A story about Arbor Heights recently aired on KUOW radio. Unfortunately the KUOW story contains a number of inaccuracies and did not accurately reflect the subject matter of our conversation with the reporter. As saveseattleschools.com, West Seattle Blog and Seattle Times have reported earlier, Seattle School Board members (Sundquist and Maier) directed the District to consider Cooper Elementary as a location for Pathfinder at the November 25th School Board meeting when closures were first announced – prior to any testimony, letters from parents or calls to Board members. Also at that meeting, Board members questioned Dr. Goodloe-Johnson about why she wasn’t proposing to close a high school when the District had excess capacity of 3,000 seats, with 800 more by 2011.
During public testimony at the December 3rd School Board meeting Arbor Heights parents presented School District data supporting three potential alternatives to closing Arbor Heights. That data was in no way based on poverty. It was based on building capacity, percentage of attendance drawn from reference area and rate of first choice attendance.
Three schools in West Seattle rank high (2nd, 4th & 5th respectively) for first choice and neighborhood attendance despite high levels of students in poverty – Concord (81% free lunch), Sanislo (50% free lunch), and Highland Park (73% free lunch).
Dr. Goodloe-Johnson’s Superintendent’s report at the December 3rd School Board meeting proposed Cooper as the location for Pathfinder and closure of Rainier Beach. Delivered immediately following public testimony, the report was clearly prepared in advance. These facts are easily verifiable through media reports of the meetings and by the Superintendent’s Reports on the School District’s website.
Seattle School District has said schools will close. This is nothing to celebrate and we at Arbor Heights, along with the rest of West Seattle, do not celebrate ANY West Seattle School closing. Our efforts have always been, and will continue to be, focused on two things only: making sure that the district stays true to its stated priorities of neighborhood schools and equitable access to quality education for all students.
Please contact ahptsa-owner@yahoogroups.com with any questions or concerns.
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Arbor Heights on the Net
Arbor Heights has an illustrious past on the Internet, beginning with the establishment of The Earth Day Groceries Project and the school web site in 1994, pictured here. This is a place to share thoughts about the impact of our school on the web in education. Leave a comment here (please leave your full name, location, and affiliation), or send an email, and we'll get your story up here. Thanks! - Mark
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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Media Advisory - 12/11/08 - Arbor Heights Receives Grant for Playground Improvements
Arbor Heights Elementary will receive a "Small & Simple" Neighborhood Matching Funds grant from Seattle Department of Neighborhoods in a ceremony tonight from 6 - 7:30 pm at Alki Elementary School, 3010 59th Ave SW.
Arbor Heights parents applied for the $4,084 grant to install new basketball hoops and courts at Arbor Heights Elementary after the school's old basketball hoops were removed by Seattle School District in September 2008 because of high lead content on their painted surfaces. Replacements were not supplied by the District, so Arbor Heights parents began fundraising and writing grants to fund new hoops on the school playground.
Arbor Heights raised $800 to fund new basketball hoops through two fundraisers: a childrens change drive, where Arbor Heights students brought in their loose change; and a partnership with West Seattle restaurant Endolyne Joes, where a portion of one November evening's sales benefitted the Arbor Heights basketball hoops. Arbor Heights PTSA will contribute approximately an additional $975 toward the cost of building new basketball courts and installing new hoops.
More information: Suzette Riley, Arbor Heights PTSA Co-President, 206-409-1960
Arbor Heights parents applied for the $4,084 grant to install new basketball hoops and courts at Arbor Heights Elementary after the school's old basketball hoops were removed by Seattle School District in September 2008 because of high lead content on their painted surfaces. Replacements were not supplied by the District, so Arbor Heights parents began fundraising and writing grants to fund new hoops on the school playground.
Arbor Heights raised $800 to fund new basketball hoops through two fundraisers: a childrens change drive, where Arbor Heights students brought in their loose change; and a partnership with West Seattle restaurant Endolyne Joes, where a portion of one November evening's sales benefitted the Arbor Heights basketball hoops. Arbor Heights PTSA will contribute approximately an additional $975 toward the cost of building new basketball courts and installing new hoops.
More information: Suzette Riley, Arbor Heights PTSA Co-President, 206-409-1960
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Updated Closure List - Arbor Heights is not on the list!
The Seattle School District sent out a News Release late last night.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ahptsa/files/20081209_Capacity_Management_NewsRelease.doc
Arbor Heights Elementary is not on the updated closure list.
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Seattle Public Schools continues to weigh options for capacity management and building closure
Community feedback, ongoing evaluation helping to shape options
Community feedback, ongoing evaluation helping to shape options
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ahptsa/files/20081209_Capacity_Management_NewsRelease.doc
Arbor Heights Elementary is not on the updated closure list.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
Friday, December 5, 2008
Events for Tuesday, December 9th
Today is busy day for Arbor Heights parents. A number of parents and staff will be greeting the School Board Members this afternoon at the Stanford Center (between 3:30 and 4:00 PM). The School Board has a School Board Workshop regarding Capacity Management, starting at 4:00 PM.
Many parents, staff and community members will also attend the Program Community Meeting with Patrick Johnson (6:00 - 7:30), at the Arbor Heights Elementary Cafeteria. Patrick Johnson will get a chance to see the Arbor Heights Community in action.
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Many parents, staff and community members will also attend the Program Community Meeting with Patrick Johnson (6:00 - 7:30), at the Arbor Heights Elementary Cafeteria. Patrick Johnson will get a chance to see the Arbor Heights Community in action.
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School Closure Discussion with Steve Sundquist - Sat. Dec. 6th
West Seattle School Board member, Steve Sundquist, is offering an informal meeting opportunity for West Seattle parents on Saturday at Delridge Library, 3-5 pm. Drop by for a chat. The last informal chat he had (on November 26th) was very informative and constructive.
When:
3-5 PM on Saturday, December 6th
Where:
Delridge Library
5423 Delridge Way S.W.
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When:
3-5 PM on Saturday, December 6th
Where:
Delridge Library
5423 Delridge Way S.W.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
Seattle Schools Community Workshop - Saturday Dec. 6th
I encourage any and all to attend Saturday’s Community Workshop. It would be great to have Arbor Heights representatives at many of the tables; that way every group reiterates the Arbor Heights talking points.
Recap of Thursday's Meeting:
At the community workshop last night (at the Stanford Center), Arbor Heights was represented by 3 parents and 1 teacher. The West Seattle Herald was there. (side note: Lowell was represented by about 30 people.) We need Arbor Heights to be well represented at all school closure meetings. The more times we can get our "safety green and yellow" shirts glowing at these meetings the better. The School Board has stated they want suggestions earlier than later – the time to strike is now!
At Thursday's community workshop, the Superintendent gave a rundown of the criteria used for picking schools to close. Attendees then divided up into tables of eight people. Reference information was provided at each table (maps, building enrollment, building scores etc.). The people at each table came up with alternative solutions to what was provided on the table. They also discussed the closure criteria being used. A spokesperson was selected for each table, and they presented a 2 minute synopsis of their ideas to the group. It was a loud and hurried process with lots of staff stopping by to listen, to see if we had picked a spokesperson, to see if we had a note taker etc.
Call to Action:
If you can attend Saturday's Community Workshop, come prepared to share ideas of what alternatives you would like to see. The information the PTSA shared at Wednesday’s board meeting is exactly the type of info we need to share. We need to reiterate our stance. Don't close “Neighborhood Schools”, especially ones that are working.
The workshop is: 9:30 – 11:30 @ the Filipino Community Center 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
Recap of Thursday's Meeting:
At the community workshop last night (at the Stanford Center), Arbor Heights was represented by 3 parents and 1 teacher. The West Seattle Herald was there. (side note: Lowell was represented by about 30 people.) We need Arbor Heights to be well represented at all school closure meetings. The more times we can get our "safety green and yellow" shirts glowing at these meetings the better. The School Board has stated they want suggestions earlier than later – the time to strike is now!
At Thursday's community workshop, the Superintendent gave a rundown of the criteria used for picking schools to close. Attendees then divided up into tables of eight people. Reference information was provided at each table (maps, building enrollment, building scores etc.). The people at each table came up with alternative solutions to what was provided on the table. They also discussed the closure criteria being used. A spokesperson was selected for each table, and they presented a 2 minute synopsis of their ideas to the group. It was a loud and hurried process with lots of staff stopping by to listen, to see if we had picked a spokesperson, to see if we had a note taker etc.
Call to Action:
If you can attend Saturday's Community Workshop, come prepared to share ideas of what alternatives you would like to see. The information the PTSA shared at Wednesday’s board meeting is exactly the type of info we need to share. We need to reiterate our stance. Don't close “Neighborhood Schools”, especially ones that are working.
The workshop is: 9:30 – 11:30 @ the Filipino Community Center 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
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