Seattle Schools Community Forum

Update 2:  In my Part 2 on what San Francisco Unified School District is doing with their closures, their Superintendent has already submitted criteria - backed up by an Advisory Committee AND massive public engagement - AND a schedule that goes from end of June 2024 to August 2025. Tick, tock SPS    Update: I just took a look at the SPS website. After last Wednesday's Board meeting, there is NOTHING on the July or August calendar until the next Board meeting on August 28th. I don't even see the Board retreat which should happen before school starts in September. (Retreats are open to the public to sit and listen so it should be listed on the calendar.) This district is doing nothing to bring clarity and transparency to the closure process. And the Board is not holding their feet to the fire. It's downright shameful.  end of update  Let's work backwards to figure out what has to get done in order for to get to November and the Board vote on what schools should...

Side note: if any reader goes to the Gay Pride Parade today, let us know who you see in senior leadership from the district. They always have a bus in the parade. Onward.  Tuesday, July 2nd is the regular Board meeting for the month.  It's a pretty short agenda.  I see three principals leaving from Fairmount Park ES, Nathan Hale HS and Roxhill ES. The Board will be approving the final resolution on what the Budget will look like (NOT the budget itself) in terms of interfund transfers. Staff is taking nearly $90M from three Capital funds.  There's Intro/Action on the principals' contract (and there's a link to the entire contract in the agenda).  Wait, what?! R ecall the hole that the last SEA contract put  the district into, now here's the principals' contract that - over 3 years from 2024-2027 - will raise their contract by over $8M.  I'm not begrudging the principals but this just won't work. Who can believe these cries of poverty and then do this? I...

 Reader Curious asked: Can you explain how learning environment scores are determined? I can’t open the district link. The district has done this ShareFile thing that I am having a hard time figuring out on how to provide a direct link. Anyone? Here's link that will work and that to the Facilities Master Plan Update 2021.  First, you obviously see that this document was released in September 2021. The last update before that was 2018. It is stated in this document that the Strategic Plan changed since 2018 and that is also going to be true for the present day. So the next FMP - if there are closures - is going to read radically different. With all that said, here's how the document opens: This 2021 Facilities Master Plan update provides information about the district’s facilities, including updated building and school program names and addresses; building and site size; school capacity; and updated building condition assessment data.   District Overview Seattle Publ...

 The Times has an article this morning that has better information in the comments than the actual story. They don't even link to the presentation the article discusses. A few items stick out: The new approach was informed, in part, by four community sessions and a community survey in May and June. One of the common themes from those meetings was that the community wanted more transparency from Seattle Public Schools and they wanted to be included in the process. Another big theme was that many opposed the district’s plan to close schools. I actually missed that last finding from the community meetings. Funny, the district isn't going to listen to parents who don't want schools closed.  “This is frankly scary for us,” Jones said. “We’re going to articulate when we’re struggling. We’re going to articulate when there’s a mismatch. We’re going to articulate when we don’t have the information. We will do that along the way so that there’s not going to be a surprise.” W...

  A sweet story in the Times about the late former School Board director Cheryl Chow . She was such an accomplished person (and a fellow shortie) and cared deeply about her community.  She has a street named after her in the Mount Baker neighborhood near Franklin High School (which she attended and was principal). Her daughter, Liliana, is now on the Franklin girls basketball team. The Times article is attached to the celebration of 50 year of gay pride in Seattle. Chow came out just before she passed away too soon at the age of 66. In that interview in 2012, Chow said, “If I can save one child from feeling bad or even committing suicide because they felt terrible because they were gay, then I would have succeeded in my last crusade.” In a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court this week, the Court said no to a religious charter school that was to be virtual.  From the NY Times: Yet it was divisive within the school choice movement and even within Oklahoma’s Republica...

Abandon hope all ye who cross the threshold of the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. Another thing I say - most of the Board, Superintendent and senior staff are not serious people. This is no way to run a district. Last night's school board meeting was an exercise in frustration for all.  I'll list the highlights (few) and lowlights (many) and then get into more detail for those who need it. Highlights - The Board passed their once a month Board meeting schedule. Again, more detail later but it had been on the Consent Agenda and Director Topp asked it be taken off. President Lisa Rankin said that there would be " other special meetings" during each month, including Work Sessions, but just one legislative session. Well, those "special meetings" are NOT in the BAR they were voting on so those are just words that Rankin is saying. Topp said she wanted to know when these special meetings would occur because there are so many people out there ...

We won't get the preliminary list for school closures but there will be a presentation on criteria. That would be helpful for everyone in order to understand why any particular school might be on the list. I hope they explain if there is any weighting to specific issues like how bad is bad for a school building, will the schools with the most students furthest from educational justice get more of a pass, will the district document, say, 5-7 years of lower enrollment?  I'm not sure how long the presentation will be - there is no attachment to the agenda - but it comes right before public testimony which could make things interesting.  Currently there are 20 scheduled speakers with a waitlist of 9 people. The student speaker leading the testimony will be from Ballard High School; I suspect high school safety might be mentioned. Most of the topics for speakers seem to be around funding and school closures.  The Board got busy and there are many "board time-use evaluations...

Update 2: I typed too quickly and saw my error in the article about the closure list in the Seattle Times.  Given that state law requires a hearing at every school site that’s slated to close, it would be a tight schedule to make the December vote if the list is unveiled in September. That's right; the public hearing for each school has to happen BEFORE the school is voted on. So apparently, the Superintendent will present a preliminary list in - what? - September, then the public hearings, then the vote in December.  end of update Update: it appears that the Superintendent will NOT be submitting a plan or list for closing schools at Wednesday night's Board meeting. He has a message with several topics in it - including safety - but here's what he says on "well-resourced schools" (bold mine): Board Meeting Update While the rescheduled meeting will occur on June 26, this Regular School Board Meeting will not include a proposed “school closure list.” Inst...

Update: From the Superintendent's messaging this afternoon on well-resourced schools as well as school safety. Commitment to Safety and Security Safety is our top priority. Next school year, we are expanding our plans to include gun violence prevention in high schools and increased mental health support for all grades. I have allocated over $2 million for staff to improve school building exteriors and campus security. Upcoming Safety Changes I am working on several safety changes for next school year in our high schools to ensure the well-being of our students and staff. Throughout the summer, I will be in conversations with our regional and building leaders about the needs of their school communities. The safety changes being considered may include: Increasing SPS security and neighborhood safety organization patrols around our buildings. Wearing identification badges on campus. Requiring clear backpacks. Closing campuses for lunch. Our campus safety improves...

Via the Seattle Special Education page on Facebook: I recently learned about the Lucas Play Project, a project working to pass legislation in Seattle on inclusive playground design for those with mobility disabilities. They need to gather as much community feedback as possible between now and July 10. They have a survey on their website where you can also learn more about them and their proposal. Please share widely.  Please take the survey but also share it within your community. ALL kids deserve a place to play.

  Update I sure missed something in the agenda for the Board meeting this Wednesday.   The Seattle School Board is moving to ONE meeting a month.  The BAR claims some equity reason because of "a review of holiday and religious observance calendars."  Bullshit. This is a result of a previous director who thought that the Board was not representative enough and it was because of too many meetings. Add President Rankin and Director Hersey and you can see where this is going. Near zero committee meetings. And now a SINGLE Board meeting a month. No community meetings, save Director Gina Topp.  This is not oversight. This is not accountability.  I ask you to PLEASE write to the Board and call this out.  spsdirectors@seattleschools.org end of update Congrats to ALL the graduates this year and their supportive, caring parent/sguardians. It's a long road but you did it.    Also, I see today is the last day of school so huzzah! for that.    ...

 Update: From the Seattle Times' David Horsey  end of update The issue of children and use of screens - as well as social media - took center stage this week. Locally, it came in the form of an announcement from Hamilton International Middle School and Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, saying that students will have to lock their phones in pouches when the school day begins.  From the Seattle Times : In Seattle, Hamilton International’s PTSA led the push for that school’s new policy. Cellphone use, along with students wandering the hallways and misbehavior in the bathroom, was one of the issues on which the group briefed Eric Marshall when he started as the school’s principal in August. In Seattle, schools get to decide how cellphones and other personal devices will be used in the buildings. That policy will remain in place, Bev Redmond, the district’s spokesperson and chief of staff said Tuesday. Hamilton International and Robert Eagle Staff are among the first ...