Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

9-24-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:





Seattle Schools Announces New Partnership for Roosevelt
From SPS Communications:Roosevelt High School was one of 11 schools around the country that recently joined 15 other PRIME schools, a program that offers a community-based approach to manufacturing education.The PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) model is a call to action designed to create strong partnerships between organizations, businesses, and exemplary schools to provide
What African-American Parents Believe about Ed Reform
This is a very interesting report from June of this year.  I found it quite telling especially since I hear this from some African-American parents as well as leaders (I have heard Trish Dziko from TAF Academy say this).   The report is through the United Negro College Fund.What is it they are saying?  It's right in the title,  "Done to Us, Not with Us: African American Parent Perceptions of
NCTQ reviews SPS SEA contract for OSC
The National Council on Teacher Quality, an Education Reform propaganda engine, has reviewed the recent two-year contract between Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association, the teachers' union.The review by the NCTQ compares the final contract language to the Seattle Public Schools’ Bargaining Platform and - inexplicably- the Our Schools Coalition’s platform as if the Our School


Too Much Emphasis on Sports in our Schools?
I agree with this author, Amanda Ripley, writing for The Atlantic.  I have no idea why ed reformers and others seem to look the other way as the dollars and resources and energy and time flow to sports.  It's a great article.But what to make of this other glaring reality, and the signal it sends to children, parents, and teachers about the very purpose of school?In countries with more-holistic, le

Community Meeting on Growth Boundaries - Mercer
I attended the first community meeting on Growth Boundaries at Mercer Middle School. It was jam packed in the Mercer lunchroom. The Hawthorne community turned out in force. School Board Director Betty Patu was there as were school board candidates Stephan Blanford and Suzanne Dale-Estey.The meeting began with a totally useless presentation by Flip Herndon, Michael Tolley, Tracy Libros, and a man f

Alliance/City Club School Board Debate
As I previously mentioned, there is a School Board debate this Thursday, the 26th, put on by City Club and the so-called Our Schools Coalition.  Somehow I received two different e-mails with different information so here's the correct info:It's at the Vera Project at Seattle Center.  Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and there's an awards program and then the debate follows at 6 p.m.  It is free. The debate

Tuesday Open Thread
I assume you heard Congress cut food stamps to thousands of poor families.  Interesting stats regarding children and food stamps:- 72% of SNAP recipients are in households with children- 210,000 students could lose free lunch at schoolNot good. Election ballots may be winging their way to you by the weekend.  I'll have some thoughts on that later in the week. What's on your mind?



9-23-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Boundary Change push backI've now heard of two neighborhoods that are not happy with boundary changes.Members of the Hawthorne Elementary community is not happy about having their middle school assignment changed from Mercer to Aki Kurose.Members of the Georgetown community are not happy about having their elementary school assignment changed from Maple to Van Asse