Seattle Schools Community Forum

And roll. Looks like there is going to be a LOT of activity at the Board meeting on Wednesday.  Apparently we may see: - teachers who are unhappy about the possible class size increase - community organizers unhappy about their exit from the Horace Mann building in order to make way for Nova to come back and now, - the so-called Our Schools group.  Here's their reason to be at the Board meeting: Nearly three years ago, the Seattle School District negotiated a collective bargaining agreement between teachers and the district that outlined strategies for closing Seattle’s opportunity and achievement gaps. Article II Partnership for Closing the Achievement Gap would develop and implement a parent/community engagement process, monitor stability of staff in low-performing schools, monitor data like discipline and attendance records in determining students at-risk for dropping out, and financially support school-level initiatives focused on closing gaps. The Our Schools C...

 Update:  Cleveland has an orchestra class and will be adding a second one thanks to the efforts of one student, Robert Babs, and yet another dedicated SPS music teacher, Michelle Maury.  Thanks to a reader for this tip; here's the story from KING-5. Some news items first: Congrats to Aki Kurose for winning the City's competition for best middle school attendance.  They got Mollie Moon ice cream for the whole school.  This is the second competition they have won (the other was a national attendance competition). SPS has won a grant for $241k for fresh fruit and veggies for our food program.   This continues a program for a fruit or veggie snack for students and will go to 13 elementary schools where their F/RL rate is 80% or more. One of my favorite little bookshops, Ada's Technical Books , is having a good program this Thursday the 12th at 7 p.m. with author, Jessica Sklar.  She will be discussing her book, Mathematics in Popular Cul...

Tomorrow Mayor McGinn will be rolling out the city's new attendance initiative, Be Here, Get There.   Every day in school matters.   The Mayor will be having a press conference on Monday, Oct. 3rd at Denny Middle School at 11:30 am to announce this new initiative.    This is an effort to, obviously, get more kids to be in school every day.  The goal is 80% attendance throughout the year with 5 or fewer absences a year. This initiative is NOT just for kids who are not in school because of family issues.  They are also going for parents who take their kids out of school for vacations during school days.  They are emphatic that this issue impacts every child who is not in school.  Here's a good website about this issue that the Mayor's staff directed me to called Attendance Works about why this issue matters.  Also, here's an interesting survey about when to keep your child home from school.  There will be contests...

Tuesday the 23rd Audit&Finance Committee meeting from 4-6 p.m. (for Audit issues) Agenda reflects these items:  capital performance audit follow-up, update on Pottergate, update and action plan on yet another audit, intro of Internal Auditor, schedule of departmental reviews, more School Board policies updates (HR) Wednesday, August 24th Board Work Session on Technology in Schools from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, August 25  Audit&Finance Committee meeting from 4-6 p.m. (for Finance issues) Agenda reflects these items: financials update, community schools report, daily attendance issues, budget update Saturday, August 27 Community Meeting with Director Kay Smith-Blum from 10-11:30 am at the Douglass-Truth library, 2300 Yesler Way at 23rd Anyone attend the Parent Summit or Martin-Morris community meeting on Saturday? 

I got there about 5:10 p.m.  A lot of the Mayor's staff, district staff and a middle school rock band warming up.  For all those people, there was no one to officially greet you or tell you anything about the event.  (I get that they needed staff but seriously, it was a lot of people for a simple Q&A.)