Seattle Schools Community Forum

Update:   there's a new movie out about a gifted child called...Gifted. Also, thank you to reader NE Parent for this link to a NY Times article on finding more gifted students of color.  It makes for fascinating reading.

This week marks the 20th anniversary for TAF (Technology Access Foundation) and the 8th for TAF Academy.  They are holding a big celebration party this weekend.  TAF was started by Trish Millines Dziko, a former Microsoftie. (Editor's note: Dziko is also a Washington State Charter Commissioner and one the best voices in that group.)

It's none other than Trish Millines Dziko who announced it today on Facebook.   Trish is one of a couple of public education heroes of mine (along with Diane Ravitch.)  About Trish:

That leader is Trish Millines Dziko who started Technology Access Foundation and is truly a great thinker on how to push the needle forward for students of color using STEM-based curriculum with project-based learning. Trish has written a series on her thoughts about ed reform (she's frustrated) and we think - intentionally - about the work of educating children on a school level. Time to Transform Public Schools: Part 1- Brown v Board, An Incomplete Journey Time to Transform Public Schools:Part 2 - A Vision for a Great School Time to Transform Public Schools: Part 3 - Don't Drink the Milk (complete with a charming Little Rascals video to prove her point) I believe in what Dziko is doing (and saying) for several reasons.

One of the perks of doing this work and getting out there in the community is meeting people who don't just talk - they act.  Trish Millines Dziko is such a person.  Trish and her partner, Jill Hull Dziko, started providing STEM programs for students of color back in 1996.  They then founded Technology Access Foundation which now has two programs: TechStart and TAF Academy.  TechStart is an after-school program (middle school) and school-day program (elementary) for STEM, to help them learn about it and be prepared for classes in it. TAF Academy, in the Federal Way school district, is a 6-12th grade model for STEM.  So when I heard Trish giving testimony at a recent state senate committee meeting about TAF, I contacted her and thanked her for her work.  I also asked her about charters because TAF has done tremendous work in creating their programs and doing the tough work to create partnerships to support their work. So, it seems like TAF might ...

The Times had a not-so-subtle editorial today about Trish Millines Dziko who started TAF (Technology Access Foundation). I'm thinking they want the new administrative team at district headquarters to pay attention. I like Trish and I give her credit for her realization that TAF's handling of possible co-location with Rainier Beach didn't go well (not that it was all TAF's fault; it surely wasn't and there's plenty of blame to go around). But she's a bright woman who charges ahead (even after getting pretty much ignored on her second attempt to work with SPS) and she opened a TAF Academy in Federal Way. (FYI, TAF is hiring teachers.)

Today's Times also had an opinion piece by Lynne Varner about TAF. She had attended a 10th anniversary breakfast for TAF which Carla Santorno attended. Ms. Varner talked about the irony of TAF's successes and yet it is making few in-roads with the district. Maybe Dr. Goodloe-Johnson will want to take this on in order to help a school (like AAA) that is struggling and/or the new Board will write a policy about public/private partnerships that will kick-start some of these efforts. They will, of course, need to keep in mind that we want to keep the public in public schools but be willing to work with those with new ideas.

According to a story by Nina Shapiro posted to the Weekly blog today, TAF is no longer planning on using Rainier Beach High School as the location for their Technology Academy. They are now setting their sights on the African American Academy. Ms Dziko says that she learned a lot from the pushback they got at Beach and they are going to do it better this time. Nina Shapiro's entire post follows:Plan for Rainier Beach Fizzles Posted today at 3:49 pm by Nina Shapiro The backlash at Rainier Beach High School seems to have proven too much for former Microsoftie Trish Millines Dziko, who had proposed partnering with the public schools to create a high-tech academy there. (See " Schooling the District .") "There has been no movement at all in the Rainier Beach community to even talk about this," says Dziko, who heads the Technology Access Foundation (TAF), a non-profit that teaches computer skills to minority kids. "We are strongly looking at alternatives."...

Trish Millines Dziko made on a comment on a previous post ( TAF & Seattle Public Schools Letter of Intent ) that I want to make sure everyone sees, so I've copied it below: As the person who crafted this Letter of Intent and as the founding director of TAF, I think it's important for me to comment on the letter and process. About the process: Yes we have been talking to the District since September 2005. In every one of those 13 conversations, the RBHS Principal, the Director of High Schools, and the Executive Director of the Teachers Union were in attendance, except 4 of them. They each had an opportunity to tell their respective constituents what was going on. TAF made a choice to try to get District approval of the idea first instead of making a promise to the community that we couldn't keep. Then we wanted to walk together with the District as partners to work with the community on how this may work out. Right or wrong, that was our strategy. I can't say that in...

Thanks to Melissa Westbrook, here is the Letter of Intent between TAF & Seattle Public Schools. ********** Letter of Intent Since September 2005, The Technology Access Foundation (TAF), a nonprofit educational corporation, has been meeting with several key Seattle Public Schools (SPS) members including the Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, several school board members, middle and high school directors, and principals to explore a partnership to bring TAF Academy (a 6th-12th grade school model with a theme of Science, Technology, Engineering. and Math) to Rainier Beach High School. After a year of discussing strategies and issues, we have determined that TAF and SPS will collaborate to bring the TAF Academy model to Rainer Beach High school with the following parameters: TAF Academy will collocate with the current Rainier Beach program. There will be a total of 525 students (75 students per grade) enrolled in TAF Academy. TAF Academy will start in September 2008 with a 6th, 7t...

Some interesting comments on the Cooper/Pathfinder Confusion post made me reflect on the issue of public/private partnerships with Seattle Schools. I am concerned about the district being beholden to funders, with special deals worked out for individual schools depending on who is funding the school. Yet, public schools desperately need the money. And, honestly, it's not like Seattle Public Schools are so well-run that I don't want anyone interfering with them. I believe the New School Foundation has excellent intentions, with the best interests of children always in mind. But that is my opinon since the school's approach and curriculum (low teacher-student ratio, focus on social justice, focus on the "whole" child) fits well with my beliefs. What happens when/if a foundation starts a school and I don't approve of the mission/vision being funded? Do we trust the district and the school board enough to make good choices about who they partner with and how far ...