Seattle Schools Updates, Sunday, November 8, 2026

From KUOW, a couple of items to consider.

First, KUOW's Soundside program will be hosting Superintendent Ben Shuldiner on Monday, the 9th in the noon hour. They will be taking calls, 206-543-5869 or email your questions soundside@kuow.org.

Listening to the chatter out there, it seems many parents are still confused/unhappy with the elementary recess times. Some seem unhappy that Shuldiner makes vague references to some schools not doing well without naming them or explaining his supporting data.

Other issues I'm hearing about:

It is also interesting to hear high school parents complain that local media tend to focus a lot more on elementary issues and not high schools (except for sports scandals).

Also, a longer school day? Some parents seem to think it would be a good idea both for recess AND for daycare costs (plus more learning).

As well, it seems the Superintendent had a meeting with Sand Point Elementary and Laurelhurst Elementary staff about the possible merger of the two schools at Laurelhurst. It does not sound like Laurelhurst teachers are on-board with this because of the worry of more Special Education students at Sand Point then coming into Laurelhurst.

It will be a challenge for SPS to decide how to comply with the newly-passed ban on trans girls on girls sports teams. I didn't read the measure closely but is it just for school-based teams or rec as well? I wonder what SPS will do.


Via SPS website - Enrollment Information Sessions

The SPS Enrollment Team is hosting a series of community information sessions designed to make the enrollment process easy.

We’ve scheduled in-person and virtual sessions in November, December, and January, so you can pick what works best for you.

Join us to learn about:How the enrollment process works

The Open Enrollment for School Choice lottery timeline

Understanding Open Enrollment for School Choice options and eligibility

There will be 5 in-person and 2 virtual sessions to make it easy for every family to participate. Don’t miss out—let’s make Open Enrollment for School Choice simple and stress-free!

I am VERY happy to learn that the Ingraham jazz band has been visiting area middle schools to encourage the jazz bands at those schools. The only way to sustain the excellence of the SPS jazz bands that has been a point of pride is to actual support them.

Another impressive Ingraham High School story 

A grant from the Korean Education Center in Seattle and a partnership with OneWorld Now!

Through a grant from the Korean Education Center in Seattle, a program of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, Ingraham High School is partnering with OneWorld Now! to offer an after-school Korean language class. Open to high school students throughout North Seattle, the program will provide opportunities to learn Korean, participate in cultural exchange, and earn world language credit. 

 

Another great story is the 6th graders at Boren K-8 mentoring kindergarteners about woodshop.

As part of the experience, sixth graders introduced kindergarteners to woodshop safety practices, basic tools, and classroom norms, helping prepare them for future learning opportunities while building confidence and leadership skills.

For older students the district recently had Cleveland High School host the ACE Mentoring Program, sponsored by the SPS Career and Technical Education Department.

Seattle high school students are connecting with industry professionals and gaining hands-on experience in architecture, construction and engineering through the ACE Mentor Program

The ACE Mentor Program is a nationally recognized initiative that helps students explore careers in the built environment through hands-on projects, mentorship, and real-world learning experiences. During the kickoff event, students from across the district met their mentors, learned about this year’s design challenge competition, and received an overview of the program’s yearlong experience.

Across the Seattle region, nine ACE teams will engage more than 400 students. Throughout the year, participants will meet weekly at industry workplaces, take part in site visits, and collaborate with professional mentors as they design and develop a building project from concept to completion.