Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Issaquah School Board voted to use eminent domain to acquire property for school use.  From The Issaquah Press: The Issaquah School Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to use eminent domain to acquire the 40-acre Providence Heights College property as a site for a new high school and a new elementary school. A majority of the speakers pleaded with the board to repurpose the existing buildings. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation included the campus on its 2016 list of the state’s seven most-endangered historic properties. State law permits school districts to use eminent domain to acquire private property as sites for schools. If a district and a landowner cannot agree on compensation, the matter goes to superior court. Stiffarm said the process, if it requires a trial, can take at least a year.   Interesting article from the Bellingham Herald about how many Democratic legislators are now running for open statewide seats (like state super...

I got word from the human Energizer bunny, teacher Web Hutchins, that Seattle Schools has agreed to bring in the Civics for All initiative to SPS.  I am so happy this is happening for our district.  Here's how Web explains it:

Off to the Murray/Nyland press conference this morning at Madrona K-8. And speaking of Madrona, there is to be a meeting next Wed, the 21st for "future families" for the to-be-reopened Meany Middle School at the Miller Community Center at 7 p.m. Meany Middle School will house both general education and Spectrum programs. ALL students who live within the reference areas of Montlake, Stevens, Lowell, McGilvra, Madrona, Leschi and John Muir Elementary schools (including those in 7th and 8th grades) will be assigned to attend Meany in 2017. This means that current 5th graders will start at Meany in 8th grade. When it opens, Meany will have around 700 students, and it is projected that Meany will eventually house up to 850 students, allowing the school district to be able to serve the increasing number of school-age children in central Seattle and alleviating the current overcrowding at Washington Middle School. For questions contact Jennifer Emrich (Montlake & Garfield ...

Pass it on.  This is a great initiative and great effort on the part of civics teacher, Web Hutchins. On March 17, 2014 the Seattle City Council and King County Council  passed tandem  “Resolutions of Support for the Civics for All Initiative.”  As the embodiment of local, direct democracy and the representative voices for millions of voters, the 9-0, 9-0 unanimous votes of these Councils signifies a tremendous affirmation of support for the Seattle School District to adopt Civics for All in our city’s schools. Sign this petition to make sure civics stays in our public schools.  Please spread the word. 

Wedgwood teacher, Kelly Clark, has been given the  2014 Civic Educator of the Year Award.  From Rep Gerry Pollet's office:   The award is sponsored by the Washington State Legislature to honor outstanding instructors in civics education.    Other SPS honorees : • Lori Dunn,  program manager for Physical Education and Health Literacy, will be presented a  Fellow for Professional Excellence  at a convention sponsored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).  • Gayle See, coordinator for Physical Education for Progress, will be acknowledged at the same convention for her outstanding contributions with an Honor Award, Non-college/University.  Article from Crosscut by City Councilwomen Jean Godden and Sally Bagshaw about the long-promised playground at Seattle Center.  They are looking for input on its design. The project team will begin its robust community engage...

So no snow in my area so here's hoping yours is dry as well.  I received my Seattle Public Library newsletter and wanted to alert readers with high school students about a new scholarship opportunity.  It's the Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship.  (This is a bequest from the late Stimson Bullitt who supported public libraries.)   High school seniors and undergraduate students who live, work or attend school in Seattle are invited to participate. The competition asks students to write an essay about an individual or group of individuals from Washington state who have demonstrated civic courage on an issue of importance to the community at great personal, political or professional risk. Essays must be submitted online between January 2 - February 28, 2014. Winners will be announced in May 2014. Winning essays will be added to the collection in the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Seattle Room at The Seattle Public Library and will be given directly to the participa...

Re: our discussion about equity and race.   This video from Upworthy is thought-provoking and gives a good idea how we might - gently - end some kinds of white privilege.   (Of course, you have to be the kind of person who is able to stand up for others.  That's not always easy.) Good op-ed from Web Hutchins (and Judith Billings) who continues to push onward for better civics in our curriculum.  From the op-ed : "Seattle can create a unified K-12 school system that celebrates citizenship, cultivates character and boosts academic achievement by adopting the Civics for All Initiative . This 2011 policy proposal calls for district adoption of substantial increases in K-12 civics requirements, media literacy, districtwide K-12 mock elections each November and civics connections across the curriculum.  Margit McGuire, director of the Master’s in Teaching Program at Seattle University and a Civics for All board member, asserts that a strong civics fo...

From SPS: Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Seattle Public Schools students – Tara N. Conley , The Center School; and Derek B. Gasaway , Garfield High School – are among the winners for college-sponsored scholarships.  South Lake High School teacher Web Hutchins received the state’s top honor for civic education - the Civic Educator of the Year award. Hutchins was nominated for the award by State Representative Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle). Hutchins’ Civics for All Initiative  is under consideration by the School District and has been introduced in Olympia, as well as to teachers and civic leaders in Seattle. Cuauhtemoc (Moc) Escobedo , band director at Eckstein Middle School , has been announced as a quarterfinalist for the first-ever Music Educator Award presented jointly by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation .   Escobedo is an award-winning band director for Eckstein – leading students in nu...

I ask that question because along with a student graduating high school to be college or career-ready, that student should also be citizen-ready.  An 18-year old high school graduate can go fight in a war, get married, and vote.  Those are some fairly high level decisions. Two thoughts run through my head on this subject. One, do you remember being 18?  You went off to college or you went out and got training, got a job and suddenly learned what it is to be responsible for yourself.  No one was going to tell you to get up and go to class or to be on time for work.   My gold standard for the realization about adult life was when I realized I had to pay for toilet paper.  I couldn't believe my hard-earned money for going for that and yet, what are you going to do?  It a big lesson to learn that all the money you earn will NOT be going for fun, fun, fun. Taxes are a real part of that lesson. Two, is the increasing cacophony of political voices ...

I haven't been keeping up as much as it seems that things change daily but here is what I believe the latest is. The Senate now has put out their proposal for trying to close the state budget gap (although still haven't closed it). In terms of education, they would protect more of what most of us would want protected. They would cut about $16M less than the House for K-4. They would transfer $25 from the State Need Grant (which would have to come from somewhat and I think higher ed has a big bullseye on it). Neither the House nor the Senate would make cuts to levy equalization or highly capable education. Also, I got a heads up on a real Lallapalooza of a bill ( HB 1025 ) that is being put forth by about 15 legislators led by Rep. Crouse. It is all loosely about education issues and includes highly capable, asthma/anaphylaxis, PE, drivers ed, school safety and civics classes. It also includes a passage about storm water drainage. (I'm guessing they all got in ...

My son and I were fortunate enough to have tickets to see former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor last night at Town Hall. She gave a somewhat safe speech but she is a feisty woman with a good sense of humor. Her speech was on education but really about the importance of students learning about civics (remember that?). She gave some startling stats about how more people know who the judges are on American Idol than who are on the Supreme Court. What is interesting is that she, along with a large group of educational institutions and foundations, has created Our Courts : 21st Century Civics. It's a website for both middle-school students and teachers with interactive lessons and games. The teachers can get step-by-step plans with printable worksheets/guides for interactive lessons. This is not your old school civics with lessons like "From King to Constitution: Get Off Our Backs!" and "James Bond in a Honda". The students get on-line games whe...