26 Replies to "Denny-Sealth: District answers; protest signs; meeting tonight"

• Michael February 12, 2008 (11:09 am)

  I just wish people would channel all that emotion into something constructive.

• Katherine February 12, 2008 (11:41 am)

  They do, but the signs don’t reflect that, obviously. There has been tremendous opposition at Chief Sealth including student petitions, staff meetings where teachers have voted ‘no’ several times, and the articles in the school newspaper informing students about what was going on.

  But really, other than make our opinions known, what else can we do? It’s been made clear that the decision on this is not ultimately ours (the students’, teachers’, community’s).

• Indaknow February 12, 2008 (11:50 am)

  I’m not sure how many of you have read the Q/A section yet. There are several things that jumped out at me. The colorful pie chart that is labeled under “pink room, question 24” is not from the students at Chief Sealth. The numbers are nearly identical to the results of the Denny Student poll taken at a recent assembly (posted by Marcus earlier). The next pie chart “pink room, question 28” has very similar numbers to the earlier posted “Denny secret staff” poll. If someone didn’t know differently it sure makes it seem like the staffs and students of both schools support option 2, which I don’t think is the case. “Pink room, question 4” there is a reference to Rainier Beach High School being located across the street from Southshore MS (now gone). They were “across the street” but each school was on the far end of their block away from each other. Walking from RBHS to SSMS was like walking from the Southwest Community Center to Westwood Village-not very close. “Pink room, question 14”-so why not post “the very simple language” that was on the ballot? Is the referenced Seattle Public Schools Bond and Levy information flyer (Winter 2007) the Schools First mailing that went to the 45,000 houses (I suspect yes). And where is the very specific question that I asked “After the rooms reported” about the discrepancy between Seattle Times article in which Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno said there is no academic benefit to combining the two (Denny and Sealth) and the slide on the power point presentation that stated the academic benefits of the two. The question isn’t even listed.

• westello February 12, 2008 (12:46 pm)

  Something constructive. Okay, today I led a school tour and gave the high school counselor information about funds available for PTSA scholarships.

  I wish I could address all the interesting answers that Facilities gave to the questions raised. (I want to add that they edited out questions because neither of the two I asked in the Green room are there and, at the time, I notified the scribe about it and they still didn’t show up – so reader, beware.)

  Here’s a few comments:
  -“The 10 Million must be authorized by the Board. The staff has currently developed options that will generate funds from areas not related to school construction projects.” The money is coming from a fund to pay off the enormous costs for the Stanford Center (which was also supposed to save us money and didn’t), coming from the $42M part of the BEX III for technology and some is coming from the Infrastructure part of BEX III which covers water and air quality as well as field resurfacing. I’m thinking no one is going to get a resurfaced field this time (including Sealth) because the air and water quality issues have to be done.

  -In one place it says, “To clarify: the schools are not together-they are not integrated and never will be.”

  and in another it says:

  “There are opportunities to create a 6-12 learning community with clear values, traditions, and ceremonies that connect the students as a unified community.” Which is it?
  -“The SPS bond and levy flyer (winter 2007) states that Denny/Sealth is 125 million, Hale is 77.6 million and Hamilton 73.5 million.” I just popped into the Facilities presentation at Hale last night and guess what? More money was found for Hale because the budget is now listed as $84.4M.
  -“Collaboration need not be dependent on common preps. It can occur during in-service training days, it can happen before school and or after school.” (I’m sure the teachers would have something to say here.) Different start times would necessitate higher transportation costs.

  -“I feel that combined campuses will leave us stuck for 50 years if it doesn’t work.” This is true; you get more flexibility with two buildings than one and you can still collaborate as much as you want. But if this plan doesn’t work out, you are stuck with a co-joined building.
  -“The cost over-runs at Roosevelt were primarily due to the unanticipated escalation in construction materials related to the increased world-wide demand for steel, concrete, etc.” Okay but how about the cost overruns at Garfield? Garfield’s project, because it seemed to escape Facilities that they were dealing with a building built in the ’20s, had to take the entire $14M alloted in Bex II to the Secondary BOC project. And tomorrow, they are going to ask the Board for another $3M to pay off costs. Garfield is going to end up costing $115-117M. Whatever the price to build that Facilities says something will cost, it always seems to go up. And, they have already started dipping into the $20M BEX III reserve fund. That $10M for extra benefits for Sealth may disappear in a cloud of cost overruns.

• Charlie Mas February 12, 2008 (12:54 pm)

  These answers are, by and large, pretty good. They represent the kind of information that the District should have provided six months ago instead of refusing to communicate until a crisis was manufactured and then waiting until the last minute.

  They are back to claiming that the planning and permitting process for rebuilding Denny at Denny would create a 24 month delay when their own Master Schedule shows that same process for Denny at Sealth taking 16 months and starting just six months ago. They didn’t reconcile that discrepancy.

  They also evade questions about loss of capacity when the portables aren’t replaced with a sort of “don’t worry about it, there is plenty of capacity” line that isn’t reassuring anyone.

  They have changed their position on replacement tennis courts for Sealth from definitely part of the package (see the presentation from the 4th) to a maybe.

  The academic benefits remain vague. This isn’t really about academics.

  All of their talk about the money they already spent on Chief Sealth isn’t as convincing as they would like since this project will demolish or re-do much of the work that money paid for.

  Still, all in all, if these questions had been answered in October, we all would have been spared a lot of stress, time, and effort. The few remaining questions and clarifications could have been resolved with a brief Q & A.

  The District says that they want to improve trust and inspire confidence, but they rarely do anything towards those goals. Their attitude and actions in this case are a prime example of what’s sick about the culture of that institution.

• Pete February 12, 2008 (12:55 pm)

  At the end of the day will any of this discussion and anguaish help the kids achieve better scores or stay in school until graduation? That seems to be missing in all of this discussion from my perspective. We need to take steps to keep these kids in school and off the streets. We need to make them realize what a dead end they are headed for without an education. I also think if the parents, teachers and other staff would spend as much time on these issues as to where to place a ball field or where to build a school we would then experience some real community buidling. Let us go back to the basics and start moving ahead instead of this senseless arguing.

• LyndaB February 12, 2008 (6:42 pm)

  i’ve seen signs at the 1st Ave and spokane intersection when you get on/off the west seattle bridge.

• Marcus Pimpleton February 12, 2008 (8:38 pm)

  Amen Pete! Hopefully February 27th will mark the beginning of a three year dialogue on how we can make this the best 6-12 pathway for our students.

• Steve Taylor February 12, 2008 (9:56 pm)

  Pete, the 93% of Chief Sealth Teachers only speak up as they do based on their years of experience in what they believe is best for their students. The BEX 3 “options 1 & 2” issue has very little to do with what it takes to teach, motivate and encourage students to stay in school. BEX 3 “options 1 & 2” is about money, not academics. Curious the District will not state definitively what will be done with the Denny Property? The Seattle Policeman is against BEX 3 “options 1 & 2”. The majority of people seemingly favoring BEX 3 “options 1 & 2” are Administrators of the District. How many of them have students who will be affected by BEX 3? There are sound reasons why traditional public schools are built separated. Little has changed to change such a philosophy. Do we really need to reinvent the wheel because we seemingly are unable to learn from history? Thank you.

  Steve Taylor

• Charlie Mas February 12, 2008 (10:11 pm)

  I really resent the idea that any attention put on these sorts of issues indicates neglect of other issues. It is a false choice. People are perfectly able to do both. I might just as easily ask why you are posting comments here on a blog instead of paying attention to your family.

  As for Mr. Pimpleton’s suggestion, I would hope that the dialogue had already started and would continue beyond three years.

  I will also say that it would be refreshing if Seattle Public Schools entered into a dialogue with anyone. That really isn’t their preferred communication method.

• Delfino February 12, 2008 (10:25 pm)

  Pete, I doubt that you meant it this way, but it is more than a little insulting to imply that we as professional educators don’t put energy into other “educational” issues. The reason anyone cares enough to take on this issue, on top of everything we do, is because of our commitment to the education of our kids.

  It may not fit your stereotype but the most active in this issue are the most active in everything at th school. You may not agree with us on this issue, that’s OK, reasonable people can disagree, but please give us our due credit.

• Marcus Pimpleton February 12, 2008 (10:56 pm)

  Right on Charlie… I am just expressing my hope that once a decision is finally made those that don’t agree with it will take the same energy they used to fight for the option they like and apply it to help make the chosen option succeed. A lot of times there is a tendency of people to “pick up their toys and go home” when they don’t get their way or to just sit on the sidelines and criticize. (I am not saying that has happened.) Once the board makes the decision, I hope to see us all move beyond the back and forth, tit for tat, point and counterpoint, type of discussion we have seen and move into some serious strategy sessions for how we can make the best middle and high school transitions programs we can – regardless of whether these schools are co-located or not.

• Steve Taylor February 13, 2008 (6:33 am)

  Marcus Pimpleton, regardless of the outcome of BEX 3, should those who are passionate about whichever “option” they support simply dismiss their views? Fantastic Chief Sealth Staff have already left Chief Sealth because of the pending doom they perceived of BEX 3 “options 1”. I would not doubt at least some Chief Sealth Staff would leave if BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” prevail. I have been informed by a few Chief Sealth Teachers they will not remain at Chief Sealth should BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” prevail. They will move to other traditional high schools. Yet another loss of those who have worked so very hard at Chief Sealth. Thank you.

  Steve Taylor

• Marcus Pimpleton February 13, 2008 (8:12 am)

  Steve,

  Yes I think so. Several things have become clear to me over the course of this discussion that are going to require our attention regardless of which option is selected. For starters, we have got to heal the hurt that people on both sides are feeling as a result of this debate. We have to do something to address the violence the Sealth students have been reporting/perceiving, and work to improve the climate at both schools so that students feel safe and good about their schools, whether co-located or not. Many of us would like to see some improvements in the way these schools work together and in the type of supports given to students in making the difficult transition from 8th to 9th grade. This also should happen whether colocated or not.

  Should the board decide to co-locate these schools, there is going to be a need for some sort of steering committee to help us plan how over the next three years we can do what needs to be done to realize and maximize the potential academic benefits and to ensure safety beginning on day one. So once a decision is made, I personally believe that everyone’s energies would be much better spent working in those sorts of capacities, than to continue the fight over Option 2 versus Option 3.

  It is highly unlikely that once this decision is made by the board they will ever reverse it, particularly after even more time and money is invested. I will be the first one to wholeheartedly push for the best Option 3 we can get if it comes to that, and I hope those that support Option 3 would do the same thing if Option 2 is chosen.

  As far as teachers leaving Sealth goes, it is always disappointing when good teachers leave.
  On the other hand, if co-location is the direction we are headed, it is going to take people committed to making co-location work for it to succeed. One of the things I have loved about working at Denny has been that our hiring teams have done a good job of bringing in people who share the vision of our schools leadership. Our staff meetings are generally pleasant, and our school is able to come together and make decisions (even difficult ones such as over the budget) with relative ease because we feel good about our leadership and the vast majority of us have the same focus and vision of what we want out of our school.

  Co-location represents a major change in the vision and direction of both of our schools. It is only understandable that some people will say “this is not what I signed on for” and leave. It is to be expected that some will say “This is not a situation where my skills are best suited” and also leave This is not a tragedy. This is a good thing in the long run. Those teachers will leave and find positions that make them happier than they would be in a co-location situation. Other students who need those teachers will get them and benefit. And our students will also benefit because it will be an opportunity for our schools to bring in people who are excited about the prospects of working in this unique environment and committed to making it work.

• Marlene Allbright February 13, 2008 (12:44 pm)

  Marcus,
  I believe that most of the Chief Sealth staff will remain, and continue to do what we’ve always done…..that is to be the best teachers possible, to create an exciting and successful learning environment, to be engaged with our families, and facilitate a culture that respects their independence, rites of passage into adulthood, and to guide them as they choose their “flight path” to success.

• Marcus Pimpleton February 13, 2008 (2:26 pm)

  Marlene,

  I am confident that this is true as well. I was just responding to Mr. Taylor’s concern that there might be a mass exodus of teachers.

  I know that the Sealth staff are the highest caliber of professionals and will always act in the best interest of their students and school. I am looking forward to us all working more closely in the future.

• Steve Taylor February 13, 2008 (11:40 pm)

  Marcus Pimpleton, I never stated or even inferred there would be a mass exodus of Chief Sealth Teachers as you state. I said “I would not doubt at least some Chief Sealth Staff would leave if BEX 3 “options 1 or 2″ prevail”. It is well known to those actually familiar with Chief Sealth Teachers and the BEX 3 subject that select teachers have left Chief Sealth already, stating BEX 3 as their reason for leaving before “the reign”. I firmly believe most Chief Sealth Teachers will remain, however how enthusiastic they remain in their jobs if BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” fail to provide the infatuated intent may prove otherwise. I cannot help but wonder how anyone looking at the BEX 3 issue can believe BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” could be a good idea? What part of 93% of Chief Sealth Teachers being against BEX 3 “options 1 & 2”, along with many Seattle Police Officers (even a retired one now speaking out) being against BEX 3 “options 1 & 2” does anyone in favor of BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” not understand? Marcus Pimpleton, I have championed your teaching of music abilities greatly! Which I believe you are aware of. However I have never publicly expressed my opinions or expressed examples of areas of your student supervision, and many other Denny Music Parents do not agree with, nor approve of such supervision. Care to tell “everyone” your preference of which Denny Administrator you never want to accompany a Denny Music overnight “field trip” ever again? And why? A trip to Idaho has a ring to me… How about you? As much as I champion your unique gift as a music teacher, you are only teaching to a select group of gifted students. Students who choose to challenge themselves beyond the minimal meager academic requirements of the Seattle School District. The Students you teach, and are obviously most familiar with are not a true average cross section of the entire Denny Student Population, and you would be kidding yourself to state otherwise. What may be good for select students (music students) is not necessarily what is best for the entire Denny Student Body. I do not recall anyone yet bringing up the issue of “Hispanic” and “Black” gang issues at Denny, as Jeff Clark effectively states there is no such problem. However anyone intimately familiar with Denny knows otherwise. Such is the reason for all of the police cars as of late. The issue began at Denny, graduated to the older brethren at Chief Sealth and so became the reason for the significant police presence of the last week or so. The “unfortunate” issues that currently plague Denny and Sealth are what they are. I do believe they pale in comparison to the many great positive achievements going on at Denny and Chief Sealth! However the “unfortunate” issues still do exist. Turning a blind eye to them, pretending they do not exist, is not going to solve the problems of the “unfortunate” issues. Security Staff are against BEX 3 “options 1 & 2”. The only Sealth Staff really for BEX 3 “options 1 or 2” is the Music Department, as they have everything to gain. At the expense of the rest of Chief Sealth. I am told there is consideration to present a Legal Challenge to BEX 3 “options 1 or 2”. If such a challenge becomes more than “talk” and is supported by the majority of Chief Sealth Teachers, and select community members I respect, I will put my money where my mouth is and pledge here and now $1,000.00 toward such a Legal Challenge. Such may be a drop in Legal Challenge bucket, however it is a sincere drop! Thank you.

  Steve Taylor

• Marcus Pimpleton February 15, 2008 (8:07 am)

  Wow Steve!
  I have mixed feelings about whether it is worth the time to dignify your latest blog entry with a response, but I will because I know there may be students and parents reading. I view much of your entry as a rant yet the following is intended to address some of the issues you raised.
  While I am trying my best to give you the benefit of the doubt that your previous message was not “intended” to be a personal attack against me, it would be dishonest of me to pretend that I did not receive it that way. I am hurt and offended that you would choose to publicly criticize me as a professional, out of your frustration with me for not agreeing with your assessment of this BEX situation. I would not dare state publicly my feelings about you as a parent – whether positive or negative – because I think that would be unprofessional on my part, potentially rude, and potentially embarrassing to your children. I wish you would have given me the same benefit of the doubt with my students and parents by not doing that to me here.
  But before I respond to the portion of your message that concerned me personally, I first want to address your mischaracterization of the students at Denny Middle School. As a person who has taught at Denny Middle School for the past six years, and as a person who a large number of students in this building confide in, I want to categorically reject your suggestion that there is a “Hispanic and black gang” problem at our school. As is typical at this age group, students are susceptible and tempted by a number of different influences and for that reason Denny has a number of programs and activities in place to encourage students to make positive choices. I think it is worth mentioning that since the start of the planning process, at the invitation of Jeff Clark, Officer Adrian Diaz of the Seattle Police Department has been a part of the school design team. Officer Diaz is a direct report to the Deputy Chief of Police and he provides training for Police Departments across the country. Officer Diaz has made several recommendations which have been included into the co-location plans and with the planned safety measures in place, Officer Diaz feels that the co-located campus plan will be safe.
  I came to Denny to give back to a school that so greatly blessed me, to help students find the same sort of support mechanisms I had as a student here, and to ensure that our students have the same type of opportunities as students at more affluent schools. In the six years I have worked here, I have taken student groups on trips to Canada, Idaho, California, and Hawaii where our students have won high honors and conducted themselves exceptionally. I worked through almost every summer, winter, spring, and midwinter break (as I will do again this year) to ensure that students have had positive activities available to them in their time away from school. Planning and conducting these types of activities takes a great deal of my personal time and energy. I have spent numerous hours filing paperwork and running fundraisers so that every student (and parent), that is willing to work would have the opportunity to participate in these trips. I am appalled that you would thank me this way.
  As far as administrators that I don’t want on a trip goes, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! I have joked in the past about how stressful it is to spend three days – 24 hours a day – with your boss watching you do your job (supervising a student group) – but I have never said there is any Denny administrator I do not want to accompany us. In the past I have had the opportunity to travel both with and without administrators on the trips and it is my preference to have administrators with us because they are generally quite helpful and take some of the pressure off of the teacher should a situation arise. To be clear, there is no administrator that I would rather not have with us on a trip. They have all been great help, and I have received nothing but compliments from my administrators regarding my conduct and the conduct of my students on these trips.
  I also take exception both to the suggestion that the Denny Music program only serves one subset of students, and the idea that they are somehow more gifted, special or motivated than the students not in the program. Students of all different ethnicities, linguistic backgrounds, and income brackets participate in our music program and we are working consistently to encourage greater participation by more students each year. It is flawed logic to assume that the students in the music program are necessarily more motivated than their peers who are not. The truth is there are a number of factors contributing to why we do not see high participation in music programs by some groups, and I would be happy to share the research related to that with you. It has a lot more to do with economic factors (inability to afford materials) and the way that we recruit and retain students in our elementary programs than with a lack of motivation on the part of our students. We should not paint kids with broad brushes. Each one is an individual and brings their own individual background, needs, and talents.
  Personally, as do most music educators, I believe that every student should not only have the opportunity but should be required to take some type of music class, as it is good for the student, develops a sense of connection to his/her school, and teaches many other skills and attributes that cannot be measured on standardized tests. Nonetheless, my support for option 2 is not only for the students in the music program, it is for all students.
  Finally, no one is suggesting turning a blind eye to the issues at Denny and Sealth. Those of us who are in favor of Option 2, are making the case that co-location and the increased cooperation that will come with it, will help us to better address the issues that are shared by both schools, and the challenges that arise from the transition from middle school to high school in general. Yet, at the same time, we see far more opportunities than concerns with Option 2—we see a chance to create opportunities for our students that will be safe, academically rigorous, and emotionally supportive. If you have any additional questions or concerns about what happens in my music program I would encourage you to address that to me personally, so that I can more thoroughly address your concern and give it the attention it deserves. Otherwise I would appreciate it if we could stay on the subject of the BEX options and what is in the best interest of our students.

• Delfino February 15, 2008 (2:39 pm)

  Marcus,

  Again you have you have one of the most articulate, seemingly reasoned blog responses posted. Again however, I find it contains significant errors of fact and omissions of information that, while I clearly want to say I don’t believe is your intention, border on sales rather than reasoned dialogue or even debate.

  As to the question of gang activity at Denny, I couldn’t speak very credibly on music program statistics, but I know from over 20 years of experience dealing first hand with the gang issue in this community that you are wrong, and represents one of my personal primary reasons for opposition to the combined campus. It is well known in the Latino and law enforcement communities that Denny is a primary source of gang activity, both real and serious and wanna-be potential. It is why the huge majority of Latino parents from South Park express their desire to send their children elsewhere , like to Madison or are moving from the area. We have to talk them into staying in our community to receive the superior services of Denny’s bilingual program and Proyecto Saber.

  You are partially correct in noting that part of the issue is normal youth self identification and experimentation that can be observed in any middle school or community, however, I disagree with your characterization that Denny’s programs to help help make positive choices are significantly impacting this problem.In fact, my observation, as well as those who are doing this work in the community, is that the response of both schools, Denny and Sealth, have made, and continue to make, the problem significantly worse. Out of school suspension sets already at risk students further behind, impacts academic self esteem, creates targeted anti school rebellion, creates a bond between more heavily involved youth and sets the stage for dropping out of school thus intensifying the real gang problem in the community. It is no coincidence that that there are two Police officers assigned to Denny, one of which reports directly to the Deputy Chief. It doesn’t create community confidence in our schools to publicly admit this, but it doesn’t create partners to solving the problem by ignoring it and trying to wipe our hands clean of it by “removing” the most involved students either.

  As to your remarks on Officer Diaz’s involvement and belief that the campus will be safe. I will assume that you do not have direct knowledge of the exact truth, so will not accuse you of knowingly participating in the campaign typical of the half truths surrounding this project from the beginning. I also know Officer Diaz, both in my work in the Latino Community to combat gangs and as a coach of my sons wrestling team. Although I am somewhat reluctant to quote him because he is the kind of professional that prefers his role in the Police Department to not to take obvious sides in this controversy; since both Jeff Clark and your self have chosen to half quote him, I feel compelled to tell the rest of the story. I also served with him on the Site Design Team. He told me that he quit actively participating for the very same reason I, and most the Chief Sealth participants did, because Facilities had already made up it’s mind on what it wanted and only was going through the motions of stakeholder involvement to make it look good. I recently called and talked to him about his position on the project. He told me he did not say the project is safe. He said the project COULD BE MADE TO BE SAFE. He said very specific measures would need to be in place for this to be true including the full time stationing of a police officer to the complex. He also said the Police Department did not currently have a budget to fund this. The District has not at this time committed to this funding either. Where will this money come from? Perhaps my position? Maybe a music position? Math teacher? I would rather put this money into academic resources than making this a prison, as one of my students said it would take to keep our populations safe and separate with the plan.
  Another telling detail that has been left out; this involved and professional officer is choosing to move out of our area to ensure that his own child will not grow up with this gang influence. Most of my Latino community members do not have this option and will not get their first choice to send their children away from the this combined complex that they know will not be in the best interests of our kids.

  Marcus, I appreciate your enthusiasm and belief in students, it is absolutely necessary to do the work we do, but so is the truth. I have never had a gang involved young man in the music program, not even the mariachi band but we do have a real problem that the combined campus will, in my professional opinion, make worse. The Union representing Seattle Schools Security recently passed a resolution opposing Option2 and supporting Option3 and safety is a primary reason.

• me February 15, 2008 (4:12 pm)

  The assault at Sealth this afternoon probably isn’t going to make those families of younger kids feel much better about the plan I’m guessing…

• Marcus Pimpleton February 15, 2008 (6:05 pm)

  Three Points

  1. As to the wording in my post related to Officer Diaz, the exact wording was checked with Officer Diaz by Mr. Clark, prior to my using it in the post.

  2. The Denny partnership with the police is based on education and proactive prevention – not because of criminal activity.

  3. I see the positive in our students – all of them. It saddens me greatly to hear you repeatedly speak so negatively about our great kids – they deserve our praise not our condemnation.

• me February 15, 2008 (6:29 pm)

  So Marcus, have any positive words for what happened at Sealth today?

• Indaknow February 15, 2008 (6:36 pm)

  Maybe it was marauding music students?

• GenHillOne February 15, 2008 (7:30 pm)

  Mr. Pimpleton, don’t let the turkeys get you down.

• Debbie February 16, 2008 (11:13 am)

  Back to Pete on the 12th.

  I hope the “we” in your post includes yourself.

  I’m sorry Pete, having a ball field is part of what helps keep the kids in school.

  Those of us that are opposed to the merger, DO have the kids best interests in mind. Why do you think we spend our Wednesdays twice a month trying to make a difference with the school board?

  I’ve fed the kids, clothed the kids, driven them home to North Seattle after a sporting event puts the kids back to Sealth at 10pm so they don’t have to ride two Metro buses to get home maybe by midnight on a school night if they are lucky.

  I’m just a parent with three kids. I feel like a mother to hundreds.

  I’ve spent thousands of hours volunteering in the schools trying to help the staff keep the kids engaged and educated. I like to think my sacrifice of personal time is making a difference to the kids.

  Pete, If I choose to spend my time trying to open the districts eyes and those of our community, please don’t insult me by trivializing it to “senseless arguing”.

• Steve Taylor February 18, 2008 (12:02 am)

  Marcus Pimpleton, what you have stated regarding never wanting a particular administrator along on a field trip you did in the presence of someone I know well. Memories are often kind, possibly you have forgotten such? I also know Adrian Diaz, however was avoiding bringing up his name so publicly is such posts. I have spoke with Adrian Diaz many times regarding many subjects. I do not know that Adrian Diaz has time to talk with everyone privately, however if one was so fortunate to do so, they may learn a few things. There is a fragile relationship between the Seattle Police and the Seattle School District. As much as we would all prefer there was no need for such a relationship, the reality of our time / situation seems to warranty such. I have been told there is a priority to maintain the relationship between the Seattle Police and the Seattle School District, even at the expense of some (in the view of the Seattle Police) choices on what is expressed and how. Such is why I have invited everyone to simply ask the opinion/s of Seattle Police Officers, and or Security Personnel most familiar with Denny and Chief Sealth their opinions in previous posts, and for those who require published facts, I am sorry however you will not receive many on this subject. Marcus Pimpleton I appreciate you greater as a exceptionally gifted music teacher than I believe you are aware. However as Delfino has stated, you really do not know what you are talking about when it comes to ethnic gang activity currently at Denny (or you are not stating what you really know), and however minimally at Chief Sealth. As I have effectively stated, you are surrounded by a special group of students, not that all students are not special, however music students are special in their own way. Music students are students who go the extra mile, as so many attend music classes after school. The majority of students do not attend any classes voluntarily after school and I believe you know this. I know you to be a gifted and unique individual. I invite you to look far beyond the benefits to the musical departments when considering BEX III, options 1,2 & 3. Teachers who taught you (and I, I had some young teachers) oppose BEX 1 & 2, are our old teacher wrong? Thank you.

  Steve Taylor

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