Seattle Schools Community Forum

Here's what's happening in the District this week: Tuesday, September 10 Audit and Finance Committee meets from 4:00 to 6:00pm  Agenda here. Meeting with Pinehurst K-8 community from 6:30 to 8:00pm Wednesday, September 11 Executive Committee meets from 8:30 to 10:00am  Agenda here. School Board Work Session on Superintendent and Board Evaluation from 4:00 to 7:00pm  Agenda here. Thursday, September 12 Audit and Finance Committee meets from 4:00 to 6:00pm  Agenda here. Horace Mann - African-American Community Task Force meets from 5:00 to 7:00pm BEX Oversight Committee meets from 8:30 to 10:30am Friday, September 13 Lots of football games all around the district Due date for applications to the Equity and Race Advisory Committee Due data for applications to the School Family Partnership Advisory Committee

This went out from Superintendent Banda to Board members on Friday, August 23rd: Following for your information, is a copy of the invitation sent out this week to potential task force members. I would like to invite you to participate in the Horace Mann-African American Community Partnerships Task Force. This group will provide me with immediate and short-term recommendations on how Seattle Public Schools can partner with the groups and programs currently using the Mann building, ways to align community work and the SPS strategic plan to promote equity and support innovative African-American youth education partnerships, and how this can be achieved while still adhering to the Building Excellence IV schedule related to the Mann building. At the August 21 Board meeting, I asked the School Board to remove an item from the Board agenda that, if approved, would authorize construction to begin on the Mann building.  This action will be brought back to the School Board on September...

In the "what!?" category, the Times is reporting that the district is "reconsidering" their plans for the Horace Mann building which is to rehouse Nova High School.  There are some pretty unbelievable statements like: - in one place in the article the Times says the district has not been charging rent to any of the groups using the building.  Yet later on, they say that one group was paying $3,300 a month and then sub-leased the building out to another group who then - it seems - sublease to others "paying what they could afford.  (They also paid for heating the building. )  I don't get how paying rent and paying utilities is that unusual for a lease.   -the district is forming ("has formed")  a taskforce (another one?) to study options and see if these programs align with the five-year strategic plan. - the district is "committed" to helping them continue to use Mann or find other space.  Why is this the district's job? The...

And roll. Looks like there is going to be a LOT of activity at the Board meeting on Wednesday.  Apparently we may see: - teachers who are unhappy about the possible class size increase - community organizers unhappy about their exit from the Horace Mann building in order to make way for Nova to come back and now, - the so-called Our Schools group.  Here's their reason to be at the Board meeting: Nearly three years ago, the Seattle School District negotiated a collective bargaining agreement between teachers and the district that outlined strategies for closing Seattle’s opportunity and achievement gaps. Article II Partnership for Closing the Achievement Gap would develop and implement a parent/community engagement process, monitor stability of staff in low-performing schools, monitor data like discipline and attendance records in determining students at-risk for dropping out, and financially support school-level initiatives focused on closing gaps. The Our Schools C...

The Horace Mann building at 24th and Cherry was the home of The NOVA Project for thirty years from 1979 to 2009 when misguided District leadership moved the school to the Meany building for no legitimate reason. New leadership quickly decided to move NOVA back into the Mann building and that has been the District's plan for about two years now. During the brief intervening period the District rented out the building. Many of the programs which leased space in the building during NOVA's brief absence moved in after the District announced plans to bring NOVA home. A tenant, The  Africatown Community Innovation Center  is now trying to oppose the return of NOVA and retain their occupancy of the building. Some among them say that they will refuse to leave. The tenants have no legal basis for refusing to leave. The terms of their lease are clear and their lease terminates this month. The District needs the building to house NOVA, the historical use of the building for the past ...

From the Central District news, word on what is happening to Nova's old building, the Horace Mann building: The 100-year-old Horace Mann building at 2410 East Cherry is preparing to begin a new life as home for an education pilot project for Seattle teens who have dropped out of school but want to get back on track. When starting new things, it's always nice to fix yourself up a little. This weekend, a small Pacific Northwest army of volunteers will report for duty on East Cherry to lend their elbow grease to a $100,000 Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant awarded for cleaning up the mothballed school. From the news release from Work It Out Seattle: "EXTREME MAKEOVER: SCHOOLHOUSE EDITION" WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 20 & Sunday, Nov. 21, 10am – 5pm each day WHERE: Horace Mann School Building, 2410 E Cherry St, Seattle, WA 98122 What do you get when you combine a 100-year old school building, community volunteers and handyman, Chris Stevens? We call it, ...