Seattle Schools Community Forum

Tuesday, August 19th Audit& Finance Committee meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm.  Agenda Wonder if the Committee might consider where money was taken for the various staff members to go off on their preschool junket. Update: Wonder no more, there is nothing on the agenda about the preschool junket or replacing those funds from the various sources that were used to fund it. Lots of interesting items like: - redirection of selected lease and rental earnings to General Fund (because, really, why do buildings need maintenance?) - policy for unpaid holidays for reason of faith or conscience - restrictive covenant agreement terms review - downtown school financing options Wednesday, August 20th School Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm. I am aware that a rally over the Garfield field trip rape is to occur outside of headquarters right before the meeting at about 4 pm.  Supporters of the student and her parents are also likely to be at the meeting. Agenda Selected A...

As a heads up, the district is offering (at nearly every elementary and K-8), Jump Start for kindergarteners.   Sounds like a great program.  From the flyer: It is a weeklong experience for new kindergarteners and their families to learn about their new school. Children will become familiar with the school building, staff, and typical school-day activities and practices. This summer, over 50 elementary and K-8 schools across the city of Seattle will offer Jump Start the week of August 18-22 . Jump Start will run for five consecutive half-days (usually 9 a.m. to noon). Parents/guardians will have a chance to meet with the school principal during the week. Interpreters will be available for children who are English-language learners. Families who have enrolled their child in kindergarten will receive a letter from their assigned school inviting them to participate. Families will need to reserve a space and return needed health and safety forms ahead of time. Not every ...

Basically, it's Spring Break week so no meetings. Saturday, April 19th Director Blanford finally has a community meeting.  It's from 10-11am at the Douglass-Truth library. I attended both Director Carr and Director Martin-Morris' community meetings yesterday.

Well, a report out from the public hearing last night that I believe is worthy of its own thread.  From reader Danny: I attended the Pinehurst K-8 (aka AS#1) public hearing last night. It was just that, a public hearing for public testimony. No more real information was gleaned from it other than how important the school is to the community of people who send their kids there. One testimony of note was School Board Director Peaslee waited patiently and testified last with no time limit and put on record that the options of temporarily locating at the Decautur bldg while waiting for a permanent co-location with Thornton Creek are absolutely viable solutions. She also stated that it doesn't make sense to close a program due to low enrollment while there are waiting lists and empty buildings in the district. She also stated that she had a conversation with Thornton Creek's principal John Miner who told her Pinehurst must be saved and is on board with the co-loc...