UPDATE: Great News from Seattle Schools Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education

Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education:

Great News from Seattle Schools

by Melissa Westbrook

From SPS:

• Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Seattle Public Schools students – Tara N. Conley, The Center School; and Derek B. Gasaway, Garfield High School – are among the winners for college-sponsored scholarships. 

• South Lake High School teacher Web Hutchins received the state’s top honor for civic education - the Civic Educator of the Year award. Hutchins was nominated for the award by State Representative Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle). 

Hutchins’ Civics for All Initiative is under consideration by the School District and has been introduced in 

State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education

by Charlie Mas

The Seattle Times reported today that the OSPI is giving Seattle Public Schools eighteen months to correct non-compliance in Special Education or lose federal funding.

Items of special note from the Times story:

• Doug Gill, the state’s special-education director is quoted as saying "At some point you have to do the right thing." You may be surprised to learn that point doesn't come at the beginning, but only after several years of consistently doing the wrong thing. He makes it sound like doing the right thing is a great burden to him - or at least a severe inconvenience. What's he getting paid to ignore problems for years until the feds get involved?
• "School Board member Michael DeBell said the board should have made special education a higher priority sooner." Gee, if only someone had told them about the problems. You know, someone other than