SPS First Day of School - How's It Going?
I know at this moment it has barely started but I would love to hear from parents, teachers, staff about the first day (whenever it starts/ends for you).
I don't think anyone can expect perfection; there are still many moving parts but I'd bet principals, teachers and staff will have a warm welcome for all the students who have been eagerly and patiently waiting.
I'm also going to be interested to hear exactly what the Superintendent and the board will be saying at tonight's school board meeting. Could be telling.
I had expected the speakers list to be full because of the strike but, as of now, there are only 14 speakers. You can sign-up and call in remotely.
Members of the public who wish to address the board in person or by teleconference may sign up online or by calling (206) 252-0040, beginning Monday, September 12, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. The public testimony list will be posted Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Those who are placed on the posted public testimony list may provide their testimony by dialing 206-800-4125 and using Conference ID 698 748 813 #.
Comments
Bitter Sweet
Reader
https://twitter.com/teddy26th/status/1570224218595553280?s=21&t=g0qRnRCDa1HW80hzzH4coA
If you decline to answer the district's "Ethnicity and Race Report" question, you get this:
"By law, you are not required to identify race and/or ethnicity on school forms. However, if Seattle Public Schools does not receive a response, by law, district staff must use 'observer identification' to select the race and ethnicity of the student."
Here's a fascinating explanation and guidelines.
"The Federal Guidance recognizes the burden placed on school and district personnel in observer identification, and that the practice may not yield data as accurate as those from self-identification. However, absent self-identification or existing records, observer identification is considered preferable to having no data at all.
There is no federal requirement to “flag” a student’s record in the information management system if his or her race and ethnicity categories are selected by an observer. However, while this is an additional expense, it would be a helpful piece of information kept at the school or district level. It need not be transmitted to the state."
https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/cedars/pubdocs/guidelinesobserveridentification-newethnicityracecodes.pdf
Never heard of this before. Color me updated.
Given my own experience, I think they should ask Director Hampson to do this work; she seems to think she's very good at it.
Frustrated HS parent
Not sure if the same pattern is occurring south of the Cut? Odd that enrollment is down overall but some high schools are overfull.
Another Frustrated Parent
Most of the enrollment losses are in k-3, though things are a little down all the way up and down. But the packed classes you are seeing is probably less a result of enrollment and more a result of the board deciding last December to raise staffing ratios for the WSS in the budget this year, saving 6 million to do so. This means each student "buys" a little less of a teacher than last year, and that there will be more very large classes and fewer small classes, specialized programs are less likely to run as one part of a sequence might not have enough kids with the raised ratios, etc.
Blue Dog
Blue Dog