Seattle Schools Community Forum

There was so much good stuff in this month's SPS e-newletter that I wanted to put a link here. There are great things happening in Seattle Public Schools. One important piece of informational news: Jane Addams K-8 – Information Night Wednesday, June 17 6:30-8 p.m. Jane Addams building 11051 34th Ave. N.E.

From my count there were maybe 25 different people who came to the meeting. Most seemed concerned about the sibling issue. I tried to be somewhat aggressive in asking questions but I had to defer to other people and their questions so I didn't get to cover everything. Issues and Questions I asked about why the distance tie-breaker was dropped. Tracy said they did that to leave open the opportunity for people to access schools (elementary and middle) out of their region to keep school choice. However, you wouldn't get transportation (I had to smile at one mom who shrugged at this - driving your kid to school is not an option for everyone so it's not a shrug issue). Terminology - reference school = attendance area school and middle school attendance area = middle school region. For all intents, there are no more clusters. I went right to the heart of the sibling issue and asked Tracy about a compromise. If, as directors have said, we need a transition period, could s...

Okay kids, this is it. Tell your friends at school that Wednesday is SAP day and if they do not read Part 1 of the SAP AND let the Board know what they want, then all bets and whining are off. You MUST get up and do this. I noted yesterday at the SAP Q&A a few parents zoning out over the high school discussion. Folks, they haven't changed this plan in decades. Don't think high school is that far off and this is your one chance to influence the plan. Do it now. BadgerGirl asked whose job it is to let parents know this plan is happening - it's the DISTRICT's job to get this out. The superintendent should be directing the principals to send out robocalls tomorrow about this plan. At least one time during this process ALL parents should be notified probably via kid mail with a robocall to tell parents to ask their child for it. Will they? No, because it works in their favor the fewer people who know this is happening. I can't believe the Board thinks wh...

This article in Crosscut about the teacher layoffs and the pending contract negotiations got me to thinking about our discussions about meeting as a group, organizing, etc. This is because CPPS is quoted and seems to be sort of a de facto "official" parent group when I would have thought the writer might have gone to the PTA. (The article in and of itself is interesting but I'm not going there on this thread.) I have been silent on this topic despite requests here to meet because I wanted to think about it and investigate a couple of groups. I don't want to get involved in organizing a new group. I think there are already several to choose from with organizations already in place. As I have said previously, I totally support the PTSA. Our PTAs do the frontline work at our schools and give support that makes many good schools great. I personally wish there was a way to organize a PTA in every school (I sure there is but how the Seattle Council approaches this I...

Tracy Libros, head of Enrollment, has made a video about the new SAP. Haven't viewed it all myself (it's 50 minutes) but let our readers know what you think.

So I am going to attend the Q&A tomorrow morning (Tracy, you are forewarned). I am asking what people want to know BUT you know, some of you should get out of bed and come. It's a dangerous thing when only a few people show up. That said, I'm going to ask: what about the distance tiebreaker? is there going to be an official transition period and how long will it be? if there is an official transition period, will the district entertain the idea of grandfathering those siblings who are incoming during it? My feeling is that the district (and the Board) may be taking a hard line on this BUT might be persuaded to a middle ground. Please note that word - middle. I personally don't agree that every single student in SPS today should also get all their siblings into the same school. BUT it seems like if there is a transition period, they could grandfather those sibs in and then give a date like September 2011 and say, "If you are in SPS on this date, you can r...

The Seattle Weekly is running a story, School Closures: Math that Doesn't Add Up , on the misguided plan to co-locate the S.B.O.C. and NOVA at Meany.