Seattle Schools Community Forum

Good News Mark Perry , the long-time principal at Nova High School, was honored by the Alliance for Education's Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence as a distinguished principal.  Perry will receive a $50,000 cash grant for his school.  He has been principal at Nova for 16 years.

I wanted to also update you on all the items discussed at the Curriculum&Instruction Committee meeting on Monday.  The agenda was jam-packed and Director McLaren did an admirable job keeping it moving.  Sadly, though, it meant truncated discussions.  (Note; this will not be inclusive of all items on the agenda.) Director Blanford, who is Chair of the committee, was absent so Director McLaren filled in with Director Peters also there as the third member of the committee.  I also noted that Rick Burke, Jill Geary and Leslie Harris, newly elected members of the Board, were also in attendance.

Notes from an attendee who seemed to think that it was mostly calm.  The upshot is the district will need to have real plans for those who have major concerns but Interagency is going into the Queen Anne gym. From this person's notes:

Director Peters sent me these updates and I thought I would pass them along: At the Nov. 19 School Board meeting, noting that the John Hay community members in attendance did not have the opportunity to give public commentary (the roster was already full), I addressed the topic during my Director's Comments and acknowledged that the district needs to do a better job at communication. I also stated that the district has an obligation to meet the academic, emotional and safety needs of all 52,000 of our students. (I note there that at the last Board meeting one director - I believe it was Peaslee - said she wished that people who came to testify (whether they did so or not) would stay for Board comments as often members DO weigh in on issues.) Also , she will attending Wednesday community meeting on Interagency at John Hay Elementary. Here's her letter to those who wrote to her on that topic:

Quite a week to come. Monday, Dec. 8th Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.   Agenda It would appear to be a two-hour meeting but the agenda is quite slim as well as the time allotted for each item. Of interest: an update on Special Ed work and "pre-K work" from Early Education head, Cashel Toner.  Perhaps this is where she will explain how the new preschool classroom room at Bailey Gatzert likely won't be just for BG area students. Tuesday, Dec. 9th Audit & Finance Committee meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.   Agenda UPDATE :   Agenda now attached.  Looks like several updates including an issue with the SEC, the WSS (with adjusted Guiding Principles which I have some concerns about), MOA with Africatown (NOT attached as usual, still concerns there), Transportation standards for next year and Title IX and grants updates.  Wondering if there will be any mention of the Gates Foundation preschool grant. End of update. Community...

In reaction to the less-than-kind, less-than-welcoming actions of others in Queen Anne, a group has been formed to explore how to make the placement of Interagency, across from John Hay Elementary, a win for all.  As you may or may not be aware there has been an incredibly misleading campaign against the placement of Interagency Recovery School program at the site of the Old QA High School Gym across from John Hay Elementary.  I, amongst many many others, strongly support the implementation of this clean and sober academic wrap-around program at this site. The program is unique and small, and will begin with less than ten students and will eventually grow to a maximum of 80 students. It fills a critical need for students whose success is so vital. The program supports students who have addressed and made the commitment to facing their addictions and remaining clean and sober. For many of these students this is their stepping stone to also returning onto a path towards a...

Personalities - I note that Nyland and Blanford were chatting before the meeting.  Nyland said something to Blanford and Blanford nodded and said, " Yes, let's get this nonsense over and get to work."   (No I wasn't eavesdropping; the room was fairly empty and Blanford's voice carried.)  Sorry that Blanford thinks that discussion over the selection of a superintendent is nonsense. Superintendent Comments

From SPS Communications: John Hay Families and Neighbors Community Meeting On the Interagency Recovery School Program Date : Wednesday, December 10, 2014 Time : 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Please Note Location Change : McClure Middle School Lunchroom  (1915 1 st Ave W) Dear John Hay Community, You are invited to attend a meeting to learn more about Seattle Public Schools’ Interagency Recovery School Program, scheduled to be located in the old Queen Anne gymnasium building, beginning in early 2015. School district staff will share information and answer questions you may have. Interagency Recovery School is a small program, designed to support high school youth who are committed to recovery from drug and alcohol dependency. Students have self-selected to attend Interagency Recovery School in order to actively work toward their academic and personal goals, while attending school in a clean and sober environment. The program will offer the support of specially trai...

I am seeking information far and wide on what parents with students affected by the data breach can do in terms of filing complaints.  I believe there may be multiple avenues of complaints about the district and at least one for the law firm.  I have no idea if you can sue (maybe for negligence?), so you need to get a lawyer to answer that question. I am troubled that so many call this "a mistake."  Once maybe but more than once? Incredibly sloppy.  I still don't get that the law firm, when they got that data, didn't do a random check just to make sure it was redacted (if only to protect themselves.) I mean, isn't the district paying them to do due diligence? Stay tuned and I'll let you know what I find out. As for the John Hay/Interagency situation , an update from the Queen Anne View (bold mine):

Update: I had bad information about Interagency at Lincoln. Interagency was never at Lincoln.   The student incident with the plastic knife was a Sped student that is part of a Sped program based there. My apologies. Also, the info in italics is from a widely-sent e-mail and included the information about Ms. Powdlodowski. End of update The district plans to move Interagency from its somewhat secret location (until the recent incident with one of its students and a plastic knife) at Lincoln to across the street from John Hay Elementary.  Story from Queen Anne View. There is a online petition against the placement of Interagency across from John Hay Elementary.   The authors of the petition are Christina Economou, Janelle Fowler and Carmen Hagios. Some feel the district is trying to "sneak" the program into their area.  Here are some of their reasons:

Brian Rosenthal, of the Times, wrote a lovely piece about Interagency, one of the specialty programs that helps students in SPS graduate.  It's a fairly unflinching look at some troubled teens and the adults who work like crazy to help them find a good path in life. He notes that this is an expensive program for the district but frankly, isn't this what tax money is for?  Some kids have tough backgrounds and do not have the supports to move ahead without Seattle Schools. We say we want ALL kids to graduate?  Well, this is where the rubber meets the road and the district is doing its job.  Abandoning these kids is not the answer and if sticking with them, helping them graduate and creating the dynamic where they believe in themselves and they go from drifting to being a solid citizen, then it is all worth it. Congratulations to those 78 grads, Principal Kaaren Andrews and all the staff.  This is the hard, intimate work of public education that no TFA coul...

I managed to miss yet another important graduation ceremony- Interagency.  There was a great story on KONG-tv about this SPS program and one of its graduates.   Their graduation ceremony is tonight at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall - congrats to Interagency class of 2012! What's on your mind?

As if to only reinforce the idea that the real action of the district is at committee meetings, there was the Audit&Finance committee meeting yesterday. On the upside, I think this district has made tremendous strides in bringing in some bright and capable people as district staff.  Duggan Harmon, head of Finance, Richard Staudt, Risk Management, and Andrew Medina, Internal Auditor, and Ronic Lirio, also in Finance, all come across as quite knowledgeable about their area of expertise within the district.  I think they are all capable of laying out the facts clearly to the Board.  I do not hear the hedging that I used to with, say, Don Kennedy, the former COO/CFO. There was an update of First AME and their compliance with the contract wording for the sale of MLK, Jr. building to them.  There were members of the First AME board on-hand to listen.  District staff went through a chart that showed areas of compliance for use for youth-centered activities for...

According to The Stranger Slog , two SPS students (one Interagency and one RBHS) were attacked (in separate incidents) but police were not called.  The district spokesperson gives a somewhat tortured explanation of why the police were not called but frankly, I have to wonder if there's too much leeway given for school staff to not call police. Both incidents occurred somewhat off campus (this appears to be in some dispute between the district and Parks).  The first occurred with a coach present and he intervened (4 people jumped a student).  The coach drove the student home and the student's mother called 911.   Then later that night, on school grounds, another student got jumped by the same 4 assailants and when he went to school the next day a teacher noticed his injuries and told him to go to the hospital. I have to wonder if the police had been called to the school in the first incident, the second might not have happened.  If the thugs had seen pol...

Not a big crowd for the School Board meeting last week but traffic was lousy and it's the end of the school year.

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...

The Superintendent announced these principal assignments today: Appointments: * Kelly Aramaki to Beacon Hill International School (Susie Murphy is retiring) * Anitra Pinchback-Jones to Rainier View, which opens this fall * Lisa Escobar to Viewlands, which opens this fall * Dr. Robert Gary to Principal-on-special-assignment at Interagency Academy, joining Kaaren Andrews Note: Pinchback-Jones has been at Bagley Elementary, Lisa Escobar and Robert Gary have been at RBHS.   Also, the word is that Bryant will either have an assistant principal or head teacher and not continue having two principals. The following individuals have served in an Interim role this year and are officially being appointed as principal. In each case the ExecutiveDirector of Schools gathered feedback from staff, families and communitybefore making these recommendations: * Keven Wynkoop at Ballard * Kelley Archer at Stevens * Keisha Scar...

A round-up from all over (thanks to Maureen for this story from the My Ballard blog): Ballard High School students are learning how to handle oil spills. On Thursday, students in the school’s Maritime Academy conducted an “oil spill drill” as part of their Sophomore Maritime Survey. The fictitious spill took place off Port Angeles where one oil tanker collided with another vessel. “The students had to demonstrate their familiarity with different types of spill response equipment (containment boom, skimmers, etc.), nautical charts, NOAA oil spill response software, tide tables and federal guidelines for spill response.,” Foster tells us. “Within an hour the teams were able to locate the spill, predict its trajectory for the next three days, organize and stage equipment to respond, and set up a decontamination station for effected personnel and animals.” If you’re not familiar with the Ballard Maritime Academy, it is a three-year program at Ballard High School with a hands-on...