Seattle Schools Community Forum

Since yesterday, five of the 16 candidates have withdrawn. Let's look at the rest of the applicants. Since there are so many, I will pick out the ones to go in-depth about that I think are the most likely final candidates. Those who I believe are not ready for this role will be at the end of the post. Carol Thompson -  district link Thompson is/has been a research scientist (with a PhD in Biochemistry), program manager and technology manager. She has worked at the Allen Institute for Brain Science for 20 years. She worked to help "girls seeking careers in STEM through the Association for Women in Science" as well as managing youth sports. She grew up poor with a single parent. She identifies as a "non-white" person but I am unsure of that part of her background. She lives in Greenwood/Phinney. She and her husband have two SPS students. She says this about that area: Pre-covid, District 2’s enrollment in public schools surged, particularly in the Ballard/Greenw...

Update:  Well, this is interesting vis a vis the recent testimony at Board meetings.  Via the Seattle Times : UFCW 3000’s 47-member executive board unanimously endorsed the “uncommitted” vote at an emergency meeting conducted via Zoom, Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 3000’s secretary-treasurer, said in an interview. “We stand in solidarity with our partners in Michigan who sent a clear message in their primary that Biden must do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the union said in a statement. Joe Mizrahi has applied for the vacant D4 seat. end of update    I went through these four candidates because there are 15 over in D2 (according to the Times, one person dropped out of race).  Overall, very impressive people. I'm not sure the Board could go wrong with any one of them. I feel that this Board will, of course, go for its own interests in maintaining their governance plan and wanting to have a more diverse board. I believe the former is more important ...

SPS webpage for candidates D2 - Lisa Rivera's seat Jillian Bentley Sarah Clark Eric Feeny Danielle Gahl Jayne Garcia Kelly Germann Gina Griffiths Ramona Hattendorf Jonathan Hendrix Katherine (Katie) Hughes Kelly Lusnia Marissa Mierow Sonja Mitchell Janai Ray Shawn Sullivan Carol Thompson  D4 - Vivian Song's seat Gabriela Gonzalez Joe Mizrahi Rachelle C. Olden Laura Marie Rivera Fascinating that D2 has 16 candidates while D4 has only 4. That may reflect the churn in D4 that may have kept some candidates away. I see that the Board gave applicants seven questions to answer so I have a lot of reading to do. I will put this current info up and then update as I plow through the answers. I see a couple of familiar names in D2. Ramona Hattendorf - former SCPTSA president, former policy and government relations lead for the state PTA and longtime advocate for Special Education. Hattendorf knows this district very well and would not have a big learning curve.  Janai Ray - ran in th...

The deadline for applicants to fill the two open Seattle School Board seats has come and gone (Sunday, Feb 25th. This week: Week of February 26, 2024: Individual candidate webpages published with candidates’ photos and letters of interest, work experience/resume, and questionnaire responses as submitted through the application form. Candidates’ video statements will be added once finalized for all candidates.  Week of February 26, 2024: Candidates record video statements with SPSTV for posting to candidate webpages. Candidates who have applied and/or submitted their contact information will be contacted to schedule. As soon as those webpages go up, I'll post them here. I would appreciate any input from readers who personally know or know of these candidates.     I also want to note a bill in the Washington State legislature that I previously missed and which I believe is still in play - from the Spokane Spokesman-Review . Walking start to Running Start’: Bil...

From SPS Communications: What: Accessible emergency system vendors Alertus and Telecor will present a live demonstration of their equipment When: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 4-8 p.m. Where: TOPS K-8 Library , 2500 Franklin E. Seattle, WA 98102, Unable to join in-person? Join us via Zoom . Meeting ID: 783 325 6131 Food/snacks and limited childcare provided. ASL interpreters provided.  About the Selection of an Accessible Emergency System Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is working to improve alert systems districtwide so that deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind students and adults in classrooms have access to immediate emergency alert information. The district has committed to ensuring all 106 SPS schools have accessible emergency alerts in the future, starting with TOPS K-8 and Roosevelt High School where the D/HH programs are housed. Both schools will have systems in place by the start of the 2024-25 school year. SPS, with help of emergency alert consultants, have identified po...

  The rapid spread of behavior, attitudes, or emotions through a social group – also known as social contagion – has been documented and debated for centuries. Today, the large volume of available digital content and the hyperspeed of its dissemination through powerful social media algorithms may be creating a new and powerful avenue for contagion. How might content on social media or in TV shows and movies impact symptoms of movement disorders, self-harm and even suicide? What should parents and caregivers know about viral social media challenges? What should a caregiver do if they are concerned their child may be susceptible to contagion behaviors from online content? Registration is open for the #AskTheExperts webinar   “Copycat: Social Contagion, Online Viral Behavior, and Youth”   on   Thursday, February 29   at   12pm ET on Zoom.   A panel of psychiatrists, behavioral researchers, and public health experts will disc...

Hey! Look at that! The district put the process for applying for one of the two open Seattle School Board seats right at the top of their homepage. Like it's something very important.  Next, just a heads up when you go to the SPS home page. They'll have a current story but then, underneath it, they will have a couple of other adjacent stories that are usually months, if not years old. I find that confusing because I click on them, read them and THEN realize "oh, this was last year." I myself don't find that feature helpful. Congrats to the West Seattle Wildcats boys basketball team via West Seattle Blog: Next stop for the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team is the state tournament, after their second-place finish tonight in the District 2 3A tournament.  Also at the West Seattle Blog is wrap-up of an event that President Liza Rankin did over in West Seattle at Genesee Hill Elementary - School Funding 101.  I want to note the great work at the West Sea...

The Legislature and its short session are in full swing with March 1 being the deadline for bills to pass the entire opposite chamber and March 8th the last day of the session. These bills look on their way for a vote: HB 2331 known casually as the "say no to book bans" that would prohibit school board from non-approval of educational materials if they relate to a particular group that is also a protected class (as set-up by the district's non-discrimination policy).  Its creators include Seattle's Macri and Pollet. HB 2494 would increase per pupil levels for all kinds of things - materials, supplies and operations - the state prototypical funding formula. This appears to have bipartisan support but some feel it does little to address inequities in the current formula. HB 1541 "establishing the Nothing ABout Us Without Us Act"  The legislature intends to ensure meaningful participation from people with direct lived experience on each statutorily created o...

From the Seattle Times: One year after Bothell, Roosevelt and Garfield high schools were named finalists for the prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City, all three schools are again among the 15 finalists for the 2024 competition, to be held May 9-11 at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.  Also, FYI, Director Gina Topp is having her second community meeting next week remotely on Thursday, the 22nd, from 6-7 pm.  This meeting will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams. Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 278 111 239 465 Passcode: XjdTiN

I note that this is on the SPS website BUT not on the front page under News. No, you have to scroll down from "News," hit the "More District News" and THEN you'll find it. There is also a "School Board Director Appointments" page.   SPS, you slay me. Applicants now have twelve days to apply. It's hard to say how many people will apply and how many people are truly eligible.  Press Release from SPS Media (I am editing out the legal/About parts.)  The Seattle School Board is appointing new directors to fill District 2 and District 4 director vacancies.   Applications for appointment are due by Sunday, Feb. 25, at 11:59 p.m. District 2 includes Sunset Hill, Ballard, Loyal Heights, Whittier Heights, West Woodland, Phinney Ridge, southern Greenwood, Green Lake, Magnolia, Interbay, and adjoining areas. District 2 map District 4 includes Fremont, Queen Anne, Westlake, South Lake Union, Belltown, Denny Triangle, Pike – Market, Central Business...

Monday, February 12th As of 10am, nothing about applying at the Seattle Schools' webpage. And, next week is Winter Break.  I would assume if staff does manage to get something up this week, that the directors could at least ask for the applications that have come in and could read those over the break.  Or, are directors are having a staffer do a preliminary weeding out process (like checking addresses)? Then, directors might not see any applications for two weeks. (I almost think that applicants' addresses should be checked in the same way parents' addresses get checked for enrollment - like seeing utility bills with that address. ) That's one way to run out the clock if you wanted fewer applications.  To note, no one that I contacted about the residency issue at SPS answered my emails; I am considering a public disclosure request. I am certain any emails between either Rivera/Song and Legal Counsel will be redacted because of client/lawyer privilege. However, there wo...

 Huge Congratulations to the Garfield High School Boys Basketball team - State Champs! Interesting story about how Everett School District had a huge deficit ($28M) that their senior leadership was able to drop to about $4.4M. From HeraldNet: Everett Public Schools’ deficit is projected to drop by over $20 million by the 2024-2025 school year, following attrition and layoffs that led to the loss of 140 staff members last year, as well as an increase in tax revenue. Twenty-three of those staff members were laid off, according to the school district.   Under a plan approved by the school board last year, the district would save $27 million through “staff reduction” and slashing operation costs. Most of the reductions were made through attrition, Reeves said. “There have been no reductions in teachers, office professionals or paraeducators,” Reeves said in an email on Wednesday. A February 2023 budget presentation predicted a deficit of $27.9 million for the 2023-2024...

From the SPD Blotter , Feb. 9, 2024 at 4:08 pm: Four juveniles were arrested following an attempted robbery outside of a Northgate area school. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., Officers were dispatched to an attempted robbery involving a firearm at Densmore Avenue North at Ingraham High School near the Helene Madison Pool.   A male student was walking to school when a red Honda occupied by four juvenile males drove up. The four suspects exited the vehicle, one suspect produced a firearm and pointed it toward the juvenile victim. The suspects demanded the victim’s shoes and Air Pod earphones.   The victim was able to sprint away from the suspects to a nearby house and called 911. Ingraham High School was briefly locked down while police searched for the suspects. Officers located the suspect vehicle parked outside the school occupied by the four juveniles. All four males were positively identified and taken into custody without incident. All parties involve...