Seattle Schools Community Forum

Several meetings to put on your calendar.

Update :  it appears that the district is working with the City and the Downtown Seattle Association on a proposal for the former Federal Building.  I am somewhat surprised given the district's seeming lack of interest.  The proposal is due July 3rd.  I have no further details until I hear back from the district capital spokesman on this issue. End of update. The West Seattle blog reports on a fire at one play area at Schmitz Park early Thursday morning.  It did $50K in damage to a playground that the district paid for last year.   That likely means it is covered by insurance.  The Fire Department is unsure if it was arson, an accident or spontaneous combustion (from wood chips).   From Principal Kischner: “We appreciate the prompt response of the Seattle Fire Department, which prevented what could have been a much more serious outcome. Although the heat was enough to blister paint on the outside of the building and crack nu...

Just wanted to put this up for tonight; some further input from the Retreat and thoughts tomorrow. Seattle School District presentation on bell times. Framework timeline for work on bell times. Board Resolution (not yet adopted) on later bell times.

How to fund schools properly?  The Stranger Slog offers up not one but two alternatives.  It can be done and done without adding onerous bills (like grading schools) in order to say "we're doing something about education" before education is truly fully funded. Here's the district's "official" notice about proposed Transportation changes.  I'll note a couple of things.  One, they don't list (or link) what schools would be affected.  You'll get a letter if you are affected.  Two, they claim money saved will go to teachers and classrooms.  All $3.4M goes to classrooms?  I'd like to see real and verifiable proof that claim will happen.  Three, about those secondary late start times and the Board wanting a real timeline, here's what staff says: During the School Board’s March retreat with senior District leadership, Board members will discuss their governance priorities and when staff might pursue this work. So they'll h...

 Update: I stayed about an hour (of the hour and a half allotted for the Work Session).  It was mostly a complete waste of time for all involved.  (I'll check and see if anything definitive finally came out but I doubt it.) Here's the upshot - later start times for secondary schools is NOT going to happen for next school year, 2014-15.  It will likely not happen for 2015-16.  The issue is that no staff person can give any real idea of how much time it would take for all this "research and community engagement" they believe to be necessary.  It is clear staff does not want to do this.  I do not believe they think it worth the time and effort (Banda's early statement notwithstanding that no one disputes the merits of changing bell times).  I'm not even sure they believe there are good academic outcomes to be had.  Now, Mr. Wright was once again quite diplomatic and careful to state that it is not that they DON'T want to do this but th...