Faculty and students protest the MAP in February

No Seattle teachers will be punished for failing to administer the MAP test during a winter term boycott, Superintendent José Banda said in a press release Friday.

Of the students and parents who opted out from the test District-wide, most were from Garfield and Ingraham High Schools.

The boycott, which began at Garfield, had widespread support from faculty, students and parents and even earned a fair amount of national attention.

From Seattle Schools José Banda:

Dear Seattle Public Schools community,

Our community has engaged in a deep discussion during the last two months about the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment, which provides data used for screening and analyzing student achievement and measuring growth over time.

While we know the MAP assessment has its strengths and limitations, it’s important for educators to use a variety of data sources to help inform classroom instruction. For many of our teachers and principals, the MAP assessment provides critical information to help screen our academically at-risk students so we can  identify additional supports and provide more personalized attention, as well as measure their academic growth and improvement over time. Continue reading →

Here’s a look at some of the recent crime incidents in the neighborhood. Most information comes from Seattle Police reports and reader tips.

Teen robbed and assaulted at 21st and Yesler

A mother contacted CDNews earlier this week to tell us her teen son had been robbed and assaulted outside the Carolyn Downs Clinic at 4 p.m. March 22.

The attackers, who were also young, picked their moment to demand his iPhone, then punched him. From the police report:

The teen victim’s mother had this to add: “Although there were plenty of witnesses, no one stopped to help him except for the wonderful employees, nurses and doctors at Carolyn Downs Clinic. To them, I say thank you.” Continue reading →

Screenshot of FAS

CDNews has a new independent news neighbor.

Fifth Avenue Seattle is a hyperlocal news site focused on the Central Business District, the International District and Pioneer Square.

Capitol Hill Seattle and CDNews contributor Sebastian Garrett-Singh started the site last week and officially launched it today. So if you work or play downtown (or just want to know what’s happening on the other side of I-5), check it out.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

As The Seattle Times and news sources nationwide continue a shift for paid web content, a void has been created, and with downtown Seattle remarkably starved of news content, that void has now been filled. News blogger Sebastian Garrett-Singh adds his voice to the hyperlocal news ecosystem with the unveiling of the blog Fifth Avenue Seattle. The blog is devoted to the neighborhoods adjacent to Fifth Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington providing up to date news and information for those that work, live, and play in the urban core. http://www.FifthAvenueSeattle.com focuses on news stories originating from Seattle’s Chinatown, Pioneer Square, and the Central Business District with plans to expand north and south along the corridor.

At 22, Garrett-Singh is Seattle’s youngest, neighborhood-centric, blog/business owner. Garrett-Singh served as 2012-2013 Executive Editor of the New City Collegian, a grassroots publication covering the Seattle Community Colleges system. Promoted just months after signing on as a reporter, he is no stranger to reviving a dying enterprise in a down market.  Under his leadership, NCC returned to a one-off print edition garnering national media attention including The Seattle Times, Student Press Law Center, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and a news partnership with The Seattle Times.

Read more…

O’Donnell shows CDNews some of the fantastic gardens in the neighborhood (2011)

For many years, Kristin O’Donnell has worked to make sure the voices of Yesler Terrace residents are present at City Council meetings, East Precinct crime prevention meetings and, of course, Yesler Terrace redevelopment meetings.

As a longtime neighborhood activist and resident of Yesler Terrace, O’Donnell is a central part of the neighborhood’s community council, which conducts its business in five languages so that most residents of the housing project, many of whom are recent immigrants, can stay informed and have input into issues affecting them.

We spoke with O’Donnell for a two part feature on the Seattle Housing Authority’s then-pending Yesler Terrace redevelopment plans back in 2011. Since then, Yesler Way and Broadway have been torn up and are being rebuilt complete with streetcar tracks and new bikeways, the SHA and City Council have passed the redevelopment plans, and some projects are already underway.

Now KUOW has a great feature on O’Donnell that’s definitely worth a listen: Continue reading →

Faculty and students protest the MAP in February

The recent Garfield High School protest against mandatory MAP testing is still shaking up the national conversation about education, even after the school district carried out the testing against the nearly unanimous will of the faculty, students and parents.

MAP tests, administered several times a year, have no bearing on students’ grades, and the students know it. This is one of the many arguments school faculty have made against the test: Students know it won’t affect their GPA, so many don’t try. However, the results could affect teacher evaluations.

The New Yorker recently dove into the conversation, essentially arguing that the debate comes down to our trust in teachers.

From the New Yorker:

That low-stakes status is precisely the problem, as far as the Garfield teachers are concerned. McBride writes that the students know the test doesn’t affect their grades or class standing, so they don’t invest much effort in it. And because it is an externally developed assessment, which the teachers say largely fails to align with district and state standards (N.W.E.A. disputes this point), there is no preparation for it. In sum, students are taking an exam that doesn’t really count, on material that may or may not be relevant, and producing results that may have nothing to say about them or their future. If you subscribe to the notion that education is preparation for life, then these students have received their first primer on the soul-crushing routines of bureaucracy.

They then go on to say that the debate boils down to two differing opinions of teachers in general: Continue reading →

Screen capture from dashboard video of Etherly’s arrest

Leo Etherly has reached a plea deal regarding the hit and run that preceded his now-infamous October arrest.

After the county declined to press charges against Etherly, the city charged him with striking a woman on a bike at 29th and Jefferson, then fleeing the scene.

Slog reports that Etherly has reached a deal that would allow him to avoid serious penalties beyond payment of restitution to the victim and 48 hours of community service if he stays out of trouble for two years:

Etherly accepted a dispositional continuance deal, meaning that if he has no new criminal violations in the next two years, pays restitution to the hit-and-run victim, completes 48 hours of community service, pledges to drive with a valid license and insurance, completes a drug and alcohol class, and pays a fine of $145, after two years the driving with a suspended license charge will be dismissed and the hit-and-run bicyclist will be reduced to a hit-and-run unattended (meaning, instead of being charged for hitting a person and fleeing the scene, he’ll be charged with hitting a bicycle and fleeing the scene. The latter charge is a simple misdemeanor rather than a gross misdemeanor and won’t result in the loss of his license). Continue reading →

We confirmed today that Standard Brewing will, indeed, open its doors and start pouring pints today at 25th and Jackson.

From owner Justin Gerardy:

I’ve been priming my gears all week with small parties with friends and I’m ready to open. 4pm – midnight today, then on to the 4-8 schedule Wed-Sat from then on.

For more on Standard, be sure to read our original story.

NOTE: We apologize for the long outage Tuesday, which was caused by a power surge at our web hosting company’s server farm. Thanks for your patience.

Here’s a look at some crime incidents in the CD in the past month or so, according to Seattle Police reports.

Man arrested after failing to pay cab, assaulting driver — March 1, 26th and Union

This is a friendly reminder to always pay your cab fare. Also, don’t assault people.

A man allegedly attacked a cab driver after refusing to pay the fare for his trip from downtown to 26th and Union shortly after midnight. The driver called the police, who contacted the man and placed him under arrest. From the police report:

Continue reading →

It’s that time of year where you curse at yourself for not keeping better financial records. Last year you said, “This is the year I get my finances organized.” Maybe you even went as far as buying a multi-section file folder, or at least looked at one in a store. But alas, here we are: Tax time, and you need some help.

Well, you’re in luck! Individuals and families who made less than $50,000 in income last year can get free tax help at Yesler Community Center until April 15. United Way of King County will be at the Broadway and Yesler center Thursdays from 5 – 9 p.m. (East African and Chinese language help also available) and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (East African language help also available).

Details from United Way:

United Way of King County is urging low and middle income families to take advantage of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) with little or no wait for free filing.

WHAT:        United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation Program is designed to help low and middle-income families prepare their tax returns, avoid fees associated with commercial preparers and take advantage of tax credits like the EITC to keep more of their hard earned money. Tax preparation services are provided in more than 10 languages by IRS certified volunteers and sites offer electronic filing of returns.  In addition to tax preparation, United Way is also offering other services such as applications for public benefits like food stamps, utility assistance and assistance with FAFSA (Federal Student Financial Aid) form completion and free credit reports. Continue reading →

Bike Polo players held a tournament in the old tennis courts

As spring rolls in and days get longer and warmer, the very south end of Jundkins Park could very well be one of the most active park areas in the Central District.

With the recent opening of the Judkins Skatespot, the sometimes forgotten patch of land between I-90 and S Judkins Street is already seeing tons of activity.

A Parks Department decision in 2010 designated the old tennis courts for alternative uses, and bike polo players soon built the court into the best polo spot in the city, complete with boards and the ability to have two games going at once.

As people with skateboards join the basketball and increasingly-popular bike polo games — as well as the ever-growing number of people cycling through the area on the I-90 and Judkins Park Trails — there are more people hanging out in the area than ever. It will be interesting to watch what the summer brings.

Here are a few photos from Sunday: Continue reading →