Seattle Schools Community Forum

  I have been on hiatus and so did not create posts for several items that have come up over the last week.  This post will be a bit forward of others that should come first but I don’t have time now to listen to last week’s Board meeting where, from what I hear, many parents came to advocate for the district to NOT shake up their classrooms.  The background to this issue is that, perennially, the district gets their October 1 count and finds that there is unevenness in class sizes at some schools that needs adjusting for budgetary reasons. This has happened over and over for as long as I can remember.  But this time it appears there is a mighty big difference.  Which brings me to today’s story in the Seattle Times whereupon we hear some troubling statements. The headline is “ Seattle Schools Apologizes for Class Reshuffle Disruption. ” SPS “apologizing” in this manner is somewhat akin to a drunk who goes to confession and promises never to drink again. It’s me...

The agenda is not lengthy; no big personnel changes nor super important Consent Agenda items. (Editor's note: the district staff has taken to make documents "share docs" which will not provide a clean link for me. You will find the item in question - fiscal policy - under "D. Introduction Items.") However, there is just one Intro item and it's appalling. Here's the motion from - who else - Directors Chandra Hampson and Liza Rankin: I move that the School Board adopt Board Governance Policy Manual Policies Financial Planning and Budgeting, and Administration of the Annual Budget and Financial Reporting as attached to the Board Action Report. These will be included in the Guardrails section of the Board Governance Policy Manual. Such a word salad. And no doubt, that's by design. It's the "first and initial Board Governance policies" (sic). Background: Background Transparency, equity and alignment of funds received and expended has long b...

There are several stories of note from the Times. First up, the resizing of classes at several elementary schools. Five weeks after the start of the school year, about half of the elementary and K-8 schools in the Seattle Public Schools district are being reconfigured to meet state class size requirements, a change the district described as routine. Some students will have a new teacher on Monday, and others will have new classmates from different grades joining their class, often known as “split classrooms.” SPS says: “We recognize that staff and classroom assignment changes during the school year can cause anxiety and frustration for our families,” the district said in a statement. “We work with our district leadership and principals to minimize disruption and make adjustments as early in the school year as possible.’ The article states that the district DID "anticipate" fewer elementary students and got that part right. Sadly, the article doesn't state either how man...

Its status, according to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board on October 5th, is just the memorial wall. From KIRO news radio (all bold mine): “We’re looking at solely the memorial wall and its associated structures that support just the memorial wall and a 20 feet boundary of the site with not including structures on that site,” Ian McCleod, member of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, said. So I assume the City and the district will proceed. I am dismayed that it does not appear that the Board has formally asked the Superintendent to have public meetings about the design of the new stadium. On October 4th, the Board had talked about landmarking the entire structure. From Feliks Banel's piece on KIRO news radio: As KIRO Newsradio previously reported, Memorial Stadium was discussed at an earlier meeting of the Landmarks Preservation Board in August, when board members voted 8-1 to consider the entire 1947 structure – and not just the 1951 wall of names of Seattle Public Sc...

 I see from the latest info from the Gates Foundation that they are pivoting towards "ensuring that students have not just a voice, but also a role in transforming education." Interesting. They have an article about a program, Kitsap Strong , that includes help for students in that area. Kitsap Strong is a collective impact initiative of over 100 community partners in Kitsap and North Mason counties, including schools in six school districts, working to improve residents’ well-being and educational attainment. Kitsap Strong’s Future Bound program is all about helping high schoolers design the future they want. Over the last year, the Youth Leadership Team conducted outreach to students, teachers, and administrators at their schools and prepared for and hosted a Future Bound Convening to share their recommendations to over 100 school and community leaders. Here are three things the Youth Leadership Team recommended: - More academic and mental health counselors - The Yo...

The League of Women Voters Seattle-King County is having a virtual forum for Seattle School Board candidates on Monday, October 16th from 7-9 pm. All eight candidates have agreed to participate. The event is via Zoom and will be livestreamed to our YouTube channel as well as recorded for later viewing. To participate via Zoom, register here:   https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uL2O2LGKS4eod2xdhgg0uA   As I previously reported, several local groups including Seattle Council PTSA are having a different kind of school board candidate event. It's more of a meet-and-greet that includes dinner that they are calling Bites & Ballots. The event program will include a free family style meal during brief opening remarks before attendees move into small, intimate roundtables that candidates will cycle through, allowing more personal questions and one-on-one face time. Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Location: Rainier Avenue Church , 5900 Rainier ...

Update: Here's the i nfo for the candidate forum ; thanks to a great reader. A consortium of education nonprofits is proud to announce a public, community roundtable event designed to engage Seattle residents in crucial conversations with candidates about the future of public education. This event, organized by Alliance for Educatio n, Black Education Strategy Roundtable , League of Education Voters , Seattle Council PTSA , Seattle Student Union , Southeast Seattle Education Coalition and South Seattle Emerald will provide an intimate platform for Seattle School Board and Seattle City Council candidates to address important issues from the community, share their visions, and answer questions. Event Details: Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Location: Rainier Avenue Church , 5900 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 The event program will include a free family style meal during brief opening remarks before attendees move into small, intimate roundtables ...