Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Washington Policy Center is have their "SolutionsSummit 2018" soon.  Among their discussion sections is education where they say, "How public charter schools are helping kids and saving money."   Wait, what?  I hear a LOT of whining from the right about how charters don't get as much money from states as traditional schools and now it's "we do more with less?"  Hmmm. I attended the City Council's Select Committee on the Families and Education levy meeting yesterday.  Not great.  First, there was a pretty big crowd for 10:30 am; most people appeared to be those who work for non-profits in support of childcare, pre-K and public education sectors.  Many people signed up to speak as did I.  Usually, the public comments come first or just a little later but co-chair Rob Johnson announced that first there would be a pre-K presentation,then a K-12 presentation and THEN public comment.  He said, "Around noon."  Amazing that he thinks ...

This is a notice from an elementary school.  That's a lot of time for sitting for a test.

Monday, April 23rd Lincoln High School Community Meeting,   Hamilton International Middle School from 6:30-8:30 pm Revisiting the vision Updates on the building Introduction of teachers Reviewing Course Pathways Forming Parent group 2019 School Levies Community Meeting  Seattle World School, 6:30-8:15 pm At the community meetings , district staff members will present information, collect input and feedback, and answer questions. Interpreters will be available by request. If you, or someone you know, would benefit from an interpreter at a community meeting, please email us at  capitallevy2019@seattleschools.org . BEX V Capital Levy: capitallevy2019@seattleschools.org Operations Levy: budget@seattleschools.org More information, including a Levies 2019 Planning Timeline, is available on our school levies webpage .     Tuesday, April 24rd 2019 School Levies Community Meeting  Jane Addams Middle School, 6:30-8:15 pm Wednesday, April 2...

Free Webinar: Inclusive Education Hosted by  Teachers Who TECH Thursday, April 26 at 6 PM - 7 PM

Three times in a decade - yet another Washington State teacher has been named nationally as the Teacher of the Year.   Congrats to Mandy Manning, a teacher at Ferris High School in Spokane. Manning joins Jeff Charbonneau (2013) and Andrea Peterson (2007) as the third National Teacher of the Year from Washington state in the past decade. In addition to teaching English and math to refugee and immigrant students, Manning also coaches fastpitch and girls basketball, advises the writing club, and co-advises the Gay-Straight Alliance. Manning regularly hosts new teaching candidates, district leaders, school board directors, and legislators in her classroom to experience an inclusive environment and her student-first attitude. As a National Board Certified Teacher, Mandy is an ambassador and facilitator who encourages and guides fellow educators to connect with students and to continually improve their practice. Batter up!  Good news for SPS kids via SPS Communicatio...

I'll be watching the student walk-out at Roosevelt High this morning for the National School Walk Out Day for Gun Safety .  It is also a remembrance of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shootings that killed 13 people. The event, which grew out of a petition on Change.org , comprises more than 2,000 walkouts nationwide, with at least one planned in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia. Students are expected to exit their school buildings for the day. Organizers have called on people to wear orange, a color that has become associated with the gun control movement. From Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School leader, David Hogg via Twitter: Remember after you guys walk out, volunteer! Spend the rest of your day working in your community. This is also a day of service in remembrance of the Columbine Victims. # NationalSchoolWalkout The Network for Public Education is urging folks to send emails to their congressional representatives.  They have made ...

  Via Facebook: Teachers in Seattle public schools receive very little to no training in Gifted and Twice Exceptional (2e )* students education. In the meantime, all research points to the fact that especially these children require a deeper kind of learning and engagement  - and in the absence of this they disengage, fall through the cracks or worse. We are a group of parents of gifted and 2e  students that want to see our kids' amazing potential realized, both for their well being and that of Society at large - and we know that teachers are the ones best positioned to make a difference for these children! We would like to send at least one Seattle Public School teacher to an outstanding professional development provided by Bridges Academy's premier research center for understanding and teaching the growing population of 2e students.