Seattle Schools Community Forum

Update: Sebrena Burr, the president of the Seattle County PTSA said the board unanimously supported the teachers’ action planned for Wednesday. end of update (I can't seem to get comment moderation on so I am asking for civility.  If not, then I'll turn off the comments.) The Seattle Teachers Association has been planning a Day of Solidarity on October 19th for African-American students in Seattle schools.  As well, the teacher group, Social Equality Educators, is part of the planning for this day. I support this day and I support the district's efforts to close the opportunity gap for all high-risk student groups.   However, this is may be a charged conversation but I am going to attempt to be clear about my concerns, not for the purpose of the day, but how it will play out.

--> In part two of this thread, I want to analyze the theory around which the MTSS-B initiative seems to be based – targeted universalism. I hadn’t heard of this theory before now and it’s always good to hear about what ideas are out there for better public education. I did some research and lots of reading and found several good articles including ones about the Oakland School District’s program. Let’s start from the premise that if you see a problem that affects the population broadly, then you attempt to create a solution that will negate or end that problem. That premise, of course, supposes that all people are affected in the same way by both the problem and your solution. Universalism – across all sectors, not just education – is discussed in a paper by Thandika Mkandawire called Targeting and Universalism in Poverty Reduction.

More news on race and children in America. I offer this information as news.  I have tried not to editorialize much here but to listen to what others are saying.  Somewhere in this country, people are suspending preschoolers and most of them are children of color or Special Education students.  (I didn't even know you could suspend a pre-schooler.)  This story from the Huffington Post.   It's a wide-ranging report that goes from preschool thru high school and examines not just discipline but offerings in districts throughout the country.  A staggering new report released by the Department of Education and the Justice Department on Friday highlights a troubling pattern of zero-tolerance school discipline policies that disproportionately impact minority students in general, but also trickle down to the nation’s youngest students. While black children represent only 18% of preschool enrollment nationally, they make up 42% of students suspended o...