Good Luck, Students and Parents!

 I am assuming that Seattle Schools has opened today. I know this can be an exciting, albeit somewhat nervous day for parents and students, but I also know that SPS has schools staffed with caring adults. 

Let us know in the comments how the day goes for you and your child.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We received a message from SPS last night at 8:35 pm:


Dear SPS families and staff,

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is pleased to announce that it has reached a tentative agreement with Local 302 International Union of Operating Engineers. The Local 302 represents SPS custodians, culinary services, grounds, security, and alarm monitor teams.

SPS appreciates all the hard work of both bargaining teams to reach a tentative agreement.

We are excited to have the members of Local 302 join us as we welcome our students, families, staff, and community partners for the 2023-24 school year tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Bev Redmond
Chief of Staff
Seattle Public Schools

- What did it cost us
9/6/23, 11:41 AM
Anonymous said…
There are some frustrated (former) Japanese students at Garfield. The previous Japanese teacher left at the end of the last school year and over the summer they just didn't hire a new one. Now Spanish is the only foreign language offered at Garfield. At least they snagged Mr. Sundt (formerly of Washington Middle School) to be the long-term substitute orchestra director after the previous director let parents know he was decamping to Mercer Island one week before the start of school.

Bull-Mom
9/7/23, 9:42 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
One foreign language at Garfield? I guess that's what you might call a "well-resourced" school. I mean, they do have one, right?

Was Mr. Sundt the jazz band teacher at WMS?
9/7/23, 1:12 PM
Realist said…
As far as I recall, when they cut foreign languages at Washington Middle School, the principal sent out an email with racial counts arguing it was a matter of equity. I believe the district's current Head of HR was the regional director for WMS at the time.

I can't say what happened at Garfield, but there is therefore a precedent for the District to count the number of Black and Hispanic students in foreign language classes, and other classes, as a measure of equity.

They cut my student's foreign language last year and he also had to take Spanish. Nothing against Spanish, but he hated it because he said he learned almost nothing. Did they even have a book? My student wasn't sure because since there was no homework in the name of equity, he never had a need for a one in order to earn an A.

Look what the district has listed as priorities for well-resourced schools: family kitchens and showers. Those are fine, but those were decided long before the current "listening tour."

It seems unlikely that Japanese class and Japanese books will ever make the list. Because if Japanese class appears to be segregated, it's likely intentionally out.

Parking spaces at a high achieving predominantly white school may fall into the same bucket.
9/7/23, 2:36 PM
Anonymous said…
Hmmm “well-resourced schools” sounds like a meme waiting to happen for the Fox News crowd. Kitchens? Showers? Parking? Not to mention therapy and sexual health planning. Yeah I get that supporting families supports learning but this is all a bit afield of the intent of schools, and it lets everyone else off the hook for delivering services - healthcare should happen at hospitals, cooking/showers at home, etc.

Ugh
9/8/23, 8:55 AM
Anonymous said…
My son is a senior at Ballard, he told me his AP Stats teacher is going on paternity leave starting Monday 9/11, and the teacher had not heard that an appropriate long term sub had been found yet. Obviously this was not a surprise to the school.
Seattle schools are already at a disadvantage in AP starting almost a month later than midwest/east coast schools.

Ballard Mom
9/8/23, 2:42 PM
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