Seattle Schools Community Forum

From the City of Seattle: Mayor McGinn will present free Mayor’s Arts Awards ceremony Friday, August 30 at 4 p.m. SEATTLE — The 2013 Mayor’s Arts Awards ceremony will take place this Friday, August 30 at 4 p.m. at the North Fountain Lawn of Seattle Center. The honorees include two individuals and four organizations, and represent categories ranging from promoting arts as a means of social change to artistic excellence. The Seattle Arts Commission recommended the recipients from a pool of more than 600 public nominations, a new record. The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognize the contributions of artists, arts and cultural organizations and community members who make Seattle a city of creativity. The ceremony is open and free to the public. The 2013 categories and honorees are: · Future Focus: 826 Seattle · Cultural Ambassador: Barbara Earl Thomas · Venture Culturalist: Frye Art Museum · Arts as the How: Pongo Teen Writing Project · Raising the Bar: Pres...

First up, there are community townhalls tomorrow for legislative districts.  Go weigh in and talk to your legislators about education issues in our state.  I'm going to mine in the 43rd. What education bills are still alive in the Legislature (from the Times): Grading schools: The Senate has advanced a measure to assign A-F grades to schools based on factors including improvement of student test scores. Supporters say parents could get a clear sign of how a school is doing. Opponents insist it would be punitive and often unfair. (SB 5328) Third-grade reading: The Senate has advanced a measure to require third-graders with inadequate reading skills to repeat a grade, attend summer school or otherwise improve their reading before enrolling in fourth grade. The measure also would authorize K-3 teacher training to help improve students’ reading. (SB 5237) Dream Act: House Democrats and Republicans approved a measure that makes young illegal immigrants eligibl...

Good news from both the district and the Times , West Seattle Elementary has a brand-new library with new books, paint, carpetings and 10 iPads via a partnership between Target and the Heart of America Foundation.   The projected cost was $200k.    Mayor McGinn attended the ribbon-cutting.   Motivational quotes are part of the new library:  She pointed to new motivational quotes on the library's walls such as "Un libro es un amigo que nunca te dara la espalda" (Spanish for "A book is a friend that will never leave you") and "It is important to remember that we all have magic inside us" (from J.K. Rowling). Ballard High School student Meron Kasahu , along with 826 Executive Director, Teri Hein , were awarded the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from first lady Michelle Obama at the White House on November 2nd.   The award is the highest recognition for community-based arts and humanities programs, such as 8...