Friday Memo to the Board for November

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Friday Memo to the Board for November Friday Memo to the Board Superintendent’s Office for the week of November 9-16, 2020 Happenings: • Chief of Staff Kokx and Chief Wyeth Jesse met with Seattle Police Chief, Chief Diaz, to discuss our common work moving forward in partnership • Small cabinet attended several PTA/PTSA/parent meetings at schools this week to share information about remote learning, the upcoming levy, and Seattle Excellence • Shared information about Asynchronous Learning at the virtual townhall with Kari Hanson, Principal Dr. Gary, and Principal Jones-Huge thank you to this team! • Held monthly meeting with SEA leaders to discuss educators SEL in remote learning and brainstormed ways that we can collaborate to support our educators • Visited with the Seattle Times Editorial Board about, among other things, the great work aligned to Seattle Excellence happening in our schools, leadership during a pandemic, technology and internet, HR transformation, and SPS anti-racist work. • Virtually attended a reading Native author Traci Sorell at Fairmount Park with students, staff, and parents as a part of Native American Heritage Month. The Remote Learning Task Force page- https://www.seattleschools.org/families_communities/committees/remote_learning -is up to date with upcoming meeting dates and other information. The minutes from the first meeting have been posted. Friday Memo to the Board Schools and Continuous Improvement for the week of November 9, 2020 Behavioral Health Resources Guide The ongoing stress, fear, grief, and uncertainty created by the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism can have an extraordinary impact on our mental health, and young people may have an especially tough time coping emotionally. According to Seattle Public Schools’ 2018 Healthy Youth Survey data: • 1 in 4 eighth grade students, and 1 in 3 high school students, reported experiencing depression during the past year • 2/3 of high school students reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge in the last 2 weeks • 26% of tenth grade students, and 32% of twelfth grade students, reported using illegal drugs in the past 30 days Research shows that preventing drug use and promoting mental health among students is associated with higher productivity, better academic performance, and more consistent attendance. We strive to support every student in need and work to accomplish this through various strategies, including partnerships with youth behavioral health agencies. These partnerships increase student access to services and reduce interruption to instructional time. Coordinated School Health staff have created a Behavioral Health Resource Guide to assist staff in providing relevant and supportive referrals to our students and families. This guide contains responses from 18 local agencies and includes information on types of services provided, insurance accepted, diversity of staff and clinicians, contact information, and more. Please note: this guide does not designate an agency as preferred or approved, it is simply meant to provide supplementary information to assist in referral. Friday Memo to the Board Office of African American Male Achievement for the week of November 9-13, 2020 The theme for this week is Meta Cognition (thinking about one’s thinking) great educators like DuBois and Dewey have asserted that experience alone is not the greatest teacher, moreover, it is our reflection of experiences that leads to wisdom. Aligned with COSEBOC we were engaged with scholar practitioner Dr. Angela Ward, our office was challenged to embrace legacy and generational thinking. Whereas, Chief Dr. Williams always says the goal is to work ourselves out of jobs… Dr. Ward reminded us to serve as if we are directly impacting 7 generations from now! In the spirit of such, through collaboration with HR, (Kendrick Wilson) and SEA (Marquitta Prinzing) the office of AAMA facilitated its first Black Male Affinity Group meeting on Thursday November 12. This week launched the start of KOSE with 25 registered Kings across 7th – 12th grades from various schools across the district. The focus for this week has been on the importance of brotherhood and support. As the Kings engaged with one another, brilliance illuminated the space through their powerful perspectives on why these affinity groups are essential. In the words of one of the Kings (Nasir) when asked, “Why do you think KOSE exists?”, he responded, “As African Americans we are here to learn more about our strengths than our weaknesses”. This week we did not host a Student Leadership Council meeting relative to Veterans Day! However, we have been convening in smaller writing groups as we push to complete the first edition of the AAMA newsletter for review next week. On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, I was fortunate to amplify my voice as a visionary speaker during the five-day virtual Intersect, Washington Women’s Foundation’s signature annual educational program, There were speakers from throughout our community and country whose knowledge, lived experiences, and roots in community inform the work that can lead to community systemic transformation. Intersect 2020’s theme, “Building Beloved Community,” is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a world in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth, where poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated, and where racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by a spirit of love and connection. I had the honor and privilege to participate on a panel with these phenomenal Black women educational leaders, Angelique Davis, JD, Associate Professor, Seattle University, Lindsay Hill, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Raikes Foundation and Brenda Leaks, Head of School, Seattle Girls’ School. We were asked to consider the following questions: What does it take to have an educational system no one wants to escape from? How can education be the foundation of a Beloved Community? Why is it so difficult to navigate our educational system? Should one specific system work for everyone? Why are the different sectors pitted against one another? We need thriving systems in all these areas. I attached Lindsay’s PowerPoint about the critical history of the inherent bias and inequity of our education system Also, want to let you all know that the audio/video of Tuesday's session, as well as the other days of Intersect, are available at: wawfintersect2020.com. You scroll down to the day and just press play. The videos will be available for 4 months! Friday Memo to the Board Office of Public Affairs Essential Information for the week of 11/06/20 - 11/13/2020 Goal 1: Media Relations • Seattle Times – 11/10/20 - “Emergency rules allow WA school districts to redefine school time. Did they go too far?” https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/emergency-rules-allow- washington-state-school-districts-to-redefine-school-time-do-they-go-too-far/ • US News & World Report – 11/10/20 – “Bye, Betsy: educators celebrate the end of the DeVos era” https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2020-11-10/bye-betsy-educators-celebrate-the- end-of-the-devos-era • Ed Week – 11/9/20 – “Replacing DeVos: contenders surface for Biden’s Ed Sec pick” http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/11/replacing-devos-biden-education- secretary.html • KUOW – 11/12/20 “Juneau and Inslee on lists for potential Biden administration spots” https://www.kuow.org/stories/kuow-daily-digest • Washington Post – 11/8/20 – “Biden plans series of reversals on education” https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/biden-education-change/2020/11/08/b5b25c7a-21d5-11eb- a688-5298ad5d580a_story.html • Seattle Times – 10/29/20 – “Only 1 SPS student is receiving special education services in person right now” https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/early-data-suggests-some-schools-can- safely-reopen-state-health-officials-say/ • Seattle Times – 11/5/20 – “Remote instruction was hard enough. Now teachers have to explain the 2020 presidential election” https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/what-its-like-to-teach-and-learn- remotely-through-the-2020-presidential-election/ Goal 2&3: District Messaging – Outbound Communications, Customer Service • Continue to send out a weekly School Beat newsletter to school leaders, staff, families, and partners. The newsletter was translated and sent out in our top six languages, including English, to families. Around 100,000 people receive these weekly newsletters. This last week we saw a lower open rate 35%. As a reminder, School Beat used to be a once monthly communication. We will continue to monitor trends to determine if and when to reduce the number of editions each month. • The Communications Team supported a Virtual Town Hall focused on asynchronous learning with Superintendent Juneau, Director of Student Support Services Kari Hanson, Rainier View Elementary Principal Jones, and Madison Middle School Principal Dr. Gary. There were over 100 live viewers and around 1,500 total views. • Public Affairs staff, along with staff from Coordinated School Health, have been meeting with the Youth Advisory Board from Asian Counseling and Referral Service in support of their Beyond Youth Mental Health project. The young people have created social media content for SPS channels to help other teens understand and access mental health supports. These posts will be shared on SPS social media throughout the next few weeks. • Have launched a Strategic Plan social media campaign to direct people to progress towards our collective goals. Initial posts are focused on workforce diversity, AAMA, Seattle Super Readers, and the Academy for Rising Educators. These posts will change each week and will each run for two weeks through the end of December. • Created a nutrition services video and feature story celebrating the work of nutrition services: https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/increased_student_meal_distributio n This video and new data was also shared via a press release. • Chief Campbell and Chief Kokx continue to present remote learning updates and progress towards strategic plan goals.
Recommended publications
  • Our Mission Our Approach
    Our Mission The Race and Social Justice Community Roundtable is focused on eliminating racial inequity in our communities. To accomplish this, we recognize the necessity of institutions and community based organizations working in collaboration. Challenging the status quo and moving to equity will require a collective effort and vision. The Roundtable consists of 26 members from community organizations, government, social service agencies and philanthropy. The Roundtable's race-specific approach to community building and policy development will: • Implement innovative approaches that support and highlight existing racial equity work; • Strengthen our our relationships to the community and support a process of mutual accountability for ending racial inequity; and • Deepen our insight into the root causes of poverty and racial inequity in Seattle/King County. We work to eliminate race-based inequity in our community and promote race and social justice across Seattle/King County institutions. Our Approach • Developing a statewide legislative agenda for racial Roundtable members Julie Nelson and Yvonne equity. Redding-White discussing the Racial Equity • Adopting and promoting a Racial Equity Toolkit to Toolkit with community members. assess budget, policies and practices. • Promoting collaborative strategies across institutions to end racial inequity in education, health, criminal justice, economics and the environment. Roundtable Members o Arab American Community Coalition, o Seattle City Council, Councilmember Damon Shadid Bruce Harrell o Casey Family Programs, Lyman Legters, o Seattle Education Association, Olga Senior Director Addae, President o Child Care Resources, Deeann Burtch o Seattle Housing Authority, Tom Tierney, Puffert, CEO Director o City of Seattle, Julie Nelson, Office of o Seattle Indian Health Board, Ralph Civil Rights Director Forquera, Director o El Centro de la Raza, Estela Ortega, o Seattle Public Schools, Susan Enfield, Director Chief Academic Officer o Horn of Africa, Tsegaye Gebru, Exec.
    [Show full text]
  • News Release
    NEWS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Katherine Bush, Mayor’s Office, 206.684.8180 Kim Schmanke, Seattle Public Schools, 206.465.5404 Jason Kelly, Office of Planning & Community Development, 206.615.0494 City Government, School District to plan together on future schools, Memorial Stadium, and Fort Lawton SEATTLE (Nov. 20, 2017) – The City of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools today announced a historic new partnership to plan for a new Memorial Stadium and the potential of a new school at Seattle Center, provide land for a new downtown elementary school, and allow the school district to join the Fort Lawton Redevelopment Agreement process. The agreement signed today at Memorial Stadium outlines a process for the district and the City to plan together for a growing student population, explore opportunities for the district to acquire land for educational uses at Ft. Lawton and other areas of the city, and achieve an exciting shared vision for Seattle Center. The school district and city will form joint technical teams to review school capacity issues, plan strategically for future school locations, and redesign Memorial Stadium. The City of Seattle has added almost 100,000 residents since 2010. Nearly 8,000 additional students have enrolled in Seattle Public Schools over the last decade. The City and the district will better coordinate their planning efforts to meet future school needs for students and families. “Making sure every one of our children has a strong, healthy, and fair start is the measure of a great city. Public education is one of the most important factors in sustaining a great city.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Q2 Library Levy Report
    Q2|2020 The Seattle Public Library LEVY REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Centering equity, expanding virtual services and confronting new financial realities The Library levy measure approved by Seattle voters in August 2019 provided a clear framework for how the public investment would be used to restore, maintain and improve Library services. This report, which covers activities and spending for the second quarter of 2020, continues the series of updates for the Library Board of Trustees and the public established with the 2012 levy to document implementation of levy priorities and accomplishments. Last August, Seattle voters overwhelmingly approved a seven-year, $219.1 million property tax increase to maintain and enhance Library services from 2020 through 2026. Enhancements include: additional Library hours; elimination of overdue fines; improved collections; more investment in technology; safer, cleaner buildings; and additional programming and services for children and high-needs communities. Many of these enhancements came out of priorities identified through a 2018 community survey that assessed public satisfaction with existing Library programs and services and gauged interest in potential new service offerings. More than 26,000 Seattle residents responded to this survey. At the beginning of 2020, we fulfilled two key voter promises: Eliminating overdue fines and adding an hour of Library service at each location on Sunday. By March, however, the Library was forced to make an unprecedented pivot in response to the global pandemic. Working closely with the city to make decisions, we closed all Library facilities on March 13. At the end of the second quarter, the Library’s physical locations remained closed (except for restroom services provided at five locations).
    [Show full text]
  • The Seattle Public Library 2010 Annual Report
    Partnerships Summer Reading Program Digital collection Read Text a Librarian Strategic Plan Center for the Book Washington Online catalog Patrons Budget challenges SPL Mobile App Children Library Materials Budget Global Reading Challenge Reduced hours RRServices eporteport toto thethe CommunityCommunity Teens Literacy Capital improvements 20102010 Programs & classes Programs Green initiatives Social networking Hildreth Seattle Reads Books Blueprint for the Library’s future Strategic Plan SPL Mobile Text A Librarian Budget cuts New mission statement Anonymous donor Dear friends, A large focus of 2010 was developing a new Strategic Plan – the blueprint for the Library’s future! Residents were invited to participate through open houses, citywide forums, focus groups and a survey that was completed by nearly 33,000 people! Our new mission statement, “The Seattle Public Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community,” is the inspiration for why we open our doors every day. Budget cuts were a major concern with continued reduced city revenue and competing demands for limited funds. A $1.7 million cut to the Library budget resulted in severe reductions to branch hours and the collection, a week-long shutdown of the entire Library system and the elimination of staff positions. We also increased fnes and fees. An anonymous donor – who read about our budget situation – pledged $500,000 if it could be matched by community contributions. The additional $500,000 was raised by year’s end, thanks to the generosity of the people of Seattle! Despite continued challenges, the Library remains committed to providing exceptional service. We added a Text A Librarian service and developed a mobile app called “SPL Mobile” to better serve patrons on the go.
    [Show full text]
  • Friday Memo to the Board for October 11
    Friday Memo to the Board Superintendent’s Highlights For the week of October 7-11, 2019 Seattle Super Readers Update: I visited Bailey Gatzert on Thursday. Principal Belle and his team set high expectations for students and are providing students the structures and supports they need to ensure that each student reaches these expectations. In multiple classrooms, students were building their academic vocabulary in science class. This work builds Super Readers’ reading comprehension. Safe & Welcoming Environments: Principal Belle and staff are working closely with a central office team to build out their Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). They are boldly confronting their data and are committed to ensuring that each student feels safe and welcome at Bailey Gatzert. Principal Belle lives his values. He meets with a small group of boys every other week to build positive relationships with them. He and the students look forward to these meetings! Culturally Responsive Workforce: Did you know that our school leader corps is the most diverse employee group as compared to all staff, teachers, central office managers, and teacher leaders? I would like to thank Chief Jessee, Dr. Starosky and their team for their relentless commitment to hiring a diverse workforce. Community and Partnerships: • Thank you, Director Geary and all the staff that attended the Black and Orange Gala to support the Alliance for Education. • I am circling back with Central Office staff teams to talk about the strategic plan and how their work supports the plan. I met with the Equity, Partnership & Engagement, Business & Finance, Research & Evaluation, Communications & Customer Services, and the Legal Divisions this week.
    [Show full text]
  • School Exclusion and Why Seattle Is Not So Progressive Nikkita Oliver A
    School Exclusion and Why Seattle is Not So Progressive Nikkita Oliver A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Education University of Washington 2016 Committee: Joy Williamson-Lott Kimberly Ambrose Program Authorized to Offer Degree: College of Education © Copyright 2016 Nikkita Oliver 2 University of Washington Abstract School Exclusion and Why Seattle is Not So Progressive Nikkita Oliver Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Joy Williamson-Lott Professor, History of American Education Associate Dean, Graduate Studies As of 2013 Seattle Public Schools District has been under investigation by the Department of Education for the disproportionate and disparate impact of school exclusion policies upon students of color—specifically black students. The City of Seattle, locally, nationally, and even internationally, is currently hailed as being one of the most progressive and liberal cities. However, scratch just beneath the surface and one will find a history of racism that still deeply harms black and brown residents and greatly benefits white residents. This history and the resulting policies create a climate and context where it is difficult to challenge the many ways in which white supremacist policies further marginalize already disenfranchised populations. For this reason, Seattle is really a faux progressive city that will continue to struggle to end the issue of racial disproportionality and disparate impact in Seattle Public Schools’ school discipline practice and, specifically, use of school exclusion practices unless the City, Seattle Public Schools, and the residents make some major paradigm shifts. This paper will investigate these issues by investigating Seattle’s history and the issue of school exclusion from multiple vantage points utilizing a Critical Race Theory lens.
    [Show full text]
  • SEPA Determination
    ANALYSIS AND DECISION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTIONS SEPA Threshold Determination for 2021 Affordable Housing on Religious Properties Land Use Code Amendments Project Proponent: City of Seattle BACKGROUND The proposed code changes would fulfill requirements in Substitute House Bill 1377, passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2019, amending 35.63 RCW, 35A.63 RCW, 36.70A RCW, and 44.28 RCW. The State’s legislation was meant to support affordable housing development for low-income households on properties owned or controlled by a religious organization, by requiring increased permissible densities and at least a 50-year commitment to the affordable housing. Religious organizations own property currently in use as religious facilities as well as property with other uses, such as accessory parking, residential, office, or school uses. The proposed Land Use Code changes would affect properties located throughout Seattle in many different zones. The analysis in Appendix A (the staff report for the proposal) shows that properties currently owned by religious organizations are located in many zones and across all Seattle neighborhoods. Many sites and much of the land area these organizations currently own are located in single-family zones. See Appendix A for detail by zone on the location, number, and land area of religious organization-owned sites. PROPOSAL The proposal is a non-project action that would implement a suite of land use code changes in zones throughout Seattle to support development of affordable housing on property owned or controlled by a religious organization. Increases in maximum height and floor area limits and changes to other development standards would allow additional development of long-term, income-restricted affordable housing on property that meets certain eligible criteria.
    [Show full text]
  • Seattle Public Schools HS Graduation Commencements News Release(2)
    News Release For immediate release: June 9, 2009 Contact: David Tucker, Media Relations (206) 252-0203 High School Graduation Commencements Celebrate the Academic Achievements of Seattle Public Schools’ Students Seattle - Seattle Public Schools celebrates the academic achievements of its high school graduates with commencements occurring throughout the city, Tuesday, June 9 through Thursday, June 18. Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., will be speaking at four high school commencements this year: Ingraham High School, Rainier Beach High School, Roosevelt High School and South Lake High School. Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing an excellent education for every student and dedicated to seeing every student graduate from high school prepared for college, careers and life. The District’s five year strategic plan, Excellence for All, is focused on raising student achievement by ensuring excellence in every classroom, strengthening leadership throughout the district and building an infrastructure that works well. “We are proud to celebrate the great accomplishments these new graduates have achieved, and look forward to the leaders that they will become in the future,” said Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson. “Helping more students graduate with the skills needed to succeed in higher education and in their careers is the primary goal for Seattle Public Schools. We will continue to set high expectations for all students and to recognize and support the critical role that teachers, staff and families play in helping students succeed.” With a goal of increasing graduation rates and academic achievement, Seattle Public Schools added more than 30% additional Advanced Placement (AP) courses this year; administered the PSAT district-wide to ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students; and is creating a consistent, comprehensive approach to math, science, and reading and writing through curriculum alignment.
    [Show full text]
  • SPS Library Newsletter, June 2020
    June 2020 SPS Librarians Volume 2, Issue 6 Newsletter June 2020 Access is a concept that is central to libraries. We want to ensure that students and patrons are able to reach the wide variety of resources that we have procured. Having a healthy budget is a fine position for any library, but a partnership with other organizations will always strengthen a message and multiply resources. This is the case with Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Public Library. Library Link has been expanded to include K-5 students. Not only is the timing perfect on this expansion due to remote learn- ing, it also aligns with the same relationship other public libraries have with their local school districts. Having access for K-12 students is an industry norm in such a partnership. The job of the school librar- ians is now to ensure that staff, students and families understand Li- brary Link but also make it relevant in their personal and educational lives. Librarians procure information and it is our job to connect someone’s information need with solid resources that will make their lives easier. Start exploring SPL databases and you’ll quickly find tidbits that will solve research or reading problems for library users. When you’ve connected a student with TumbleMath to help with multiplication woes or a staff member with the transcript of a documentary for a lesson plan you’ll reinforce the true idea of a library: access. That’s a INSIDE THIS ISSUE lesson worth teaching again and again. Leadership 1 Elementary Spotlight 2 Librarians Read Stamped 2 Darcy Brixey (pronouns: she/her/hers) Digital Collections @ SPS 3 Manager, Library Services and Instructional Materials Secondary Spotlight 4 [email protected] ES/K-8 LIBRARIAN SPOTLIGHT • Anne Aliverti (Bryant) coordinated University Book Store read-alouds event for Elementary and Middle School TLs.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Opening of Washington Schools for 2020-21 Stakeholder Members
    Re-opening of Washington Schools for 2020-21 Stakeholder Members Member Name Organization Representing 1. Aaron Garcia Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee 2. Alexandra Manuel Professional Educators Standards Board 3. Amy Campbell WEA/Camas School District 4. Angela Von Essen Washington Association of School Business Officials/West Valley School District 5. Barry DePaoli WASA/Lake Chelan School District 6. Becky Smith Conklin, NBCT WEA/Chehalis School District 7. Beth McGibbon, NBCT WEA/Spokane Public Schools 8. Brenda Rogers WSSDA/Bethel School District 9. Brian Freeman WASA/Klickitat School District 10. Brian Jeffries Washington Roundtable 11. Carli Schiffner State Board for Community & Technical Colleges 12. Carlos Gonzalez AWSP/Othello School District 13. Carrie Basas Office of the Education Ombuds 14. Carrie Suchy, NBCT WEA/Franklin Pierce School District 15. Charlie Sittingbull WEA/North Thurston Public Schools 16. Christine Bainard WEA/Soap Lake School District 17. Concie Pedroza Bilingual Education Advisory Committee 18. Condee Wood AWSP/Olympia School District 19. Dana Anderson Washington Association of Educational Service Districts 20. Daniel Zavala Building Changes 21. David Beard Schools Out Washington 22. Dawn Rains Treehouse 23. Dr. Debra Clemens WASA/North Thurston Public Schools 24. Dedy Fauntleroy AWSP/Seattle Public Schools 25. Edward Prince Commission on African American Affairs 26. Eleni Papadakis Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board 27. Frank Ordway Department of Children, Youth & Families 28. Glenn Jenkins WEA/Auburn School District 29. Glory Tichy American Federation of Teachers 30. Greta White WSSDA/Endicott School District 31. Harlan Gallinger WSSDA/Issaquah School District Member Name Organization Representing 32. Hector Mendez, NBCT AWSP/Yakima School District 33.
    [Show full text]
  • Board of Directors
    Board of Directors Minutes 2445 – 3rd Avenue South Regular Legislative Session Seattle, Washington 98134 January 7, 2015, 4:15pm (206) 252-0040 www.seattleschools.org I. Call to Order A. The meeting was called to order at 4:18pm. B. Directors Blanford, Carr, Martin-Morris, McLaren, Patu, and Peaslee were present. Director Peters arrived at 4:20pm. C. Pledge of Allegiance II. Student Presentations Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School Choir III. Superintendent Comments Supt. Nyland thanked the Martin Luther King, Jr. students for their performance, noted January is National School Board recognition month, and read the proclamation from Governor Inslee in honor of School Board Members across the state. He spoke about Bob Westgard’s retirement and asked Assistant Superintendent for Operations Pegi McEvoy to speak about Bob Westgard’s years of service to the District. Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance Ken Gotsch presented the District’s Annual Financial Report. Mr. Gotsch explained the transfer that comes from the Capital Fund to the General Fund and confirmed while the District’s enrollment is growing, it is not growing at a rate the District had anticipated. Directors commented on the index number of the OSPI Weighted Score Trend for the District slide, as compared to 2009 and 2014. Supt. Nyland noted the MLK Celebration at Garfield High School will be held in the Commons area of the school and spoke about the Interagency Recovery program opening in February at the nearby Queen Anne Gym. He provided an update on the school lunch time concerns and noted the work to resolve these issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter 2020-21 Enrollment and Equity Newsletter
    WINTER 2020-21 Enrollment and Equity Demographer Newsletter Enrollment News Seattle Public Schools School Enrollment Percent Change in Enrollment by Grade (2019-20 to 2020-21) From 2019-20 to 2020-21, district enrollment has In our district, enrollment decreases have been dropped by 1,246 students (a 2.3% drop). limited to K-5, while Middle and High School Enrollment in the district has fallen in the 2020-21 enrollment has grown slightly. Kindergarten had school year as a result of COVID-19. The largest the largest percent drop in enrollment from last drop in enrollment occurred after the announcement year. to continue remote learning in Fall 2020. Districts across the country have experienced similar declines in enrollment. Student Resident Decline/Growth Capacity Relief Engagement by Service Area (from 2019-20 to 2020-21) Although 2020 enrollment numbers have been tracking lower than projected due to COVID-19 and online learning, the district does not expect this drop in enrollment to be a new trend. It is anticipated that enrollment numbers will continue to match closely with previous projections. As a result, Enrollment Planning has continued with capacity relief work so that the district is prepared for the return of in-person teaching. The district has Although most service areas saw a decrease in the begun engaging with communities to number of student residents this year, Washington and explore capacity relief methods in areas Mercer continue to grow. where students experience overcrowding. View a Map of the Service Areas View Boundary Change Updates Meet Our Staff Seattle Housing Seattle Housing Authority Partnership In the last few months, Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Housing Authority have updated our Data Sharing Agreement and have shared data to ensure that students that are the furthest from educational justice have access to the services they need.
    [Show full text]