This is a thread to discuss the latest board meeting and high school boundary developments.
Seattle Public Media Stream of the meeting:
http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=15690
I have not had time yet to view this or parse anything but I hope to make some updates to this post once I have.
26 comments:
I posted this in a previous comments thread, but realized it might make more sense here:
I just watched public testimony at the school board meeting of January 17th, and I have to say, I certainly left with the impression of a lot of wealthy white parents (the only non-white speaker was asian) wedding themselves to the HCC pathway that has worked for them so far and arguments pitting Magnolia v Loyal Heights v Phinney arguing for their own children's interests.
I don't know if this is ultimately effective (power can make a difference) but I didn't find it morally compelling at all (and, I am in the cohort of families who were speaking, affected in the same ways).
I came out of listening with no opinion on where specifically the boundaries are drawn for Ballard (given that we need to change boundaries to accommodate Lincoln/additional seats at Ingraham) and a general feeling that we should be changing the HCC pathways, that the current Garfield pathway is not sustainable.
Change is always difficult, but the request to delay seemed like nothing more than delay. I think we have to rip this bandaid off, even if it will cause transitional pain immediately. I would like to see a plan that isn't going to have to be changed again in two years, with all the attendant pain.
I would like to ask this community (which is often thoughtful) what plan they would propose if it were assured that the Garfield (single HCC) pathway was going to end?
zeeb
They are assured the Garfield pathway is going to end(have the north end split off), and they believe there will be a new pathway at Lincoln and WSHS in 2019. Garfield is definitely not going to be the only pathway as of 2019, and everyone testifying knows that. What they were arguing against was a resolution to end *all* high school HC pathways in 2021 and only send children to neighborhood schools. The plan I would propose is keeping pathways at Lincoln, WSHS, and Garfield, with an Ingraham option until such time as they are no longer needed.
NJP
Thanks for the clarification. How does that plan (Garfield/Lincoln/WSHS in 2019) look like in the transition? I think folks argue that a roll up model is ineffective for HCC, because of the need of some students for out-of-grade level classes. Would all students switch to the new pathway in 2019?
zeeb
The reason for the delay is that most schools do not have enough classes for HC kids to take if they just started coming next year, especially if they would only come in single digit cohort numbers per year which is true in many places. Schools can't just will those classes into existence. They need time to rework their master schedule, make trade offs, figure out what classes to give up in favor of these advanced classes if necessary. It's especially difficult in academy based schools. Believe me many of the board members and staff would love to do it today if possible. But it is not.
NJP
It's a roll up. In theory. In practice I think north end 10th grade hcc students will be pulled from Garfield to go to Lincoln because there will not be 11th and 12th graders to fill in the gaps. And because it's politically unpalatable not to geosplit them, too. But then the pathway ending is rolled up, too. So you stay in your "pathway" school.
NJP
If any of you watched the excellent performance by the Robert Eagle Staff senior orchestra, I want to point out that virtually all of those students were/are 8th grade HC students who attended Hamilton's extraordinary music program last year. It is false to give full credit for their accomplishments to Eagle Staff (as some board members did in the follow-up comments.)
@Zeeb- You cannot tell socioeconomics from color of skin and to assume all white (& Asian) people wealthy is not accurate. I assure you that there are single parents, working class, FRL & middle class with HC kids. I personally know all with HC children in those socio-economic categories, but if you put them all in a room and take a wild guess you probably could not judge. I also know some who as you described seem wealthy and are professionals. Some might also be only one generation away from extreme poverty like someone I know who blends in really well in a group. You can't tell.
Book by its cover
juicygoofy - thank you for mentioning that. I have one of those students and Dir Geary's comments felt particularly insensitive claiming that people were concerned and see it was fine...yes, they are all still great musicians, that doesn't mean it isn't/hasn't been a struggle filled with anxiety and unknowns. Moving schools isn't going to wipe away their talent but are they thriving as they were in this in other areas - remains to be seen. And parents put in A LOT of work to make things happen - most of them from Hamilton.
I don’t intend to confuse topics, so forgive this if it isn’t on point. My 10th grader at Ballard is high cap, accelerated three years in math, but she did not want to be in a high cap program, and we could get her the advanced courses at Ballard. Now she is hearing from a science teacher that there may be a move to end all science electives at Ballard (pathways and AP science courses) starting next year. Is anyone informed on this?
My comment was based on the impression the speakers produced in me, which may not be an accurate description of who they are. I'm saying I watched hoping for substantive information and found myself listening to what felt to me to be personally driven comments on some issues which are a zero sum game (for example the Ballard boundaries)
That was me, zeeb
"My comment was based on the impression the speakers produced in me, which may not be an accurate description of who they are."
Zeeb, that's the definition of prejudice.
Aware
meanwhile rome burned. get with it folks. staff are coming for hcc as their next conquest to homogenize ability but not race. see michael tolley for this. his mentor had this in mind with tm hawthorne.
michael tolley is coming for li, special-sped and options schools. they are coming for you next. oh yeah that ib thing you are doing... STOP.
how many times do i get this wrong. but not racial homogenizing. because they are ok with segregated boundaries. see geary poster child for this.
@Zeeb- Yes, as Aware commented ....be careful....if you are looking at people who are white and or asian and assume all are "wealthy" are you also looking at people with darker skin and assuming poverty?
We are all so much more complex. So are our family histories. Ballard is middle class with apts, and small homes. Madison Park and Queen Anne I would call "wealthy". Not Ballard.
Housing has gone through the roof all over the city, but many in Ballard bought houses when they were much cheaper and could never afford them today. Many middle class as well as poor White and Asian and other people have also been displaced by our expensive hpusing and we have many friends who moved away to afford housing.
When you heard people speak and they seemed confident, articulate or educated maybe you assume they are "wealthy". But that is not even close to being the case.
I would use the term middle class or upper middle class professionals to describe many people I know with kids in HC. However, I also know quite a few single parents and those with F&R lunch HC kids who are also very articulate. They blend right in with the professionals.
Book by its cover
Queen Anne here--
Hey Book by its cover, we bought our house on Queen Anne 14 years ago and could NEVER afford to move here now-- or anywhere else in Seattle, for that matter, if we didn't have equity in this home. I don't want to pull this thread too far from its original post, but you would do well to take your own advice. Can we all stop dividing to conquer?
Sheesh
The Garfield Messenger has a story about the eight-period schedule that reportedly will take effect in 2019-20.
https://www.garfieldmessenger.org/4171/articles/news/get-ready-for-eight/
This topic could use its own thread.
Agree that we need a thread on the 8-period day. Seems likely to have a disproportionately negative impact on advanced students.
DisAPP
Please consider that most under-resourced families don’t have the flexibility to go to SODO and testify on a Wednesday at 5pm. If you are an hourly worker or have limited childcare, it’s not going to happen. HCC has families from many different socioeconomical backgrounds, and are lucky to have parents that can advocate for everyone’s needs.
No assumptions
3.5% Cascadia FRL
5% Bryant
4% McDonald
7% Montlake
7% Salmon Bay
What’s your point?
I was not effective in making the comment I wanted to make, which was, the testimony was ineffective at convincing someone who does not have a personal interest in the decision making and is concerned about the needs of all the children in SPS (which I presume includes the school board members.
I wholeheartedly believe that every child has the right to the education appropriate for them; I also think that a parent's responsibility is first to their child. But, to argue for the interests in front of an entity charged with considering everyone, one has to propose solutions that work for everyone. Pointing out that returning HCC to Roosevelt and Ballard would significantly impact those schools, unless the effects were taken into account fits in that category. The personal arguments I saw being made did not convince that the needs should be prioritized over the needs of other students, who face many of the same concerns.
My comment was a request for more substantive analysis of options and how one should choose among them not a desire to discuss the relative socioeconomic backgrounds of the various populations in SPS (though I can see why my comment started that discussion).
zeeb
@sheesh- Great point well taken mea culpa :-)
book by its cover
Where is the AC on this? Seems they should say something...
Benjamin, to nail down the current 2017-18 HC enrolled numbers, could we crowdsource or perhaps you could coax out this missing info as you have so successfully done already?
Of the 96 HC enrolled Ingraham AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 48 Ingraham AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 99 HC enrolled Hale AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 44 Hale AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 201 HC enrolled Ballard AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 51 Ballard AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 227 HC enrolled Roosevelt AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 30 Roosevelt AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 179 HC enrolled Garfield AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 83 Garfield AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 89 HC enrolled Franklin AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? There are 0 Franklin AA full-time Running Start students, so 0 HC eligible.
Of the 34 HC enrolled Rainier Beach AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 26 Rainier Beach AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 75 HC enrolled West Seattle AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 59 West Seattle AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
Of the 31 HC enrolled Chief Sealth AA high school students, how many attend the Garfield pathway, and how many attend the Ingraham IB option? Of the 50 Chief Sealth AA full-time Running Start students, how many are HC eligible?
@Doctor Hu- The numbers will be skewed with big migration changes between older grades and younger. Younger have been increasingly choosing school options closer to home.
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