Seattle Schools Community Forum

From the Seattle Times: The district and teachers union agreed to a guaranteed minimum 30 minutes of recess for elementary school students. Teachers had originally asked for 45 minutes and compromised on at least 30, said Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association. As for the rest of the contract: Representatives from the union and district met most of the day Saturday and continued negotiations Sunday. Negotiations will likely continue until 8 or 9 p.m. Sunday, said Phyllis Campano, Seattle Education Association vice president and bargaining team chair. The two parties will likely discuss equity, testing and compensation Sunday, among smaller issues, she said. Oddly, the Times' business reporter wrote the story.  I understand that contracts are part of a business but it seems like the education reporters would have already been covering the story.

I believe that this year is to be a pivotal one in public education - for our district, our state and nationally. I'll go in reverse order.

Rally for Recess & Equity, August 27, Leschi Elementary @ 11 AM  This Thursday, 11am at Leschi Elementary (135 32nd Ave., 98122) Rally for Recess and Equity.  Half the schools in the district get 30 minutes or less of recess--most of that half are 15-20. All in the name of more class instruction. Kids need to move to learn. They need to let off steam, they need to be outside, they need unstructured time and social skill-building time.  The schools with least recess? Central and south end. This is an equity issue. And one of many sticking points in the contract negotiations. Bring kids! SPONSORED BY SEA

Where we are today? There have been two of the district's four School Bell Times Community discussion events.  (Anyone go to New Holly on Tuesday night or Garfield on Thursday night?)  I reported back on what I saw and heard at Hamilton. The district has chosen to NOT go with the Taskforce's top picks, citing the Taskforce's agreement with the district on transportation costs.  I would like anyone on the Taskforce who might be reading this to contact me (sss.westbrook@gmail.com) and let me know if this is completely accurate.  This is only what I heard from the district. The last discussion event is on Tuesday, May 12th at Chief Sealth at 7:00 pm  I'll just state a couple of things that I believe.

The Laurelhurst Blog has done a notable job in covering the issue of portables at Laurelhurst Elementary.  This is an issue that many schools have struggled with, both recently and long-term.  Here's one school's story. 

Press Release from the Lunch and Recess Matter group: Parents of students in Seattle Public Schools will attend the school board meeting this afternoon to express their frustration that the district has failed to act on their requests that the district provide their children with enough time to eat lunch and play at recess. They are asking the district to quickly ensure that kids get more to eat and play at school. Parents also pointed to a new study from the University of Washington that found students in Seattle Public Schools get only 12 minutes to eat their lunch, resulting in most of the fruits and vegetables going uneaten and putting students’ academic achievement at risk. “We came to the board in November telling them there is a serious issue affecting most of the kids in Seattle Public Schools, and very little has been done since then to fix it,” said Sascha Demerjian, a parent at Whittier Elementary School. “The district is currently finalizing schedule...

Aw, dude, you have GOT to start reading the Friday Memos . They are full of juicy, juicy tidbits. This week's edition is full of tap dancing lies and deceptions. It's wonderful.

I attended yesterday's Audit and Finance Committee meeting which had several fascinating discussions (and non-discussions). In attendance were Chair Sherry Carr and members Sue Peters and Harium Martin-Morris.  Also in attendance was Superintendent Nyland. I had wanted to attend because of a couple of issues of interest to me.  And naturally, one item on the agenda that I really thought would be dry and not-so-vital turned out to be great.  That's why I go to these meetings - you really learn a lot. The items I had wanted to hear about were: - MOA with Africatown - MOU with the Alliance for Education So what turned out to hold my attention? The presentation on Nutrition Services given by Nutrition Services staff, led by Wendy Weyer.  First, kudos to Ms. Weyer.  While her presentation was long, it was detailed and well-organized.  She laid out the information to the Board in a manner they could follow and then connect the dots.   ...

You may recall the district's press release on this subject said this: Lunch/Recess Times -          We understand the concerns of parents regarding lunch and recess times. This is an issue we are taking seriously and are working to address. -          A Wellness task force has begun looking into the concerns and issues surrounding lunch times throughout the district. The purpose of this 18-month long task force is to examine nutrition, physical education and physical activity. -          The task force will provide recommendations to the superintendent at the end of this time period. -          Creating daily school schedules has become increasingly complex, due to multiple factors and requirements. This includes: o   State Board of Instruction require...

More fleshing out tomorrow but: - Lunch/Recess Matters made a huge impact at the Board meeting. Armed with signs, cute kids (and a couple who were great speakers "We need to get the wiggles out") and, most of all, research and facts to back up their argument, speaker after speaker asked how so many schools were cutting back on the length of time for lunch/recess.  The press release about the lunch/recess issue did not entirely jibe with what Pegi McEvoy told the Board about what the district is doing.  She said there were two taskforces so I'm unclear if the one referenced in the press release is a new one or one of the existing ones.  I'm seeking clarification. - Directors Carr and Patu were not in attendance. News that Communications head Lesley Rogers is leaving was sad news for all. Rogers is one of the most hardworking yet cheerful people in SPS and she will be missed.   - The Board voted 5-0 to reject the district going forward with applying to a...

From SPS: Lunch/Recess Times -          We understand the concerns of parents regarding lunch and recess times. This is an issue we are taking seriously and are working to address. -          A Wellness task force has begun looking into the concerns and issues surrounding lunch times throughout the district. The purpose of this 18-month long task force is to examine nutrition, physical education and physical activity. -          The task force will provide recommendations to the superintendent at the end of this time period. -          Creating daily school schedules has become increasingly complex, due to multiple factors and requirements. This includes: o   State Board of Instruction required educational hours o   Recess times o ...

Seattle parents to protest lack of sufficient lunch and recess time in school Parent observations will show school district out of compliance with local and state policies Students in Seattle Public Schools are coming home hungry and with full lunch boxes each day as a result of new cuts by the district to lunch and recess times, Seattle parents have discovered, with children participating in the Free & Reduced Meal program or who have disabilities suffering the most. Parents and concerned community members from across Seattle will hold a rally at the Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SoDo on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 pm before presenting their initial findings to the district’s board. They will demand the district take action to restore appropriate lunch and recess times. WHERE: John Stanford Center, 2445 3rd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 (parents will gather on the lawn at the corner of 3rd and Lander) WHEN : Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at 4:...