This and That

From Westside Seattle:

In the wake of two fatal shooting deaths in the past year near Chief Sealth International High School (CSIHS) the PTSA is sponsoring a Community Health Forum Tuesday evening, April 16 at 6:30pm.

The meeting will feature members of Seattle Public Schools, Seattle City Council, Seattle Police Department, and Seattle Parks and Rec. A Q & A will be included.

The school is located at 2600 SW Thistle Street.

 

From Children and Screens, a lengthy tip sheet on "Girls, Health and Digital Media." 

 

Via a reader:

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is pleased to announce Seattle, Washington will host NAGC24, the nation’s largest gifted education conference, November 21-24, 2024. Held at the Seattle Convention Center, NAGC24 will bring the gifted education field to the West Coast for the first time in over 30 years. Every year, NAGC convenes over 2,000 passionate educators, gifted coordinators, psychologists, researchers, and caregivers to share best practices for supporting high-ability children and reconnect with one another during the nation’s largest meeting for gifted education professionals and advocates.

However there is virtual event, from April 10-11. Registration is now open for that event.

Governor Inslee signed a bill requiring schools to teach LGBTQ history, starting in 2025. 

From KOMO News:

There's a new curriculum coming to Washington’s public schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Senate Bill 5462, which Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law this week, will mandate students to learn about the contributions of underrepresented groups in school, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.

SB 5462 was introduced in January and went through multiple committee meetings, public hearings and revisions - more than a dozen – during the Legislative session. Many residents may not have realized what the bill calls for because LGBTQ is not in the language of the bill.

Now that the bill has been signed into law, it directs the state to create a curriculum that highlights the many contributions people of different races, ethnicities and even sexual orientations have made.

The OSPI and the Washington State School Directors' Association are to create the new curricula by the end of the next school year that will be taught starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

A committee will be formed to help create the curricula that will include parents, but parents can only make up less than 50% of that committee.

 

From the ACLU:

But this week, the Supreme Court did something noteworthy: it refused to hear a challenge to a high school admissions policy designed to eliminate unfair barriers for students of color. In doing so, the justices sent a signal that institutions can continue to find innovative ways to ensure equal opportunity for all within the parameters of their relatively narrow decision on affirmative action.

The admissions policy at issue in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board, is just that — a thoughtful approach to ensuring that highly qualified students from all backgrounds have a fair shot at getting into Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ), the top public high school in Virginia. Recognizing the importance of a diverse student body, TJ removed arbitrary and unfair barriers to eligible Black, Latino and lower-income students of all races and ethnicities. Instead of relying only on standardized tests, which can exclude well-qualified candidates of color, the new process considers a broad range of factors, including performance on a problem-solving essay. The school also adopted a percentage plan that guarantees seats to the most competitive candidates from all eligible middle schools — not just select “feeder” schools in wealthy neighborhoods. By declining to take up the case, the Supreme Court has effectively let this policy stand.

And earlier this month, the court reinforced that its decision in SFFA was a narrow one, allowing West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy to continue their race-based affirmative action programs, while challenges proceed in the lower courts. Although the court did not explore the constitutionality of these programs, by declining to hear these challenges, it is leaving the door open for institutions to design creative solutions for expanding opportunity and fostering diversity.

 

Via the West Seattle Blog: