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Important Dates
May 9: SCPTSA General Meeting - Panel discussion Families and Education Levy, and Capacity Management Conversation. JSCEE Auditorium. Snacks at 6:30 p.m., meeting at 7:00 p.m.
May 14: SPS Building Bridges: Connecting Families and Schools
June 6: SCPTSA General Meeting
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Dear Seattle PTA and PTSA Members,
The number of students in the Seattle school district is expected to increase to 54,000 by 2015 - which is approximately 4,000 more than the number of seats currently available. This projected growth will affect all parts of the city. The Seattle Council PTSA Board has made Capacity Management a focus area (see below). Come hear from district representatives about planning work at our General Meeting on Monday May 9 at 7pm, JSCEE Auditorium. We will also hear more about the Families and Education Levy. We'll have snacks at 6:30 p.m. and start the meeting at 7:00 p.m. See the article below for more information.
I hope you all are having a great spring!
Sincerely,
Lauren McGuire
President, Seattle Council PTSA
president@seattlecouncilptsa.org
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The Seattle City Council voted to put the Families and Education Levy on this year's general election ballot in November: Families and Education Levy - Council Bill 117103. Click here to read the levy. The City of Seattle sponsors this levy and determines how the money will be spent. This is a seven year levy, and will be on the ballot in November. The levy will raise $231M over seven years.
SPS Capacity Management Planning Discussion
SPS demographer's moderate enrollment estimate for 2015 will be 54,000 students, which is approximately 4,000 more students than there are seats available. This growth will occur in every Middle School service area, and the impact will be across the district. The SCPTSA will be advocating for the following:
- Good Data -- Let's make sure the enrollment estimates are solid and the functional capacity numbers of each building are accurate.
- Robust Planning -- Seats will need to be available when the growth starts. We cannot wait until 2015 when we could be 4,000 seats short to begin to find a solution.
- Transparency -- Share data and plans with the community.
- Community Engagement -- Each area of the city will have specific issues when it comes to planning for growth. Engage the local community on local growth plans.
- Program Placement Planning -- Consider the impacts of growth on programs such as ELL, Special Education and Advanced Learning. Consider the impacts on Option, Alternative, International and other special programs in schools as well.
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URGENT ACTION ALERT: Take 60 seconds to email WA State Legislators on Funding K-12
There are only a few weeks left in the extended session and now more than ever our state legislators need to hear from the K-12 community -- parents, guardian, student, staff or administrator.
Our message is clear, take 60 seconds and send the WA State PTA action alert.- When you furlough teachers, you furlough kids. Please save our ABCs and cover the basics. "No" to furlough days as cutting instruction is no way to "pay" for education. Our students need 180 days and furloughing teachers will not reduce costs only shift the burden to districts.
So, please take one minute send the WA State PTA action alert and if you have another 30 seconds, please edit the message to reflect the status in Seattle Public Schools: - SPS is already facing a $36 million shortfall and has proposed to RIF about 80 certified/classified staff. Summer school, evening school, elementary counselors and other programs are being cut which will hurt our students and their ability to thrive and graduate.
Thank you, Heidi B. Bennett, Seattle Council PTSA Legislative VP |
SPS Building Bridges for Summer: Workshops for Connecting Families and SchoolsSaturday, May 14 9:30-2:30 (several sessions) Garfield High School 400 23rd Avenue, Seattle WA Keynote Speaker: Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield Seattle Public Schools will be hosting another family symposium with workshops to help parents support their student's success in school. Tentative topics include: Middle and High School readiness, College Readiness, Special Education Resources, Advanced Learning and more.
Seattle Council PTSA will be hosting a session, Speak Up for Kids Roundtable! Bring your issues and questions, and we will brainstorm ways to find a solution. |
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Seattle Public Schools, K-5 General Music Materials Adoption
from SPS
The material choices have been narrowed and you are invited to review the top recommended materials from May 2-7, 2011. Stakeholder feedback is essential to the process and will be used to determine the final adoption recommendations.
Monday - Friday, May 2nd - May 6th, 9a.m. - 4p.m.
Saturday, May 7th, 9a.m. 12p.m. (Stanford Center only) :
Materials can be reviewed at the following locations:
Broadview-Thomson, K-8 Library, 13052 Greenwood Ave N
Lawton Elementary Library, 4000 27 Ave W
Thurgood Marshall Elementary Library, 2401 S Irving St.
Southshore, K-8 Library, 4800 S Henderson St
John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, Professional Development Library, 2nd floor, 2445 3rd Ave S
Extended hours and additional information is posted on the SPS curriculum alignment website. If you have questions regarding the K-5 General Music Adoption please contact Carri Campbell at cjcampbell@seattleschools.org or 206-252-0188.
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Public Invited to Review Middle School Language Arts Instructional Materials
from SPS
Parents, families, students, teachers, staff and the community are invited to view and provide input on the instructional materials being considered for Middle School Language Arts
Monday - Friday May 2nd to May 6th from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 7th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (Stanford Center only)
Materials can be reviewed at the following locations:
Madison MS 3429 45 Ave. SW Seattle, WA 98116
McClure MS 1915 1st Ave. W Seattle, WA 98119
Aki Kurose MS 3928 S. Graham St. Seattle, WA 98118
Hamilton MS 1610 N. 41st St. Seattle, WA 98103
Blaine K-8 2550 34th Ave. W Seattle, WA 98199
Stanford Center 2445 3rd Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98134
Questions: Please contact Dan Coles, Literacy Manager, 206-252-0231
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Seattle Council PTSA positions open for next year
Wanted: Experienced PTA leaders interested in district level issues. As with all PTAs, we elect our officers each year. We have candidates for a few positions but we would love to involve more of you in helping support PTA leaders at the district or council level and making sure family voices are heard in our district. In addition to our elected positions, we are always looking for more representation from different areas of the city. The time demands for a council level position are often much less than at your local PTA. Interested in finding out more? No pressure! Just send the Nominating Committee an email at nominate@seattlecouncilptsa.org and one of us can meet you for coffee to give you some more information. |
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