While this is a part of Tito’s story, I believe that it also deserves it’s own story but please see the other story and some of the details there.
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/agenda.htm
The amendments will be taken up and voted on individually. Contacting anyone who can influence Board members on behalf of your school, your program or on behalf of all affected schools and programs is still a good idea.
There was some discussion in the other story regarding Meany. Remember that the Meany building was never scheduled to actually close. Mary Bass’ amendments would leave Meany intact.
Rally Against the Closures is planned
Thursday @ the John Stanford Center
2445 3rd Avenue South
4-6pm,
Thanks Joanna.
The plot thickens. Apparently, entering into this process, the school district never set a capacity goal. Originally they wanted to cut 2,000 seats across the district. When functional capacity numbers were released on Jan 14, we found that the district already had 2,600 fewer open seats than planning capacity had shown. Somehow, this did not meet the district goal- so, forward with the plan and no stated capacity goal. None. Do they want 5% room to grow, 8, 2? We have no idea and really, can’t measure success if there’s no goal to begin with.
This allows the district to continue to threaten and close schools yearly. It does not motivate them to instead spend that same time/energy/resource on building programs, seeking community input, inviting back any of the 30% of Seattle kids who go private or out of district.
All frustrations aside, I am really glad Mary is speaking for Meany too. Again, sorry for my confusion.
On the way to work this morning, around 9 a.m., I saw the KOMO news van and a photographer and reporter in front of TT Minor, interviewing parents and kids arriving for school. Hopefully the resulting story will be helpful…
The CD has many high rises going up in the area. 600+ units – what are we going to do when they are complete?????
Yes, real discussion or responses to the questions and facts regarding our demographics have not been received. Program changes at Washington Middle School have not been adequately addressed. The Board is legally required to vote on building closures. The Superintendent can make program changes. Some of these were proposed late in the process will continue to require public attention.
Lately I have felt like a broken record repeating the current demographics and attempting to address the planned 5000 new units in Yesler Terrace, If there is a decrease in number of school age children and children under age 5 in the Central Cluster, the Central District is not responsible, as we have been gaining population in those categories.
Sherry Carr’s amendment is only one among many that demonstrates the
chaos of the entire plan around Lowell. This would change the
estimated numbers for an APP split and generally add to chaos to the
programs and proposed co-locations. But of course, leaving the
original proposal as it is without the amendment seems silly. The
thinking regarding these matters has also been chaotic and not
straightforward. The change of reference area for TT Minor is
geographically too odd to endure. Lowell is actually in the Stevens
area, not in the TT Minor area. The TT Minor community is an area with
a large population and a school with room for the growing population.
This plan is a disaster for both schools and only portends continued
instability for the students and families in the area. Co-locating a
resentful community at location not in their reference area in a
building that is likely to become over-crowed is a recipe for
disaster.
Many schools and communities are not destroyed under the current
proposal, but the current proposal rearranges the TT Minor and
Central District community beyond recognition.
intended repeat
Want to know about the historic racism that runs through our city? Check this out! http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/segregated.htm
This is only nominally about racism, if at all.
What do TT Minor, Van Asselt, and the Genessee Hill school have in common? Great views.
What do all the schools on the list have in common? High property values.
If they close, watch closely how much they sell for, and to whom.
Tes, obviously it is about the School District marketing prime properties for $$$. But it is about racism. They have schools north of the ship canal with good locations and views to. They would not dare close and sell them!