Concord joins Denny as a new West Seattle “international school”

On Tuesday, we brought you Denny Middle School principal Jeff Clark‘s report that his school would be announced as an “international school” during tonight’s Seattle School Board meeting. He mentioned a “K-12 pathway” in West Seattle. Tonight, another piece of that pathway has become clear – a South Park school that is included in the West Seattle South cluster, Concord Elementary, has also won that designation. From the news release about tonight’s announcement:

Concord Elementary School and Denny Middle School will be designated as International Schools, beginning in September 2009. Forming the first phase of a K-12 international program pathway in West Seattle, the schools will offer major components of an international education such as language immersion, academic excellence in all content areas, world language proficiency and global perspectives incorporated into each class.

Read the full news release here. The district currently has three “international schools” – John Stanford and Beacon Hill elementaries and Hamilton Middle School.

k February 11, 2009 (9:43 pm)

Did you see the error in the news release?
On the second page they listed Cooper instead of Concord.
This is what happens when staffing is slashed to the bone.

parent February 12, 2009 (9:58 am)

staffing where? at the district? they haven’t taken any cuts yet. that’s just business as usual.

JoB February 12, 2009 (1:25 pm)

there seems to be a real problem with priorities in the Seattle School district.

they are closing the program at cooper in favor of one another program for more advantaged kids and expanding an international program .. all in west seattle.

how do they justify spending additional education dollars on advantaged children while withdrawing those from disadvantaged children?

and why will we have to wait 2 years at a critical period of development for the disadvantaged students to learn just how much damage was done by closing a successful program?

and what then?

we need to elect a new school board.

parent2 February 12, 2009 (2:00 pm)

Why would an international program be especially for “advantaged students”?

CatP February 12, 2009 (2:10 pm)

Are you saying that Concord and Denny have “advantaged” children?

I don’t disagree with you about the school board.

a parent February 12, 2009 (2:46 pm)

It pains me that the district is closing any school, especially one serving disadvantaged communities. Every child deserves the type of education that an “International School” can bring. For years, only children, mainly affluent and white, attending John Stanford in Wallingford could get this education, either by living in the pricey neighborhood or somehow making it off their waiting list. For your information, about 90% of the student body at Concord Elementary is on free or reduced lunch. Well over half the student body speaks a different language at home, most Spanish. It is about time that “disadvantaged” students like these receive the same kind of education that advantaged students have for almost a decade in Seattle. Also, just because the district is promoting new programs, does not necessarily mean that it is funneling tons of dollars to back that up-do the research. I think this announcement is a bright light of hope in a dark time for SPS.

westseattledood February 12, 2009 (5:14 pm)

A number of years ago, I was a paid WASL tutor at Concord. We were the first such WASL tutor team for SSD at Concord. I still have a picture of those kids on my desk because it was the first time I group tutored. :) They were so great. It was a privilege to be asked to participate. The dual language program was in place but fairly new. But, I never really had a lot of certainty about what would happen to those kids once they left Concord. Was it enough of a foundation?

I have hope that the academic program of the international school is going to be POWERFUL down the road for the diverse and awesome kids of the South Cluster. They are in line now for academic excellence through every level of their education! It is wonderful to contemplate that elementary kids and families will have this option.

More recently, I did a bit of tutoring with the International program at Sealth. The leadership of the IB program was exceptional, as were the students. These are highly motivated learners, but I am willing to guess that in five or ten years, the students of IB will broaden as the rewards and benefits of the elementary and middle school programs broaden and become better known and a record of successes is established.

There is real promise for a whole bunch of kids who deserve and need the fulfillment of a promise. The International School program seems to be something that perhaps SSD will finally get right for the kids of the South Cluster.

The Southwest Seattle community needs to stridently support the program. I encourage parents to investigate the international school.

Tanya February 13, 2009 (4:38 pm)

Totally agree with ya wsdood except that actually Concord is in the West Seattle South Region, not “south cluster.” Hate to be such a stickler but hoping they add an international middle school in South Region too, for our Beacon Hill International Elementary kids to grow into?

k February 13, 2009 (9:54 pm)

To parent:
Downtown has taken a lot of cuts– many people are doing two, three or four jobs down there. I work for the district and service to the schools has suffered as a result of the cuts. I am not saying that cuts aren’t needed, they are– but there needs to be good organization in place when people are let go. That part hasn’t happened.

westseattledood February 13, 2009 (11:49 pm)

Tanya –

Thank you for the clarification. That’s a good thing!

For sure…expansion of the international program there would be a good idea as well.

Fingers are crossed!

WSB February 14, 2009 (12:44 am)

They must be phasing out the term “cluster.” The page on the SPS site does say “region” but it also has a column subhead “cluster,” which was the terminology until apparently recently … Probably something revving up for the new assignment plan.
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/m_schools/westseattlesouth.html