CONGRATULATIONS! West Seattle Elementary, Louisa Boren STEM announced as ‘Schools of Distinction’

Seattle Public Schools has announced it has 12 winners in the statewide “Schools of Distinction” announcement,” which, SPS explains, “recognizes outstanding improvement in reading and math sustained over a five-year period.” Included in the 12: West Seattle Elementary and Louisa Boren STEM K-8. The district announcement quotes WSE principal Vicki Sacco as saying her team is “thrilled to be recognized” and mentioning their extracurricular classes taught by the staff as a bonus at the school: “For example, the principal teaches knitting, the assistant principal is the basketball ‘commissioner’ and teachers and staff coach other varied activities. All of this contributes to a positive school culture, a sense of community and belonging, strong relationships and high levels of student and staff satisfaction as evidenced on our climate survey.”

WSMom December 7, 2015 (8:22 pm)

Has STEM been around for 5 years already?

Heidi A December 7, 2015 (8:59 pm)

We are in our 4th year. Schools are evaluated if they have three years of data in the last five years.

Evergreen December 7, 2015 (10:57 pm)

We had to move from Seattle but often miss that school. It is an absolutely amazing school with a top-notch principal and a few superstar teachers (Gluck and Parsley, to name two). Honestly, I feel heart pangs because my son could not stay there through 8th grade.

StringCheese December 8, 2015 (8:09 pm)

Has anyone bothered to look up the “Center for Educational Effectiveness”? It is a corporation that makes its money off of our kids taking tests.
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The entity that gives out these awards is a for-profit company that sells services to schools and districts looking to reduce all of their students to a number and data point.
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Why, exactly, should any of us be paying any attention to a contest that exists for the sole purpose of hawking a company’s consulting services?
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I know that a lot of wonderful things are happening in the schools. I just have a hard time believing that we should be giving any credence or publicity to a company with all of its eggs in the standardized testing basket.

WSB December 8, 2015 (8:19 pm)

I don’t know that it’s a “contest.” Only know that they’ve been announced at least as long as we’ve been doing this (2008 reference here https://westseattleblog.com/2008/10/madison-middle-school-named-a-school-of-distinction ) and the schools receiving the designation have seemed to be excited about it, and that’s why the “publicity” here. I linked the organization because I always believe in linking back to whomever’s involved, so people can get as much information as possible, and it never connotes endorsement, support, whatever. – TR

StringCheese December 9, 2015 (8:45 am)

WSB, I hope that you know that no vitriol was aimed at you!! I have been hearing of schools being awarded these titles for years as well and never once thought to look up its origins. A friend of mine brought it to my attention last night and I was flabbergasted. There simply has to be a better way of honoring our schools who are working so hard to improve the lives of our children in ALL areas, not test scores, and to receive that honor from an organization that doesn’t profit from the corporatization of our schools.
As always, love you WSB!

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