Seattle Schools Community Forum

When I like this blog best is when conversation takes place among blog contributors and commenters. One barrier to conversation is the tendency of some to move quickly to judgement, rejecting different opinions and perspectives. But other than encouraging people to keep an open mind and listen to others' ideas, there is not much we can do about that. Another barrier to conversation is the habit of many to comment as "Anonymous." I understand why people comment anonymously: for some it is because of technology issues; for others out of a need or wish to remain anonymous. But in both cases, nothing prevents you from creating an identity for the purposes of discussion on this blog. For example, if you comment as "Anonymous" because of technology issues, you can still sign your name at the end of your comment, as Gabrielle, Leslie, and several others have been doing recently. And if you comment as "Anonymous" because of a wish to shield your identity, just...

If you are looking for a kindergarten for your child, keep in mind The Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom , according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Also, even though schools are closed all this week, the enrollment centers are open Tuesday, 2/20 through Saturday, 2/24 on the following schedule: Tuesday - 8:30 am to 7:00 pm Wed .- Fri . - 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Saturday - 9:00 am to noon Next week (2/26 through 2/28) the enrollment centers will be open as follows: Mon. - 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Tues. - 8:30 am to 7:00 pm Wed. - 8:30 am to 4:00 pm --- Final day on-time enrollment

Below is an assortment of school funding facts that caught my attention: In Washington state : $548 less is spent per student in public schools now than in 1992. 46th in the nation in class size 42nd in the nation in spending per student In the US : The highest-poverty school districts receive an average of $825 less each year per student in state and local funding than the wealthiest districts. And in Seattle : PTSA auctions at some schools raise $70,000 to $200,000 . The Rainier View Elementary PTSA raises about $3,000 a year. And some schools Seattle schools don't have a PTSA at all. If you can find the time, here are some interesting articles about school funding to read: Washington State School Finances: Does Every Child Count? by Washington State PTSA High standards 'meaningless' without adequate state funding by Washington Education Association Ample School Funding Project by Washington Association of School Administrators Time is now for new K-12 funding fo...

John Marshall Alternative School will remain open for the 2007/2008 school year. Last year during the school closure and consolidation process, Carla Santorno promised that a review of programs at John Marshall would be completed no later than December 2006 and that she was hiring a consultant to perform the work. Today's Seattle Times article, Seattle district delays closing alternative school for a year , tells a different story. "The district's chief academic officer, Carla Santorno, said the postponement gives the district time to complete a comprehensive review of programs for students who are at risk of dropping out. John Marshall enrolls about 185 students in grades 6-12." And today's PI article, A year's reprieve for John Marshall Alternative School , adds additional details. "Already, district officials plan to move two programs: The GRAD program for teens who are pregnant or parents will move to South Lake Alternative High School, and the evenin...

From the Seattle Council PTSA website ... On Focus Day, Washington State PTA members from across the state congregate in Olympia to advocate for changes that will positively impact children in our state. On Thursday, February 15, we want legislators to focus on the PTA, our children, and our priority issues for this year. This past October, delegates selected the following to be our top issues for 2006-2007. - Redefine and Fully Fund K-12 Education - Strengthen Math and Science in Washington State - Simple Majority for School Levies and Bonds - Reduce Class Sizes - Protect School Recess See the Seattle Council PTSA website for more details on transportation to Olympia and scheduling appointments with legislators.

The Alliance for Education has granted money to train teachers and support the implementation of the Readers and Writers Workshop at middle schools. (see Stanford Grant Press Release ) I'm pleased to hear this news because Pathfinder K-8 already uses Readers and Writers Workshop, and from what I have observed, I think this is absolutely the way more schools should go. Carla Santorno is quoted as saying "This is an approach to teaching from which all students—from those not meeting standards to those exceeding them—can benefit," and I agree. This method encourages students to push themselves to their full potential, and works well with groups of students at varied skill levels in reading and writing. I'd be interested to know if there are other elementary and/or middle schools in Seattle that were already using Readers and Writers Workshop before the grant and, if the district staff and the Alliance for Education even knows about them. Seems like this would be an excel...

A while ago, Charlie Mas asked me why I thought there was so much animosity in Seattle towards the APP and Spectrum programs. At the time, I replied that I wasn't aware of any animosity. If Charlie asked me the question now, I'd have a very different answer. The animosity towards the APP program (on the previous thread) and the Spectrum program (on several previous threads) is amazing and alarming to me. The purpose statement for this blog, "Joining together across Seattle to fight for high quality public schools that educate all students to become passionate, lifelong learners" is something I really believe in. I agree that students who struggle in school sometimes need extra help from the community-at-large in advocating for their needs and rights. And I believe deeply in the need to advocate for equity in public education. But animosity among parents, by school, geographic area, or program, is disturbing and counterproductive. Every child deserves to have their e...