Rally and March against the current proposal
January 25, at TT Minor, 2:00 P.M. to Garfield Community Center

See this article in Colors Magazine:
http://colorsnw.com/colors/2009/01/21/theyre-calling-it-a-re
Another link:
http://andrehelmstetter.com/pafp/preliminary_analysis_final_

Board Amendments:
Just prior to the break at last night’s School Board meeting, Board President Michael DeBell announced that School Board Members may submit amendments to the
Superintendent’s proposal until noon, next Tuesday, January 27. This was in response to an inquiry by Cheryl Chow and Michael indicated that the plan was to include this information later, later when few public observers would have been present. I appreciate Cheryl making sure that the Board process for
changes to the proposal was clarified while some of us were still there.
The final document on which they will be voting will then be posted on
the School District web site on Wednesday morning.

On KUOW this morning Michael DeBell also indicated that the final proposal is likely
to be quite different from the current proposal. We may be repeating ourselves, nonetheless, continuing to lobby and working to to get your message to the Board members is important.

The letter below was approved for distribution at the Squire Park Community Council General Meeting on Saturday, January 10, 2009:
As you know schools are an integral part of the fabric of any
neighborhood and the loss of a school leaves a hole in the identity
and character of a community. The Squire Park community in the
Central District is one Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods with a rich
past interwoven many of the histories of Seattle’s ethnic groups.
Since the mid 1990s and especially beginning in 2000 this area has
been experiencing fast paced revitalization. Periods of community
transformation are exciting and stimulating but are also periods
during which many delicate balances must be respected. The new must
be embraced while at the same time the character, history , and
people of the area must appreciated and honored. When done well the
two work well together to create a new and exciting vitality within
the community.

TT Minor Elementary School reflects this history, transformation, and growing
diversity of the neighborhood and is now uniquely situated to serve
and embrace the diverse groups of families who live here.
Census tracts cited in media indicate that number of children under
age 5 has risen by more than 15 % from 2000 to 2007, double the average increase
citywide. Some have estimated the increase to be greatest within the
TT Minor area. Demographic reference area data being used by the
School District is current for the year 2006. Even those figures
show that TT Minor has the highest rate of growth in the number of
births of any reference area in the Central District and has
continually been in first or second place in the total number of
births for all Central Cluster reference areas since 1997. The 2007 data has not
yet been considered. Current data is especially important for a
thorough and accurate analysis of communities in transition and those
communities are at the greatest disadvantage when the data is not
current. District projections do not include the 5,000 new units
planned to replace the 348 apartments that currently exist at Yesler
Terrace. While the project is slated to begin in 2011 and will take
some time to complete, it will have a dramatic affect on Central
Cluster school enrollment as the new units become available. It does
not make sense to close TT Minor with its record of increased
academic achievement and parent and community support. Its location
in the heart of a neighborhood with a growing number of children make
it ideally suited to serve as a neighborhood school with a Montessori
Program for the cluster.

Closing TT Minor School will not only disrupt the school during an
important stage of development but will also disrupt a community in an
important stage of transformation. The school is one of the pieces
key to building a strong sense of neighborhood and community here.
Without an identity and sense of community any area is subject to
deterioration during even the slightest hint of an economic crisis.
The Central District is a very walkable area with many new families.
The current proposal divides the neighborhood and disrupts the growing
parent group. This community and the Seattle School District have
much to lose by closing TT Minor and much to gain by continuing to
support the growth and success of a naturally diverse school. We are
asking you to please reconsider the Superintendent’s current proposal
and ensure that the TT Minor school will be here for our families.

Sincerely,

Squire Park Community Council
(approved January 10, 2009)

cold fun

Both the TT Minor and Mann Building (NOVA) hearings regarding school closures had standing room only attendance. Both had speaking slots completely full and waiting lists. These hearing are legally required for buildings proposed to be closed.

TT Minor is and desires to be considered as a neighborhood school. Parents, students, faculty, and community members presented compelling arguments and stories for it to remain open and allowed to grow and flourish as a neighborhood school. The meeting served as a reminder about the importance of a good public elementary school in a rapidly transforming neighborhood. It has created new and innovative programs to serve the needs of the diverse population celebrated in the Central District. This diversity deserves to be celebrated across the nation.
Please view pictures of the TT Minor hearing at:
http://gallery.me.com/clickfiend#100069&bgcolor=black&view=grid

NOVA students, parents, and faculty also presented very compelling stories that demonstrated the necessity for NOVA to remain an as an autonomous program wherever is is located. Many also expressed that the Mann Building is their home and that they desire to remain there. Testimony regarding the current location’s access to fields, facilities and classes at Garfield High School and the Teen Center supported remaining at Mann. These along with vibrant urban community, convenient Metro access and the autonomous site at Mann suit the needs of the program perfectly. All served as a reminder that the NOVA program cannot easily be moved or co-located. with another program.

Note: The only Board member present for NOVA was Mary Bass. Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno also attended.

January 6: Superintendent announces final recommendation
January 7: School Board meeting
*Public testimony by signing up is presented at the beginning of every
School Board Meeting
6:00 p.m. at the John Stanford Center
Capacity Management (school closure and program changes) motion will
be introduced
January 21: Board Meeting 6:00 p.m. Stanford Center
January 22: Final Public Hearing regarding Capacity Management Motion
6:00 p.m. at the Stanford Center
Public testimony is the main event.
January 29, 2009 School Board Meeting
6:00 p.m. at the Stanford Center
School Board votes on the Capacity Management Motion

No new surprises were presented at Wednesday’s School Board meeting. However, it is important for the communities to seriously consider and act on the offer by individual Board Members to meet with affected communities. Sherry Carr indicated that she has been meeting with the affected school communities and their advocates and finds it very helpful. All members than echoed that they have been meeting with various communities and invited communities to contact them for appointment. Peter Maier also stated that such meetings help inform him.
School Board contact information:
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/index.dxml

Cheryl Chow is out of town. Peter and Sherry seem quite responsive to email.

The Superintendent confirmed that most Secondary (Middle and High School) change proposals are no longer being considered. The exceptions are the closing of Meany, and changes to NOVA and Summit K-12.

Several Board Members seemed to be carefully considering the case that has been made by advocates for the African American Academy.

There will be an update regarding the school closures and program changes tonight:

School Board

December 17, 2008
School Board Meeting
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Auditorium, Stanford Center

This is not a complete but I have heard people ask why the community and especially those who are not parents should care about their schools. The PTSA has also posted relevant information on CD News. But, community members must also protect their schools.

First schools are an integral part of any community and contribute significantly to the character of a neighborhood. Good neighborhood schools strengthen the community and make the neighborhood more desirable for families, serve as part of the neighborhood identity, and provide a specially protected space for safety and pedestrian amenities, and protection from undesirable businesses.

Look at the map. TT Minor is a neighborhood school.
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/m_schools/index.dxml
You can look at reference areas there. Remember Lowell is not a neighborhood school, but may have some neighborhood space under the new plan. Elementary school students living more than a mile from their school under law qualify for transportation, for instance the District would have to provide transportation for any student west of 23rd Avenue who was enrolled at Madrona. The TT Minor reference are area would not have a neighborhood school.

During this process I have written the School board and testified regarding some specifics, but the longer letter is in progress. For instance, I still don’t have the specific reference area demographics beyond 2005, but I have been told they are available. I am still waiting. I know that those demographics through 2007 will further support the argument that revitalization in the area has led to an increased number of children being born here and families living in the neighborhood with school age children.

TT Minor has made significant progress and a remarkable recovery as a neighborhood school since the Sloane Foundation moved its resources and model to the New School which recently created in South Seattle. During the Sloane tenure, TT Minor was removed from the assignment pattern as a neighborhood school, but has shown growth in students, parent involvement (I know this is pretty dramatic compared to when I was Seattle Council PTSA President), and neighborhood support.

During the time that the Sloane foundation it was not allowed to be a neighborhood school. Families had to apply to get in and were admitted if they qualified for free and reduced lunch. Despite this it has come back quite strong and is located in an area with a strong if not the highest growth in birthrate of any reference area in the city (I need the stats). Please look at this article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008383111_p

The Central Area has just begun to revitalize and this is no time to close schools.

While it is listed as not having met Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), it is only in stage 1 (the worst being stage 5) and did meet it this year. Once a school is listed as being in stage 1, it must make AYP two years in a row. Considering its strong showing last year, it likely will be meeting the standards again this year.

TT Minor is an a trajectory to becoming a strong neighborhood school in an area experiencing population growth and revitalization, including growth in the number of children and families. (I believe that is one reason Sloane left.)

It would be very destructive to the fabric of the neighborhood for the school to close it now and not in the best interest of children. There is no relationship between educational Best Practices and the closure of TT Minor.

Hopefully the final version of this testimony will be more eloquent, but these are some of the issues that the community can address.”>

PS Additionally, building condition is another criteria being used. No building currently housing student is in anyway dangerous and all have had significant work done for earthquake proofing. There are a number of very well-attended popular elementary schools in the North End with similar or lesser ratings for building condition than the one for TT MInor. The District tends to give the highest ratings to the newest schools or schools that have been significantly renovated recently.

In order to speak email hearing@sseattleschools or call 206-252-0042 indicating TT Minor is the school that is the focus of your comments. Sign-ups will be taken via email or phone until noon of the day of the hearing. Sign-ups received after that time will be honored only if there is space available. Interpreters will also be available to assist the hearing impaired.

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/capacity/20081211_Public_

Under “Individual School and Program Community Meetings” the community meetings below are scheduled. The intro to these meetings indicates that principals are organizing them for communities that they feel are most affected by the preliminary recommendations.
These seem a little off the radar as they are not formal hearings, but certainly the ones at Madrona, Leschi, Thurgood Marshall, and Montlake are all within the Central Cluster and the all-district draws, Summit K-12 and African American Academy may also be of interest. Since there seem to be endless meetings, hopefully they will be very informative.

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008
African American Academy – 8311 Beacon Ave. S., 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Madrona K-8 – 1121 33rd Ave., 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Summit K-12 @ Jane Addams – 11051 34th Ave. NE, 6 – 8:00 p.m.
Thurgood Marshall Elementary – 2401 S. Irvin St., 6 – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008
Leschi Elementary – 135 32nd Ave., 6 – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008
Montlake Elementary – 2409 22nd Ave. E., 6 – 7:30 p.m.
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/capacity/getinvolved.html

At tonight’s work session Seattle School Superintendent presented updated proposals. It is worth looking at, as many changes involve schools in the Central Cluster. There were many reactions and questions from the Board to report, but I turn into a pumpkin at midnight and will write a more complete report tomorrow. In the meantime please take a look at the various reports from local papers:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/391469_schools10.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008488147

Community networking can only help.