Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson is in Washington, D.C., for the presidential inauguration, and the district has just announced that she’ll talk with two West Seattle elementary-school classes via phone tomorrow afternoon: Highland Park Elementary at 2:15 pm, Gatewood Elementary at 2:40 pm. Here are excerpts from the district’s media advisory, explaining which classes Dr. Goodloe-Johnson will talk with, and why:

For HP Elementary:

Who: 5th grade students and their teacher Ms. Clarissa Resendez

What: Students have been studying the role of the President of the United States and will begin a learning unit on government on January 21. Students will have watched the inaugural ceremony. During a phone call from Washington D.C., students will be ready to ask the Superintendent questions such as “What vision does President Obama have for public education, and how do you think that affects Seattle Public Schools?” and “How did it feel to actually see the inauguration in person?” The Superintendent may ask students what stood out for them in the inauguration. She is also likely to discuss with students how they know what their learning goals are each day, and in what ways they review whether those goals have been met.

For Gatewood:

Who: 4th/5th grade students at Gatewood and teacher Mr. Jeffrey Case

What: Mr. Case’s students have been studying about US history and the civil rights movement. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson will ask students about what they learned as they did research on this topic. She will also ask students about what their teacher does to prepare so all the students can participate in Readers/Writer’s workshop, a best practice that is impacting student achievement across the system.