Seattle Schools Community Forum

Tomorrow is Director Carr's last community meeting as a board member - it's at the Hearthstone at Greenlake from 8:30-10:00 am. A couple of strong women speaking out - Reece Witherspoon honored as Glamor's 2015 Women of the Year Awards and Meryl Streep getting turned down for King Kong.  Witherspoon's speech is a good one to read to your daughters.  Witherspoon See, I just kind of started wondering lately why female ambition is a trait that people are so afraid of. Why do people have prejudiced opinions about women who accomplish things? Why is that perceived as a negative? In a study by Georgetown University in 2005, a group of professors asked candidates to evaluate male efficient versus female efficient in politicians. Respondents were less likely to vote for power-seeking women than power-seeking men. They also perceived ambitious women as looking out for themselves. They even reported ambitious women as provoking feelings of disgust.  I am...

Monday, Nov. 9th Washington State Charter Commission meeting from 10 am - 5 pm at the STAR Center in Tacoma. Highlights of the agenda: - State Supreme Court Ruling Calendar update - First Place Scholars presentation/update (after which the Commission has an Executive Session)

The candidates for school board in District II, representing North Seattle around Green Lake, are: Sherry Carr Kate Martin Jack Whelan Mark Weber Please use this space to discuss these candidates' relative qualities, their positions on the issues, and your confidence in their ability and willingness to perform the duties of the office and perform them well.

I attended the kick-off event for the Families and Education Levy yesterday at El Centro de la Raza.  There were the usual suspects; the Mayor, Councilman Tim Burgess (he heads the Council's Public Safety and Education Committee), Superintendent Enfield, Olga Addae (SEA), and various other education supporters.  Just to note, the only School Board candidates I saw were Sherry Carr and Michelle Buetow.  (If I missed anyone, please let me know and I will update this thread.  It was a small space but crowded.) I have to say it was a little disappointing in that there was only one City Councilperson and one School Board member in attendance.  Maybe they are going to participate in other events around this important levy but it seems like for the kick-off (and, if you are running to be reelected to the Board), you might at least be there to show your support.