Seattle Schools Community Forum

As I previously reported, Chicago Public Schools had not wanted to give the PARCC (Common Core) assessment to all their students, saying they were not ready.  Arne Duncan twisted their arm and they rescinded that announcement. Here's a fairly amazing notice from one elementary PTA in Chicago where they say (as if it were a fundraiser): The Blaine PTA would like to achieve a 100% PARCC opt out so our students can get back 10 hours of vital classroom instruction! FYI, the Mayor unveiled a new 10-year city transportation plan , Move Seattle , yesterday.  I think it will come to us in the form of a levy this fall.   I read it with an eye to how it might help SPS.  The word "school(s)" is mentioned nine times in relation to: - fewer high school students getting a drivers license (from 1996 to 2010, from 85% to 73%) - one 10-year goal is to " Improve safety in school zones" - "make the 27% of the city without sidewalks more walkable - through construc...

Want to review the Gates Foundation?  There's an open forum at Yelp .  Very empowering. It is being reported that the City Council voted in unison to use the money from the school zone camera ticketing just for road/ped safety projects by our schools.  So far the tickets have delivered at whopping $3.3M (but I'm thinking that's ticketing and not money collected).  Mayor McGinn had wanted to leave those dollars in the General Fund.  Usage of the funds could include new sidewalks and repainted crosswalks. I note that Buckingham Palace says that Kate "was delivered" of a baby boy.  Well, that's one way to put it, almost as if the stork ran the bell and handed over a baby.  Yes, that's just how it works.  (But I give William lots of credit for being there for the birth and staying the night with his wife and newborn.) What's on your mind?

From Seattle.gov: Today Mayor Mike McGinn announced five new locations for future school zone speed cameras at locations across Seattle. The existing school zone cameras have led to a combined 16 percent reduction in citations for speeding across the four schools. “The public has been clear that we need to do more to protect children as they travel to and from school,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “The data shows that the existing cameras are helping improve safety near schools by reducing travel speed and cameras should be installed at additional schools.” “Increasing safety in our school zone and beyond continues to be a high priority for me and for our school community,” said Sherri Kokx, principal of Nathan Eckstein Middle School, a potential location for future school zone traffic cameras. “School zone cameras are one more tool that can help increase safety.” Last fall, the City installed school zone speed cameras in four locations – Broadview-Thomson K-8, Olympic...