Seattle Schools Community Forum

Just to note, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner continues his Community Engagement meetings this week. Tonight Tuesday night at 6:30 pm, he is at West Seattle Elementary School and on Thursday, he is virtual with the meeting starting at SIX pm, not 6:30 as for the in-person meetings. The link is not yet available but I will post when I see it. They do ask you to RSVP especially if you need interpretation services but it is not required. I feel like John Oliver saying this but "Now to our main story." This headline says it all - J ury Finds Meta and Google Negligent in Social Media Harms Trial From NPR : A California jury on Wednesday found that Meta and Google were to blame for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child, awarding her $6 million in a rare verdict holding Silicon Valley accountable for its role in fueling a youth mental health crisis. The jurors concluded that Meta and Google should pay the woman $3 million in compens...

  O'Connor Institute Ambassadors Online Civics & Debate Club invites your teen to join for free. As an Ambassador, You Will: Discuss and learn about today’s most relevant civic issues with students nationwide Strengthen your knowledge of government, law, and civil discourse Connect with other motivated students from across the country Stand out on college applications by demonstrating civic engagement and leadership Earn community service hours and participate in local volunteer opportunities Receive a graduation cord as a senior who completes the program Join a national network of curious, driven high school leaders Build confidence in public speaking, discussion, and critical thinking Seniors: compete for $5,000 scholarship opportunities No debate experience required — just curiosity and a willingness to participate

A reader sent me a link (thanks!) from the Capitol Hill Seattle blog about SaferWatch, a safety platform for schools. Seattle Public Schools says it is rolling out support for a new “federally funded” app and phone system with “tools for medical emergency reporting, anonymous tips, and schoolwide communication.” The SaferWatch system has been put in place in several large school districts across the country but the Florida-based company is facing increased scrutiny after its CEO was arrested and charged in a bribery case involving the New York Police Department. SPS’s rollout comes just weeks after the arrest. While the bribery scandal threatens to overshadow the company’s technology, reviews are mixed about its efficacy. One clear takeaway: The system generates a lot of tips but it isn’t clear what, exactly, the district will do with the flow of information. SaferWatch reports that its system is currently used in more than 2,000 schools and 5,000 locations nationwide. And here's ...

 On Thursday, The Seattle Times r eported that Mayor Katie Wilson stated this:   Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said Thursday she’s pausing the planned addition of police CCTV cameras — with an exception for the stadiums before the World Cup — amid fears they could be used to target immigrants and add to a creeping surveillance state. She won’t, however, turn off any of the cameras the city currently uses, save for one near a clinic that offers reproductive health services. The halt, she said, will give her and her administration time to thoroughly audit the protocols surrounding their use, which will likely take several months and involve help from New York University’s Policing Project, which aims to create more accountability and transparency in policing techniques. What about safety at high schools? Wilson’s announcement seeks to thread a needle on the issue. Though she’s pausing the addition of cameras near Garfield High School and Capitol Hill, she said she had greenlit thei...

 This week sees the first meetings of the newly reconstituted Board committees.    Monday - March 23rd Finance and Audit Committee from 10am-noon. That's a very odd time for a committee meeting.  Agenda includes goals for the committee, draft work plan, and an update on the 2026-2027 Budget Development process.   This committee is made up of Vivian Song (Chair), Jen LaVallee (Member) and Liza Rankin (Member).   Tuesday - March 24th Superintendent Community Meeting at McClure Middle School from 6:30-7:30 pm.   Wednesday - March 25th Policy Committee from 2-4 pm. The agenda reflects organizational work. This committee is made up of Joe Mizrahi (Chair), Liza Rankin (Member),  and Kathleen Smith (Member).   Thursday - March 26th Superintendent Community Meeting at James Baldwin Elementary from 6:30-7:30 pm.   The Operations Committee met last week.  This committee is made up of Jen LaVallee (Chair), Evan...

  As I mentioned in my wrap-up of the last Seattle School Board meeting on March 11th, the agenda was so full that President Gina Topp had to schedule another one (a "special meeting") to cover the Introduction items. Agenda .   There was a large amount of time spent discussing the new curriculum for K-5 English Language Arts. The proposed pick is McGraw Hill's Emerge! Elementary School Curriculum.  Superintendent Shuldiner acknowledged the K-5 English Language Adoption Selection committee and how long and hard they worked to make this selection, saying it was an 18-month process. He brought up Mike Starosky, Kathleen Vasquez, and Cachel Toner to sit with him and answer questions. All of them are on the Academic side.  He stated that one important part of teaching is professional development which would include literacy coaching, a reading plan, and a curriculum " that allows our teachers to be able to have the supports and tools that they need to address the learni...

 From SPS Facebook: Huge congratulations to Chief Sealth International High School, home to TWO 2026 State Wrestling Champions! What an incredible season and an unforgettable achievement for our Seahawk community. Lanuola Amituanai made history as the 2A 145 lb. Ladies State Champion, becoming the first female state wrestling champion from Seattle Public Schools. Lanu dominated the state tournament, pinning every opponent, including the final match, and defeated eight other state place winners during the season. An extraordinary accomplishment! Eli Policarpio, 2A 215 lb. Boys State Champion, capped off a remarkable season with a 53–1 record, setting a new Metro Conference record. Eli powered through the state tournament and, despite an injury in the final match, showed grit and determination to finish strong and claim the title. Congrats to Lanuola and Eli!   As I reported previously, the Board is having another meeting today at 4:30 pm to take up agenda items from last Wedn...

I know there are other folks/groups out there writing about Seattle Schools. That's great. You expand your knowledge base with more than one outlet. Or you can get more specific info from outlets with specific topics like HC. If you read something on one of these outlets, you are more than welcome to name them and provide a link. I, however, will not be doing that on a regular basis so please do not name an outlet and think I will supply the link.  

  KUOW is reporting that the Seattle Police Department has arrested "a male juvenile" who is connected to the January shooting of two Rainier Beach High School students at a bus stop in front in the school. Both students, boys, died. (Bold mine) At a news conference announcing the arrest Tuesday, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said the suspect was not a student at Rainier Beach High School, but detectives believe there “could have been a relationship” between the suspect and the victims. Barnes said the arrest was made outside of Seattle — though he didn’t say where — and authorities still haven’t found the gun used in the shooting. Seattle Police Department officials shared few details about the arrest or investigation, citing the suspect's age.  As well, it looks like SPD will be around RBHS for the rest of the school year. Is that in addition to Garfield High School?  Barnes said he hopes this case can be a call to action for the entire community — SPD includ...

 As one can see from the YouTube recording, this meeting was over four hours (and there's a good reason for that). Sadly, something went amiss this afternoon (when I was reporting on the second half of the meeting) and it all disappeared. So I'm going to try to recall and just do highlights.   All the directors were present as was Superintendent Shuldiner. Agenda. There was a recognition of the Rainier Beach High School basketball team winning their division in the state for the second year in a row.  The Roosevelt High School girls basketball team came in third in the state and were honored as well. President Gina Topp noted the benefits of athletes including time management. The Board took a recess to meet the athletes of both teams.  Shuldiner also commended both teams.  He explained how deeply he feels about student athletes and what they get from pursuing a sport. He also said that athletes have to be "eligible" and talked about GPAs. (Interesting side note...

Update via the Kent Reporter, fantastic news: A bill guaranteeing full‑ride college tuition for all foster youth and students who experienced homelessness passed both legislative chambers and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law.  The students who qualify are foster youths ages 13 and older and others who experienced homelessness in the year before college. These students already qualify for the Washington College Grant, which covers full‑ride tuition. They must complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that determines a student’s eligibility for aid based on their family income, to receive those funds. This bill waives that requirement.  In both the Senate and House chambers, the bill received nearly unanimous support. No action must be taken by students to receive or renew the funds, which pay for up to six years, or 18 quarters, of full-time education. end of update Looks like Rainier Beach High School took the state  Class 3A champ...