Seattle Schools Community Forum

I attended the community meeting for Robert Eagle Staff  Middle School on Tuesday night.  There were maybe 5 parents there including one father with his daughter.  Marni Campbell gave the presentation with Executive Director, Jon Halfaker, in attendance.  There were no handouts. She led with the phrase "dream ambitiously."   She also referenced the heritage of the Wilson Pacific site that SPS wants to honor. 

During the discussion at the Boundary Changes thread, I was asked to create another thread on what readers found in the Friday Memo on this subject. One reader noted that two of the attachments that were supposed to be in the original BAR are finally at the SPS website.  (And use that in any argument you want to make about going forward - information was not given to the Board and the community in a timely fashion.)

And guess what?  These numbers are different from previous ones. Yes, we all know that forecasting numbers is not an exact science but we all also know how many times SPS has gotten it wrong.  Very wrong.  Tell me again why we should put faith (not to mention tax dollars) into these forecasts? And again, why are these numbers kind of weird to begin with?  Most projections are generally round numbers (with a + or - projection).  It's almost like someone feels they can get it down the the last student and it's just not possible to do so. Of course, these numbers come out conveniently before tonight's Wilson-Pacific meeting.

(Note: readers started commenting on this at the Friday Open Thread.  I had thought to try to transfer their comments to this new thread but was unable to do so.  I created a new thread as to make this huge issue, front and center here.) From SPS: The recommendations below go to the Board on November 6 for action on November 20. (The information from previous proposals is now obsolete.) Two Types of Recommendations Long-range boundaries that will be phased in as construction is completed by 2020.  Map showing long-range boundaries to be phased in  through 2020 Recommendations for specific components to implement next year.  Map showing recommedations to implement for the  2014-15 school year Board Materials Board Action Report (BAR) for November 6 Complete maps packet for the Board  (includes more detailed attendance area maps, feeder patterns, and geozone maps) Reference materials for the Board Summaries of public input— ...

There are a LOT of concerns but ALSO a lot of good ideas out there about how to make many of the new issues arising from the "new" boundaries more palatable.  Again, there is NO way to eliminate pain, no way to make everyone even just okay with these boundaries.  They are far too reaching to do that. BUT, finding a way to spread the pain, share the burden and not leave just one group of kids (I'm looking at the 3rd grade APP kids at Lincoln who come from the Whitman area) out on a limb. So I propose this: If you just have a concern (but no real solution), then I'll take those from the thread where I asked for them.  I'll make a list and send it to the directors and explain this is what we are hearing here. But, if you have an idea or solution , what I think would help is if each idea were laid out in a flowchart fashion so that Directors could see it in one fell swoop without a lot of explanation.  (Please add a paragraph or two of explanation before and ...

Before school started we heard about a new peer tutoring program at McClure. How's that working out? Before school started we heard that Whitman was going to dissolve their 7th and 8th grade Spectrum classes. How's that working out? How is transportation going? All smoothed out? Are the schedules for secondary students smoothed out? Do kids still need to fill their schedules with classes? What about the school software? Is that working now?

Shauna Heath, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instructional Support and Michael Tolley, the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, have told the Board and the public that they will form advisory committees this fall to explore delivery models and identification criteria for advanced learning programs. In the meantime, schools are moving forward on their own with changes in delivery models. We know that Wedgwood and Lawton are discontinuing self-contained Spectrum as the grades roll up. They claim to be using a cluster model, but it's unclear how closely they are following the cluster model described in literature. Whitman says that they will use a cluster model for 7th and 8th grade Spectrum this year. Again, it is unclear how closely they will adhere to the cluster model described in research. A number of schools, due to low enrollment, have never offered self-contained Spectrum. It is unclear what delivery model they are using. Shauna Heath has also ack...

 Update: a great story from the Times about the Ballard valedictorian this year.   Mikael Perla got diagnosed with leukemia in the middle of his freshman year.   He spent two grueling years fighting it off (with steroids causing him to have diabetes).   He could have taken time off to fight but he continued his studies.  Don't mistake Perla's persistence for arrogance. He credits his top grades to hard work and teachers who tutored him. He doesn't mention that he practically taught himself the language and math of chemistry from textbooks in bed, that he turned in every homework assignment, that he came in after school to do labs when he would be less likely to catch germs from classmates, reluctantly accepting his mom as his lab partner. Mikael Perla will attend the University of Washington in the fall after completing a summer program in engineering. He's considering a career in medicine. Good luck, Mikael - you have lots ...

Teen Drinking Rates Drop in NE (from the Office of Public Affairs) During the past four years, drinking rates among northeast Seattle youth have decreased, including a 19 percent drop at Nathan Hale High School and 13 percent decline at Roosevelt High School. These numbers far exceed a statewide average decrease of 5 percent during the same time period. What happened? A panel of students, school administrators, parents, and health and public safety officials will share what they’ve done to prevent underage drinking and support healthy decision-making among teens in Northeast Seattle – and how others can replicate their activities – during a “Celebrate Healthy Youth” community meeting on Monday, Oct. 10. This event is presented by Prevention WINS, a community coalition with the mission of preventing youth substance abuse in northeast Seattle. Monday, Oct. 10th at Nathan Hale High School, 10750 30 th Ave. N.E., from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m .  For more info,   Inga Ma...