tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post5343079127182123918..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools' Boundary ChangesMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6889863221267631752016-10-29T15:37:51.131-07:002016-10-29T15:37:51.131-07:00to Walk to School from Ann
I was most likely at S...to Walk to School from Ann<br /><br />I was most likely at Sac with you during some difficult transitions. I committed myself and my second child to Sacajawea despite living 2 blocks away from the New Hazel Wolf site. I did that for many reasons but have not regretted it in the least. Both are excellent schools and I was privileged to be able to make an informed decision. Go Wolf Pack! <br /><br />I have watched my daughter who was at Sacajawea k5 and at least 8 of her fellow students soar with ease through JAMS rigourous HCC classes.<br /><br />Are we perfect, no. Can we give our children everything, no. No school can. But we try. <br /><br />A lot has changed at Sacajawea because a lot of people have put their time, money and resources into the school. I understand the painful process your family has gone throuh but please do not disrepct us because of experiences in the past. <br /><br />If you are not willing to see how things have changed--for example we go outside during recesses unless of torrential downpour--then please refrain from using us as an example. We are not "poor sacajawea". We are Sacajawea Strong. By making inaccurate statements about this "small" school, you are making it harder for us to provide an excellent education to all our students in the face of many obstacles. <br /><br />I'm impressed by this forums dominating culture of respect, information and open-ness. We all need to stand together to work to get the District and the Legislation to fund education. We cannot be separted by past pains and current assumptions. I think that the most powerful result of the strike was the amazing Soup for Teachers group. I am so deeply grateful for all those who are doing much outside school walls so that I and others can work within the school walls.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84021605760473002662016-10-27T22:36:20.260-07:002016-10-27T22:36:20.260-07:00@Ann Schlossman
My kids are some of the many Sac ...@Ann Schlossman<br /><br />My kids are some of the many Sac kids who were there and left for a school with a PTA that could fund stuff (stuff the government should be paying for but isn't), one that wasn't hemorrhaging kids every year like Sacajawea. They left for a school that let them go outside for recess even if it's raining instead of making them sit still at their desks in unattended classrooms. It rains a lot in Seattle. They switched to a school that could be academically more rigorous. <br /><br />We loved the racial and religious diversity at Sacajawea and were sad to give up so much of it when we switched schools. We adored quite a few of the F/RL kids we knew and still worry about a couple and remember them in our prayers to this day. One of those ELL kids is going to end up ruling the world, someday. A few of those other kids are going to end up in jail for sure. But, you know, they're kids. They deserve an education.<br /><br />You sound like a wonderful addition to the school. Thank you for your kind invitation, but we already know more than we want to about Sac. It needs more rigorous academics, kids to be allowed outdoors even on rainy days, and a PTA that can make up for all the countless things the government should be providing to kids. Redrawing the assignment zone to a sensible shape can only help with that.<br /><br />Walk to School Advocatenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-76215526430657565952016-10-27T16:35:58.397-07:002016-10-27T16:35:58.397-07:00@ concerned parent,
I think you are trying to re...@ concerned parent, <br /><br />I think you are trying to read the tea leaves here and there simply just isn't enough information for even conjecture and speculation. <br /><br />There are only three options for opening a high school. <br /><br />* 9th and 10th grade only<br />* 9th, 10th and 11th grade only or<br />* all four years. <br /><br />All three options can make a "viable cohort" and there are pros and cons to each choice. However, the important question is "viable cohort for WHAT?"<br /><br />Now I am going to sound like a broken record ... you can't evaluate the pros and cons until .... there are boundaries. Boundaries define every aspect of program placement and geo-splitting. Until there is a defined constituency, it is nothing but speculation. <br /><br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47226563032111741512016-10-27T16:25:23.919-07:002016-10-27T16:25:23.919-07:00I have run out of way to state that an assignment ...I have run out of way to state that an assignment plan that is based on geographic boundaries always starts with boundaries. <br /><br />Naturally, there is always some back and forth between programming and boundaries in the process of establishing the final boundary. That said, the process of a geographic based assignment plan always starts with the geography. Once people start looking at the maps, certain constraints become ... rather obvious. <br /><br />There are some schools that always need to have an extra program, just because of where they are physically located. These programs have often been called "magnet" programs because they are designed to attract people who would not ordinarily go to the school based geography. <br /><br />That is why I keep asserting that the boundary process needs to be started. Once the boundary process is started, then the natural conversation about programming will start. However, until the boundary process, the entire conversation about programming is only based on conjecture and supposition. <br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37044446518823785992016-10-27T14:56:34.296-07:002016-10-27T14:56:34.296-07:00@ kellie, the BEX page says they already have a Li...@ kellie, the BEX page says they already have a Lincoln SDAT in place, which has met 6 times. Are you referring to a different type of team, or an SDAT-phase 2 type team that works on programming as opposed to facilities? <br /><br />Also, you say the place to start is with natural boundaries, then figure out what you can put there. Maybe it's implied as part of the process, but doesn't it make more sense to consider both at the same time to some extent? In other words, before drawing a big Lincoln boundary, get a sense as to other capacity issues that need to be solved by Lincoln. Garfield's overcrowding, for example. If you start with the premise that the HCC pathway to Garfield needs to be eliminated and these kids (or some portion of them) need to be rerouted to Lincoln instead, figure out approximately how big that Lincoln HCC cohort will be before determining how big to make the Lincoln neighborhood boundary. <br /><br />HFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11355764640968038782016-10-27T14:44:09.217-07:002016-10-27T14:44:09.217-07:00Kellie:
To clarify your comment: "the plan i...Kellie:<br /><br />To clarify your comment: "the plan is to split 9, 10 and 11 and leave 12th grade in place. However, based on how quickly the promise to grandfather students at Whitman was broken ... I would not have any confidence in that plan." <br /><br />You are referring ONLY to north end HCC students being geo-split between Ingraham and Lincoln? (Not sure how Garfield fits into this picture, if at all.)What about nonHCC juniors pursuing IB at Ingraham or enrolled at Roosevelt? Will they be yanked back? Is there anything in writing to this effect that we can see?<br /><br />In any case, sounds like staff has already declared that Lincoln will open as a 9-12 school versus a roll up--that right?<br /><br />Thanks so much, again, for clarifying a really murky situation.<br /><br />Concerned Hamilton and Cascadia parent<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11246630962420078072016-10-27T14:04:28.580-07:002016-10-27T14:04:28.580-07:00@ concerned parent,
You raise several very astut...@ concerned parent, <br /><br />You raise several very astute and critical questions. Right now, it really the time to gather these questions. <br /><br />Staff's plan is to defer the boundary conversation until the 2019 growth boundaries. However, the longer there are no boundaries, the more theoretical these conversations are. I support drawing the boundaries as soon as possible, as that will cause the conversation to be more concrete with known constituents. <br /><br />I highly doubt that Lincoln will be IB due to the concerns you have raised. However, I do think that north end HCC will be geo-split to Lincoln. This then makes a very interesting challenge when the "international" schools are in Wallingford. <br /><br />The sooner these competing priorities are daylighted, the sooner, we can make a plan for the kids who are involved. <br /><br />At the moment, staff has said the plan is to split 9, 10 and 11 and leave 12th grade in place. However, based on how quickly the promise to grandfather students at Whitman was broken ... I would not have any confidence in that plan. <br /><br />My best guess is that once an SDAT is formed for Lincoln, then the geo-split plan will be formulated. <br /><br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51416007570464065302016-10-27T13:56:36.287-07:002016-10-27T13:56:36.287-07:00@ concerned parent,
I don't know if I can be...@ concerned parent, <br /><br />I don't know if I can be any clearer in this format.<br /><br />As soon as people take a few minutes and really look at the high school map, particularly one of the full color maps, the boundaries take a very obvious shape because of Seattle's unusual geography and all of the natural choke points. <br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35050763625023827032016-10-27T13:54:42.466-07:002016-10-27T13:54:42.466-07:00@ Lynn,
Area 66 is not at all like the situation...@ Lynn, <br /><br />Area 66 is not at all like the situation your are describing. <br /><br />At the start of JAMS, it was 50/50 Hamilton and Eckstein geo-splits. However, 100% of the Eckstein students who applied via open enrollment were returned to Eckstein the following year, because there was space. <br /><br />The Eckstein students were split BECAUSE the HIMS students were split, not the other way around. <br /><br />Hamilton was the school that desperately needed relief, while Eckstein could have worked for students to stay. Because they couldn't grandfather at Hamilton, they wouldn't grandfather at Eckstein. <br /><br />The Meany situation is 95/5. It is 95% Washington and 5% McClure and the only reason there is any McClure is because of the fact that a portion of Queen Anne was moved to Lowell and therefore a new feeder pattern. <br /><br />In this case, it is a small numbers of students, who will absolutely be able to stay at McClure via open enrollment because McClure has 100 empty seats. <br /><br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47000134173810997862016-10-27T09:48:13.324-07:002016-10-27T09:48:13.324-07:00Kellie;
Will you be attending the Lincoln High Sc...Kellie;<br /><br />Will you be attending the Lincoln High School meeting tonight at 6:30 to share your expertise and wisdom? Please say "yes"! Regardless, what would you recommend we parents advocate for to ensure Lincoln is well thought out, well planned and well implemented?<br /><br />Meantime, I want to follow up on something you said above:<br /><br />"You first need to establish the natural boundaries for Lincoln for the rest of the logic puzzle to fill in. IMHO, that needs to happen as soon as possible, because if you draw the largest possible boundaries for Lincoln, you will not come close to filling the school. In theory you could draw a boundary that went all the way to doors of Ballard, Roosevelt and Garfield. If you drew boundaries that extreme, you could possibly fill the school.<br /><br />However, those boundaries would be extreme and would relocate hundreds of students who are walking distance to their current high school. So that is not going to happen."<br /><br />Perhaps I'm being dense, but why do you say "if you draw the largest possible boundaries for Lincoln, you will not come close to filling the school"? What makes sense for Lincoln boundaries? Has the district said it will open Lincoln as a full 9-12 school the day it opens in fall 2019 or will it roll up from 9th grade up? Has the district said anything about what happens to 11th and 12th graders from Ingraham IB (or Roosevelt) since Lincoln will open in this year's 8th graders' junior years? <br /><br />My understanding from talking to Ingraham IB coordinators is that there is NO way Lincoln can open as an IB high school on day one because it's a five-year accreditation process. So where's the "equity" in yanking kids from the IB program to populate Lincoln?<br /><br />It seems pretty clear the writing is on the wall that Lincoln will become an "international" school, given JSIS, McDonald and Hamilton feeders. Every other international high school in this city has an IB program. <br /><br />Concerned Hamilton and Cascadia parent<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44929699051521809102016-10-27T08:36:26.158-07:002016-10-27T08:36:26.158-07:00Area 66 reminds me of the 7th grade Eckstein and J...Area 66 reminds me of the 7th grade Eckstein and JAMS area students who pleaded with the board to be allowed to remain at HIMS for their final year. They were not allowed to stay. Parents demanded a geo-split rather than a roll up for their middle school students. Kids were pulled out of Eckstein and equity demanded that HIMS students had to go too.<br /><br />Meany's reopening will be different. The families I know whose kids will be assigned to Meany next year are happy about it. Area 66 students should be able to remain at McClure. As for programming, I expect Meany will offer a reduced number of electives due to its size - the smallest middle school in the district. It won't look much like Washington. <br /><br />Washington is losing 300 students next year. Has the administration shared how that will affect programming? Students who are required to take math support or reading classes already have limited access to electives. How many general education students will be able to take music and world language classes? The principal's response to this is predictable.<br /><br />The WMS/Meany situation is worse than Cedar Park. The high FRL general education population at Washington is staying behind in the unrenovated building and will be greatly outnumbered by a high performing, low poverty population in self-contained classes. Many of them will only interact in sixth grade PE and health.Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-63491579420821844982016-10-26T23:09:48.364-07:002016-10-26T23:09:48.364-07:00The current 66ers should be allowed to grandfather...The current 66ers should be allowed to grandfather at McClure. I worry not enough people will fight for that population. I am happy to see the principal taking a stance. I am shocked the district is getting ahead of the MASSIVE bubble currently in 4th grade in QA and Magnolia. <br />TsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-22723635316384640492016-10-26T20:19:45.632-07:002016-10-26T20:19:45.632-07:00I'd like to address the "walk to school a...I'd like to address the "walk to school advocate" from a few days ago. I think that you might be conflating diversity and economics, assuming that diversity is only provided by low income families. To give some back story, Sacajawea's boundaries were created by the School Board. The idea was that students avoided crossing busy streets like Lake City Way. It used to be a thing with the District but since I5 and Aurora are no longer considered barriers to walk to school maybe there is room to discuss a change in the future. I'd also like to assure you that we have a high number of students that walk to school, ravine or no ravine. We give a small auction party every year mostly because it's fun to hang out. As our population doesn't go too much for "big ticket items" we've narrowed it down to getting together and bidding on kids art and doing a couple of paddle raises. Otherwise, we do a direct ask and our kids raise 1/3 of our budget by running their hearts out in our Move-a-thon. It's their school and they take pride in supporting it. <br /><br />If you'd like to come see us and what we're about (because it kinda seems like you don't know much about who and what we are), I'd love to give you a personal tour. I'm the Volunteer Coordinator funded by a PTA that manages to create a pretty cool, all-inclusive school by working in partnership with our teachers and staff. I provide tours after our Monday assembly at 8:45 am. Please let me know if you're coming, and I'll be ready to show you just what a small school can do. amschlossman@seattleschools.org Ann SchlossmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52040376309685737142016-10-26T15:59:02.253-07:002016-10-26T15:59:02.253-07:00Here is what this would look-like.
Because we ha...<br />Here is what this would look-like. <br /><br />Because we have a geographic assignment plan with certain rules and restrictions based on geography, step 1 is to draw the geographic boundary / the viable range for the boundary for the school. After the boundary range has been established, then you will know if the natural geographic boundary will fill the school or not fill the school. <br /><br />After you have that range established, then you know if you can add programs. For example, Ingraham is in the far NW corner of the district. Even if you draw the largest possible boundary around the school that would go all the way to the doors of Nathan Hale and Ballard, there would not be enough students to fill the school. Therefore, Ingraham is a ideal location for IB and IBX and those programs give a "good reason" for students to travel further to this program. <br /><br />You first need to establish the natural boundaries for Lincoln for the rest of the logic puzzle to fill in. IMHO, that needs to happen as soon as possible, because if you draw the largest possible boundaries for Lincoln, you will not come close to filling the school. In theory you could draw a boundary that went all the way to doors of Ballard, Roosevelt and Garfield. If you drew boundaries that extreme, you could possibly fill the school. <br /><br />However, those boundaries would be extreme and would relocate hundreds of students who are walking distance to their current high school. So that is not going to happen. <br /><br />This math needs to happen asap, so that the part that is programs and assignment can begin with real data, not wishful thinking. And all of the math ... starts with boundaries. <br /> <br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1906835224443875812016-10-26T15:54:08.432-07:002016-10-26T15:54:08.432-07:00@ Concerned parent.
This may sound pedantic but ...@ Concerned parent. <br /><br />This may sound pedantic but ... Growth Boundaries are about boundaries. Student Assignment is about Student Assignment. While they are interconnected, there are clear distinctions. As we have a geographic based assignment plan, that means, boundaries first, programs second. <br /><br />At the moment Lincoln has neither "boundaries" nor any students "assigned" to it. Therefore it would seem like either would work. However, in the logic puzzle, boundaries come before assignment, which is why this needs to be addressed in the "Growth Boundaries Vote."<br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41473190465562484812016-10-26T15:09:57.038-07:002016-10-26T15:09:57.038-07:00Can Kellie or Melissa (or another well informed pe...Can Kellie or Melissa (or another well informed person) explain why the Lincoln timeline for boundaries must be addressed in a board amendment at the Nov. 2 Growth Boundaries vote versus the Student Assignment Plan for a vote on Jan. 4? <br /><br />Perhaps someone can articulate what is supposed to happen at the Growth Boundaries vote versus the SAP vote?<br /><br />The lack of transparency around even the timelines and criteria for decisions being made that will affect Seattle students and families for years to come is simply stunning. There seems to be zero attempt to explain WHY the district is making the decisions they're making. <br /><br />Concerned Hamilton and Cascadia parent<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-92164759976383826092016-10-26T10:55:17.285-07:002016-10-26T10:55:17.285-07:00I am not sure why the district memo says that View...I am not sure why the district memo says that Viewlands can't have any more portables. We were supposed to have three added 2016-2017 but had two added when the district cancelled a teacher in June. Why can't they add that very same portable 2017-2018? Viewlands did reduce K,1,2 class sizes per McCleary this school year. Why if we already have 11 portables did they choose Viewlands as one of the schools to do class size reductions? We are an attendance area school so the district will always be shuffling things to make room for students. So there must be other options considering it is a rapidly growing school. When Viewlands reopened in 2011 it was predicted to open with 80 students. It opened with 180 students and was allowed to fill gradually. Now five years later we have 400 students. Not sure what the long term thinking is for Viewlands but moving students from Viewlands to Olympic View and filling with Broadview Thompson and Whitman kids doesn't add up.Viewlands parentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45477809345845910012016-10-26T10:47:41.245-07:002016-10-26T10:47:41.245-07:00reader47,
$68,000 is what First Student charges u...reader47,<br /><br />$68,000 is what First Student charges us for the use of a bus and the services of a driver each year. Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13096320889986466272016-10-26T10:24:59.682-07:002016-10-26T10:24:59.682-07:00All of you are now seeing what happens in these ki...All of you are now seeing what happens in these kinds of situations.<br /><br />You are told one capacity and then it changes.<br /><br />You are told no small schools and yet they allow it for some schools. <br /><br />It is a shell game in many ways so that the district can drive to what it truly wants to do.<br /><br />I attended the community meeting last night on next year's budget. We may be in a grave situation because of McCleary but staff only presented issues that they wanted to cover. I'll have more on this today.<br /><br />PLEASE write to the Board and tell them about these disparities. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80483838159073603952016-10-26T10:05:47.294-07:002016-10-26T10:05:47.294-07:00The Cedar Park facility is about the same size as ...The Cedar Park facility is about the same size as Sacajawea, but we were told that a school under 300 students would not be "viable," so the Cedar Park boundaries were drawn west of Lake City Way, splitting Olympic Hills. How is it that having well under 300 kids enrolled is OK for Sacajawea, but not for Cedar Park?<br /><br />go figureAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-22246372030310758772016-10-26T09:46:29.697-07:002016-10-26T09:46:29.697-07:00Ooops. The Greenlake number should have been 375, ...Ooops. The Greenlake number should have been 375, not 387. <br /><br />The point is still the same. The grandfathering recommendations are based on 319 at Greenlake and their capacity is much higher. <br /><br />Same with Sac. Their grandfathering recommendations are based on 217 but their capacity is also much higher. <br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24331052887721646152016-10-26T09:22:04.059-07:002016-10-26T09:22:04.059-07:00@Kellie
There is a similar discrepancy with Sacaj...@Kellie<br /><br />There is a similar discrepancy with Sacajawea's stated capacity.<br /><br />From the spreadsheet provided to the CMTF (Sept 17th meeting docs), Sac's capacity this year is 280, and will drop to 236 for 2017-18, when full K-3 class size reductions kick in.<br /><br />The 2017-18 capacity listed for Sacajawea on the grandfathering table is only 217 (including 5 portables). Why the drop from 236 to 217?<br /><br />-North-end MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87100960730724575812016-10-26T09:00:33.977-07:002016-10-26T09:00:33.977-07:00@ Green Lake Parent,
I am hoping you can help me...@ Green Lake Parent, <br /><br />I am hoping you can help me with something. <br /><br />On the grandfathering recommendation sheet that you posted at the top of this thread, Greenlake’s capacity WITH PORTABLES is 319, presuming that there is K-2 class size reduction next year.<br /><br />However, the capacity sheet used at the Capacity committee meeting in September, states Greenlake’s capacity is 430 now and 387 with full K-2 class size reduction.<br /><br />I think this 319 capacity number is causing the no grandfathering recommendation. But that is a HUGE swing 319-387-430. Any insight?<br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48600581418933784512016-10-26T08:39:24.942-07:002016-10-26T08:39:24.942-07:00A comment on the $68,000 per school bus number fro...A comment on the $68,000 per school bus number from Transportation. <br /><br /> On the face of this, that's true - a <b>BRAND NEW</b> school bus costs about $68,000. However, the current vendor, First Student, has buses all over the country and could very easily bring in the additional 10 buses discussed from other places and a considerably lower cost. Not to mention that there are ALREADY 10 EXTRA buses available right now. Someone is hoping no one questions those numbers but the reality is acquiring 10 extra buses DOES NOT HAVE TO COST $680,000<br /><br />gamesmenship pure and simple<br /><br />reader47Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66285408338111538902016-10-25T23:13:19.643-07:002016-10-25T23:13:19.643-07:00One of many things that bother me about the docume...One of many things that bother me about the document is that it doesn't include any analysis of alternatives for Eagle Staff's boundaries so that Whitman's enrollment doesn't see a drastic drop to half it's current size next year. Is this on anyone's radar?! Board or SPS staff???<br /><br />-Green Lake ParentGreen Lake Parentnoreply@blogger.com