Seattle Schools Community Forum

Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson has written a guest column in the Seattle Times announcing a New Day in Seattle Public Schools in which she lays out something of a Vision and has told us what to expect from her administration. Raj Manhas also did this shortly after he was made Superintendent. Here's a link . Here's the text: Guest columnist A new day has come for Seattle Public Schools By Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson Special to The Times This week, we welcome more than 45,000 Seattle students — and their families — to a new school year. It is a time full of hope and change, especially for those of us who begin the year in a new school — or a new city. My first two months here have been filled with focused work as well as opportunities to enjoy the magnificent Pacific Northwest. My family and I have been warmly welcomed to this wonderful city, and I am delighted to be here! The start of each school year holds the promise of discovery, growth and academic achievement. At Seattle Public Sch...

Open thread time and I thought I 'd ask how the first day of school was at your house.

This is the second in a three-part look at the WASL scores for Seattle schools. Again, this is only a snapshot look but I did look at scores as far back as 2002-2003 to get a fair look. The overall view? Stagnant is the word that comes to mind for the majority of schools whether they are high-performing, in the middle or low-performing. I For SPS middle schools there has been a steady rise in reading scores from 2002-03. Math and writing have also experienced a rise although much slower. The schools that scored over 80% in reading are Eckstein, Salmon Bay and Washington. The schools that scored over 75% in writing are Blaine, Eckstein, Salmon Bay, TOPS and Washington. Schools that scored over 70% in math were Blaine, Eckstein, TOPS and Washington. The schools that scored over 60% for students passing all 3 subjects were Blaine, Eckstein, Salmon Bay, TOPS and Washington. Schools that scored under 20% for students passing all 3 subjects were Madrona, Meany, AAA and Aki (at 21%). ...

This was an eye-opening article in today's PI about good paying trade jobs that go begging. From the article: "Today, he (Steve Klein) faces an equally stubborn problem: Getting young people to accept a job that starts at $55,000 a year. That's right: $55,000, which is 28 percent higher than the average wage in Snohomish County last year. And in less time than it takes to complete college, those workers - linemen trainees - can change that paycheck to journeyman's wages of $72,000 a year. So what's the problem? Despite the hefty pay, Klein, the general manager of Snohomish County PUD, is having difficulty finding linemen. The problem is so big that his agency has been operating without six to eight needed linemen for several years. If he doesn't fill the openings, he'll have trouble maintaining the area's electrical system, let alone expanding it." Further on: "The problem is so acute that many are asking themselves this question: Are...

Hello I have been looking at the WASL results on the OSPI website. There is much good information there, once you figure out how to navigate the site. The first bit of analysis I did was on how African-American students at the 10 comprehensive high schools in Seattle did on the WASL. Now for better or for worse, this is one major way that schools will be judged on how they are doing in closing the achievement gap. I am a big believer in that there needs to be some sort of assessment to determine if students have actually mastered the skills and topics necessary to have a chance for success in the world. I am doubtful the WASL is the proper tool to do this assessing. I will show results for math, reading, writing, and met3 (meaning the student passed math, reading and writing). School Math RB 36.2% Ballard 34.2% WS 30.8% Garfield 30.1% Roosevelt 27.8% NH 13.8% Ingraham 12.2% Franklin 12.2% ...

This editorial appeared in today's Times. It contrasts with the thread that teacher Michael Rice started about the WASL results. The Times takes a rosier view than Michael although they both come to the same conclusion; how do we help those kids who are struggling and keep those in danger of dropping out? I was recently asked by a counselor at my son's school to let people know about the option of 9th graders taking the 10th grade WASL. They seem to want to get an earlier warning about who is really in trouble sooner, who is on track and who can already pass it.

I've been doing some examination of the WASL scores. I thought I'd do a post for elementary, middle, and high schools. I used a chart from the Times (although I did find an error in the scores reported for Wedgwood; they are slightly lower in math and higher in reading and writing) and the info at OSPI. Here's a link to that page where you can navigate from school to school. This first examination is for elementary. The lows: AAA, Concord and Emerson. Just abysmal. Reading the recent news story about AAA, I hope with a new principal, 6 new teachers, a math coach and a reading coach that results - major results - show in 2 years. Period. It is just unconscionable to keep this school alive if these students are so behind. The forward motion AAA's 4th graders saw last year vanished this year. Their pass rate on all three subjects is 14.3%, Concord's is 14.6%, and Emerson's is 9.3% Lots of schools are low in math. Sixteen of them are below 40% in the...