Happy New Year!  CPPS enters 2008 with optimism.  After successfully working on a number of issues with parents and education stakeholders during the past year, we see ample opportunity for continued engagement to improve Seattle schools.

Our new superintendent, Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, has repeatedly stated her focus on quality education and accountability, most recently in her opinion piece for the Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004081047_superintendent19.html

In the interest of pursuing those goals, she has commissioned consultants McKinsey and Company to analyze and report on district processes, and develop a strategic plan to be released this spring.   

New and returning School Board Directors have been accessible and clearly intend to work with parents and the community to improve our schools.  Their agenda is full - a new district-wide funding formula, ongoing curriculum alignment, the SE Initiative, continued development of the new student assignment plan - all high impact issues with which we MUST be engaged.

A CPPS "Go Public" appeal and school community outreach seeks to support and connect parents during the enrollment process.  We are raising up participants for our Ambassador Program, middle school discussions, and public education topical programming.  We are in this together parent-to-parent, school-to-school, cluster-to-cluster and district-wide.  As parent and community education supporters, let's get busy!

CPPS believes that a high quality public school system can be the heart and soul of our city and its neighborhood communities.  However, achieving excellence district-wide requires the participation of a solid contingent of Seattle parents and community members.  CPPS, as a chapter of national Parents for Public Schools (PPS), wants to bring families to our public schools and engage them in the process of making our system excellent.  To this end, we are introducing enrollment support and promotion activities, as well as advocacy efforts. 

"Go Public!" is the umbrella name for the series of CPPS initiatives designed to raise the profile of our community's successful public schools... Read more

Imagine that you're looking into Seattle Public Schools for the first time with your kindergarten child, are new to the district, have specific program needs, are transitioning to middle or high school, or just want to connect with other parents.  Through the CPPS Ambassador program, families can get advice and counsel from parents who have been there and done that.

Connecting families to schools is central to the CPPS mission.  Our newly launched Ambassador program strives to help make those connections by identifying, training, and promoting groups of parent ambassador-volunteers willing to talk parent-to-parent about the success stories in Seattle Public Schools.  We can work with you or your school community to gather and prepare an ambassador team.  CPPS can also facilitate other parent-to-parent outreach activities. 

Contact Stephanie Jones, stephaniej@cppsofseattle.org, or Kerry Cooley-Stroum, kerry@cppsofseattle.org, to attend the first ambassador training session Thursday, January 31^st, 6:30 pm at the TOPS library, 2500 Franklin Ave. E.  Also contact us to find parent ambassadors who share commonalities of neighborhood, language, child's learning style, strengths, or interests with you.  We'll match you with ambassadors in the schools or communities where you're looking.

Hear about the foundation of K-12 mathematics education - the recently revised Washington State math standards - and what they mean for local students and schools at a forum in Seattle January 22nd, from 6 to 8 pm in the Roosevelt High School library -- 1410 N.E. 66th St.  Share your comments and questions and learn more about the next steps to improve math instruction and student learning.

Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association Science Breakfast

Be part of a conversation that can change the world: Imagine the best science teaching anywhere.  Now imagine this as something all children get routinely.  Help chart a path to make this vision a reality.  Attend the January 30th breakfast at the Pacific Science Center (7:30-9:00am) $20 for students, parents and teachers; $75 for other interested folks.  Read More

Last week, Seattle Public Schools hosted a series of Community Open Houses on updates of the District's Facility Master Plan (FMP). The FMP brings together major District policies, studies, and facilities information into one document that will be used to guide the future direction of capital construction projects and facility use, reuse, repurposing, and/or closure.

Attendees learned...  Read More

The following actions were taken during the January 9 meeting at the John Stanford Center:
     ■ The Board unanimously approved moving the now-closed Martin Luther King building to surplus status, allowing the District to explore other uses for the site.
     ■ The Board unanimously approved a motion to give the Superintendent permission to seek a waiver from the State Board of Education to excuse Nathan Hale High School students and staff from making up the four days missed due to weather. The request now goes forthe State Board of Education's consideration.
     ■ The Board unanimously approved a Legislative agenda for the 2008 session. The Board's legislative efforts will focus on seeking adequate funding for basic education, including full funding for six class periods in high school, assistance for students unable to pass all sections of the WASL, and full-day Kindergarten.
     The next School Board meeting is scheduled for January 23.