tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post6619910275176033371..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Highlights from Board MeetingMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80599860249198757252008-12-18T16:42:00.000-08:002008-12-18T16:42:00.000-08:00ZB asks about sped numbers which are non-resident....ZB asks about sped numbers which are non-resident. (and they have sibling which may attend, also non-resident)<BR/><BR/>In actuality, it's only sped students of level 3+, and in a so-called program, that <I>may</I> be assigned from another area, and according to whims of special education consulting teachers. Usually it means around 50% of these students are non-residents. Anyway, here's the count of those students.<BR/><BR/>Level 3+ students:<BR/><BR/>Bryant: 7<BR/>John Rogers: 16<BR/>Laurelhurst: 0<BR/>Wedgwood: 18<BR/>View Ridge: 24 (I think)<BR/><BR/>---------------------<BR/>Adhoc writes: <I><BR/><BR/>If we do not grandfather kids and do not allow them to remain in their current schools until they graduate, I think that we would be making a decision that was not in the best interest of the children. It would be inexcusably disruptive to thousands of families. I don't think moving children away from the school that they call home, away from the teachers they are familiar with, and away from the friends they have made could possibly be in their best interest. </I><BR/><BR/>------------------<BR/><BR/>That has been then the norm for many special education students every year. Check out the December edition of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine which features a kid that has been moved every year (each year he did great, but was still forced out of his school, AND each building actually had services). Cooper, Bagley, Schmitz Park... all simply because of district expediency. The district, after lots of pressure, has agreed to let some students remain in their schools after kindergarten and to provide integrated services to those kids. This is a huge step in the right direction. We'll see how many are allowed to actually benefit from this.AutismMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11733034472823241389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79780357708112269872008-12-18T16:23:00.000-08:002008-12-18T16:23:00.000-08:00Ah yes, I forgot spectrumAh yes, I forgot spectrumzbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205346985598789513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64534436981149765522008-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:002008-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:00Adhoc says "If we do not grandfather kids and do n...Adhoc says "If we do not grandfather kids and do not allow them to remain in their current schools until they graduate, I think that we would be making a decision that was not in the best interest of the children. "<BR/><BR/>I agree completely. During the first round of closures under Raj, Britta Butler-Wall kept telling NE families that they were not picking a school, they were picking a Kindergarten and that most likely k-2 students would be reassigned under the new assignment plan.<BR/><BR/>Guess what happened. There was zero growth in the NE the following year. When you look at NE enrollment numbers, you can see that they grow steadily every year and then there is this one year that is perfectly flat. There was growth, it just wasn't growth for Seattle Schools. Families want stability. Families don't pick a Kindergarten, they pick a school.north seattle momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398949285827606629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73639245320265358012008-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:002008-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:00I had said "geographically closest" which can be v...I had said "geographically closest" which can be very different from the official reference area. <BR/><BR/>For Laurelhurst, a lot of families come from just the other side of sandpoint way so they are very close to Laurelhurst and consider it to be their neighborhood school. Many of them were too far (this year) to get into Bryant. <BR/><BR/>View Ridge and Wedgwood have spectrum programs that draw from all over the cluster so for those schools you need to look at only the gen ed seats to make a fair neighborhood comparions.<BR/><BR/>Also for Wedgwood, it is in center of the cluster. many folk on the outer edges of John Rogers, Bryant and View Ridge are equally close or closer to Wedgwood than their reference school. <BR/><BR/>Also, as adhoc said, many of the out of reference area families are in the upper grades. If you could look at the grades for just K-1 you would see a very different picture. <BR/><BR/>So anyway, my point is that as clusters get more and more congested folks wind up being assigned to their "neighborhood school" based on distance already. <BR/><BR/>BTW, what year are those numbers from?north seattle momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398949285827606629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30628082730633231182008-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:002008-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00I'm curious about that too ZB. Could it be that Sp...I'm curious about that too ZB. <BR/><BR/>Could it be that Spectrum draws kids from several reference areas (At View Ridge and Wedgewood)? Or, ELL (Sacajewea)? <BR/><BR/>Also, it's much much easier to get into the popular schools at the upper grades. Kids from those schools transfer out to APP, or change schools or move out of district....and the schools get a fair amount of openings. Two years ago when my son changed schools (third grade) we had plenty of great schools to choose from. We could have sent our son to John Rogers, Sacajewea, Wedgewood, Laurelhurst, or Bryant. In fact the only school that was full was View Ridge. We live in the John Rogers reference area.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10599786383165153202008-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:00"Since this process has been going on for yea..."Since this process has been going on for years already most of the schools are full of only kids that live geographically close."<BR/><BR/>In fact, when you look at the numbers, it doesn't look quite so clean. Can anyone explain the numbers? I thought that perhaps the SPED programs (like the apraxia clasroom at View Ridge may play a role in these area resident numbers). But, clearly, at Laurelhurst & Wedgwood substantial groups of students are non-residents, even if we assume that all the SPED students are not area residents, and that they are calculated in the total (and I don't know if they are). <BR/><BR/>Bryant: 70% (sped 10%)<BR/>John Rogers: 50% (sped 14%)<BR/>Laurelhurst: 52% (sped, 6%)<BR/>Wedgwood: 43% (sped 7.4%)<BR/>View Ridge: 47% (sped 19%)zbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205346985598789513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62957100130949429492008-12-18T11:45:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:45:00.000-08:00I know families want change and they want it fast....I know families want change and they want it fast. Especially families living in areas greatly affected by lack of capacity, or who only have access to low performing schools. But not grandfathering kids and allowing them to remain in their current schools would disrupt and displace every student in the entire district - that was not attending his/her reference school. Even those attending what they think are their reference schools might be displaced as their reference school may change with boundary changes. I don't think families are going to buy the no grandfathering idea. I know I wouldn't and it's not from a selfish perspective either as my kids are both changing schools this year anyway (moving to middle and high schools).<BR/><BR/>If we do not grandfather kids and do not allow them to remain in their current schools until they graduate, I think that we would be making a decision that was not in the best interest of the children. It would be inexcusably disruptive to thousands of families. I don't think moving children away from the school that they call home, away from the teachers they are familiar with, and away from the friends they have made could possibly be in their best interest. <BR/><BR/>And I also oppose closing programs, without moving displaced students as a cohort. For example what they are doing to TT Minor, and proposing for Cooper. Closing their school and then dispersing kids to whatever program has room for them. That is a terrible situation for a child to be in. How could the district do this?<BR/><BR/>I'm all for a new assignment plan. I'm all for redrawing boundaries, and right sizing reference areas. However, we need to do it as humanely as possible with the least amount of disruption to the students. That means grandfathering kids into their programs until they graduate, and moving kids as cohorts - not separating them from their communities.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73897388719277424062008-12-18T10:33:00.000-08:002008-12-18T10:33:00.000-08:00In many ways, the NE and QA/M already have the new...In many ways, the NE and QA/M already have the new neighborhood assignment plan in everything but name. Since distance is the final tiebreaker, most folks are only getting into the school that is geographically closest to their homes. The great exception to this is all the folks that live too far from their closest school. In other words, folks that live on the edges of the cluster just often live too far from any school. These folks are then bussed to which ever school was able to shoehorn in an extra class. <BR/><BR/>John Rogers would have been full with a waitlist this year due to the number of families that picked John Rogers first and live close. However, folks in the UDistrict just live too far from any school. So the district mandated that the music room (the only non-classroom in the building) become a homeroom and voila, you have a whole extra class room at John Rogers the furthest school in the cluster for these families that would have gone to Bryant.<BR/><BR/>They could easily roll out a new assignment plan in just the NE and QA/M. This could be a test case. There already aren't too many siblings to continue grandfathering. Since this process has been going on for years already most of the schools are full of only kids that live geographically close,north seattle momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398949285827606629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68349310013640593822008-12-18T10:14:00.000-08:002008-12-18T10:14:00.000-08:00Staff said at the meeting that they more or less h...Staff said at the meeting that they more or less have the functional capacity numbers, and are making recommendations based on them. But since they aren't quite final, they aren't ready to release the numbers to the public until they are rock solid.<BR/><BR/>Again, fair enough. But then, move the proposal process back by at least a week or two to allow the communities and schools to respond BEFORE final recommendations are posted.<BR/><BR/>In the NE and Central clusters, especially, this data is crucial to school communities being impacted.Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-63635782954434318962008-12-18T09:56:00.000-08:002008-12-18T09:56:00.000-08:00I am confused. If functional capacity is a primary...I am confused. If functional capacity is a primary factor in whether or not to close or repurpose a school,and that data will not be available until mid-January, what is the heck is happening here? Why propose anything until all of the data can be evaluated? I am sorry but what is being called transparency is chaos. <BR/><BR/>I remain in favor of holding off any closure/consolidation decisions until the new student assignment plan is implemented. At that point, all of the data can be analyzed with the new reference areas.another momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12303476240929715442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33314990802967195422008-12-18T09:47:00.000-08:002008-12-18T09:47:00.000-08:00Melissa wrote:UPDATE - Two of the speakers I heard...Melissa wrote:<BR/><BR/>UPDATE - Two of the speakers I heard referenced that there would be no more SE Initiative money (this was an RBHS speaker and a AAA speaker). I thought we were in year 2 of a 3 year plan so it was confusing. Anyone know for sure? (My apologies - I skipped over this in my notes.)<BR/><BR/>Well, all I know is that we are in year 1 of the SE Initiative. This was the first year we had extra money to hire extra faculty to broaden our AP offerings, this is the first year that the math and LA departments had a common prep and this year is the first year that we have concrete metrics that we need to meet that will determine the success or failure of the SE Initiative.Michael Ricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231362823419529183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81408863118045197252008-12-18T09:30:00.000-08:002008-12-18T09:30:00.000-08:00Folks, district staff itself is saying that functi...Folks, district staff itself is saying that functional capacity is one of the prime considerations in reshaping (closing, moving) elementary programs. <BR/><BR/>As Melissa notes, and Harium protested, the functional capacity numbers WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE to the public until AFTER the Superintendent's final closure recommendation.<BR/><BR/>If the District is making data-driven decisions, and I do appreciate this, it needs to keep the playing field level in the distribution of this data.<BR/><BR/>The effort it's undertaking to get all functional capacity numbers is enormous and likely can't be released more quickly. Therefore, schools should STRONGLY advocate for a delay in final closure recommendations so they can examine these numbers and make counterproposals based on them. <BR/><BR/>For an administration that has repeatedly said they don't care how many parents show up in Tshirts to advocate for their schools, how else can schools give input that the District considers valid unless they're given these numbers BEFORE the final closure proposal.Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50400693308489803992008-12-18T09:11:00.000-08:002008-12-18T09:11:00.000-08:00more enrollment could be coming from projections o...more enrollment could be coming from projections of larger school-age population? Rather than improving service?<BR/>We hear, loudly, that there are more kids in NE, and also in these posts and in last night's testimony we hear that the Central cluster is booming...<BR/>The increased draw we need would stem from increased confidence, which would stem from demostration of planning and design that meets 21st century needs and researchseattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-22989305127495209582008-12-18T08:43:00.000-08:002008-12-18T08:43:00.000-08:00Mr. Kennedy did include more enrollment as a sourc...Mr. Kennedy did include more enrollment as a source of revenue at about $1M. I'm a little mystified at their optimism.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81012597137237109332008-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:002008-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00Simply put: "design teams" a good idea if they are...Simply put: "design teams" a good idea if they are designing BEFORE the action, rather than AFTER. Who designs changes to delivery or service AFTER they have made the changes?<BR/><BR/>(word verification: "wayected" - is this some sort of Zen form of "projected"? I like it. It takes us away from the rationalized "project" and into the more transcendent "way"! Thanks again, word verifier!)seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61634769705232648352008-12-18T07:39:00.000-08:002008-12-18T07:39:00.000-08:00TwinMom says: "closure shuffle may cancel itself o...TwinMom says: "closure shuffle may cancel itself out as far as potential cost savings. They may save 3 million a year (not this year but in the future)...but lose an equal amount by the loss of students."<BR/>Charlie says:"two ways to eliminate excess capacity...reduce the number of seats...increase the number of students. Why haven't we explored this method?<BR/><BR/>These two comments point to something that has been gnawing at me for a week or two: They predict 3.6 million in savings this year (and then that much again each year into the future). They also predict 2.4 million in closing costs this year (and we hear last night that there will, additionally, be "design teams" that will cost money somehow; district personnel being paid, at least, contracts with state colleges, as Harium suggested (great idea, incidentally! Let's involve more of the community).<BR/><BR/>So THIS YEAR we will save less than a million? Right at the beginning of a huge economic downturn we need to rush closures to save a million this year?<BR/><BR/>Wouldn't it be more senseible, and better planning, to find some other way to save that million THIS year, spend more time planning a pedagogically informed transformation (yes, we might need to close some buildings in a new design) and then implement it NEXT year, when the economy, while not better, is at least more of a known factor?<BR/><BR/>I don't understand the rush. As TwinMom suggests, we will lose students under such a haphazard plan this year. As Charlie says, we can increase our numer of students if we spend some more time and do it right.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9974344295504737822008-12-17T23:36:00.000-08:002008-12-17T23:36:00.000-08:00Good point Charlie! I know Bryant gave up it's sci...Good point Charlie! I know Bryant gave up it's science room/lab this year to squeeze in an extra classroom, and I have heard similar stories all across the NE cluster.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30941602987577887312008-12-17T23:32:00.000-08:002008-12-17T23:32:00.000-08:00Melissa, Beth, Charlie - just wanted to thank you ...Melissa, Beth, Charlie - just wanted to thank you all so much for keeping us all informed. I really greatly appreciate all of you.h2o girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12512408535354009657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72134907842934881402008-12-17T22:53:00.000-08:002008-12-17T22:53:00.000-08:00The fact that the Center School will still be an o...The fact that the Center School will still be an option for us in the Fall will keep our family in play with SPS. That's a win-win for both of us.SolvayGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12709893209963350066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38885308686569663612008-12-17T22:45:00.000-08:002008-12-17T22:45:00.000-08:00There are two ways to eliminate excess capacity. O...There are two ways to eliminate excess capacity. One way is to reduce the number of seats. Another way is to increase the number of students. Why haven't we explored this method?<BR/><BR/>Building capacity is so elastic. They could eliminate much of the excess capacity simply by reducing class size, by only using classrooms as classrooms, and by dedicating some rooms to art, music, or other special activities.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38848021037186765302008-12-17T21:33:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:33:00.000-08:00Hooray for Harium - his comment was spot on about ...Hooray for Harium - his comment was spot on about making a data based decision without the data.<BR/><BR/>Hooray for Mary Bass -- Summit was the first school I thought of when MGJ said it was too complex to close a high school this go round.<BR/><BR/>Hooray for Sherry Carr for following up on the functional capacity review to ensure that those art/science/music rooms that have been converted to home rooms in the NE Cluster would not be lost in the shuffle and counted incorrectly as home rooms.<BR/><BR/>Overall, it seems like the closure shuffle may cancel itself out as far as potential cost savings. They may save 3 million a year (not this year but in the future) by closing everything currently slated, but lose an equal amount by the loss of students. This is if the percent loss of students this go round holds true to the percentage of students lost with the last round of closures. It that holds true then the district will lose more money from lost students then it will make up from savings in closing buildings.<BR/><BR/>Even if private schools in the area are full, neighboring districts will accept enrollment on a space available basis - or will admit you if you move to their district.<BR/><BR/>Why not a more balanced approach? Do close some (not as many as are currently slated) buildings to help balance the overcapacity in some portions of the district - but also look to increase enrollment in the areas where the demand is high such as the NE and QA/Magnolia. Leave some wiggle room in the areas like Central where building permits and other stats show enrollment has a high probability of increasing.<BR/><BR/>A balanced approach could grow enrollment for the district and thereby revenue. It could provide a good show of faith to the state legislature. And, it could go a long way in public perception of the district if they saw reasoned and logical decisions being made.TwinMom2003https://www.blogger.com/profile/13330240199097718321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57757385537586994422008-12-17T21:32:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:32:00.000-08:00The board made a lot of comments about how much th...The board made a lot of comments about how much they appreciate the public input and how the appearance of chaos is actually transparency at work. I missed the first 10 minutes after the break because it was bath/bed time. Thanks so much to Beth and Melissa for your reports.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-32432398796093961702008-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:00I didn't stay past the break, either. I couldn't ...I didn't stay past the break, either. I couldn't handle yet another tale of cost overruns. :-/Melissa 'Liss' Cainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358922293197519504noreply@blogger.com