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Title : Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018
link : Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018
Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018
From the agenda, highlights:- Last Board meeting the student presentation was the Robert Eagle Staff Middle School Orchestra; this meeting it's their jazz band.
- HC Resolutions
Pinkham, Patu, Mack - Substitute Resolution No. 2017/18-10 to affirm the vision for equitable access to advanced coursework in all high schools and develop the detailed plan for implementation by 2021-22.
The new Resolution is clearly better and that may be that time and discussion have made it understood the parameters of the work needed and who needs to be involved in that work. This resolution is no slam against Directors Geary or DeWolf; but rather, as in cooking, sometimes things need time to develop and mellow.
The new Resolution brings in the Race and Equity tool before the original one gets there. In fact, it mentions it in three specific paragraphs.
The new Resolution makes clear - from dates in it - that the work needs to start now to be ready for those deadlines. It still keeps the early work at the high school level.
The new Resolution includes - and to me this is key because it is the first time, in a long time -
a move to change the identification processes for Advanced Learning. It is a mystery how there is all this unhappiness over the lack of equity in the program and yet, no staff have made moves to change that (and that's in their wheelhouse, not the Board's).
Two key points in the new Resolution:
that the district needs to provide access to advanced courses for all students
regardless of if they have been identified as an advanced learner or highly capable;
Rigor for all.
And:
increasing identification in younger grades and providing more access to advanced courses in elementary and middle schools would prepare more students for advanced course work at all attendance area high schools,
I urge you to let the Board know your thoughts before the meeting.
The BAR, from Flip Herndon of Facilities and Ashley Davies of Enrollment, favors Scenario F4.3.
It appears Lincoln is to open as a 9/10 roll-up "with a project enrollment of 747" based on the selected scenario. They project the enrollment to be 1195 in 2020-2021 (although they will still only be at grades 9-11) and note that "additional mitigation funds may be needed."
There is an Attachment N on the issue of opening Lincoln that I don't recall seeing before so I call it to your attention. It's the last page of the BAR.
Before discussing the four amendments, I note that the order of action is for the Board to take the amendments first, in order received, discuss and then vote on each. THEN, they add whatever amendments that do get passed to the BAR and take a vote.
Amendment 1 from Mack and Burke:
This Board Action switches the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Pathway from Ingraham to Lincoln starting in 2019-20 school year. DLI students entering 9th grade who are not in the Lincoln attendance area will be provided a guaranteed assignment to Lincoln beginning in 2019-20. Existing DLI students at Ingraham would retain their assignment to Ingraham; rising 10th graders in 2019-20 could also choose to attend Lincoln during open enrollment.
This action also directs staff to develop a southeast dual language immersion pathway at the high school level.
On the one hand, this action would prevent the district from transporting students four miles north to Ingraham to continue in the DL program.
On the other hand, there are mitigation costs to doing this, probably around $100-150,000 each year.
Amendment 2 from Burke and Mack:
This amendment would keep the area known as Reference Area B in the Ballard High School attendance area, instead of moving it to the new Lincoln High School attendance area.
This is part of the West Woodland ES and Hamilton MS attendance areas. All West Woodland is currently assigned into Hamilton, but then is split along Phinney between Ballard and Roosevelt at high school. If this area is maintained in Ballard, the smaller portion of the West Woodland boundary that is currently assigned into Roosevelt for high school would be the area assigned to Lincoln when it opens. The majority of this area is closer geographically to Ballard. The West Woodland attendance area will be split between Ballard and Lincoln High Schools regardless of whether this amendment passes.
There were 84 9-12th grade Seattle Public Schools residents in this area as of 2016, 11.9% of whom were non-white and 14.29% of whom receive special education services.
As both schools will continue to face comparable capacity challenges, and as Ballard High School has existing portables, this amendment would minimize disruption for families and allow many students to attend the high school closer to their home.
Amendment 3 from Mack:
This one is somewhat attached to the new resolution about HC services from Mack, Patu and Pinkham:
If the substitute resolution passes, this amendment would clarify the Board’s intention that the planning, analysis and collaboration will be completed prior to determine if any additional changes are needed to high school HC Pathways in 2021-22.
This amendment amends the motion for high school highly capable pathways to set Lincoln, Garfield, and West Seattle as highly capable pathway schools starting in the 2019-20 school year until the Board takes any future action to amend them. It removes the two-year timeframe established in the main motion, and clarifies that the pathways are established in perpetuity.
This makes the amended paragraph in the motion read as follows:
I also move that the School Board approve the highly capable pathway changes for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, as shown in Attachment K, and that these changes continue in effect for all subsequent school years unless the Board takes action to adopt changes to the pathways. Upon approval, this information will be included in the next Student Assignment Transition Plan.Naturally, perpetuity is not a word usually used in this district but, of course, any future Boards can always make changes.
Amendment 4 (I suspect is from President Harris but the amendment is not yet attached)
This amendment involves:
Allow current 7th grade highly capable students from West Seattle attending Washington Middle School to enroll in Garfield as rising 9th graders in 2019-20. Approval of this item would allow current 7th grade highly capable students from West Seattle attending Washington Middle School to enroll in Garfield as rising 9th graders in 2019-20.
Analysis
I agree with Amendment 1, given Lincoln's location right next to Hamilton, a dual language school.
Amendment 2 is one I don't have a lot to say about except that I'm sure many other parents will say their home is "geographically close" to Ballard.
Amendment 3 is one I see as an enforcer to the new Resolution on HC services. I'm glad someone thought about doing this because sometimes resolutions are not much more than the paper they are written on.
Amendment 4 I see as a kindness to students who have been moving as a group in HC at Washington to continue on at Garfield (if they so choose and, as we have seen, that is not always the case).
- Approval of Capacity Management Actions for the 2018-19 School Year
- K-5 & K-8 schools projected to grow by 0.9%
- Middle schools projected to grow by 5.3%
- High schools projected to grow by 2.9%
This growth forecast translates into a projected need for twenty-seven (27) new homerooms across the district, primarily at the secondary school level. This includes eight portable classrooms as a contingency. Including the contingency will allow the flexibility to address unanticipated changes that may occur in projections or program needs over the next few months while still ensuring the spaces are ready for the 2018-19 school year.
The recommended budget authorization will address enrollment growth needs for 2018-19. It does not fund any changes that might be needed for K-3 class size reduction or Special Education program changes. The recommended budget authorization will fund the following scope:
- School-to-school relocation of existing portables
- Remodeling and systems infrastructure work needed to develop new homerooms in both permanent and portable spaces
- Permitting, design, portable installation and site work associated with portable placement and reconfiguration of existing space
- Appropriate furniture, student/teacher technology and curricula for all new homerooms and program spaces
- Adopting Resolution No. 2017/18-14 to declare that the lives of black students matter, as well as the lives of all of our students of color, and that we encourage participation district-wide in the national Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 5-9, 2018
The BAR is quite strongly written and I think that's for the better.
As a public school district, the Board recognizes that district staff are facilitators of the limitless growth potential of human beings, with a charge to guide our youth in finding and achieving their purpose with a belief that every human being deserves to live with dignity. The Board also recognizes that the killing of unarmed Black men and women, particularly queer and trans persons of color, has left young people searching for answers to incredibly complicated and infuriating questions.
Throughout our nation’s history, systems of oppression and injustice have led to deepening racial disparities across all sectors of society and have lasting negative consequences for our communities, cities, and nation Shouting loudly that “Black Lives Matter” does not negate our commitment to ALL of our students, but rather elevating Black students struggle to trust that our society values them, we must affirm that their lives, specifically, matter. Historically, when Black people have fought for a more democratic society, the lives of all people have improved and, conversely, each time barriers to Black people’s potential have been erected, our whole society has suffered.
This resolution makes the unequivocal declaration from the School Board that the lives of our black students matter, as well as the lives of all of our students of color. It also encourages participation district-wide in the Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 5-9. This week is being recognized by educators nationwide as an opportunity to promote racial justice and identity safety in classrooms.
I will point out these two passages with a question and a promise for another thread:
WHEREAS, educators nationwide – including Seattle Public Schools educators – are organizing a week of action and education to promote the message that black lives matter at school; NOW THEREFORE,
RESOLVED, that the School Board encourages participation district-wide in the Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 5-9, 2018 through discussions in classrooms and in homes.
What have you heard about what your own school might be doing for Black Lives Matter at school week? If you haven't heard, I would ask.
I will have another thread because while I believe this is important work and I support this resolution, I will say what I said last year - parents need to know what their children are going to be told in their classrooms.
When you are talking about social justice, identify safety, LGBTQ issues, etc. - the district or school need to let parents know.
It was a very modge-podge of activities last year with some parents not even being notified about it. One child, whose parent is a police officer, saw her class being told that police officers were doing bad things and killing people. There are ways to convey important information to young children without confusing/frightening them.
Recently, I have seen a couple of lesson plans around this from local noted social justice educators. One includes a K-2 lesson plan where children see hoses being turned on kneeling black people and police dogs going after black people. Of course this happened but I believe there are ways to introduce little people to some of the horrors of the history of our country without frightening them. And I think the photos would be scary to a small child (if only scaring them about dogs).
One last note - you may recently have seen some abusive comments that are racist and anti-LGBTQ. I delete them forever without comment. Some of what I have written about in this thread might engender more of that. Please do not engage with these people. I will delete the comments.
And, if you are a person who harbors those thoughts in your heart and mind, go find someplace else to be. Your thoughts are not welcome here.
thus Article Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018
that is all articles Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018 This time, hopefully can provide benefits to all of you. Okay, see you in another article posting.
You now read the article Seattle School Board Meeting, January 31, 2018 with the link address https://onechildsmart.blogspot.com/2018/01/seattle-school-board-meeting-january-31.html
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