If you can’t make this Saturday’s Community Meeting, plan to attend one of the others on Monday or Tuesday.
Meeting. http://seattleschools.org/modules/calendar/showCalendarDay.phtml?oc_id[]=12618&&year=2013&month=4&day=06&eid=76242927&sessionid=71ed1b3d1ce0eac77cf142a1c0fc9c79
Details Of: Community Meeting: Updating the District’s Strategic Plan
Date: 4/6/2013 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Calendar: Seattle Public Schools (Meeting)
Summary: Share your comments about updating Excellence For All
Description: Seattle Public Schools will host five community meetings to share information and ask for public comments about updating the District’s current Strategic Plan, Excellence for All.
The updated plan will guide academic and operational priorities for the next three to five years and include ongoing benchmarking to measure the District’s performance.
The community meetings will be held:
Monday, April 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Eckstein Middle School auditorium, 3003 N.E. 75th St. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic and Tigrigna)
Tuesday, April 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, 2600 S.W. Thistle (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Amharic)
Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m.-noon, at Garfield High School commons, 400-23rd Ave. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Amharic and Tigrigna)
Monday, April 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Ballard High School commons, 1418 N.W. 65th St. (Interpreters available in Spanish and Somali)
Tuesday, April 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Aki Kurose Middle School lunchroom, 3928 S. Graham St. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Amharic and Tigrigna)
Each meeting will include a joint presentation by district staff and Pivot Learning Partners, the consultants hired to assist the district with the strategic planning process; a summary of the work of the Strategic Plan Task Force and an opportunity for community attendees to offer their perspectives verbally and/or in writing. The updated Strategic Plan is expected to be presented to the School Board for introduction at the June 19 Board meeting and for action at the July 3 Board meeting.
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Don’t forget to attend one of these meetings.
Here’s a strategy. Let’s stop paying SPS to torture children. It’s not a school system. It’s a bore house. 12 years on boring backward thinking diminitude enforcement. And look at the result. Ugly schools. Really frighteningly ugly schools. Look at Washington Middle. It must be the ugliest school an earth. I would rather be a girl in Kandahar then to go into that depressing hole every day. And to think we pay SPS more than $20,000 per year for every student at WM.
Strategy? Shut down SPS and start over.
Washington Middle School is a gem here. It has been providing some of the most outstanding academic opportunities for Seattle students for decades now, as well as exciting programs in music, art, science, and athletics. I am not sure what the average per student cost is in Seattle, Certainly, Washington MS per student cost is no greater than any other school. We should be proud of this school,
Our students reflect the ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity of Seattle. Student supports include: counselors “looping” with students for 3 years; on-site tutor coordinator; on-site Group Health Student Wellness Center and YMCA Community Learning Center; Treehouse services; after-school programs; Saturday School; and arts, music, and athletics programs. The PTSA actively supports the WMS community with direct fundraising and family trainings, volunteer activities, and parent conferences.
I think the people in the CD are well aware that WM is among the lowest performing schools in the state. A list of programs and well intentioned administrators on Lander Street does not equal student success. Success is tough to measure. What percent of WM students go on to college or modestly successful careers. What percent of WM students meet standards of knowledge expected for middle school students based on testing.
WM is not a “gem” by any measure. Walk by and have a look. Physically the facility is a wreck. Based on MSP scores it does seem to perform above average. In fact, apparently 100% of the students are proficient in algebra. about 70% in math, reading, and science. So, given the hood, that is about the best I would expect. Though, the algebra score seems odd. Are the scores based on data from kids that are actually in the class? What about the students that are not in the class. What percent of CD kids middle school age children are still attending school? What is the drop out rate at WM?
Can they at least have the lawn mowed more than twice per year? Aesthetic environment is known to impact performance. I don’t see where SPS is putting the money that should be spent on WM. It looks ratty. And I don’t believe the 70% success rate. Gut says that is a manipulated statistic.