Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Seattle World School had its first graduating class of students who finished the four-year program.  Thirteen students from five different countries were the graduates.  The 4-year program has 175 students overall.  Congratulation graduates! (World School, in a day, raised $8,000 to pay for the funeral of Cuong Uong, a student who drown in Lake Washington on June 7th.) The Times had a great story about the fabulous Ballard High film program that continues to roll on to more awards.  And one name - and you better remember it because this kid will win an Emmy or Oscar someday, Leo Pfeifer - was involved in every single film that won an award. The program won five awards the films they entered into the competition, some documentaries and drama.  The awards were given at the NW Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences festival.  As well, two documentaries won awards at the Dominique Dunne Film Competition (you'll remember Ms...

One teacher at Garfield was put on administrative leave after a school choir trip to New Orleans earlier this year. Two teachers at Ballard are on administrative leave. I normally might not put this up with so few details but there are a couple of concerns. One, Garfield has had several issues around teacher supervision and school trips.  The last one created upheaval around Title IX issues. And now there's another one.  Hearing from a couple of parents, there is concern this teacher might not come back and apparently, is well-liked. For Ballard, it seems odd that two teachers would be put on administrative leave at just about the same time.  But the district will say nothing as "it's a personnel" matter.  Again, I get that but it does create confusion for students when teachers suddenly disappear. 

I see that Ballard High School is celebrating two big sports wins. The girls Fastpitch team took the Metro championship beating West Seattle. The boys soccer team took the Metro championship, beating Roosevelt. As well, the Chief Sealth girls track team members of the 4x100 won first in the Metro-All City Track meet yesterday. Update: Nathan Hale's girls varsity Ultimate team took the Metro championship beating Franklin. Good job to all who the students who worked so hard and competed.

Good News It is very pleasing to see different high schools do well with programs at their schools.  Ballard excels with video production, Roosevelt and Garfield with jazz bands and now Ingraham is doing great with their Rocket Club. Last Saturday, Ingraham participated in the Team America Rocketry Challenge in Virginia, coming in third.  Over 700 teams competed.  There were three Ingraham teams with Foxtrot winning 3rd and $1,000 for the school.  Each team had to create and build an under-two pound rocket by themselves.  They were judged on how close they came to their predicted trajectory and landing their rocket in less than 60 seconds. Foxtrot was just one foot off the 800-foot target and landed about 48 seconds after liftoff.  Team Foxtrot's first score of 1.0 was the best single flight score in the history of the competition.   Speaking of Ballard filmmakers , SPS Communications is reporting that Ballard was the ONLY school to w...

Update: well, this is interesting.  So SPS is not going to field test any students in grades 3-10.  The only schools that were participating were Ballard and Roosevelt.  Ballard has bowed out for 11th grade and that leaves Roosevelt testing some 11th grades in the math test.  It's a bit confusing because we here at the blog know - from reading newsletters at Hale - that Hale wanted their students to take this test but maybe Hale was trying to test the waters (pun intended) .  So we have just one high school field-testing the Smarter Balance math test. End of update. It's a busy education news day but this is important news. The testing consortium for Common Core assessments that Washington State belongs to -Smarter Balance - announced today that they need a one-week delay for the field test. The testing window was to start on Tuesday, the 18th. I have not found out yet how many Seattle schools were participating (I only knew of Hale and Ballard) but the ...

A BIG congratulations and hats off to Ballard High's Academy of Finance , Franklin High's Academy of Finance and Chief Sealth International High's Academy of Finance and Academy of Hospitality and Tourism for their award from the National Academy Foundation as "Model Academies." From SPS Communications: The high schools' three programs are supported by the District's Career and Technical Education Department. Students select a career pathway of their choice and take all other course work for graduation. Students have many opportunities to connect with the business partners who make real life experiences for our students. These work-based learning opportunities make the connection with the classroom and what the "real world" is asking of graduates.  There are only eight academies in the state of Washington, and four of those are in Seattle Public Schools. These programs have a long history of success at the three high schools, bu...

Good news from SPS: Four teams from Franklin High School’s Academy of Finance Social Entrepreneurs and Chief Sealth International’s Academy of Finance International Social Entrepreneurs won top prizes June 6 at the Youth Venture Spring Community Showcase in Seattle. Ballard High students in the Video Production Program have received eight nominations in four categories from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the Northwest High School Awards of Excellence. This makes the seventh year in a row that Ballard High School video producers have been nominated. Last year they received seven nominations and won the categories of Long Form, Fiction and Photographer/Editor. Nova student Hailey Spencer won a National Silver Medal for a science fiction/fantasy story at the regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition.  She will move onto the national competition.  She also won two regional writing awards.  There were also regional ...

From SPS Communications : Students from Ballard, Roosevelt and Garfield high schools won top  honors in the prestigious Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest held April 26-27 at Central Washington University. Students from Ballard, Roosevelt and Garfield high schools took first place in their categories. I note that these schools (and I include Chief Sealth Int'l which also won an award) won a large number of awards, both group and individual.  Congrats to all the students, teachers and parents! Also, Roosevelt student Benjamin Briggs was a semifinalist at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition in NYC in April.  The public is invited to the Naramore Art Show's closing reception and awards ceremony May 10 at the Seattle Arts Museum. The show, which ends May 12, features the artwork of about 200 young artists from Seattle Public Schools' middle and high schools . The event will start at 6 p.m. as the organ...

Just a shocking overnight in Boston.   As Betty Draper of Mad Men said (when JFK was killed), "What is going on?"  My younger son came home from college for the weekend and I asked if he had discussed the Boston bombings with friends and classmates.  He said not much.  It seems like this kind of happening is almost commonplace for young people.  I am greatly saddened by that. On the thread, Seattle Schools This Week , I had said there were two Director community meetings tomorrow.  I will check but I don't think they are happening as both DeBell and Martin-Morris are likely to be attending Cheryl Chow's memorial at 10:30 am at Town Hall.  Great things happening out of Ballard High with members of their BHS Video Production Program .  What's on your mind?

So says the Times .  Eleven teachers and instructional assistants at ORCA K-8 have decided that they, too, will boycott district-required tests known as the MAP, according to ORCA teacher Matt Carter. In the letter to district administrators, the Garfield staff members listed nine reasons why they oppose the test, which range from how few students take it seriously to how much time it takes away from class instruction and whether it measures what teachers are supposed to be teaching.  The middle school teachers at ORCA will not refuse to give the tests because they hope to get a grant from the city that requires that they give them, Carter said.  But 11 of the 16 teachers and instructional assistants in kindergarten through grade 5 have decided to do so, Carter said.   The principal apparently will find others to proctor the tests and give them anyway.  (I have heard about issues using non-staff proctors so it's not a...

There will be a memorial tomorrow for Ballard High School teacher, Megan Vogel, a Golden Apple award-winner.  From Ballard High School: “She is missed by her family, friends, colleagues and the hundreds of BHS students and graduates that she had a profound impact on. We will join together this Saturday, August 25th from 1-3 pm in the BHS Performing Arts Center for a Celebration of Megan’s life. In lieu of flowers, please bring live plants to remember Ms. Vogel’s connection to the living world.” For more, visit the Facebook page that was created in her memory. I also apologize for not noting the recent passing of Louise McKinney, a longtime educator, in our city.    From the Times: Louise McKinney was a philanthropist, patron of the arts and longtime educator who believed that all children were capable of learning, no matter their station in life. As a teacher and later principal at a number of Seattle schools, she prodded and nudged institut...

 Update: a great story from the Times about the Ballard valedictorian this year.   Mikael Perla got diagnosed with leukemia in the middle of his freshman year.   He spent two grueling years fighting it off (with steroids causing him to have diabetes).   He could have taken time off to fight but he continued his studies.  Don't mistake Perla's persistence for arrogance. He credits his top grades to hard work and teachers who tutored him. He doesn't mention that he practically taught himself the language and math of chemistry from textbooks in bed, that he turned in every homework assignment, that he came in after school to do labs when he would be less likely to catch germs from classmates, reluctantly accepting his mom as his lab partner. Mikael Perla will attend the University of Washington in the fall after completing a summer program in engineering. He's considering a career in medicine. Good luck, Mikael - you have lots ...

There are two SPS high schools that will represent at this year's Essentially Ellington competition in NYC in May.  It's not who you might think. This year the honor goes to Roosevelt and Ballard.   Garfield, a long-time winner and participant, was not on the list. Congratulations to both Roosevelt and Ballard.  This is testament to the hard work by students, parents and band directors at both schools.  That we now have a third powerhouse jazz band in our district is great news. 

The Seattle Times is reporting that the Ballard and Garfield football teams got in a brawl last Friday night at Ballard's homecoming game.  The Beavers were up 26-0 with five minutes left and going for a two-point conversion.  It failed and, to the Ballard coach, it looked like his quarterback took a late hit but there was no penalty.  A Ballard player pulled the Garfield player off the quarterback and the Garfield player threw a punch.  Game on and the benches cleared.  It all got settled down with no one hurt.  The officials did eject 8 players from the game ( 3 from Ballard and 5 from Garfield) and they will all be ineligible to play this week.  This is the second incident this season for Garfield.  Their coach had been suspended after the first incident and an interim coach was in charge at this game.  Last year, two of their coaches had to resign after playing ineligible players.  I would suggest that the principal at Garfield...

I received a heads up from a reader about changes to the Metro bus routes used by high school students (as well as middle schoolers).  From the PhinneyWood blog : Metro Transit  is asking the King County Council for a temporary $20 annual surcharge on licensed vehicles as a stop-gap measure to maintain bus service. Metro has announced that if the council doesn’t approve the surcharge, it will have to cut up to 600,000 service hours – or 17 percent of current bus routes – in 2012 and 2013. According to Metro’s proposal, routes 5 and 28, which serve Phinney Ridge and Greenwood, will be hit hard. The reader let me know that many Ballard students use the 28 route.  Earlier start times mean up earlier and probably waiting more for buses, transfers and walking more. From the blog: You can weigh in on the issue at three public meetings, including one tonight in Kirkland (6 p.m., Kirkland City Council Chambers, 123 Fifth Ave.); at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, July ...

Principal movement again:  Looks like TOPS is losing its principal Jo Lutz-Ervin, to Lafayette.  The current principal of Lafayette, Virginia Turner, is going to Coe.  No idea who will lead TOPS. Congrats to Ballard High for its Fifth Avenue Theater award for Outstanding Orchestra for excellence in High School Musical Theater.  At the Washington State Dems luncheon today, both Governor Gregoire and Senator Ed Murray said that if they had $1 left in the budget, it would have gone to education.  $2 - it all would have gone to education.  I get that they are sorry but I'm not sure saying that helps.  One School Board candidate has dropped out.   According to the Stranger Slog, Michael Maddux, in District 3 (Martin-Morris) has stepped off the list.  He has endorsed challenger, Michelle Buetow.  "I think Buetow will consider what's best for the kids instead of just what's best for the administration ," says Maddux, citing Buteow's ...

The School Board had some interesting moments last night and I'll write an update on that later. But I did want to call out some really great acknowledgments last night from both the district and the Board. The Family Support Worker program had a segment where they acknowledged four groups (among many) who have been a huge help in their work.  They are: Theraputic Health Services which has provided a full-time mental health worker at Madrona K-8 since 2009.  They allowed Madrona staff to be part of the interview process.  The director at THS, Norm Johnson, was noted as someone who went out of his way to help (he also organized a conference for FSW going into the MSW program at UW).  In receiving the praise, he said not to just look at what is offered in their brochure but if you need something, ask about it.   What a guy and what a great organization. The Assistance League of Seattle and their Operation School Bell program provided new coats and ot...

What the word? First up, the hacked grades story in the Times.  Right now it looks like it's at Chief Sealth, Ballard and Ingraham (all corners of the city).  Apparently some kids are blabbing about this and I'm sure someone is going to get caught.  (I love when kids think they will never get caught and then go tell someone what they did.  Kids, loose lips sink ships.)  The Times also reported that the City signed a deal with the Space Needle Corp for a  Chihuly glass exhibition hall.  This includes a $1M for a children's playground (yay for kids) and again, some kind of educational tie-in with SPS. The deal was sweetened with the addition of the playground, as well as arts-education programs at the Chihuly museum in partnership with Seattle Public Schools and other arts organizations. The New York Times had a story about rigor in high school classes.  This idea is taking on Supreme Court visions akin to what the definition is of pornogr...

First up are two pieces of good news from the northwest corner of the district. My Ballard reports that a Salmon Bay student, Leo Pfeifer, won recognition by C-SPAN for his documentary, "Homelessness: An American Crisis."  He is one of 30 students to be recognized out of 1,100 entries and won 1 of 4 second prizes ($1500, not shabby).   On Friday, he and his cameraman, Ian Derby,  will be honored at an assembly at Salmon Bay and presented with a check.  From the district's website, Ballard High band director, Michael James, was selected as one of five directors from around the country to receive a full scholarship to the Lincoln Center's Band Director Academy.  He was chosen based on the quality of recordings submitted to the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival.  More jazz band honors for SPS. Also, Bryant and Thurgood Marshall won the City Finals in the 2011 Global Reading Challenge .  They advance to the Video Conference final with Canada...

I attended DeBell's (crowded) meeting yesterday.  I'll post about it later but would like to hear from others. Update:   Michael DeBell's meeting had about 13-15 people (at various points).  I like how Michael has people introduce themselves and then he writes down their topic and tries to get to everyone's topic.   There were several teachers and staff as well as Ramona Hattendorf from the Washington State PTSA.