This and That

 Timely op-ed in the Seattle Times: Why isn’t Seattle Public Schools fighting for our kids

 This comes from parent Sarah Nau.

In the coming weeks, Seattle Public Schools will unveil its proposal to address its budget deficit, and despite the district’s insistence school closures are not a foregone conclusion, that proposal will all but certainly include the recommendation to close neighborhood schools across the city. 

This announcement’s arrival on the heels of how disastrously SPS managed the substantial “reshuffling” of students and staff at over 40 elementary and K-8 schools is not lost on staff, parents, and communities; it has only fueled concerns and frustration at how little they center students, and is contributing to a growing discontent with both the district and the Seattle School Board. 

Despite claims of transparency around the budget development process to address the deficit, we don’t have any insight into how the district is arriving at their conclusions. We haven’t seen their math, we don’t know what, if any, creative/alternative solutions have been proposed to school closures, nor do we know how all this is being done in service for our children. Has SPS considered asking families why they’re leaving the district to better understand how it can attract and retain families? Has SPS analyzed its enrollment projections in light of the updates to Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and middle housing bill? Is SPS actually listening to students and families?

 In pretty astonishing news, the Portland Association of Teachers have gone on strike. What is fascinating is 1) it's an odd point in the year to be doing this and 2) they have NEVER gone on strike before. Something must be up in the PDX. Apparently their contract ended in June and bargaining had continued until this point. Schools are closed and there is no online teaching happening either. 

From the AP:

Nearly two weeks ago, the union announced that 99% of teachers voted in favor of the labor action, with 93% of its members participating in the ballot.

And it's over pay, class sizes and resources. Nothing new about that. Teachers say that since the pandemic, student needs have risen greatly with no new resources for teachers. From the NY Times:

Portland Public Schools has offered raises of 4.5 percent for the first year, and 3 percent in subsequent years of the contract. The union is asking for 8.5 percent in the first year to keep up with cost of living, and 6 and 5 percent in subsequent years.

Portland Public Schools serves about 45,000 students, with a student population that is 55 percent white, 17 percent Hispanic, 8 percent Black and 6 percent Asian — a greater share Hispanic and Black than the city overall. About a third of students are considered economically disadvantaged.

What's interesting is that the auto workers union has just kicked ass in their strikes. They have a heck of a good leader in Shawn Fain.

Nothing new about the arrests made near Nathan Hale High School regarding stolen red Kia that was  possibly used in other crimes elsewhere in the city. 

Some good news out of SPS:

- It used to be that most of the high schools had Career Days. Sadly, many were not organized well and they went away. However, Chief Sealth International High School seems to have recently put on a really great one.

For Classroom to Career Day, more than 50 Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) filled the school to share about their journeys into their career field.  

The speakers included scientists, lawyers, business owners, entrepreneurs and more. But two very special guests came all the way from the White House to share about their experiences as women of color working in the nation’s capital.  

Afterward the panel, students headed to the school’s library for a college and career fair where more than 60 colleges and universities, government agencies, and job markets were represented. 

 

- West Seattle High School sophomores Lizzy Greene and Izzy McKamey were selected as a Unified Pair for Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassadors. They are working with Special Olympics North America and 10 other pairs of Youth Ambassadors to help promote inclusion in schools throughout the U.S.  

“I am truly passionate about the work I am a part of through Unified Champion Schools and programming,” she said. “I have learned that I am passionate about spreading inclusion and creating a safe space where all students with all abilities are valued, respected, and their voices heard.” 

Lizzy shares a similar experience when it comes to Unified Sports. She loves Unified’s mission of spreading inclusion throughout the school and giving athletic and leadership opportunities to people who might not usually have those opportunities.

“It doesn’t matter what your race, gender, sexuality, or ability is … Everyone is working together; everyone is having fun. There are only so many things you can do in high school that make an impact, and Unified is one of them. Unified has brought so much meaning and understanding of others into my life, and I would love for someone else to experience that!”

 

- Two Robert Eagle Staff Middle School Physical Education specialists have been named Physical Education Teacher of the Year at the 2023 SHAPE Washington convention.  

Linse Hill was named Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year, and Amy Matsen was named Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

The teachers said being able to create an inclusive environment where all students can be successful, learn lifelong habits, games, activities, and have fun is what they strive for each day in Physical Education.   

-  Shout out to the Green Lake Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) who raised over $350,000 to help construct an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible playground ramp from the school to their lower playground level.  

Green Lake Elementary houses a medically fragile program, and many of its students use motorized wheelchairs or other mobility devices. The new playground is not only accessible to all populations but also has embankment slides accessible to all students and a special spinner that can take wheelchairs.

Although the playground at Green Lake has seen few playground improvements since the school was constructed in 1970, Building Excellence V Capital Levy funding paid for portions of the school’s new play structure. Combined with the renovation of the hillside section of the playground by the PTA, these updates will allow a wide variety of active play options for students of all abilities. 

Editor's note: I'm assuming this kind of PTA funding will go away if Director Chandra Hampson has her way with the new fiscal policy.  You don't want that white privilege showing even if you are raising money to give Special Education students the same kind of opportunities to play as other students. 

Also, the story says "shout out" but not a word of "thank you."