Two Important Stories to Ponder

The first story comes from KUOW, it's related to school safety and it's not good.

Ingraham High murder suspect brought weapons to school the previous month, records show

Ingraham staff confiscated a large knife and a BB gun resembling a real pistol from the boy on October 3, according to district files KUOW obtained through a public records request.

"Can't we just expel [the student] and they can appeal?" one staff member texted another.

Instead, the student was suspended for several days, records show.

A district spokesperson declined to comment, citing the legal case surrounding the shooting and the student.

Are you kidding me? The district knew this happened and yet they just suspended him? It would be great to know what the discussion was when he got caught with these items. Because if he said he needed them for protection, then wouldn't the district worry about if that fear was gang-related? 

Seattle Police Department Detective Judinna Gulpan declined to provide KUOW with the report from the October weapons incident, saying it is related to "an active and ongoing investigation involving multiple juveniles."

State law mandates expulsion for any student who brings a firearm to school. As in most states, however, BB guns are not considered firearms in Washington.

I don't care what is considered a firearm; both of those confiscated were highly problematic. I would have checked that kid every single morning for a month after the suspension. 

Of course, this will be a great aid in any lawsuit the victim's family chooses to file. 

The second story is a column from the Times' Danny Westneat from May 24th:

Bland is back? In Seattle the fiery far left is barely on the ballot

Westneat is referring here to the City Council races but it's a cogent question for the Seattle School Board races. 

It wasn’t long ago that candidates for public office here would routinely declare things like, “We’re going to make Seattle the most progressive city in America.” The campaigns were movements, centered around first-in-the-nation policy ideas involving wages, tenant law, anti-corporate campaign finance measures or such utopian fantasies as completely abolishing the police.

Now candidates are talking about potholes. Building sidewalks. Hiring more cops. Fixing stuff.

I haven't finished interviewing all the School Board candidates (some haven't even gotten back to me). But while I hear the word "inclusion" a lot, it does feel like these candidates realize that all is not well in SPS and yes, there is some "fixing stuff" to do.

Thoughts?