Seattle Schools Community Forum

Dear Eckstein Middle School community,   I am excited today to announce the appointment of Sherri Kokx as your new principal, effective Aug. 20. Ms. Kokx comes to Eckstein from Eisenhower Middle School in Everett, where she has been the principal since 2009. Ms. Kokx brings strong experience as a middle school principal and she will be a great fit for the Eckstein community. Ms. Kokx also served as an Assistant Principal for two years at North Middle School in Everett and was a middle school teacher for 10 years in the Everett School District. She said she is looking forward to championing the great work of the Eckstein staff and to supporting students and families during this time of emotional, social and academic growth. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in biology and general sciences from Michigan State University and a Master’s of Education in Educational Administration from Western Washington University. She also holds Washington State Administrativ...

The Times is reporting that Eckstein won two division places and four soloist awards at the Reno Jazz Festival yesterday. Garfield's combo, won first place in the AAA division (probably some salve to the wound of not going to the Essentially Ellington contest in May in NYC). Roosevelt's Jazz Band III won second place in the Apprentice II division.  From the story : The legacy and influence of Seattle's nationally-renowned school jazz band programs was manifest at the festival. Garfield high school alum Tatum Greenblatt played trumpet in one of the festival's featured professional ensembles, The Mingus Big Band. The middle school jazz band competition winner, from Lindero Canyon, Calif., is directed by Matt McKagan, brother of former Guns N'Roses bassist Duff McKagan, both graduates of Roosevelt High School. Congratulations to all these fine young musicians and the great teachers who guide them (and the parents who back them).

I hear that Eckstein had to lose a .5 FTE.  I find it hard to believe they lost enrollment but maybe they overstaffed believing it would be higher?  Anyone? And then there was this in another thread: "I just got my robo-call from Hale high school saying that they've been given 3 new staff based on student enrollment. Chemistry, Algebra II, and a 10th grade "core" teacher. Some students will see a schedule change, but classes will be smaller." That's worth looking into.  I'd love to know if Hale got filled following their new rebuild because 3 new staff is quite a lot so good for them if they did.  

I wanted to put on your radar a public hearing the City is having about development around Roosevelt High School.  It's next Monday, the 19th at 6 p.m. in the Roosevelt auditorium.   As you may know, the Roosevelt neighborhood is scheduled to have a light rail station go about 2016 (the year changes all the time) from between 12 Ave NE and Roosevelt from NE 65th to NE 67th.   This is virtually right next to Roosevelt High School. The neighborhood has known this was coming for a long time.  The Roosevelt Neighborhood is one place that has had a long-term vision for its growth (over 20 years).  The neighborhood has consistently worked with the City in its planning.  (And just to say, this isn't about nimbyism.  Roosevelt and Ravenna have known this was coming and have done what the City has wanted in using their guidelines on creating an urban village.) However, at the same time, Roosevelt has had long-time land owners (brothers) who pref...

From the Seattle Times, a story about a former Olympic rower, Portia McGee, who is helping students in three SPS middle schools learn how to row. It's the first year of the program which is a partnership with the George Pocock Rowing Foundation and the school district. It currently runs in 3 schools - Eckstein, Washington, and Aki Kurose - and is going to expand to 3 more next year with the program at nine middle schools by 2013. Not for me but a state legislator is sponsoring a bill to allow parents to teach drivers ed to their children under 18. This came as a surprise to me because I thought the main reason to take driver's ed is to perhaps receive lower insurance rates. Driver's ed is expensive so I can see why this could make a difference to parents (although the stress and the possible damage to your car are also off-putting). The Times has the details in this story. I think the Alliance for Education has a new look for its blog (I doubt they answer comme...

Let's go through the Transition Plan amendments being proposed by Board Directors. Harium Martin-Morris I move that there be a one-year special program preference for Thornton Creek 5th graders applying to Salmon Bay as their first choice school, without transportation, with tiebreakers applied in the following sequence: 1.Sibling 2.Special program preference for Thornton Creek 5th graders 3.Geography 4. Lottery So this would keep TC students flowing to Salmon Bay. Of course, without transportation, how many will be able to make this choice? Maybe someone at TC could let us know what they think the rough numbers might be. Salmon Bay is less difficult to get into than it used and if more TC students didn't go, there'd be more spaces for other students. The accompanying chart shows that it truly varies from year to year where TC 5th graders go for middle school. Oddly, either the number got left off, but they give no numbers for how many TC 5th graders went to Eckstein f...

We had a comment in the "One Last Survey: Middle School LA" thread that I have pulled out for discussion here. I'll just copy and paste it. Stand Up! said... Can anyone hear how bad the music at Eckstein sounds? I have hope, However, the idea that no one in the the Seattle area is outraged by Eckstein, the flagship of a horribly mismanaged and segregated school district, is anathema to me. Both Eckstein and Washington have failing music programs by national public standards. These standards are defined first by inclusion and ethical practice, not by showboating and the extolation of a few privilaged kids - much less trophy accumulation. Exclusion, segregation and remunerative practices mark the poor and cheating programs of the Seattle Public Schools. The presentation of a facade of accomplishment is foisted upon the public by an incopetent administration and a horribly mismanged district. This district goes so far as to give "jazz" instructors cred...

When I attended a Regional Meeting earlier this fall, I met Keith Bowen and some other parents. They are parents who are concerned about orchestra offerings the follow-thru from middle to high school music especially around the orchestra offerings. I talked with them after the meeting and Keith sent me this article about their concerns which I want to share with you. (I edited this article for length.) If you would like to reach him to join his group or offer ideas, his e-mail is keith@fixbassoon.com The new Student Assignment Plan (SAP) changes the demographics of who is assigned to which school. However, specialized programs are still in place at these same locations but now the students are distributed without regard to their interests or merit. Parents, teachers and local administrators predicted the oncoming situation and how it would affect a prized resource of music education. They predicted that existing programs would come dangerously close to not having enough particip...

There were about 30-40 parents in attendance at the meeting along with a plethora of staff; Dr. Goodloe-Johnson (who came about 7 p.m.), Dr. Enfield, all the NE principals, Bernardo Ruiz of Family Engagement and Directors Maier, Carr and Martin-Morris. A couple of heads up for anyone attending the other meetings. One, for some reason they had the sign-in sheets in the auditorium instead of when you head in. So look for those if the building you are in is using an auditorium. Also, they had two tables at Eckstein and different handouts at each so check if you want to make sure you get everything. Two, get those questions ready because they took any and all questions. I was surprised to see a table of Starbucks coffee, bottled water and granola bars for the audience. It's a nicety but I thought we were a poor district. I asked Dr. Enfield and she said she didn't know what budget this came out of. Apparently I hit a nerve because Dr. Goodloe-Johnson later said the district ...

This from the Wedgwood View blog : Wedgwood Elementary has traded its principal to Eckstein Middle School for its assistant principal. It wasn’t exactly a “trade,” a la a couple of sports team, but sort of worked out that way. Denise Espania, who had been Wedgwood principal for two years, announced at the end of the school year that she would be moving on and looking for a new job that allowed her more time to spend with her family. She’s apparently found that as assistant principal at Eckstein Middle School. She’ll take the job of Chris Cronas, who takes over for Espania as Wedgwood’s principal. From Dr. G-J's letter to parents: "Prior to his assistant principal role, Mr. Cronas was a house administrator, an instruction and curriculum coach, and taught overseas in Japan for four years. He is fluent in Japanese. His professional preparation includes a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and English Education from Ithaca College and Master of Education from the...

Good news from around our district: Rainier Beach High School took 1st place in the M.E.S.A. Math Olympiad this last Saturday. to Garfield High school for their jazz band winning, for the 4th time, first place at the NYC Essentially Ellington jazz competition. Roosevelt High also did well with an honorable mention. to Orca K-8' s team of readers who share the Global Reading Challenge title with a BC school. to Franklin High school whose robotics team won the state title for the FIRST Robotics Microsoft Seattle Regional Competition in March. Franklin also won the Engineering Inspiration Award at this competition. Additionally, Franklin's mock trial team took second place in the 2010 YMCA Mock Trial Competition. Franklin has long had a strong mock trial team. 13 former MLK, Jr. Elementary students were awarded scholarships from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Foundation. Eckstein 's Orchestras took top places (in beginning, junior, intermediate and senior) at the...

From SPS Communications: The Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction announced today that teachers at Eckstein Middle School and Garfield High School have been awarded $10,000 Qwest Foundation Teachers and Technology grants for learning projects that integrate digital technologies into their classrooms. The two grant awards are among nine given statewide by the Quest Foundation to help teachers create 21st century learning environments that use real-world technologies to solve real-world problems. At Eckstein Middle School, teacher Eric Miller’s sixth-grade class will use the grant to integrate social justice, the environment and public health into the learning goals outlined for their Heroes of Africa project. Miller’s students will come to understand Africa today through research, data gathering, interviews, reflection and collaboration. Following an in-depth analysis, they will design multimedia products that interpret and communicate what they’ve learned...

(Update: Reader Dana let us know this meeting is not happening. See her post for details.) Monday the 14th - Eckstein's PTSA Parent Forum about inclusion in Spectrum classes. I will have to check if this is still going on; there is no information at the Eckstein website except the date. I'll probably pop up there to check it out if it is happening. Tuesday, the 15th, Board Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting, 4:30-6:00 p.m. No details on the discussion here. Wednesday, the 16th, Steve Sundquist is having his Community Meeting from 10-11:30 am. I'm not sure where. Anyone? Also on Wednesday, the long-awaited Board Work Session on the Transition Plan from 4:30 -8:00 p.m. (It also says it is about the budget). I did write the Board and ask them to press for clarification on this "one-year transition rules" and what it means. Here's what I wrote: "Is the transition plan to be just for one year or is it a multi-year transition plan with a r...

I know someone who is now within the Sand Point boundaries. A group of these parents has organized and has a survey for parents who also live in those boundaries. They also have a Sand Point blog as well as a Yahoo group . Here is a link to the parent survey . It is live until midnight Thursday, December 3rd . Please urge parents you know in that area to participate. T here is also another survey for parents in the newly drawn boundaries for Eckstein. Here's info from the blog: "Sand Point Elementary will reopen in the Fall of 2010. We are a group of parents who live in the Sand Point Elementary attendance area. We have been exchanging ideas on the Sand Point Parents Yahoo Group, and we are organizing to ensure that our concerns are communicated. To that purpose we created the "Sand Point Elementary Community Input Survey", which emerged with the help of the McDonald Community Group, and from several in-person gatherings held over the last few weeks. P...

It is not without a sharp tang of irony that I note the approval of an additional $828,388 to Bassetti Architect’s for the additional services related to the Sealth High School renovations. Didn't the Board choose not to stop the co-location of Sealth and Denny primarily to save a reported $2 million? This amount of "savings" didn't count the $3 million spent in BTA projects that would be lost as that work is destroyed by the co-location project. I guess now the additional cost of following the public will is down to $1.2 million. The additional money isn't a result of inflation or higher costs of steel or concrete. It's for additional architectural services. And why are we building additional classrooms at a high school when we have over 3,000 excess high school seats? Oh! That's right! Because our Facilities Department is totally dysfunctional.