Community & Parents for Public Schools of Seattle

In This Issue

Raise a Ruckus in Olympia

Hidden Gem: John Rogers

Join Our List

Join Our Mailing List

Quick Links

CPPSofSeattle.org

Join CPPS

CPPS Newsletter

December 2008

ACTION, PASSION & LEADERSHIP
FOR EXCELLENT SEATTLE SCHOOLS

CPPS is a network of parents and community members working together to ensure quality public schools for all Seattle children

Issue: # 22

December/2008

School closure is the hot topic -- whether due to snow or "capacity management." We've seen how just the threat of snow, or program changes, can create panic. With mall-like crowds descending on the School Board meetings, this may not be the relaxing break many of us hoped for. CPPS members from across the city are working together, with a cluster and district-wide perspective, to keep the focus on academic excellence for all (see more below). We're always looking for more volunteers and support, so please remember us in your holiday giving and New Year's resolutions. Have a fun and safe winter break!

"CAPACITY MANAGEMENT" SCHEDULE

For all of the latest updates on school closures and program changes, be sure to check the district's "Capacity Management" page on their web site: http://www.seattleschools.org/area/capacity/index.dxml

Upcoming dates:
· Jan 6: Final Recommendation released.
· Jan 7: Recommended motion at School Board meeting
· Jan 21: School Board meeting
· Jan 22: Final public hearing at Stanford Center
· Jan 29: Board vote on recommendation

Due to potential school and program changes,
Open enrollment this year is March 2 - 31.

"CAPACITY MANAGEMENT" ISSUES

CPPS Thoughts on the Current Proposal

In this time of economic downturn and weakened state support for our schools, the realities for the Seattle School District are harsh. As Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and her staff attempt to prepare for another significant revenue shortfall, we are bombarded with data, rationalizations, partial solutions, and undesirable choices. At the same time, the parents and community members behind Seattle Public Schools have been girding themselves to fight for what we all really want: quality schools for kids in all neighborhoods across our city.

The unfortunate effect of centrally-proposed cuts and closures is to pit communities against one another for scarce resources. In this climate, it is crucial that parents stand up for clear educational and community outcomes. The ongoing success of our public schools depends on the choices SPS makes today. CPPS urges both the district and parents to keep the focus on students.

CPPS Cluster Meetings

This month, working with the school board directors from West Seattle, the South and Southeast, and the Central cluster, CPPS hosted two evenings of thoughtful, community-led discussion. Each event began a series of conversations about community needs and desires. We brought people together across schools to discuss educational quality and community context, provide the directors with opportunity to listen, and we focused on repercussions to those both directly and indirectly affected by closure plans. While we did not develop any silver bullet solutions to the crisis at hand, we are laying the groundwork for a substantial, harmonized parent-community voice in the ongoing strategic work of the district.

CPPS has a long-term vision in mind - continuing community conversations about developing quality in our neighborhood schools and pressing for parent and community engagement in the district decision making that affects our access to that quality. We are making "What Parents Want" our agenda for mobilization and accountability. When the decisions about closure have been made, we will need to continue to raise our voices with regard to student, teacher, and community transitions, the new student assignment plan, instructional quality, etc., so we intend to gather people again in early 2009 to discuss the next round of concerns in our advocacy for educational quality in all Seattle neighborhoods.

If you are interested in the detailed summary of any of our past meetings, or would like to participate in future cluster meetings, contact stephaniej@cppsofseattle.org.

Upcoming Northwest Cluster meeting: Jan 29th at West Woodland at 7 pm.

RAISE A RUCKUS IN OLYMPIA

by Maggi Johnson, Mercer MS parent

CPPS recently got together with a group of South cluster school parents to discuss an exciting prospect: our state's redefinition of basic education, funding reform, and how we parents can support it. You may have already seen their "Mad About School Closure? Call Your Legislator" advocacy flyer.

Mad about school closures? Me too. But unlike some of you, I'm not particularly mad at Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson or our School Board. In my view, these people are between a rock and an extremely spiky place.

The state funding has not kept up with rising costs and every year district leadership has struggled to meet student needs on an inadequate budget. Projections show no change in this trend, except that this year is going to be much worse.

Did you know that most of our district funding, by law, comes from the state? Did you know that Washington State ranks 44th of all the states in annual per-student funding? Our State Constitution declares that it is "...the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children". That means our numero uno priority is supposed to be K-12 education - before roads, prisons, viaducts and stadiums.