 said…
To avoid a second ballot initiative which would cost the district $1M, the Seattle School Board will be asking for two billion levy dollars. The ask exceeds the state limit.

At the last school board meeting, board claims that they will only collect the state's legal limit.

It appears that the state's superintendent is willing to turn a blind eye to the law:

"Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has quietly rubber stamped a proposed levy request from the state’s largest school district that breaks with the intent of the new law."

Will the Seattle School Board work with OSPI to break the law and set-up the state for an unequal system of funding? Will the Seattle School Board work with OSPI to break the law and collect BILLIONS of dollars that are not within the context of the existing law??

School districts knew- full well that they provided unsustainable teacher raises.

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/state-school-chief-needs-to-lead-and-rein-in-local-school-levies/does it take for our society to follow the law?



McCleary 2 said…
"Reykdal acknowledges Seattle’s plan to ask for nearly twice the allowable operations levy is unusual."

If the Seattle School Board works with OSPI to collect levy funding that is not allowed within the current law, not only would Seattle School Board and the district be breaking the law- they are setting the district-up for a lawsuit.
Interesting said…
The school board's attorney weighs -in the comment section. Is she stating that it is ok for the district to break the law?

Like other school districts, Seattle provided unsustainable teacher raises. They knew it.

Seattle is leading the state to set-up for McCleary 2.
Levy Swipe said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Levy Swipe said…
Correction:

This year, the state will provide additional funding for Special Education. SEA will be negotiating another contract next year. Will they take special education dollars away from the disabled?
Anonymous said…
When I studied socio-cultural Anthro at the UW, a professor stressed how important it is to understand that Native and indigenous people and their culture are not to be treated like a Museum piece. There culture is not something stuck in the past, but alive. All human beings are creative, adaptive and cultures have always evolved through time and also evolved through contact with other cultures. Here are some great tips for teaching about Native American History:

http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/tips-teaching-about-native-peoples?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20the%20tips&utm_campaign=education-enews-nov-2018

NW
Anonymous said…
Does anyone know who is acting as the Executive AD? Has Eric McCurdy returned or is he allowed to return in the same position?

SF
Equity Warriors said…
Our school board talks a lot about equity. Time will tell whether they support a system that creates unequal funding throughout the state.

SF, I'll ask. I'm sure he's still there, though. I can ask for the documentation on what Legal told leadership could be done in his case.

Well, SPS has always gotten more - especially with high numbers of F/RL students - from its levies. I think the case could be made that citizens in Seattle are far more likely to want to spend money on education than other areas of the state who seem to have issues with passing levies.

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