Friday Open Thread

 Update: Director Rick Burke will be having his community meeting this afternoon at 4 pm at the Fremont Branch Library.  Director DeWolf will be joining him.  They will be talking about science/science adoption. I apologize for the late notice but his meeting was not on the district calendar when I wrote this thread.

end of update

8:35 am - Look at that snow come down (at least where I am).  I hope this backs off, melts and allows everyone in schools to get home safely this afternoon.

I'm late in getting this out but here's a link to OSPI's Washington Report Card where you can view by district or by school.  Makes for some interesting reading.

The New York Times reports that wealthy white school districts provide more money than poorer school districts that serve students of color.  Missing from the article is any mention of private funding via PTA or booster groups.

The report, which looked at state and local funding for school districts in the 2015-16 school year, found that more than half of the nation’s schoolchildren are in racially concentrated districts, where over 75 percent of students are either white or nonwhite.

On average, nonwhite districts received about $2,200 less per student than districts that were predominantly white, according to the report.

Another story from the New York Times about teens and depression.  I noticed that the signs in the accompanying photo say, "You Matter" and "You are Enough."  I truly believe kids need to hear this every single day. 

Most American teenagers — across demographic groups — see depression and anxiety as major problems among their peers, a new survey by the Pew Research Center found.

Teenagers are dealing with rapid changes to their bodies, hormones and lives in an era of nonstop information overload, and they need help developing coping strategies.

Another major stressor is constant surveillance by peers on social media, and the “fear of missing out” it can generate, he added. Again, he said, guidance about how to understand social media — for example, a person taking 50 photos to get one perfect image — can help to dispel anxiety.

Dr. Bufka said her top advice for adults worried about teenagers in their lives was simple: Listen, without “pouring on advice” or judging too much, and give them the opportunity to talk to a counselor or psychologist if needed.

“Let them know that you’ve got their back,” she said.

From Arc of King County, "a 5-part training series for African American families to help them better understand and navigate the special education system for their own child as well as to serve as volunteer “mentor” for other parents with similar children. This training is specifically for African American parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, etc."

On this International Women's Day, a new anthem for women and girls, Quiet.  Lovely and powerful.

Saturday director community meeting with Director Scott Pinkham at  the Lake City Library from noon to 1:30 pm.

Daylight Savings ends this Sunday; don't forget to "spring" forward one hour.

What's on your mind?