Seattle Schools Community Forum

It will be quite the week by the time we all get to the end of it. From SPS Communications : Tuesday, Nov. 3 Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) community gathering cancelled Due to an unforeseen circumstance we must cancel and reschedule the Nov. 3, 2015 DHH Community Gathering. A critical component for this meeting is appropriate interpretation services. Despite early requests and multiple agency contacts, interpretation services were not secured. The district was informed of this on Oct. 30.

Update : I note that neither the Mayor's Facebook nor Twitter account mention the State of the District event at all.  The Mayor sat there for an hour and a half with elected leaders in our city and it was not enough to note on either social media. End of update It was a packed, smallish room for this event.  There was nothing that happened in that room that could not have happen at JSCEE.  Alliance head, Sara Morris, introduced many of the notables in the room. There were a lot of district staff there (including PE teachers who saw their leader, Lori Dunn, speak about their work).  Elected officials included  Mayor Murray, City Councilman Burgess, Senator Pedersen, Rep. Carlyle, Rep. Walkinshaw, Rep. Pollet,  Directors Blanford, Peaslee, Patu, Martin-Morris and McLaren and Jonathan Knapp (SEA).  Ms. Morris also went out of her way to tie the event to John Stanford (which I'm pretty sure he didn't start).  I note that the Allianc...

Went to the "State of the District" event yesterday hosted by the Alliance for Education and sponsored by Group Health.  (I'm sort of kidding about the the sponsorship but somebody paid for that.)   There were some interesting things said from the Superintendent (frank talk, very long and a reference to God), Mayor (how many times can he say "collaboration" until you realize that it may just be a talking point) and Washington State Teacher of the Year (tests are NOT everything but he likes Common Core).  You will not hear all this today when the Superintendent gives his speech again at JSCEE at 4 pm.  It's a 20 minute speech.  Also, no food or wine for you as at the Alliance event (but I was rushing out the door to see David Sedaris so I didn't get any either).  All part of the SPS puzzle (especially around enrollment) - the City announces community open houses around housing.   (What? no love for West Seattle or NW Seattle.)

Update :  Superintendent Nyland announced this event at the School Board meeting but also announced that a SECOND State of the District will be the next day on Nov. 18th at JSCEE. Seems like that's backwards - why isn't the FIRST announcement of the State of the District AT the district , not at some business' headquarters?  Maybe it's to keep the riff-raff out of the high-level event that the Alliance puts on? Keep in mind, you can go to the Alliance event - it is public.  (If you go and can't get in, look for me.  I'll make sure you get in.)   end of update. Interim Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland will present the annual State of the District from 4:30-6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17 at the Group Health Headquarters, 320 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 100. Dr. Nyland will give an overview of the district’s successes and challenges, and highlight progress on the district’s five-year strategic plan: Every Student. Every Classroom. Every Day. This event is sp...