Education News Round-Up

Superintendent Search Watch

The Board will be having a "special meeting" on Tuesday, August 26th at 4 pm at the JSCEE. No agenda yet available.

According to HYA rep Micah Ali, the "leadership profile" will be shared at that meeting.

- Then, from September 1-15, it would be shared with communities.

- The application process for candidates will end on September 15th.

- September 17th, final update to the Board.

- September 26th, slate of candidates presented to Board. This is unlikely to be something the public will have access to as it's a longer list and some candidates may still be at other districts.

- October 9-10th, Board picks final candidates. I believe this means those candidates will be announced to the public.

- October 13th, Board discussion (so that means a Board meeting) with a pick made between October 15-22nd and the Board making an offer to that candidate.

As has been previously stated, even if the candidate who gets the offer then accepts the offer, that person may not be able to come onboard until sometime in 2026.

I took a peek at the application page and here's what it says for salary - $330,000-$385,000. That, of course, does not include benefits and any bonuses. The actual application is not available.

To note, I looked at the Superintendent Search page at the district website and they do NOT have this information there. It was not in the Times. You have this list because I did the work to transcribe all that was stated at the July 30st Board meeting.




Principals

Here's a list of the new principals for 2025-2026. There are 25 which is nearly a full quarter of all principals.




West Seattle High School

Remember Ethan Thomas? He's the West Seattle High School music teacher who received a $10,000 grant from Barry Manilow's foundation. The West Seattle Blog checked in on him to ask what Thomas might use it for.

$10,000 may seem like a lot, but according to Thomas, music programs are costly. “Depending on the year and the SPS budget,” he said, “my colleague and I receive around $300 from the district to run our entire music program.” Typically, this amounts to roughly one dollar per student. Instead, West Seattle depends primarily on community support through bi-annual fundraisers, which usually raise about $20,000. This money goes towards new music, instrument repairs, band trips, uniform expenses, and scholarships for all three band programs. For some context, the cost of a single Alto Saxophone ranges between $600 to $2,500, and a single High School band can consist of anywhere between 50 and 150 members. 

Fortunately for Thomas, the Manilow Music Project has a deal with online music retailer Sweetwater, which gives them special pricing on instruments, and there are no spending or time stipulations on the grant. This means they’ll be able to spend it on anything they need. Currently, one of West Seattle High School’s most pressing needs is a new tuba, which can often cost upwards of $6,000. They’re also considering buying a new bass, which is similarly expensive.

This and That

One school district in Tennessee will no longer accept doctors' notes for student absences. You have to have sympathy for all the front desk staff and school nurses who going to hear from parents about this.

The policy states that after just three absences, schools will start intervention. If the student misses school for eight or more days, they will be referred to juvenile court. 

Director of Schools Michael Adkins addressed the issue during the district’s June school board meeting. 

“You can fail the grade,” Adkins said. “You can fail the course. You are going to be petitioned to court. You are not going to participate in graduation, get your driver’s license or permit.” 

Adkins also said during the meeting, “We are going to take control of the attendance of our students. You can bring all the doctor’s notes you want, but it is still unexcused.”

I"m not sure a district can tie attendance to a student getting a driver's permit without the state legislature passing a law.



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Sensory-friendly and inclusive performances are designed to provide a supportive and judgment-free environment for people affected by sensory processing challenges in a continued effort to make live theatre accessible to all.



Auburn SD has a new "Devices Off = Learning On policy.

Beginning this fall, student use of personal electronic devices (PED) will be prohibited during instructional time. PEDs include, but not limited to, cell phones, smart watches, ear buds and headphones. 

 

Research shows reducing phone use improves focus, academic performance, social connections and reduces bullying. We are committed to creating classrooms where students thrive distraction-free.

My "hmmm" of the day

I was looking for something at the SPS website and happened upon this announcement. 

As I reported in early 2023 a group called the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) awarded the Seattle School Board "for excellence in school governance." At the time, it seemed to come out of left field.

It seemed odd because the Board wasn't exactly on fire at that time BUT had been (slowly) transitioning to using SOFG (Student Outcome Focused Governance).

Reading down, I found this:

“At CUBE, we pride ourselves on sharing best practices and showcasing excellence in urban school board governance in the form of real, tangible impact that centers student equity,” said Micah Ali, CUBE Steering Committee chair and president emeritus of California’s Compton Unified School District Board of Education. “Seattle Public Schools’ commitment to ensuring an anti-racist school system, and the actions it has taken to create policies and procedures sustaining that critical learning environment, demonstrate what school leaders can and must do to improve outcomes for students in urban districts.”

Ali presented the award to Seattle School Board President Brandon Hersey at the 2022 CUBE Annual Conference.

Know who Mr. Ali is? The lead for the superintendent search by HYA (Hazard, Young,Attea). Interesting alignment and I think maybe it might have been good to acknowledge that Ali and Hersey had met in person previously.