Seattle Schools Community Forum

 Update on Federal Reserve building - I'm pretty sure the district is out of it.  The bid is now up to $9.6M and the bidding window is now open another day.  It appears two bidders are duking it out because the other four hats in the ring have remained inactive since their first bids.   If it's the district who is still in it, I have no idea where they are finding these dollars. end of update The Times is reporting that a 13-year old Denny International student was robbed by a man with a gun as she walked to school this morning in the Delridge neighborhood.  He took her backpack and patted her down, apparently looking for a cellphone or money but she had neither. She reported this to the school when she got there. From the West Seattle blog :

 From Community & Parents for Public Schools, Seattle ( CPPS ): SEATTLE: Students win when families and schools work together, but not all parents engage equally. So Community & Parents for Public Schools of Seattle is bringing an acclaimed program to the city that strengthens ties to public schools by recruiting, placing and mentoring volunteers who might not otherwise participate.

As for the title of this thread, I am hearing some rumblings of a rather large change that may come to the district very soon.  I am trying to learn more and when I know for certain I will let you know.  I hesitate to say anything specific.  There are two reasons for me saying anything at all.  One, because I believe parents deserve a heads up early (if only to brace yourself).  Two, because I rarely get any credit or acknowledgement from the regular media, I'd like to be able to say I was the first one to raise the red flag. We have all seen the shifting sands of principal movement.   I asked the district some questions about this issue and here are the questions and replies.

In case you didn't notice, the number of MAC members who filed their own opinions went up from 1 teacher to 3 more on the committee. I believe there may be three certain votes against the adoption of enVision.   I think there could be a fourth vote but again, hard to discern. My concern is not that some members of the Board will agree with the recommendation (or the process used to get to this point) but they will hear the eternal siren call of the staff "hurry up, gotta get it done, money will be lost."  It seems to work for some Board members every -single - time and I have to wonder why. My hope is that if the Board goes along with the staff rec, that at least some of the Board will state that they will no longer accept work that is not objective and complete from staff within a stated timeframe on any future votes. It appears that the principals group board (PASS) is supporting the recommendations of MAC. The SCPTA board is taking a more nuanced view...

(Editor's note - the district is making a distinct difference here between oversight chaperones and day fieldtrip volunteers - I believe that may be what "A" and "B" volunteer categories are but I have a call into SPS about that.) From SPS Communications: To ensure the safety of our students and volunteers, Seattle Public Schools has updated our Volunteer Administrative Procedures, including certain instances where fingerprinting will now be required. Starting Feb. 1 , schools should follow these procedures: • As previously required, all overnight field trip chaperones must be screened via the WATCH (Washington Access to Criminal History) check. • Any overnight field trip chaperones living continuously in Washington state for more than two years shall not be required to be fingerprinted; clearance via WATCH (Washington Access To Criminal History) shall suffice. • However, if a prospective chaperone cannot provide verification of a two-year re...

Now we come to that third rail of education - parents.  I have said this a lot in person but naturally, it's a dangerous subject.  Just like the first rule of Fight Club is not talking about Fight Club, the first rule of parenting is you don't criticize others' parenting.  Everyone has their own ideas about what is "good" parenting.  What might really help the education conversation - is for districts to express to parents what would help teachers/schools to do a better job.  This is NOT telling parents "here's what a 'good' parent does" but "here's what would help your teacher/district."   (I know that there are documents out there but I'm not sure there has been a widespread effort to help parents - especially immigrant parents who may come from a different kind of educational system - understand what teachers/districts would find helpful.) I will note that maybe there should be a letter from the PTA to the school/d...

From SPS: The fall Family Symposium originally scheduled for Oct. 12 has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23 because of conflicts in scheduling and availability. Seattle Public Schools is committed to preparing all of our students to graduate ready for college, careers and life. The goal of the Family Symposium is to support our families as critical partners in their students' academic success. At this symposium, families and community partners will learn how to support student academic achievement at home and in the community. PLEASE JOIN US! Saturday, Nov. 23 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Garfield High School 400 23rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98122 Supervised child activities for ages 4 and up Light breakfast and lunch will be provided Community Resource Fair Learn how to support your child/youth with: Math, Science, Reading/Writing, Early Learning, Community Arts, Understanding School and Student Data, College and Career Readiness, and much mor...

As we grapple with the minutia of boundaries and enrollment, here's some higher level thinking on education to challenge you. From Ed Week , "What the Goal of Public Education?" , author Tom Segal offers his and others' ideas: Reform, however, has more to do with the learning experience itself. What should we be teaching? How do we think about accountability? How do we balance standards with the complexities of population diversity? Undoubtedly, technology is typically an offshoot of this dialogue, a tool through which much of this reform can be delivered and administered. But they are not the same thing. Reform is a big fancy buzzword that floats around one particular concept: what are we trying to get out of this educational experience, and how do we adjust the current system to reflect these changes?  In your opinion, what is the current goal of the American Public Education System? and.. What should be the goal of the American Public Education Sys...

From SPS Communications: Seattle Public Schools is seeking nominations for its School-Family Partnerships Advisory Committee to the Superintendent. The committee will be composed of parents/families/guardians who reflect the diversity of Seattle Public Schools families. The committee advises the Superintendent on the implementation of School-Family Partnerships Policy and Superintendent Procedure ( 4129 and 4129SP ), while also providing support and technical assistance to District schools in using family and community engagement national best practices to increase student success. The School-Family Partnerships Advisory Committee to the Superintendent will consist of up to 35 parents/guardians and family members representing the diverse population of the District. Consideration will be given to involve those community members and groups who have not historically been active or represented in District decision-making processes, as well as representation by in...

Education Week highlights a new publication, Promising Partnership Practices 2012 , with 92 ways schools are partnering with parents and community.  The publication is for sale but individual stories are available as PDFs for free.  "Me 2! Getting Parents into Middle School," explains how Park Middle School in Kennewick, Wash., created the expectation that parents would volunteer for two hours a year at the school. The campaign included tracking progress on the 1,800-hour goal and "talking up" the expectation with students. "The A.S.P.I.R.E. Survey" is used at Bassick High School in Bridgeport, Conn., to find out what talents volunteers can share with students. More than 160 parents and community partners have gone through the small-group sessions to identify their skills and talents, which are matched to the needs and requests of teachers, administrators, and students. At Scott Elementary School in Naperville, Ill., 350 students and their...