tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8923066563488495805..comments2024-03-28T23:38:22.511-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Elections Mentioned in PI ColumnMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20551666204885184482007-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:002007-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00Yes, it is pretty sad isn't it?? If you don't live...Yes, it is pretty sad isn't it?? If you don't live in the Wallingford neighborhood or get a golden ticket you have lost your shot at an immersion program for the rest of your SPS life. Too bad.<BR/><BR/>All these failing, unpopular schools, why not try to replicate this program, and feed the kids into Hamilton. That would fill the building.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39264319853998077642007-08-07T23:19:00.000-07:002007-08-07T23:19:00.000-07:00Charlie: Thank you for the clarification on immers...Charlie: Thank you for the clarification on immersion programs. After I wrote that, I checked the Hamilton, Washington and Eckstein websites for their language offerings. My biggest wish for SPS would be more immersion programs. WenGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72234644103945038992007-08-07T16:50:00.000-07:002007-08-07T16:50:00.000-07:00Please note:Middle school students will not be adm...Please note:<BR/><BR/>Middle school students will not be admitted to the Japanese Immersion Program at Hamilton unless they are coming out of an elementary Japanese Immersion Program (JSIS) or can demonstrate fluency in Japanese.<BR/><BR/>The same is true for the Spanish Immersion Program. No admittance unless coming from a dual language program or demonstrating fluency in Spanish.<BR/><BR/>Your daughter can't walk into it cold. She can, of course, enroll at Hamilton and take Japanese there, but there are a number of Seattle middle schools that offer Japanese.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26788870466047024912007-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:002007-08-07T13:51:00.000-07:00Oh, and I should add that even in 1994, when I agr...Oh, and I should add that even in 1994, when I agreed to transfer my son to Summit, a person at the enrollment center laughed and said "Why? We have a spot at Eckstein for him. Why do you want him to go there?" I think traditions die hard. WenGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25590485789866515362007-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:002007-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00classof75: I understand that word of mouth can spe...classof75: I understand that word of mouth can speak volumes. If we don't hear anything bad, it's probably ok. HMS was bad for my son. He was harassed on a daily basis because he was white and his hair was green. We came from another city with diverse schools and neighborhoods, but he didn't know how to handle this kind of treatment. Neither did his principal. This is where I first saw the total disconnect between staff. <BR/><BR/>In one office, a counselor started a program for students that a counselor in another office deemed worthless. <BR/><BR/>The principal painted my son as a troublemaker. He ignored the threats my son received and instead, falsely accused him of vandalism. I had to request a written apology when he admitted my son wasn’t guilty. In another office, Mr. Jensen, the assistant principal, did everything he could to help my son. After weeks of harassment and threats, he told me my son wasn’t safe at Hamilton. <BR/><BR/>Overnight, Mr. Jensen moved my son up the Summit wait list and he was immediately transferred.<BR/><BR/>In the intervening years, I haven't heard anything that tells me Hamilton has changed in substance. This surprises me because on paper, the international focus and language classes would seem to be an attractive draw for lots of families, including mine.<BR/><BR/>Japanese immersion would be enough to get my daughter on the bus or in a car pool for 2-3 hours a day, she's that keen on learning another language and culture. So I’m genuinely curious: why aren’t the families who prefer Eckstein choosing HMS as their first choice? WenGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81079465435972262722007-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:002007-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:00I am surprised to hear these comments about Hamilt...I am surprised to hear these comments about Hamilton. My D attended Summit for middle school, (although she was also admitted to Salmon Bay- she chose not to move), but her traditional school choices would have been Hamilton or Whitman- and I prefered Hamilton for size alone.<BR/><BR/>I also know a community educator ( also a former school board member)whose daughter attended Hamilton during his tenure on the board & I never heard him say anything negative about it.<BR/><BR/>( I also don't understand the infatuation with Roosevelt-I don't feel comfortable in either the new Ballard or Roosevelt buildings and my daughter felt the same way)Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8658977844324778822007-08-06T23:24:00.000-07:002007-08-06T23:24:00.000-07:00Note: I made an error and referred to Terry Acena ...Note: I made an error and referred to Terry Acena as "she." Mr. Acena has been a long-time teacher and principal with SPS, and for that I applaud him, but this doesn't change my opinion of HMS. WenGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79142209139936605352007-08-06T22:37:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:37:00.000-07:00I like to use the "When, then" strategy. When Hami...I like to use the "When, then" strategy. When Hamilton starts performing better, then I will look at the school for my kid. When Katie Cryon proves herself, then I may look at the school for my kid. When Hamilton offers band, then I will look at the school for my kid.<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't even come close to considering it in the state that it is in right now. I do think it has potential though. My kids just don't have the time to wait. If it becomes my neighborhood guarantee school with the new assignment plan, I will simply get a scholorship at a private school or put my kid in a (proven) Shoreline school (they have plenty of space).<BR/><BR/>That's just me. Entitled and elitist, and proud of it!!!! elitist that I am.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49022608073118596182007-08-06T22:28:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:28:00.000-07:00There is a reason that Hamilton does not share the...There is a reason that Hamilton does not share the positive reputation that Eckstein does. It is a lower achieving school, with poor test scores, and low academic expectations. I am shocked to hear that they have Spectrum and honors, as they did not as of a couple of years ago. It must be a new addition to their offerings. Perhaps the John Stanford families have pushed for that?<BR/><BR/>They do not offer music or band of any kind, and have only a 5 period day. <BR/><BR/>The kids are tough, and not supervised very well. Shocking to witness passing classes, and hear the cursing and inapropriate behavior.<BR/><BR/>It just doesn't stack up to Eckstein any way you slice it. That's why Eckstein is over subscribed even with it's 120 students, and Hamilton can't fill it's tiny 800 kid program. Parent perception has merit and foundation. There is a reason that parents shun the school. It is in a reasonable middle class and affluent neighborhood with a lot of children. Dig deep, and find out why schools are not popular, and then FIX THEM. Don't force parents into them. It just doesn't work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-2321425190488556102007-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:002007-08-06T20:31:00.000-07:00Anon 3:12 "Eckstein is in my neighborhood." Bully...Anon 3:12 "Eckstein is in my neighborhood." Bully for you, but right now SPS does not have a neighborhood school system. Until that happens, the rally cry of "Eckstein is in my neighborhood" goes no where. <BR/><BR/>Terry Acena retired. Give the new Hamilton principal, Katie Cryon (sp?) a chance, I hear she is quite fabulous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86353035683430031382007-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:00Hamilton's reputation as second rate isn't recent....Hamilton's reputation as second rate isn't recent. My oldest child was there in 1994-1995, during the tenure of Alan Nakano. If Acena is a weak leader, I can only shudder to think of how she stacks up next to him. <BR/><BR/>My son began attending a few weeks after a female student was raped by two other male students, on the playground, during school hours. His first day at Hamilton coincided with a school assembly, convened to discuss the incident. I sat in the auditorium and heard Nakano refuse questions from three female students who asked about their safety at *their* school. His arrogance did not alter a bit in the times I watched and heard him speak to students.<BR/><BR/>Hamilton was second rate then, and I haven't heard anything to contradict that perception from friends with students who have attended or toured in recent years. If Eckstein, as big as it is, has witnessed sexual assaults on their campus, I haven't heard about it. <BR/><BR/>The Joe Drake story should be indicative of the downside to a powerful union. A union should advocate strongly for its members. It should not protect deadbeats waiting out the clock until they can achieve full retirement while their school figuratively burns to the ground. <BR/><BR/>I wouldn't call Hamilton the dumping ground that Marshall is, but it's only a few degrees removed. Really, there's nothing *there* there except a second rate school. I haven't checked it's offerings over the last year, but I doubt it can stack up to the offerings of Eckstein. And that's not an elitist statement. I think a deadbeat principal is the true elitist, collecting a check while doing nothing to help the students in their care. WenGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34873343355597177392007-08-06T16:29:00.000-07:002007-08-06T16:29:00.000-07:00From Hamilton's website:"The Spectrum program for ...From Hamilton's website:<BR/><BR/>"The Spectrum program for highly capable students is offered in language arts and social studies. Honors classes are offered in math. HIMS has classrooms for English Language Learners (ELL) and offers both inclusion and self-contained special education classes."<BR/><BR/>I was pretty sure they had Spectrum and they do have Honors math.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40233324953134291642007-08-06T15:12:00.000-07:002007-08-06T15:12:00.000-07:00First of all Charlie, their are two anonymous post...First of all Charlie, their are two anonymous posters that you are responding to. Both using the word elitist. I am one of them.<BR/><BR/>Eckstein is my neighborhood school. I don't really care what the district calls my neighborhood school. Eckstein is in my neighborhood, Wedgewood. It is therefore my neighborhood school. I don't consider the QFC in Wallingford my neighborhood grocery store, since it's not in my neighborhood. Why would I do it for a school. Now, I'm not arguing that the district doesn't designate Eckstein as my only neighborhood school. I am well aware that they consider Hamilton as our school too. Does that clarify for you? When I say my neighborhood school, I am merely saying "the school in my neighborhood". Wallingford is not my neighborhood. Wedgewood is. So Eckstein is my neighborhood school.<BR/><BR/>I am glad the tides are turning with the new enrollment plan. If it happens that the boundaries are such that Hamilton is our school, I will go with it without a fight. That means that all of my kids freinds will go there. They will ride the bus together. It will be a neighborhood school. As they fill the school, and the SE Seattle folks are pushed out (as you say), the environment at the school will change too. I would obviously prefere Eckstein, a few blocks from home, but if it turns out the Hamilton is my school, so be it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87315517521996144462007-08-06T14:57:00.000-07:002007-08-06T14:57:00.000-07:00This is a funny thing. As a parent of students in ...This is a funny thing. As a parent of students in APP I have to defend myself against charges of elitism all the time. I am, however, actually accused of elitism on a fairly regular basis. Here we have someone denying that they are elitist (over and over again) when no one has suggested that they are.<BR/><BR/>You can consider any school you want as your neighborhood school no matter how close or far you live from the building. Under the current student assignment rules, what you consider your neighborhood school doesn't count for squat. It simply isn't a factor.<BR/><BR/>Based on the region where you live, the District believes that you have TWO reference area middle schools. If you live in the Northeast Region - any part of the Northeast Region - those two schools are Eckstein and Hamilton. They are each your reference area schools equally. Neither one more so than the other.<BR/><BR/>You will be pleased to know that the District will soon identify a reference area for individual middle schools as they now have elementary reference areas.<BR/><BR/>Again, the school YOU consider your neighborhood school will not be a factor in how they draw the borders of the reference areas. It may be that the school you consider your neighborhood school will not turn out to be your reference area school. You may have trouble accepting this, but in the end it is what is best for all of the students and families in the District.<BR/><BR/>So be of good cheer, our anonymous friend. Things are moving in the direction you desire. Please recognize, however, that they may not reach the specific point that you think will serve you best personally.<BR/><BR/>As much as you may scorn the opportunity to enroll your child at Hamilton from within the Northeast Region, and decry the long and arduos journey there, remember that there are 270 students who take a long bus ride from the Southeast region for the opportunity to attend Hamilton. When the new assignment plan with a stronger neighborhood element comes, many similar students are likely to miss out on that opportunity.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72793779294045483162007-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:002007-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:00I toured Hamilton and Eckstein, and I have to say ...I toured Hamilton and Eckstein, and I have to say I was not impressed with Hamilton. It had nothing to do with hallway and grocery store talk either. It had to do with what I saw. I don't particularly think Terry Acenas is a strong leader, and I think the academic program was weak. I saw kids in 6th and 7th grade doing the same type of work that my kids did in 4th and 5th. There are no honors, spectrum or advanced classes either. Eckstein offers Spectrum, honors math and up to integrated III math (10th grade math). None of this at Hamilton. <BR/><BR/>I did not think the teachers were as high a quality as the ones that I met at Eckstein, and the student body seemed kind of "rough" to me. Alot of kids from S and SE Seattle make the school diverse, which is a nice thing, but they are also a rough group of kids. My shy kid would not have done well there at all. I did like the small school environment though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53336390433217550332007-08-06T14:30:00.000-07:002007-08-06T14:30:00.000-07:00What Melissa says is correct in terms of word of m...What Melissa says is correct in terms of word of mouth, etc. etc., but when one is in walking distance of Eckstein and Roosevelt, someone will consider that their neighborhood school and not accept being assigned to another school that they would have to take a bus to. That is not elitist, it is wanting their child to go to the school they can walk to with the kids in their neighborhood.<BR/><BR/>The only negative impressions I've gotten about Hamilton have been on this blog. I did speak to a parent at my child's elementary school who had a 6th grader at Hamilton this past year. She didn't say anything negative about the school except how ridiculous it was that her daughter had to walk half the distance from her house to Eckstein to catch a bus to Hamilton an hour early (already a tough adjustment to switch to middle school start time from Elementary, but then add another hour) when her daughter could easily walk to Eckstein. Luckily, she got in for 7th grade.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-18378190478147906152007-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:002007-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:00Cynical, very good.Hamilton has had a medicore rep...Cynical, very good.<BR/><BR/>Hamilton has had a medicore reputation. In the past (like 3+ years ago)I had heard from several teachers there who said they wouldn't put their own kids at Hamilton. But the school has made steady gains, has a pretty solid parent group and, as the feeder school for John Stanford, has a program that many parents want. And, they will eventually have a new building (which I think will be a plus for them). <BR/><BR/>I think Cynical has it right and that's what the district forgets (at its own peril) - that a lot of information/talk is over the fence, backdoor and at the grocery store talk. It feeds perceptions and distorts reality. Some people believe Eckstein and Roosevelt ARE the only schools in their area and are just unwilling to consider any other. That's their prerogative but, as Charlie says, you can't get mad if someone points that out to them.<BR/><BR/>At the end of the day, you can surprise yourself/justify your beliefs if you just go to their websites, visit the schools, talk to the principal and talk to parents there and then make a decision.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59907456548634591082007-08-06T11:35:00.000-07:002007-08-06T11:35:00.000-07:00Why is Hamilton so under subscribed, and eckstein ...<I>Why is Hamilton so under subscribed, and eckstein so over subscribed, if they are so close to each other?<BR/><BR/>Is the Hamilton program inferior? Poor leadership? Does it not offer the programs that Eckstein offers? No advanced math or Spectrum? Low test scores?</I><BR/><BR/>Does anybody really know why any school in SPS is over or undersubscribed? In a very few cases, there seem to be specific failures that can be pointed at, but in general, I think the single largest factor that drives school popularity is parents perceptions, and comments on this blog provide ample evidence that parents perceptions are not necessarily reliable reflections of the ground-truth realities in schools.<BR/><BR/>In this case, if anybody were to really dig into the difference in popularity, I suspect a big piece of the answer would be: "everybody 'knows' that Eckstein is high quality school, and Hamilton is an underperformer". Conventional wisdom isn't necessarily wise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73860120951365120932007-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:002007-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00Just for curiosity. Why is Hamilton so under subsc...Just for curiosity. Why is Hamilton so under subscribed, and eckstein so over subscribed, if they are so close to each other?<BR/><BR/>Is the Hamilton program inferior? Poor leadership? Does it not offer the programs that Eckstein offers? No advanced math or Spectrum? Low test scores? <BR/><BR/>How could this happen?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44683405726144672982007-08-06T10:57:00.000-07:002007-08-06T10:57:00.000-07:00anonymous at 7:49 will be interested to learn that...anonymous at 7:49 will be interested to learn that there are, in fact, THREE comprehensive traditional middle schools in north Seattle. They are Eckstein, Hamilton, and Whitman. Summit is not one of the three.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous can say that Hamilton is not a neighborhood school, but that would be incorrect.<BR/><BR/>The statement that it is "across the freeway" reminds me of a joke. A fellow is hiking and comes to a river. He can't find a way across it, but sees someone on the other side. "Hey!" he shouts. "How do I get to the other side of the river?" The man across the river shouts back "You ARE on the other side!"<BR/><BR/>Yes, Hamilton is on the west side of I-5, but there are a number of streets which go under the freeway, and it really is not an impenetrable wall. People who live on the east side of the freeway can get to the west side without significant difficulty.<BR/><BR/>Hamilton does not fill with the John Stanford families who get an assignment preference. The school is undersubscribed; it is not filled at all. I am absolutely mystified by the assertion by anonymous at 9:45 who wrote that their friend’s child, living in the NE middle school region, was offered Aki, Mercer, and Meany, but not Hamilton. That simply isn't credible.<BR/><BR/>Hamilton does not have a waitlist. Not now, not for any of the past 3 or 4 years. If you apply on time you will get in regardless of where you live. If you apply late, you will get in. The school has an enrollment of 724 with a capacity well over 800. That's the reason that 270 south-end students can get in – because there is room for them there. Kids from South Seattle do not get assignment preference there – that statement was factually incorrect – although they do get yellow bus service to the school.<BR/><BR/>If your friend was told that Hamilton was full, then it goes onto the growing pile of weird disinformation people get from the Enrollment Centers. Or it is, like a lot of stories that "happened to a friend of mine", distorted in the re-telling.<BR/><BR/>No one was accused of elitism, so it's bizarre to protest the non-existent charge. A sense of entitlement was charged and it has been confirmed. It is an entitlement for your child to go to a school in or near your neighborhood. You are claiming to be entitled to it. You may think the entitlement is reasonable, but let's not pretend you don't feel entitled.<BR/><BR/>I also don't understand the concern about middle school students riding public transit. When was that suggested? The District generally provides yellow bus transportation for middle school students. The District generally only puts high school students on METRO. Please advise me of specific exceptions to that policy.<BR/><BR/>The lack of sympathy expressed for the family living in northeast Seattle who wants their child assigned to Eckstein is rooted in two facts. First, we recognize that the space in the school is finite, so the addition of this student requires the subtraction of another student. We put a higher priority on allowing that other student to continue at their assigned school than we put on allowing the new student access to the school closest to them. Second, that's the way the rules are written and those are the rules that we have all been playing by for many years. The rules, of course, can be revised and, in fact, are getting revised, in part to address the concern expressed by the party who is denying elitism where none is charged. So surely they must be pleased that the change is coming.<BR/><BR/>I can tell how upsetting this has been, and I fully support your right to be upset and express it. It must, indeed, seem surreal that no one is sympathizing with the absurd situation your friend has been subjected to. I assure you that we do understand and that is why we support the effort to change the student assignment policy. You and your friend will, under the new policy, be able to know with perfect confidence that if they live in the Eckstein reference area they will be entitled to enroll their child at Eckstein. The reference area may not be exactly where you suspect it should be, but there will be one and those within it will have secured the entitlement that you feel they should have.<BR/><BR/>If you are getting pushback on the story, it is because the reasons for not getting and accepting an assignment to Hamilton ring false. They may be true, but if so, it is due to yet another mysterious error by the Enrollment Center and not due to District policy.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48395926849834718842007-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:002007-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00"Exxuse me sureal, but aren't there THREE middle s..."Exxuse me sureal, but aren't there THREE middle schools in noth Seattle? "<BR/><BR/>Summit can not and should not be counted as a neighborhood school. It is an all city draw, lottery school. It is a k-12 alternative school. We can not force parents who are not interested in alternative education to accept an alternative school as their neighborhood school. By the way, the alternative schools don't want to see this happen either. They want families who are interested in and support alternative education for their children. Not families who are forced into something they don't really want.<BR/><BR/>Hamilton is not a nieghborhood school either. It is across the freeway, and now fills with the John Stanford families who get an assignment preference. Kids from S Seattle also get assignment preference and get yellow bus service to get there. Hamilton has had a waitlist for the past 3 or 4 years. IF you apply on time you may get in, but remember the distance tie breaker. NE Seattle students near Eckstein may not get in, as they are much further away than many who apply. <BR/><BR/>That leaves Eckstein. Eckstein is OUR neighborhood school. Sorry that sounds elitist (Only in Seattle). Most of the kids that go to Eckstein walk because it is in OUR neighborhood. Most of the kids have gone to elementary school together, because it is in OUR neighborhood.<BR/><BR/>I am truly puzzled as to how wanting your child to go to threir neighborhood school is elitist. A school that they can walk to, with all of their freinds. What is so wrong about this???? <BR/><BR/>Elitism in Seattle......<BR/>People are ashamed of being white or middle class, they are ashamed of sending their kids to an APP program, and now.......da da da da....you can be ashamed of wanting your kids to go to their neighborhood school.<BR/><BR/>Oh and as for QA.... you can be ashamed of even wanting a neighborhood school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6830122770775551962007-08-05T23:43:00.000-07:002007-08-05T23:43:00.000-07:00Starting with John Stanford's tenure the SPS have ...Starting with John Stanford's tenure the SPS have managed a huge improvement at the elementary school level. Part of this was the introduction of some predictability in school assignments. With predictability, parents become invested in the schools that they expect their kids to attend. <BR/><BR/>(The year Stanford was hired, our neighbor in Wedgwood, who lived only 8 blocks from both Wedgwood school and Decatur, had to spend more than a dozen visits trying to change the school assignment so that his 5-year old daughter didn't have to spend an hour on the bus each way to and from school each day. The PIC center did - and still does - signify much of the problem with the SPS.) The decision to generally fix elementary assignments and eliminate such busing was the first step to the current generally healthy situation in Seattle elementary schools.<BR/><BR/>The middle school and high school assignments are nowhere near as predictable as elementary assignments and that uncertainty is unfortunately a major reason for flight to private schools for those few who can afford it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41665247884055798172007-08-05T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-05T20:25:00.000-07:00Roy,Does your friend's kindergartener have health ...Roy,<BR/><BR/>Does your friend's kindergartener have health issues? I know Wedgwood is one of the few schools with a full time nurse, so if the child had something like Diabetes that required a full time nurse, I believe they might have some kind of right ahead of the wait list. I don't know this for a fact, but I do know that there were a couple kids in my daughter's school who lived way out of the reference area, but had diabetes so were able to get preference. I'm not sure if this would apply if you came in after enrollment cut off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82064125873618042812007-08-05T20:09:00.000-07:002007-08-05T20:09:00.000-07:00tie breakers are used for assignment as well as th...tie breakers are used for assignment as well as the creation of the order of the WL. Once the WL is made, then there are no more tie breakers. Kids are assigned to school as space becomes available in numeric order from the list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74355131918339907632007-08-05T11:16:00.000-07:002007-08-05T11:16:00.000-07:00Roy-My info on the waitlist comes from having rais...Roy-<BR/><BR/>My info on the waitlist comes from having raised a transfer appeal in prior years. My child was 9 on the wait list, got moved to 3, then back to 4. <BR/><BR/>The person who handles the appeals explained that the schools are filled in order based on a computer generated list that runs the tiebreakers for all students. This means that the waitlist is in order of tie-break factors. <BR/><BR/>In my case, one older child got in, but the younger was the one on the waitlist. Once the older child was in, it moved the younger child up based on sibling "linkage." <BR/><BR/>Then a teacher enrolled her child, which meant that they had to be put at #1 on the waitlist under a special state law that allows teachers to have thier kids in thier buildings, even if they live out of district.<BR/><BR/>The enrollment staff downtown (Jay Glover, Tracy Libros) can explain this, I can't speak for if the enrollment center staff provide accurate info, I think not so much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com