Seattle Schools Community Forum

Just saw this at the district website but I don't have time to check what may have changed (but it was just posted today): The following revised school calendar dates were finalized with our SEA partners,  and approved on October 7 by the SPS Board of Directors. Please mark your home and school calendars accordingly. School Year Calendar Changes

 Update:   I asked, via public disclosure, for the official reports on enrollment.  Here's the reply: Relevant staff members have informed me that the October P223 report is not yet available. Staff anticipates having it by the end of next week, and the report will be posted to the District Data and Reports webpage once available. All available past P223 reports can be found on that webpage as well.  End of update KPLU is saying it incorrectly quoted Superintendent Nyland at last night's Board meeting on enrollment growth on Twitter.    Here's the portion of the meeting where the Superintendent speaks on the issue.  But here's his exact quote (which I transcribed but find difficult to comprehend):

Update: I took down a recent post from a teacher upon request (and learning that the teacher, despite having put it on Facebook, didn't want it made public).  A lesson for all.  I normally check to see if an author wants something printed but took the word of the individual who had taken off a Facebook page. Please help me by not assuming that something that is "public" elsewhere can then be printed here. Monday, September 14th, Rally at JSCEE at 8:30 am Seattle Public School families, please join Special Ed teachers, ESAs, students and families to tell the district we won't allow them to divide us against one another. Wear red and bring signs that speak to our need for lower caseloads for our ESAs and better staffing ratios for our ACCESS students! Let them know we care about educating ALL our students and want to set our teachers up to succeed. Also tomorrow, Monday, September 14th at JSCEE from 8 am to noon: Join us for this district wide time of communit...

Second Strike Update: As of an hour ago, SEA says no movement on negotiations.  I'm going to go to the press conference that is to be held at 3 pm. ( Strike update: nothing from SEA as of 10:15 am today, Sunday the 13th; SPS has a press conference today at 3 pm.  Maybe they are hoping there will be something to say then.) 1) In some of the biggest news for public education in Washington State - namely, that the Governor is assembling a "work group" to get McCleary done AND doesn't want the overturned charter law part of the discussion (AND he still doesn't support charter schools) - and yet the Seattle Times has said nothing.  Zero. Zip.  (At least I can't find it.) The Stranger reported it.  The Puget Sound Business Journal reported it.  And that was two days ago.  But the Times has time to write about the Justices who sit on the Supreme Court.  Hmm...

The Seattle Times' latest story on the strike provides some real numbers on the salary offer for teachers and I hope they illuminate the issue. SEA - Wants 5% raise this school year - 5.5% 2016-2017 - 4.8% over the next two years from state (remembering that the state-funded amount is about 75% of teachers' salaries) for a COLA ( I can't seem to find what the SEA wants for 2017-2018; I think it's about 3.5%.) District - 2% this school year - 3.2% the year after - 4% in 2017-2018 - plus state COLA Teachers did not get a COLA for the last 6 years even though there was an 2000 initiative requiring the Legislature to do that. They also lost ground over the rising costs of healthcare. From KUOW : And it does come down to the district. The state didn’t raise its base pay – stuck at $34,048 for a starting teacher – for six years. The state finally raised the base pay by 2 percent this summer. So teachers bargain with their districts for raises an...

There's a mediator and hopefully, both sides are talking thru this person.  Cross your fingers. There are still many schools that need support from parents and community.  Check out the list at Soup for Teachers .  They now have over 1600 members.  I myself walked over to the Roosevelt teachers and told them they were welcome to come and use my bathroom anytime today.  A Parent Petition about what parents want from the contract.  They have over 4500 signatures. From the West Seattle blog: If the Seattle Public Schools teacher strike continues through the end of the week, please join West Seattle educators and families on Friday afternoon from 12:30-3:00 for an Alki Beach Read-In after a morning of community service in honor of September 11th (check with educators from individual schools for project specifics). ALL families are welcome! We are coordinating with multiple schools for this event and hope to have a great turnout. Please bring your boo...

Update: City's statement about all-day camps at community centers with before/after school care for September 9, 10, 11. End of update. Parent Petition in support of teachers. I want to start with the ever-smart Kellie LaRue who is a long-time watcher of this district and knows minutiae I couldn't even comprehend. Now that there is a little extra money, it should go directly to the teachers. That should be a no-brainer. In the case of SPS building staff, teachers and administrative staff, to say that they have been asked to do more for less, is very much an understatement. 

The district sent out this e-mail to families: The Seattle Education Association (SEA), which represents teachers, rejected the district’s latest contract proposal. They plan to meet again on September 3 to vote on whatever the proposal is at that time. With the start of school on September 4, we are encouraging families to develop back=up plans should Seattle Public Schools not open on time.  We realize the impact a labor strike would have on our families. We are working with child care providers and the City of Seattle to develop options for your students in the event school is not in session on September 4. Those resources, along with other information, will be posted tomorrow at www.seattleschools.org. We will send you additional messages as new information is available.  Again, we are working to reach an agreement with teachers, but it is possible that school will not start on September 4. Please visit www.seattleschools.org for additional informati...