This and That - Seattle Public Schools

 I listened in on Director Vivian Song Maritz' community meeting. It was a big sad because only four people showed up. What I heard:

- The acting principal at Ballard High, Joseph Williams, is going to Franklin High School to be the permanent principal. No word on how the Franklin community feels but apparently no outcry has been heard. 

- This school year saw a number of lockdowns at Garfield High, many about incidents in the surrounding community. It was a bit startling to hear from one parent that her Garfield student will casually mention something. I'd hope schools have to report all of these and that the district tracks them but I have never seen that kind of documentation. 

- Director Song Maritz was careful to ask parents how they were doing in light of the recent school massacre in Texas. (I have no other word for what happened.) It sounds like parents told their older students but not the younger ones. I noted that there is ALWAYS one kid in any given class who hears about everything and is happy to pass it along to classmates. So even if you say little to your child, they may pick it up elsewhere.

Info from the district about talking to your student.

- News on Special Olympics in Seattle Schools:

At the first-ever Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Special Olympics Unified Leadership Summit, students and educators from 10 SPS schools gathered to learn how to build an inclusive school community.

“Too often, because of negative attitudes and low expectations, people with intellectual disabilities (ID) don’t get an opportunity to show what they can do,” said Emily Carter, Special Olympics Manager of Unified Champion City Schools. “The goal of the SPS Unified Leadership Summit is to overcome this barrier.”

- The district is gearing up to celebrate Pride Month and will be raising the LGBTQ flag at JSCEE on June 1 at 3 pm. They will have mini-flags, coffee and donuts for all.  The district traditionally participates in the Seattle Gay Pride parade which this year is Sunday, June 26th. 


Comments

Anonymous said…
“A number of lockdowns” at Garfield?! In 2021-22, there have been perhaps three “shelter-in-place” situations, including the highly publicized shots-fired incident south of the campus in late fall. And no lockdowns.
—Garfield Parent with 2 students there
5/29/22, 6:29 PM
Anonymous said…
Licton Springs K-8 is losing its Principal, Emily Butler (who is leaving SPS), according to the district’s June Personnel Report. Wondering what this means for the Native-centered alternative school, which has projected enrollment of 85 next year.
—Concerned Observer
5/29/22, 6:46 PM
Anonymous said…
The former Ballard principal has popped up at Roosevelt. I think he's stepping in for an AP who abruptly went on medical leave while in the middle of supervising SBAC testing but neither staff nor parents have been told anything. He just showed up supervising the halls all of a sudden.
5/31/22, 7:09 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Garfield Parent, all I know is that one Garfield parent said there had been a lockdown. So someone has this mixed up.

Concerned Observer, good riddance to Emily Butler who seems to be a toxic principal. But yeah, what does it mean for Licton Springs?

Anonymous, give yourself a name next time. The former Ballard principal - you mean Wynkoop?
5/31/22, 9:18 AM
Anonymous said…
So where is Dr. Jones these days? A friend at Wedgwood told me he was a no show there at the very last minute a few weeks ago. He’s been silent about Cleveland. Anyone out there have a superintendent sighting? #whereisthesupe

Emile
6/1/22, 7:36 PM
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