This and That

Update: it appears that former SPS senior staffer Keisha Scarlett is out as superintendent of St Louis Public Schools. Just after a year in that position, she has taken a leave of absence.

Scarlett’s recent hires included at least 12 former Seattle administrators and employees from Seattle – with some jobs going to spouses of those coming to SLPS.

In addition, SLPS’ new communications chief Phoenix Jackson posted online last week that she would be living in both Houston and St. Louis and “float as needed between two lives and I love that for me,” while managing the essential role.

This and the Seattle hires led Board of Education President Toni Cousins to call for an investigation into SLPS hiring and temporarily freeze any additional employment additions.

SLPS had also reportedly has gone from having a $17 million budget surplus to facing a potential $35 million shortfall.

In addition, teachers and staff in the district were notified that raises approved by the board last spring that would begin in the 2024-25 would be delayed because of “logistical issues.”

I'm a bit disappointed. I had always wondered how she would do if she could just get away from SPS. 

end of update

 

Last post for awhile - coming back to Seattle for a bit soon. 

Alki Elementary is back on its building schedule after the city hearing examiner made a ruling based on some neighbor complaints. 

From the West Seattle Blog:

That means the city’s decision to approve a zoning exception for the 15-space redesign – 33 spaces less than what zoning requires – is affirmed. The appellants’ only potential avenue to challenge that would be via taking it to court within three weeks of the decision. So will they?

Well, that's better than the single space the district's capital planning had made. 

One of the neighbors is calling it a win and points out an interesting item:

The second appeal forced the School District to finally admit that Alki Elementary’s past traffic and parking problems were serious, and that its previous traffic management arrangements at the school were inadequate and dangerous. As a consequence of that admission, for the second appeal, the District created a draft traffic management plan in advance of school construction. I do not believe this has ever happened before.

I have not heard of a "traffic management plan" freestanding before. Anyone?

From the district on this news:

The new Alki building will offer space for up to 500 students in kindergarten through grade 5, plus additional space for up to 42 preschool students.  

The entrance will face the city-owned park boulevard between the district’s property and Alki Playfield, enhancing connections to the community. Planning is in progress for the playfield, sports courts, and boulevard in partnership with the Seattle Parks Department.

The district expects to open the new school building in Fall 2026. 

 

In a truly disturbing story, KOMO News is reporting this story. It's jaw-dropping.

The Seattle Police Department is searching for a group of juveniles, including a 7-year-old who police said are wanted for a robbery in the Green Lake neighborhood. 

According to officers, five 15-year-old girls were riding a King County Metro Bus on Monday when a group of 10 juveniles between the ages of seven and 17 boarded the bus and started making "biased comments about the girl's race and privilege."

Feeling intimidated, police said the victims decided to get off the bus at North 82nd Street, but the suspects followed them, demanding money and "using foul language."

The 7-year old then "brandished" a hatchet while another person robbed one of the girls.  That person robbing the girls had a baby on their hip. A baby.

What is going on in Seattle?!

As parents, I'm not sure there's much more you could say to teens about safety when they are traveling in a group in the daytime.  Maybe, no purse or wallet is worth getting hurt? 

And that's the real crux - someday someone is going to get REALLY hurt. 

The probable nominee from the Democratic Party is Vice-President Kalama Harris. 

From the AP:

Harris’ appearance at the teachers union’s biennial convention in Houston follows a rally Tuesday in the Milwaukee area and a speech Wednesday to a gathering of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis.

“They have the nerve to tell teachers to strap on a gun in the classroom while they refuse to pass commonsense gun safety laws,” she said.

Harris added that “we want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books.”

The 1.8 million-member AFT ( American Federation of Teachers) has backed Harris and her pro-union agenda on the premise that a second Trump term could result in restrictions on organized labor and a potential loss of funding for education.

The AFL-CIO, which represents 60 labor unions including the AFT, has backed Harris. But the vice president has yet to get the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, whose president, Shawn Fain, told CNBC this week that the union’s executive board will make that decision.