Dear Volunteers:  Squire Park  boundaries are 12th  to 23rd, and E. Union to S. Jackson

The newsletter will be ready to bundle very soon and the bundles for delivery could be on your porch this weekend and ready for pickup at my home sooner.  However, the need for volunteers is great.  We have recently lost some of the loyal group to jobs in Maryland, Virginia, and Texas.  If enough volunteers step forward now,  you will have two weekends to get your bundle delivered. This is a great season to get out and meet neighbors.  I look forward to hearing from many of you soon,  206-329-8514  or email: [email protected].  Remember a greater number of volunteers  means  less  work for each person.

Please let me know your name, address, and phone # and the bundle to be delivered will be delivered to your home with a map indicating your route.

Thank you for your continued service to the Squire Park Community Council. 

Joanna Cullen

206-329-8514

This is just an FYI that further news and discussion is posted on the saveseattleschools blog with just a thread devoted to the sale of the MLK jr. School in Madison Valley.

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=28765366&postID=

About 200 people turned out for the  Saturday morning  townhall with the state legislators from the 37th.  Most of the presentations and questions centered on the proposed cuts to the Washington State budget with an emphasis on the social safety nets and education, along with a few regarding environmental issues.  The sentiment  of the group was high on identifying additional sources of revenue through doing away with special interest tax breaks.   Unfortunately, time constrains did not allow for much of a conversation and followup questions.  For instance, the group was reminded that few in the room would want to to do away with the tax exemption on food or prescription drugs with no opportunity to inquire if there were areas where as a group we might be able to successfully lobby  to eliminate some tax exemptions.

The representatives all seem to be hard working, knowledgeable, and wanting to do the right thing, and all definitely delivered the message that these are tough financial times in Olympia.  Since most of the audience was already aware of this fact, it was a little disappointing that there wasn’t a chance for more conversation.   Too much time was first taken with attempts to solve sound system problems, and the structure of the meeting limited the number of issues addressed.  Constituents are obviously interested in these meetings, and  past the townhalls have sometimes offered more chance to hear discussions on a wider variety of issues, albeit they may not have been as well attended.

All took individual questions later and invited constituents to contact them as noted below.

Washington State Legislators for 37th Legislative District:

State Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D)

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7838 or email  [email protected]

State Rep. Sharon Tomiko-Santos (D)

Olympia phone:  (360) 786-7944  or email   [email protected]

State Sen. Adam Kline (D) 

Olympia Office: (360) 786-7688 or email   [email protected]

The 37th District legislative delegation of Sen. Adam Kline and Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Eric Pettigrew will host a local town hall meeting from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Sat., Mar. 12 at the Garfield Community Center located at 2323 E. Cherry Street in Seattle. 

What is on your mind?  Is it transportation, health care, safety-net services, jobs, education, public safety or something else?  Please attend for a 2011 Legislative Session update and to share your comments and questions about the important issues for the 37th District.

For those of you in the 43rd: House Speaker Frank Chopp, Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Jamie Pedersen will hold a town hall meeting on March 12 at 2 p.m. at the Seattle First Baptist Church on Capitol Hill in Seattle.

There’s an important election for a low-profile office going on now, and the winner will be decided by a few hundred votes.  The King Conservation District (KCD) – run by a five-member Board of Supervisors – manages millions of dollars in sustainability and conservation programs.  They are holding an election on March 15th for the KCD Board of Supervisors, position #2.

You have two options to vote:

1.  voting online

After a two step registration process, described on the KCD web site with screen shots below.  Registration needs to be completed by 5:PM on Monday, March 14th.  Ballots need to be returned by Tuesday, March 15th.
 

2.  voting in person in Renton on March 15th

You can vote in person at the King Conservation District offices in Renton on Tuesday, March 15th, between 9:AM and 9:PM.  This is the only location and time where you can vote in person.  A map is here.  

KCD Online Voting:  Step-By Stephttp://www.kingcd.org/new_ele.htm

Update:  It will either air tonight at 11:00 PM news story or tomorrow on the 5:00 PM news.

KING-5 will air a story tomorrow  (March 10) on the sale of the MLK, Jr. building to First AME Church on their 5 p.m.  TV news.

The profile of this deal has been raised due to the current financial scandal in the Seattle School District and Fred Stephens’ close association with that,  the sale of the school as head of District facilities at the time, along with his close association with the AME Church. Conflicts of interest seem likely and there are those who would like it to be reexamined and revisited.

Remember the Board voted on this and cannot plead total ignorance of some the issues here.  They were raised during the bidding process.

A related article that outlined Fred Stephens relationships with AME Church appeared in the Seattle Weekly earlier:

Update: http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/ also has a post on this with a comment by Michael DeBell. 

Then there is some good news for the District.  This is a copy of an email from Kay Smith-Blum

Update: Once I looked at the maps and talked to someone in transportation I have a different understanding: http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?s

Those intermediary boundaries are huge.

I was only reading the documents that are on the agenda.  They could be more clear.  After looking at the maps and speaking with someone in the transportation, I understand that the maps indicate that the attendance area would be included.  Interestingly, the transportation plan tends to continue to support some choice more than I thought was implied in the written documents. 

I was also mistakenly thinking that “assigned school” implied “neighborhood attendance area school”.  Assigned means the school your student is attending.

Sorry to have this misunderstanding. 

Joanna

I just added the clarification that this is up for vote by the School Board tomorrow night.

Hi all, as I closely examine the new transportation plan that the school board will vote on  tomorrow night, I worry that that this area (Area 4) is being guaranteed transportation to Stevens only through 2013.  I just don’t understand why transportation would not permanently allow all students in their attendance area who are not in the walk zone to be in the transportation zone.  Much of area 4, the Stevens area south of E. Madison would be more than 1.25 miles from the school and would be within what is being defined as the intermediary boundaries for transportation. The proposal before  the Board allows transportation for students who live in the attendance area and within 1.25 miles of the school and not in the walk zone for the school.  It Then goes on to say that for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 intermediary boundaries for transportation would include the attendance area.  Then what?  Some students would be left without transportation or a walk zone for their guaranteed attendance area school or any school.

Intermediary here implies temporary, meaning that after that they would have to live in the attendance are and be within 1.25 miles of the school in order to receive transportation.  Those who lived in the attendance area and more than 1.25 miles from the  school would not receive transportation.  Too bad for those students.  They would have to find their own way to the only school to which they are guaranteed assignment or take their chances and try choosing other schools.  What if they live in an area that is in no walk zone.  Too bad again they would not receive transportation.since they don’t live in the attendance area.  Are we supporting neighborhood boundaries for stability and predictability?  Something is very wrong here.  Address boundary changes if that is what you want to address.  However, if I live even 5 miles from a school you make my neighborhood attendance area school then I should especially receive transportation unless I live in the walk zone, right?  Are students to be shut out of their assigned schools due to the lack of transportation? http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/021611agenda/021611agenda.pdf

to agenda

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/021611agenda/transservicestandards.pdf

transportation agenda item

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/021611agenda/transservicestandards.pdf

to the transportation plan

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/021611agenda/transservicestandards.pdf

Quote:“Intermediary Boundaries for each Attendance Area School shall be drawn to automatically extend transportation and or walk boundary eligibility to all students within these boundaries during school years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.”

Madrona School’s Principal Farah Thaxton, teachers, parents, and students warmly welcomed prospective families and community members to the open house tour on Tuesday evening.  It presented a nice opportunity to meet a community obviously coalescing around the vision of a neighborhood school as the District implements its new student assignment plan.  All were very warm and open to questions, including the middle school students. The presentation emphasis was on Madrona K-8 as a  student-centered school that can and does focus  individual student  needs where diversity is valued.    The K-8 model allows the staff to really get to know and appreciate each student.  The impression is that the students also have a sense of really knowing each other too, especially by middle school.

I also learned that at least some of the core classes at middle school level are segregated by gender.  Students appeared shy to talk about how they felt about  the gender division.

Evening open houses are an excellent means of meeting many in the community.  However, if I were a a prospective parent at any school, I would make sure to attend a day time open house and tour of classrooms or arrange to visit during the school day where you can see the school in action.

http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/madrona/

From the PTSA page: http://madronapantherpartners.org/?p=556

I advise calling ahead to confirm as the information seems easy to find and others not so easy.

NOTE: Tours are intended for parents/guardians. families, but the entire school will be toured.Most day tours are generally geared toward incoming kindergarten The 2/17 tour date is specifically structured for incoming middle school students and families.  

MADRONA K-8 Open Houses and Tour Dates in 2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 17, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (This one is focused for entering Middle School families.)

Day Tour: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

Day Tour: Tuesday, March 8, 2011 9:15 – 10:15 a.m

I noticed that for most of Saturday afternoon the Seattle Police had to direct traffic at 23rd and E. Union and am curious, why.