Your invite to the community meetings on "well-resourced" schools, I mean. I'm posting the entire invite at the end of this post but let's examine it.
We are excited to create a united vision for well-resourced schools. You are invited to join us in a community conversation. Your feedback will inform future district planning.
Well, those "well-resourced schools" are coming at the expense of CLOSING other schools. But at an Ad Hoc Committee meeting, it was made clear they are NOT going to explain/talk about school closures at these meetings. Parents, I urge you to bring it up.
How the Board and the Superintendent can think they can pat parents on the head and say, "It's all for the best, don't worry" is hard to fathom.
We will be hosting five regional in-person meetings in SPS schools Aug. 8–15. There will also be an online meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m.
Well, that's more detail than before except at WHICH schools on WHICH dates? Why put this out and then say, "we'll let you know this week?" And where's the link for the online meeting?
Information and recommendations gathered during this engagement will be shared with the SPS community this fall.
Wait, what? Out of this engagement, there will be "recommendations?" From who? I would think the "information" might lead to recommendations but both?
Thank you for helping build a definition of well-resourced schools. Your feedback is essential!
If that were true, why are they not doing a survey? Why is there no online method for feedback? I think we all know the answer to that. Because it's all window-dressing.
The district knows what their definition of "well-resourced schools" is and they DO have a list of schools to close.
And having these meetings in the dead of summer? They aren't really interested in feedback.
Dear SPS families and staff,
We are excited to create a united vision for well-resourced schools. You are invited to join us in a community conversation. Your feedback will inform future district planning.
Starting in August, we will host community meetings to talk with students, families, staff, and community partners. We are developing a shared understanding of what resources, programs, services, and learning experiences make up a well-resourced school.
We will be hosting five regional in-person meetings in SPS schools Aug. 8–15. There will also be an online meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m.
Translation and interpretation services will be provided at each meeting based on request. American Sign Language (ASL), Amharic, Cantonese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpreters will be available. After the online meeting, a recording will be posted to the Funding our Future webpage.
We will be sending you meeting details and an RSVP to request accommodation the week of July 17.
Guiding the SPS Well-resourced Schools Vision
SPS well-resourced school conversations will be guided by Board Policy 0010, Instructional Philosophy and Board Policy 0030, Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity. These policies demonstrate the Seattle Public Schools commitment that students will be supported and affirmed in their learning, with multiple pathways to success, in school environments where they feel seen, heard, and welcomed in all spaces.
Information and recommendations gathered during this engagement will be shared with the SPS community this fall.
Thank you for helping build a definition of well-resourced schools. Your feedback is essential!
Dr. Brent Jones
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
Comments
Not sure why I am writing this comment other than to say we need option schools! They are so important.
-A QAE and TCS Mom
At the time, I said that, Center School was the only school that the district leased space for. That costs money. It can't be included in the exact same building insurance as other district-owned buildings. That's a cost.
Right now, its enrollment has gone down steadily. I understand the need for small schools like Center and Nova but from the district's POV, it's a target.
The City has said that when they get around to remodeling the Armory, that Center School could stay. But I'd bet the lease costs will go way up. There's not a lot of justification to keep a small high school with dropping enrollment in leased space.