Seattle Schools Community Forum

Via the Lincoln High School Alumni and Staff Facebook page: On Thursday, July 23, Seattle Public Schools will recommend a full-size field at N. 50th St. & Aurora Ave. N., plus a track renovation at Lower Woodland Field #7, to the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners — asking approval to move into environmental review. Links at bottom are the agenda and public memo for the Parks Board of Commissioners this week and info on the SPS project page.   This special meeting is from 6pm-8pm at 330 19th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112. Important: They have now added public comment at the July 23rd meeting and we need people to show up in support! See below for the tentative agenda including signing up to speak. 6:00 Welcome, Introductions & Land Acknowledgement Ryan Baum, Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Co-Chair 6:10 Briefing: Lower Woodland Park Athletic Field Proposal Andy Sheffer, Deputy Superintendent, Planning and Capital Development 6:40 Public Hearing: Low...

Update Via the Washington State Attorney General's office : Washington State leads lawsuit to prevent Department  of  Education’s  cuts to school mental health grants Attorney General Nick Brown led a lawsuit today with 14 other attorneys general to prevent the U.S. Department of Education from unlawfully terminating congressionally approved school-based mental health grants. In defiance of a court order, the administration plans to terminate these grants at the end of July, which is projected to cost Washington schools and universities over $20 million. “This administration already tried to take money from our schools, money that was supposed to support student mental health, and they lost,” said Brown. “Now they’re trying using a new tactic to try for the same goal--getting around the court’s order and Congress’s intent. Our goal is the same too: fighting for and defending the well-being of Washington’s kids.” Terminating the grants would result in the loss of millions...

  Very sad news to report via The Seattle Times: Boy, 14, dies after crashing on electric bike at I-5 Colonnade Park  The teenager was riding down steep stairs at the mountain bike park underneath Interstate 5 in the Eastlake neighborhood when he lost control and fell, police said.  (To note, SPD has amended their investigation to say it was an electric motorcycle (e-moto. " E-motos are not allowed to be used in Seattle Parks, though they are increasingly common" according to Seattle Bike Blog.) According to the Times, the boy was wearing a bike helmet but SPD says he should have been wearing a motorcycle helmet given the bike's tire size and its speed.  I believe from reporting on Facebook that the boy was a McClure student. Such a tragedy for family, friends, and the school community.  Via Fox 13: Investigators determined the teen was riding a motorized electric bike down the staircase when he lost control and fell, suffering deadly injuries.   The stairc...

Update 2: The district has a statement at their website about this issue and the wording is interesting.  Prior to the 2025–26 season, Garfield and Seattle Public Schools referred questions regarding the boys basketball program to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the governing body for high school athletics in Washington. Following its review, WIAA did not find a violation.  Coach Roy did not participate in coaching during the 2025–26 season while the review was underway. When the position became available this spring, Roy applied through Seattle Public Schools’ standard hiring process.  Did not participate? He was fired. That fact was reported via several news sources. And they fired him without the WIAA investigation being completed? They could have put him on leave but they didn't.  What is up with that? Why did Principal Hart feel he had to get rid of Roy? Curious.  Garfield leadership emphasized tha...

I wanted to let you know that the Seattle's Child magazine has a GREAT list of all the things you might want to do this summer with your child. These include: - Ways to have fun while thinking of the environment  - A list of U-Pick Farms - Renaissance Faires - Summer Reading - Parades and festivals - Summer Safety - Fourth of July activities (I'll editorialize here for you on the left. To celebrate the USA's 250 birthday is NOT celebrating the government; it's celebrating a great country.) - Concerts  - Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) has joined “Summer of Soccer,” a new family-oriented seek-and-find activity campaign of the national Agents of Discovery program. Using the free Agents of Discovery app, local kids and families are invited to explore Seattle parks, complete soccer-themed challenges, and rack up points for Team Seattle — competing against cities across the country for bragging rights. The challenge runs through July 19, smack in the middle of the 2026 I...

  Sorry for the late notice on this - I just heard about it this morning.  It's the Seattle Education Forum Block Party TONIGHT from 6:30-9:00 pm at Byrd Barr Place, 722 18th Avenue. There will be food, kids activities, and prizes. It is sponsored by a number of groups including the Alliance for Education. (The graphic says 6:30 pm but the copy says 6 pm. I can't reach the Alliance so I would go with 6 pm.  The Seattle Education Forum: Block Party is an interactive, community-centered event designed to create space for honest dialogue, transparency, and shared accountability between young people, families and the leaders shaping education policy and investment in our city and state.     A year into leadership, it’s time for a check-in: What have our leaders learned from community feedback? What progress has been made? What challenges remain? And what grade would our community give them so far?     This free, family-friendly gathering is designed to sha...

Posts to come: SPS is (quietly) bringing in more tech, both in the classroom and to "help" students. What's up with that? The concern over student test scores since before COVID What's at the top of your wish list for Superintendent Shuldiner to get done? From KUOW: WA falls again in national education ranking. The new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Washington dropped from 27th in the nation to 31st overall. The findings are based on data from 2024. Last year, the state fell one spot. A little over a decade ago, it ranked 20th. Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction remains skeptical of the research and contends that the state has “made progress in every area” covered in the report. The Kids Count Data Book captures statistics across the country on children’s economic well-being, education, health, and family and community life. The 2026 report marks the organization’s 37th year of publication. And here's a sad piece of data:...