Seattle Schools Community Forum

Teaching info on the issues around Standing Rock and the history of the treatment of Native Americans since our country was "discovered."  I'm going be reading up myself.  The Puget Sound Educational Service District announced its annual Schools of Distinction list and several Seattle Public schools were on it (some repeating.)  Those schools are:

Happy Birthday, to space hero Sally Ride.  Today would have been her 64th birthday. I sent this story - via t he Washington Post ,  along to the Board - Six of the nation's largest school districts dump polystyrene trays .   These districts are banding together for volume savings to do better for their districts.  Great new area at the Fordham Institute for Advancing Educational Excellence - Eduwatch 2016 - with quotes from presidential candidates on education (which I believe they will be keeping updated). Rand Paul has an interesting idea about student loans for higher ed: Let’s let college students deduct the entire cost of their educations over their working careers. Let’s make college tuition entirely deductible.  Bernie Sanders: Promote creative learning by doing away with 'fill-in-the-bubble' standardized tests, and instead evaluate students based their understanding of the curriculum and their ability to use it creativel y. It's 2015 but ap...

It seems some names are out there for both the elementary school and the middle school at the Wilson-Pacific site.  And, there was a survey about it but that survey, somehow, was only sent to select people.  Now why would that be?  (I'll ask tomorrow but here's what I understand.)

Tuesday, Dec. 16th  Audit&Finance Quarterly Meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.  UPDATE: agenda.   A rather interesting document , Consolidated Program Review , is included in the agenda.   (Charlie, don't get too excited; no, not all programs are reviewed.) Items of interest from minutes from last month's meeting: 1.      Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) Program Audit update (Technow) Ms. Technow spoke about the work being done in the ALE audit.   Because of deficiencies in required documentation at Interagency, the auditors will now review whether those students qualify as basic education.   Directors noted that Alternative Learning Experience schools and programs like Nova High School may be in a similar situation and Ms. Technow spoke about independent courses that students take outside of the classroom.   Michael Tolley spoke about the flexibility in scheduling that ALE allows for Interagency Aca...

Tuesday, Sept. 2nd Superintendent Nyland will have a press conference at JAMS followed by a ribbon-cutting for the renovated school at noon.  He will also be at the ribbon-cutting for Fairmount Park Elementary at 2:45 pm.  (I'm taking ideas for questions to ask Superintendent Nyland.) Wednesday, Sept. 3rd -    First Day of School Superintendent Nyland will be visiting several schools that day including Rainier View Elementary from 9-10:30 am, then the World School from 11-11:30 am.  He will join World School students for lunch. School Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm.  Agenda I note that the family of the Garfield field trip victim is organizing a rally before the meeting and I expect a fair number of people to again press the Board to do more.

From Indian Country Today media network : Plans to demolish a public school with strong ties to Seattle’s Native community have been sent back to the drawing board. The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted 7-1 on July 16 to designate Wilson-Pacific School a city landmark. That prevents Seattle Public Schools officials from proceeding with plans to demolish the school so a new school can be built in its place. Ironically, the school was nominated for landmark status by the very agency that wanted to demolish it. Under the state Environmental Policy Act, the school district was required to make an assessment of the school’s cultural and historical importance and present it to the landmarks board. Erin Doherty, Landmarks Preservation Board coordinator, said the school met three of six criteria for landmark designation: it is “associated in a significant way with the life of a person important in the history of the City” (Eaglestaff); it is “associated in a si...

As a heads up, the district is offering (at nearly every elementary and K-8), Jump Start for kindergarteners.   Sounds like a great program.  From the flyer: It is a weeklong experience for new kindergarteners and their families to learn about their new school. Children will become familiar with the school building, staff, and typical school-day activities and practices. This summer, over 50 elementary and K-8 schools across the city of Seattle will offer Jump Start the week of August 18-22 . Jump Start will run for five consecutive half-days (usually 9 a.m. to noon). Parents/guardians will have a chance to meet with the school principal during the week. Interpreters will be available for children who are English-language learners. Families who have enrolled their child in kindergarten will receive a letter from their assigned school inviting them to participate. Families will need to reserve a space and return needed health and safety forms ahead of time. Not every ...

From the Urban Native Education Alliance: "Hello Community Members, family and friends, You are all invited to attend the premier of a documentary on Robert Eaglestaff and Indian Heritage School. This documentary has been in the making for the past 8 months and we are excited to announce the premier date May 22nd @6pm at Indian Heritage Seamat building (Wilson-Pacific). Free event. Dinner and panel discussion to follow the viewing. Special thank-you to Struggling Productions and the many people who participated in the interviews and planning for this documentary. We want to honor the late Robert Eaglestaff and his family and hope the community will benefit from learning about Mr. Eaglestaff and the Indian Heritage school." Trailer for Eaglestaff

First, there will be a meeting - called by the Superintendent - for discussion around renovating T.T. Minor to be the new home for World School .  The meeting is tomorrow night, Monday the 18th, at JSCEE at 5:30 pm. I'm not sure what form the discussion will take.  The issue is two-fold.  One, World School has been consistently ignored by the district and the Board (or takes a backseat to almost every other program, take your pick).  At one point, their BEX III money had disappeared.  When it reappeared, it was less than had been allotted with no explanation. But the concern is that T.T. Minor may not end being their permanent home.  Data indicates that the Central Area growth will need that space.  At the Work Session last week, it was suggested if that happens, the district would be able to add a wing to Bailey-Gatzert.  This may be true but for two issues. One, B-G is not in the same place as T.T. Minor - it seems like this would add more...

Looked like the word "boobies" will be used in a Supreme Court case over two girls, who in 2010 were then 12 and 13, who were trying to raise awareness for breast cancer.  They violated their school's ban on bracelets and wore pink bracelets that said, "I heart Boobies!"  A lower court said the district didn't prove the bracelets had disrupted learning.   The district won't back down and has hinted it will take it all the way to the high court.  (What's interesting is that the district sees this as interfering with their right to make policies about discipline versus the girls' belief in free speech.) A new website about Native Americans called - what else - Native American News .  Has news from around the country on a variety of topics including public education. The Times got off a nice little shot of support for their favored School Board candidate in District IV.  They had yet (another) editorial about PTAs sharing fundraising dollars.  I...

I understand that the Superintendent is scheduled to have a long meeting today with Native American parents and leaders.  I'm sure it will be a compelling discussion and I hope he listens. Like all of U.S. history with Native Americans, the Seattle Schools' history doesn't have a whole lot to hold its head up about.  I'm not even part of that community, nor was it on my radar for many years but even I know that things have not been handled well. I can't give you the whole history of the Wilson-Pacific building and the Native American program.  But the program always did the best it could with a lousy building and underfunding.  Now that the building IS getting a rebuild, is it for the Native American program?  No.  Was there even discussion of keeping the program there?  If there was, it was on the down low.  And, they had to beg to save the beautiful and moving murals painted on the side of the building.  This was not graffiti - these ...

1) So how is TFA doing in our region?  From what I can see, not so great.  There are about 17 TFA teachers in the region.  Now as you may recall, a UW Vice-Provost, Dave Szatmary, had closely questioned the dean of the College of Education, Tom Stritikus, about the costs to UW. Szatmary: What assurances does UW have that the enrollments in TFA will increase to 50 in year 2?  How long would we be willing to run the program at a loss if the increased enrollments do not occur? Stritikus: This is TFA's growth plan,  They have hit their growth plans in virtually every district nationally.  If I were a betting man (which I am), I'd say they'll hit it." Well, this is coming into year three and they still don't even have 20.  So yes, folks, as tuition rises and the number of spots open in the freshman class get ever competitive, yes, UW has the money to lose on a program that apparently most districts in our state do NOT want.  I am still unclear ...

 From SPS Communications: Earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools sought applicants for a newly formed Native American Advisory Committee.  A number of applicants have been received but SPS encourages more to apply. The extended deadline is Monday, April 22. The initial committee term is April 2013 to June 2015. Nomination forms are available here  and can be mailed to: P.O. Box 34164 Mailstop 32156 Seattle, WA, 98124 Nominations can also be emailed to naeac@seattleschools.org . From KPLU: Seattle Public Schools wants to add a half-hour to the school day for elementary students by as early as the next school year. But the district must first align a number of variables, including funding and union support.

 A story from KPLU about the Rainier Beach High School's new IB program .  It's a good one. From SPS: Seattle Public Schools is seeking applicants for a newly formed Native American Advisory Committee. The committee will advise Superintendent José Banda on implementing Native American Education in Seattle Public Schools. It will be composed of Native families, Native community representatives, Native SPS staff, Native higher education representatives and Native students who represent the diverse Native American population of Seattle Public Schools. The initial committee term is April 2013 to June 2015.  Nomination forms are available here . Nominations can be mailed to: P.O. Box 34164 Mailstop 32156 Seattle, WA, 98124 Nominations can also be emailed to naeac@seattleschools.org . The deadline for submission is Monday, April 15, 2013. Those selected will be notified by Monday, April 22, and the first meeting will be held Monday, April 29 at a lo...

Another film-making competition that high school students can enter from the NW High School Film Festival.  They also have a scholarship competition as well. Looks like the district may not be able to save the Native American murals at Wilson-Pacific after all.  The artist feels he's getting the runaround from the district and has declined permission to digital reproduce them. From the Times: He repeatedly congratulated the district for the passage of the levy, which he opposed. But Morrison said he’s lost trust in the district, in part because no school official approached him about saving the murals until he started showing up at public meetings about the levy. He also said he’s talked wit h four different officials, and has no confidence they won’t simply continue to pass him along. “For many reasons,” he said, “it’s in my best interests to step away.” (P.S.  This may be one of the last Times' articles I will be able to link to for the blog.  I...

Monday, November 12th SPS closed to honor our veterans, both past and present.   I want to thank my father, Sam, and his brothers, Jack, Pat and Bill, all who served in WWII.  I want to thank my mother's cousin, Charles Oles, who served in WWII and died in the Bataan death march.  I would like to thank Harry M. Ravenna, the soldier in Vietnam whose name I carried on a metal bracelet on my wrist in junior high.  I found out decades later that he was killed in action.  Thank you to all who served and are serving. Community Meeting with Director Peaslee at Lake City Library from 6:30-8:00 pm Tuesday, November 13th Road Map to College event.  One of a series, this one at Rainier Beach High School from 3-6 p.m. Krista Rillo, College Bound Scholarship Counselor , klrillo@seattleschools.org , (206) 252-0075 Superintendent Meeting with Native American Community at Wilson-Pacific from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, November 14th Executive Committee Meetin...

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...

I was going through the public testimony when I last posted on this topic.

Apparently the Alliance had an event at High Point Center this evening with Dr. Enfield, Steve Sundquist, and other district officials.  It was billed as an evening with Dr. Enfield. 

Monday, March 28th Board Committee Meeting - Curriculum and Instruction Agenda topics:  science adoption delay, AP Science and Social Studies, high school social studies adoption committee, middle school language arts adoption committee, K-5 General music adoption commitee, promotion/retention policies, homework policies Tuesday, March 29th   Superintendent Chat from 8-9 am at the Central library downtown (10th Floor) The Source Informational Night for Latino Families - Campana Quetzal will be hosting this event at 6:30 p.m. in the RBHS library.  Families will learn to use the Source and how to create an e-mail account.  The workshops will be in Spanish.   Superintendent coffee with members of the East African community from 6:30-8:00 p.m. - there is no location given for this; I'll try to find out where.   There is also another diversity speaker lecture.  This one is Brian C. Johnson about framing diversity through modern film....