Seattle Schools Community Forum

Second Update: Per the principal's report to parents (which was very detailed and a good review): The student who had the device had brought it to school and hid it somewhere in the food court area. Another student saw this, picked it up, put in his backpack and brought it to the front desk.  (I appreciate the thought but I wish that reporting student had not picked it up.) The school went into Shelter in Place and then the school was evacuated by SPD (as in a fire drill procedure) and attendance was taken outside.  The rest of the building got emptied by SFD.  The students got cold and were moved to a pavilion to stay warm. The students are to have a "debrief" this morning. Update:   it was a 10th grade boy who brought the Molotov cocktail to school; he was arrested by SPD a fellow student saw it in the arrested student's backpack and reported it to staff no threats by the would-be bomber were made prior to his arrest incident started around 9 am e...

I've been out of town so a bit behind on this. I see that teacher John Greenberg has been reinstated at The Center School (this from a story in the PI ).  The story does NOT say what if he will be teaching his Citizenship and Social Justice class.  The petition for a new principal at Garfield (on the heels of the outrage over the investigation of a rape on a Garfield overnight field trip) has over 2,000 signatures.  I hope to talk to some alum next week about this move. Is ballet a sport? Under Armour thinks so with this great video of ABT's Misty Copeland and an apparent letter she received about becoming a ballet dancer.  It's good to defy the odds. What's on your mind?

From SEA: T he Seattle EA Rep Council passed the following resolution on Monday, June 10: Whereas, a teacher at the Center School has been served with an administrative transfer for teaching an anti-racist curriculum that the District deemed to be inappropriate, on the basis of the complaint of one parent, and for not 'forbidding' students in his class from organizing in his defense; and Whereas, SPS has unfairly made this a matter of personnel discipline rather than a question of age appropriateness of curriculum with the effect of stifling discussion of this very serious matter, and Whereas, any other teacher may now be called to account for teaching anything controversial, based on a similar complaint of a single parent, having already sent a chilling effect on teaching around other controversial topics; and Whereas, the SEA has already taken a position to defend Jon Greenberg and stand up for Academic Freedom, Therefore be it resolved that the SEA supports Jon...

Update:   I am told there will be some kind of protest/gathering before the Board meeting tonight over the issue of the Center School teacher.  I believe there will be some media presence including tv.  I'm not sure this is the best way for the district to end the school year (this being the last Board meeting before the last day of school) but that was someone's choice to have made.   Should all make for an interesting evening. End of update. As predicted, the speaker list for the School Board meeting is filled to capacity with what may be a record 28 on the waiting list. The majority of speakers will be about The Center School and the possible transfer of teacher, Jon Greenberg.   I really think this could be a rookie mistake for Banda (a la Enfield and Principal Floe).  I hope they just quietly let this one go.   Also, a few speakers on Special Ed which is good and I hope someone gives them a cheerful earful.  One person wh...

I had heard about this but had no real info but our friends over at The Stranger have written this: (bold theirs) Rumor has it that the Seattle School District is punishing the high school teacher at the center of a controversy earlier this year—concerning his award-winning race and social justice class—by transferring him to another school. Greenberg heard from the district this weekend— after chaperoning prom on Saturday night —that he'll be sent to Hamilton Middle School next year.  Current teachers have sent around a public letter saying they " stand categorically opposed to the proposed transfer . Jon Greenberg is an outstanding, award-winning teacher and a seminal member of The Center School staff; his transfer would be a huge loss to the school." Asked to respond to the rumors, (district spokesperson, Teresa )Wippel says only that Superintendent José Banda is now "considering the appropriate action" after the same family filed a second ...

 Statement from Superintendent Banda on The Center School race and social justice curriculum class (partial): On Dec. 21, 2012, we received a complaint from a family at Center School alleging that the instructional activities used in the Citizenship and Social Justice: Advanced Placement Language and Compositions and Social Studies class included intimidating and discriminating actions, attitudes and classroom environment. Our Human Resources Department then launched an investigation of this complaint, as is our process. At the request of the Superintendent, the Teaching and Learning Department reviewed this particular course, convening an ad hoc committee to examine the curriculum. In the meantime, the class continues to meet and we’re reviewing how a portion of it – a six-week race unit that has since ended – will be taught in the future.   Regarding the first issue , the Human Resources department found that the way in which the race unit at the Center School...