Seattle Schools Community Forum

I asked some pretty direct questions on this topic but got less-than-direct answers.  However, it seems apparent that it was the Superintendent's call on the waiver for social studies for Thurgood Marshall's HCC program. From my e-mail to SPS Communications:

I was told by SPS Communications that transportation letters went out this week.  If you do NOT get yours by Thursday, they ask that you call Transportation. I received an e-mail from a parent that Dr. Nyland appears to have an Instagram account.  SPS Communications tells me he does not have one.  So if you get a friend request from that account, just know - it's not him. Garfield was to have a 9th grade (parent) orientation on Thursday.  There was a terse announcement that it had been cancelled and will be rescheduled.  (When? Friday? Tuesday? That's all that's left.)

 Before starting this thread I want to acknowledge that long-time (and beloved) staffer, Joe Bland, died on August 11th.  From the Garfield PTSA Facebook page: Joe was a cherished presence at Garfield High School for almost 30 years where he worked as a teachers assistant in the gym (basketball, volleyball and wrestling), with the kids in detention and the incoming freshmen in the Bridge Program. His warmth and kindness touched so many. I went to this meeting truly not knowing what to expect.

In advance of the meeting tonight at Mt. Zion Baptist Church at 6 pm with Garfield principal Ted Howard and black parents at GHS,  I thought I would put up their short survey. I'm putting it up for two reasons. One, if there are any black Garfield parents who haven't seen it, they might want to weigh in. Two, I note the list of items that is their wish list of 17 items.  Know what's NOT on it?  Blended classes.  It's a long list and that's not on it.  What they do say on honors is this:

I met with Wyeth Jessee last week (it was arranged thru Communications so there was a Communications person in the room who was not part of the conversation.)  He was the former head of Special Education and now, thru a realignment,  has a new role.

Via our friends at the HCC blog ; Updated GHS page on Honors for All

Update:   a new document from Garfield about the "Honors for All" plan.  They cite research: Our main goal is to create a richer honors curriculum that engages and benefits all ability levels. Studies over the past thirty years that note the detrimental effects of ability­level tracking are an indicator of the institutionalized racism that plagues our school system and adds to the opportunity gap.