http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2008/11/25/school_closure_rumor_of_the_da Comments On: School Closure Rumor of the Day by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
My daughter attends this school. She is doing very well and and is being served by a public school in a way that I feel is very sufficient. If she is forced to change schools it would be difficult (Meany is within walking distance) but we would manage. We are concerned parents!! She will be O.K.!!! What I am worried about and highly committed to is serving those who are underserved. Middle school (Junior High) is a tough time for kids. We are VERY WELL AWARE of what is GOING ON with AT-RISK-YOUTH currently!!!! (GANGS=DEAD KIDS!!!!!) Meany serves these KIDS!!! They Need structure, they need positive reinforcement!!! This is what Meany provides. It is small & focused. (under enrolled). It has low test scores. (at-risk-youth, bogus tests) DO NOT DISPERSE THESE KIDS!!!! They need the Attention and Focus this school provides. And to make it clear!!!!!!! this is not a school for poor, violent, deviants. My daughter tested into the APP Program. My daughter tested into the Spectrum Program. We chose to keep her in an average, inclusive, public institution. She is THRIVING!!!!! SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION. FUCK PRIVATE SCHOOLS. SUPPORT MEANY MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!! DO NOT DISPERSE THESE KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by tictoc]]> Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:38:14 -0800 The Stranger
The APP program is an all city draw and it's central location, while a long bus ride for many of our children, is at least equitable. If there must be a split, one program should be in the north and one in the south to afford equal access.

My child is too old to be directly impacted by these changes. As supporters of public education who turned down the opportunity to attend a good private school (on scholarship) in favor of Lowell, we are saddened to see the hard work of so many parents and educators, dismantled for what appear to us primarily political reasons.

If I were a Summit or Lowell parent living in the north today, or a parent at TT Minor in the Central District, I would be exploring my many options for a) scholarships to private schools, b)online homeschooling (including gifted ed through cty and epgy) c) the possibility of forming a co-op or charter school.

I hope that all of the school communities affected by the proposed changes will continue to fight and to push for equity and complete disclosure. You are the community that makes for a great school.
Posted by WMS parent]]> Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:15:16 -0800 The Stranger

Posted by Disgusted]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:40:46 -0800 The Stranger #13: "There's no way that - oh, no, they couldn't - they couldn't expect Summit K-12 to SHARE the building with Rainier Beach High School? That's INSANE. Who would want their kindergartener to go to Rainier Beach High School? Who would want their seventh grader to go to school with that group of students?"
No body is talking about what is happening at Sealth with middle schoolers moving in there. Why doesn't anyone care about that? Because "they" are so similar? Check your racist attitudes.
Posted by ThinkAboutIt]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:44:30 -0800 The Stranger hadn't even thought about how they are planning on integrating a co-ed  
APP program into Thurgood Marshall, a school where the classes are  
gender separated. In fact, it is my opinion that the majority of their  
"fixes" are ledger based, and have little or no thought for how the  
communities will be affected. A "We'll just send 'em somewhere else  
and worry about it later", attitude was pervasive throughout the  
recommendation meeting. In particular, there is a tremendous amount of  
upheaval in the Central cluster at all levels. As for our having a  
great elementary school program it's just not happening. TT Minor has  
all of the right pieces in place to become a great local school and an  
all city draw. In moving the Montessori program, dispersing the  
traditional program, breaking up the current staff, volunteers, and  
other excellent programs such as our chess club, it will be "start all  
over again" again. If history is any guide, it will be a long time  
before the Central Area has another shot at having an excellent  
elementary school.

It is evident to me that for some reason, someone has an agenda to  
shut down this historied, perfectly located, and very special school.  
Over the last six to eight years there have been multiple attempts at  
shutdown, and over an even greater period the building has been  
neglected while other facilities have received improvement. I don't  
know why. It doesn't make sense to me as a parent and community  
member. However, after listening to last nights meeting it's apparent  
that the people who actually care about our schools, our communities,  
and our children are us, the families who live here, and the families  
who choose to send their children here from other areas.

Clearly the folks from the Center for Educational Excellence, with  
their "Excellence for All" motto have a bureaucratic need to make  
bureaucratic choices. We the people however have family and community  
needs to make family and community choices. We really need to think  
about what is best for our kids and our neighborhoods. And we have to  
make a choice. Do we take the crap that is continually fed to us in  
the Central Area, or do we do something about it. I for one am up for  
doing something about it.
Together, if we want it, we can be heard. And we can demand that our  
tax dollars provide our children with quality educational programs  
that honor our communities and our institutions.
Posted by Andre Helmstetter]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:51:11 -0800 The Stranger
As for Lowell, what they're trying to do is split it up into a North side school and a South side school. It'll be combined with another school. Dr. Vaughn (head of the APP program) said that he thinks it would be a good idea because you can compare how the different programs fair and compare their techniques. I agree with him on that. It's also better because it'll take less busing time (which I remember was really annoying when I went to Lowell). I think will be better for the special ed kids because if they are on the verge of being able to be in a regular classroom, then they could do that. There's obviously no way they could graduate from special ed to the highly gifted program, so if Lowell stayed the way it is now they would have to take classes with kids 2 years younger than them. We'll see how the division of the teachers works out, but I hope that they'll be able to teach closer to where they live and not have a super long commute. I also hope that Julie Breidenbach (the Lowell principal, who also taught me math in 5th grade :-)) will be able to keep her position, because she's a great principal, and math teacher.

No doubt the division of Lowell will lead to the eventual division of Washington Middle School, but we'll worry about that when it arises.

Just so you know #19, Lowell houses APP (Accelerated Progress Program) not Spectrum.
Posted by WMS student]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:35:37 -0800 The Stranger
What you south of the ship canal don't get is we're willing to use all available means to keep our schools, including public and private extortion if need be.

Is it fair? No.

Does it work? Damned straight.

Scott @11 for the win.
Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:37:32 -0800 The Stranger Posted by PrincessDi]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:55:13 -0800 The Stranger Posted by retired observer]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:33:43 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Holly]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:08:20 -0800 The Stranger Posted by south end teacher]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:56:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by G-man]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:52:56 -0800 The Stranger Posted by elswinger]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:45:34 -0800 The Stranger
Moving Summit to Rainier Beach will do nothing for Summit. It doesn't help the school to move it from the extreme north edge of the district to the extreme south edge of the district. That is also an abysmal location for an all-city draw. Moreover, nearly all of the students at Summit live in the north-end. Is the District going to bus them all to the south-end? How does that save money? Or is the plan to get them to quit the school? Summit has to leave Jane Addams because they can't fill it. Rainier Beach is an even BIGGER building. There's no way that - oh, no, they couldn't - they couldn't expect Summit K-12 to SHARE the building with Rainier Beach High School? That's INSANE. Who would want their kindergartener to go to Rainier Beach High School? Who would want their seventh grader to go to school with that group of students?

Clearly, the District is trying to kill the school.

And if they do, they will defeat their own purpose. If the students leave the school they will enroll in the very same north-end schools that are so overcrowded.

And closing Lowell? Where are they going to find seats for the 500 APP students - many of whom live in the overcrowded areas of the north-end, Queen Anne, and Magnolia.

This rumor can't be right. Not even Seattle Public Schools is this stupid and self-destructive.
Posted by Charlie Mas]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:44:16 -0800 The Stranger http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=12128
Posted by Tracy @ WSB]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:33:09 -0800 The Stranger Posted by ScottM]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:23:32 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lots of Change]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:09:52 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Pendantic English Major]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:54:52 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Steve Zemke]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:49:51 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Just Me]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:22:50 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Alternative School #47]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:18:53 -0800 The Stranger Posted by itsmarkmitchell]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:17:28 -0800 The Stranger Posted by scharrera]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:07:42 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lose-Lose]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:28:20 -0800 The Stranger Posted by elswinger]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:26:54 -0800 The Stranger