West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
You might have seen citywide media coverage – including this story from our partners at The Seattle Times – about Garfield High School teachers revolting against the district testing known as MAP (Measures of Academic Progress). A source has sent word of the first organized West Seattle concern about the test, saying Sanislo Elementary teachers are sending this letter to district Superintendent José Banda – note, however, it does NOT say that Sanislo teachers will boycott the test, only that they support the Garfield teachers’ decision:
We the staff at Sanislo Elementary, by a unanimous vote, write to express our support for Garfield High School’s decision to not administer the MAP test. We share many of their same concerns, including the impact on a struggling student’s esteem and the lack of usability of the results when given the current text adoptions. We similarly decry the loss of instructional time, the loss of computer lab access and the loss of instructional assistants who are used as test proctors, in addition to the financial costs of the subscription itself and the tech support for implementing it.
Garfield and all high school teachers find themselves in a Kafkaesque situation in which their employment (including career ladder and termination) will be determined by a test which district officials told them is invalid, since the margin of error can exceed the expected growth score. The collective bargaining agreement allows teachers to be put on ‘improvement plans’ if their test scores are low on two different tests. However, if one test is faulty, then in all fairness, this portion of the contract cannot be implemented.
Elementary teachers are approaching a similar situation, where the MAP test is not correlated with the standards we are required to teach. Common core standards are now taught in the classrooms so how reliable are this year’s MAP results and how useful will they be to elementary teachers since the test questions are not aligned with these new standards? Further, this misalignment will result in a false reading of student growth and those lower test scores will put elementary teachers in a Garfield-type predicament where a solid teacher could feel threatened due to faulty test results.
For these reasons, we urge you to recognize the Garfield teachers’ stance as an opportunity to correct an injustice initiated under a former administration and to publicly announce that no teacher will be put on plans of improvement as the result of test scores until such time as a statistically-reliable (and more humane) second measure of student growth is in place.
With Respect,
The Sanislo Elementary School Staff
In a response to the Garfield boycott, the superintendent said the district is reviewing MAP but expects the tests to be administered this winter as planned.
(August 2011 photo by Craig Savey, taken from Harbor Island)
We love to watch orcas – now go beyond orca-watching, and take advantage of a chance for orca learning! Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail just sent word TWT is starting a winter series of speakers/meetings, with local orca researcher Mark Sears speaking at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW) one week from tonight, 7 pm Thursday, January 24th (doors open at 6:30).
Mark has been studying and documenting whales in this area for over 30 years. He’ll present highlights from and history of his research, including updates on recent orca sightings. Join us for this fun and informal evening – learn about orcas and support The Whale Trail, too!
When you see a small research boat out close to the orcas, he’s usually on board; he’s also a West Seattleite. Advance tickets are available, since C&P space is finite; $5 suggested donation for adults, kids free, go to brownpapertickets.com. Donna adds that as a bonus, Seal Sitters and “Diver Laura” James (on behalf of tox-ick.org) will be there too.
Two burglaries discovered one block apart last night top this West Seattle Crime Watch update. First we heard from Jim, who reported via Twitter that his neighbors’ home in the 7300 block of 27th SW had been broken into; the burglar(s) smashed the windows with “large rocks.” Then we heard from Kevin:
Came home to a robbed and ransacked house at (7300 block of) 28th Ave SW. Broke through the back door and broke in the garage door too. Happened between 8:20 am and 5:20 pm. Electronics, jewelry, credit cards, passports among other things. Every single cabinet drawer and closet gone through and thrown on the floor.
One other burglary was reported last night, according to the SPD map – and it too was in the 7300 block, but this time the street was 36th SW.
Car prowlers continue to show up all over the peninsula. The latest reports, and new information about this week’s Arbor Heights mail theft, after the jump:Read More
(Water Taxi this morning, and the invisible skyline – by Lise Thivierge)
Seven highlights for today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
LITTLE PEPPERS: 10 am at West Seattle Bright Horizons, the winter session starts. Little Peppers is for families with two children under 3 years of age – as explained in the calendar listing.
FABIO AT METROPOLITAN MARKET: The iconic model is now in the wellness business, and will be at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) in Admiral 4-7 pm today to demonstrate his Healthy Planet Nutrition products. Find out more in our calendar listing.
FREE WINE TASTING: 5:30-8 pm, this week’s free tasting at West Seattle Cellars features Italian wines. (6026 California SW)
SCHOOL-LEVIES BRIEFING: The Arbor Heights Elementary PTSA will hear tonight from a Schools First rep about the levies on next month’s ballot, including BEX IV, which includes the money to build a brand-new AH school. 6 pm, AH Elementary cafeteria (37th/104th).
BALANCING HIGH-SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: Tonight West Seattle High School‘s PTSA talks with district officials about enrollment equity – how to fix the policies that have left their school with room for hundreds, while others overflow. 7 pm, WSHS library (3000 California SW).
ALSO AT WSHS – ‘A BAD YEAR FOR TOMATOES’: This year’s student-directed play will be performed again tonight in the WSHS Theater, 7:30 pm, directed by Jo Clark. Details in our calendar listing and on the Westside Drama website.
DENNY/SEALTH ORCHESTRA/CHORUS CONCERT: The adjacent schools’ orchestral and choral musicians perform their free winter concert tonight at 7 in the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium (2600 SW Thistle).
Check the calendar for even more of what’s happening today/tonight!
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Below freezing, and foggy, again this morning – and it was already frosty/slick on some roads by late last night – so take care out there.
TODAY/TONIGHT TRAFFIC ALERTS, AND A WEEKEND PREVIEW:
-Delridge repaving continues detouring SB traffic Trenton-Henderson
-Tonight’s the last 10 pm-5 am southbound 99 (Battery St. to WS Bridge) closure this week
-The I-5/Spokane St. Interchange Bridge Repair project closure for this weekend, Friday night to Monday morning, will only affect traffic coming off Beacon Hill, closing the Columbian Way ramps to the West Seattle Bridge, 6th Avenue, and I-5 southbound.
9:40 AM: The live 911 log for Seattle Fire shows a crash reported on the eastbound bridge, parallel with Marginal. No other details so far.
2:49 PM: Bus riders who haven’t seen it yet might be interested in our story about the survey summaries just published by Metro – specifically regarding West Seattle riders and what they asked for.
Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
West Seattleite Doris Torgerson celebrated her 106th birthday today at The Kenney (WSB sponsor). As several staff members and other friends stopped by her room to deliver good wishes, cards, laughter and gentle hugs, she joked with her guests, thanked them and kept keen track of the latest updates from one and all.
The afternoon culminated in a birthday cake and the singing of Happy Birthday, seen in the photos below.
Her guests Reverend John Van Lierop (former chaplain at The Kenney for 17 years) and his son John, Jr. (music teacher) were among those visiting with Doris today. Lierop, Jr. noted she is “just the best person” and like family to him. When his mother was a resident at The Kenney, Doris provided him with daily updates between visits, and “helped a lot.”
Residents in the 37th/Elmgrove area of Gatewood say their water’s just come back on after a while without it tonight. Mark Ahlness tells WSB that city crews explained “it was a broken 8-inch water main on SW Elmgrove,” and that crews have “replaced the broken portion.” Elmgrove has been closed between 35th and 37th for the work. A WSB crew also has just stopped by the scene, and we’re told the road should reopen within a few hours, once the hole dug for the pipe fix has been re-filled.
Another public-art project is in the works for a West Seattle fire station. This time, it’s Station 32 in The Triangle (38th and Alaska), which has a $15 million rebuild coming up in a few years. The city has just put out an invitation for artists to apply for what would be a $90,000 commission, including the design and construction of the artwork. See the full details here; the application deadline is February 22nd.
As noted last week in coverage of a neighborhood’s concern about a one-home lot potentially soon to be divided so it can house three, single-family-home development is an increasingly hot topic these days. Two notes today:
NEW ADVOCACY GROUP: After the aforementioned story last week , a reader e-mailed us to point out this Publicola story about a new group called Smart Growth Seattle. Its primary sponsor is the housing-funding group co-founded by West Seattle-residing developer Dan Duffus, Blueprint Capital, whose members include the two companies involved with the project in last week’s report. Today, Smart Growth Seattle officially announced its launch, with this news release. The group seeks to change the city rules regarding development in single-family neighborhoods, including a change in minimum lot sizes – relative to the existing lot sizes in any given neighborhood – as outlined on this page of its website.
33-HOME CONSTRUCTION SITE FOR SALE: Back in 2009, we reported on a proposed subdivision east of Puget Park at 4741 15th SW (map) and an appeal of a city ruling regarding the site,. The site hasn’t been built on, but the land-use permit for a 33-home development was issued in 2010. Today, a reader forwarded this a marketing e-mail she had received, announcing that the site’s up for sale, asking $1,848,000. “Why start from scratch? We’ve already done the work,” declares the e-mail, noting that the price breaks down to $56,000 per lot.
If you’ve driven up or down the California SW hill through Gatewood today and noticed that wrecked car in the 7300 block … so did Lawrence, who sent the photo. It’s from an incident just before 6 am today involving something of a double crash. Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Renée Witt says first two vehicles collided and while the drivers were exchanging information, another car came along and hit one of them. The police records note – as you are probably well aware – roads were icy at the time. Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says they responded to what originally was called in as a car versus a pedestrian, with a 26-year-old woman hurt; she had “minor pain and a few lacerations” and didn’t need to be taken to the hospital, he said.
8:21 PM UPDATE: Commenter Kira says that contrary to what SFD told us, two people were hurt and did go to the hospital, along with sharing some additional clarifications – see Kira’s comment here.
The burn ban has just been lifted for King County – so that means you can use your fireplace (etc.) again, even if it’s not your main source of heating. It also means beach fires are OK again in the Alki Beach fire rings, so Seattle Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter says they’re planning to remove the no-fire signage. The weather forecast still hasn’t changed much, but “light wind” is now predicted, which means relief for the air-stagnation problem.
For the second time this week, a big-picture issue is at centerstage for a local PT(S)A: Tomorrow night, the West Seattle High School PTSA is examining “Student Assignment, Enrollment, and How It Impacts WSHS.” Here’s the announcement:
Make plans now to attend the next PTSA meeting, Thursday, January 17th at 7 pm in the West Seattle High School Library. West Seattle’s School Board member Marty McLaren and Carmela Dellino, Executive Director of West Seattle Schools for the school district, will be our main guest speakers. The PTSA will be highlighting issues that the current student assignment plan raises for West Seattle High School. The current school boundaries mean our enrollment base is significantly smaller than other high schools. More enrollment means more resources to the school, so how can we impact a more equitable distribution of students? Come and learn about this and other important issues facing the School District.
The enrollment-equity issue has been simmering since the Student Assignment Plan was created more than three years ago; community members had warned at the time that the boundaries drawn then were likely to leave Chief Sealth International High School overflowing and WSHS with extra room – and so far, that’s what’s happened.
Before we get to the toplines from last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, two crime reports.
First, two reader reports about open mailboxes in Arbor Heights. Paula reports:
All of the mailboxes on 37th place between 102nd SW and 104th SW (map) were open this morning when I was leaving for work. They were like this Monday morning as well.
Jeff also e-mailed about this – saying he noticed it at 37th Pl/102nd at 6:45 am – and points out that SPD’s auto-tweets include a “suspicious vehicle” reported in that general area around 2:45 am.
Second, a car-vandalism report from Jamie:
I just wanted to give a heads-up to residents of Highland Park. Sometime between 7 PM Monday and 7 AM Tuesday (1/15) both my car and my husband’s were “paintballed”. No real damage to report – just clean-up needed. I’ve already reported it to the police, but thought neighbors should be aware.
And third – the WSCPC meeting. It was a wide-ranging West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – from crime trends to cannabis.
Got some texts about an unpleasant scent in the air in the Highland Park area. The Seattle Fire Department got calls too about a “chemical odor,” and Engine 37 was briefly logged to a call checking it out in the 11th/Kenyon area – but SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore says they couldn’t find the source.
Thanks to Mat McBride, who chairs the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council (which meets tonight, as noted in our West Seattle Wednesday preview), for reminding us about this city announcement, with a workshop TOMORROW night (January 17):
We are offering workshops and now accepting applications from community and neighborhood groups for the 2013 Technology Matching Fund. Applications are due March 4. Attend a workshop and learn more about the program and how to apply for a grant. First-time applicants are encouraged to attend. These grants provide up to $20,000 for projects that increase technology literacy and access or projects which use information technology to build community and diverse participation online. Applicant organizations must be non-profits or ad-hoc, be in Seattle and applying for projects focused on reaching Seattle communities.
Workshops to learn more:
Joint workshop for both the Technology Matching Fund and the Neighborhood Matching Fund
This Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 4408 Delridge Way SW
http://www.seattle.gov/tech/calendar/default.htm#/?i=1
(Frost in the greenspace by Pathfinder K-8, by Flickr member Chroni, shared via WSB Flickr group)
Five highlights for tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (for traffic alerts, see our daily roundup):
WINE TASTING AT THE CASK: 6-9 pm with Yakima Valley winemaker Mark Wysling. (2350 California SW)
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Busy agenda for DNDC, 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), including an update on the Delridge repaving project as its first week concludes, an update on the Bicycle Master Plan, and presentations about contenders for Neighborhood Street Fund grants, seeking endorsements from the district council. Full agenda is in the calendar listing. All welcome.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Also a busy agenda for the quarterly meeting of Morgan Junction’s community council, 7 pm, lower-level meeting room at The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW; WSB sponsor). Topics include the Bicycle Master Plan (you’ll recall a plan for a bike lane on Morgan was tabled last year), an update on the Lowman Beach sewer-overflow-control project, and a lot more – see the highlights in our calendar listing. All welcome.
SPACE-CLEARING WORKSHOP: Free 7 pm workshop at Alki Arts (2820 Alki SW) with Robyn M. Fritz from Alchemy West – details here.
STUDENT-DIRECTED PLAY AT WSHS: “A Bad Year for Tomatoes” is this year’s student-directed play at West Seattle High School, and tonight is opening night, 7:30 pm in the WSHS Theater, directed by Jo Clark. Details in our calendar listing and on the Westside Drama website.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Foggy and chilly this morning – slow going, by all accounts.
Otherwise, same 2 ongoing traffic alerts as Monday – Delridge closed southbound between Trenton and Henderson for repaving, and southbound 99 closing again 10 pm-5 am from downtown to the bridge for the SODO overpass project.
7:32 AM: Warning from Dan via Twitter, especially for bike riders:
@westseattleblog Wow it’s really slick out in Triangle this am.Saw a bicycle wipe out on Alaska a moment ago – be careful fellow riders!
— Dan Murphy (@venivelovici) January 16, 2013
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost one full year after the Seattle School Board voted to create a new STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)-focused elementary in West Seattle, the district has not yet chosen the school’s permanent home – and district leaders indicated tonight that almost a second full year is likely to pass before a decision.
They spoke at a meeting of the PTA for the school that’s officially known as K-5 STEM at Boren – after the Delridge Way building where it’s currently housed – though the school calls itself West Seattle STEM Elementary.
Names and definitions were at the heart of the evening’s tension, too; the district still sees STEM education as a “program,” it was clear from district administrators, which is a big reason why they had nothing concrete to say regarding where the students, staffers, and family who see themselves as a school will be in the future. And the more than 50 people in attendance were warned not to expect any decisions before fall, meaning that another round of families choosing K-5 STEM will be making a leap of faith without knowing where their children might be educated a few years down the line.
That’s Molly Humphrie, who has just said goodbye to the West Seattle (Admiral) Library Branch after more than 22 years – she’s been there since 1990. A fellow librarian tipped us off at the last minute that it was her last day, or we would have tipped you in time to say goodbye. She’s moving to the Lake City branch.
Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor; here’s what they would like you to know about their business: Sylvan Learning of South Puget Sound has just opened a new and convenient satellite in West Seattle. The new satellite is near the junction of California SW and Admiral Way, at Admiral Congregational UCC Church, 4320 SW Hill. Sylvan Learning is offering personalized math and reading programs for grades 2-9. Now West Seattle students have a convenient location to access Sylvan tutoring programs!
These programs feature the latest Sylvan advances using Apple iPad technology. The Sylvan iPad personalized tutoring program is fun and motivating for students and allows parents a web portal to see daily progress and receive updates on their child’s progress. Programs start with a comprehensive skills assessment in either math or reading. The Sylvan team then designs a personalized set of specific skills for the student to master over a period of time. Because the Sylvan system pin-points the exact skills to be taught and students are on task and focused during the tutoring session, a typical Sylvan student will gain one full year of skill development in just 36 hours of tutoring!
Parents love being able to see what exact skills their child has mastered after each session. Never before has an investment in tutoring been so transparent! Kids love using the iPads in conjunction with individualized instruction from a certified and Sylvan-trained instructor. The technology along with a personalized approach yields fairly quick results that parents can see and feel. Success certainly feels good at Sylvan, school, and in life! The Normandy Park Sylvan and new convenient West Seattle Satellite are locally owned by Sylvan franchisees Dave and Gail Smith. To find out more about the new West Seattle Sylvan Satellite, please call (888) wow-sylvan.
We thank the West Seattle Sylvan Satellite for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Still collecting opportunities for you to join in the MLK Day of Service next Monday on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We’ve mentioned the Nature Consortium work party, and now we’ve heard from Stu Hennessey of West Seattle Spokespeople: Stu’s inviting local bike riders to join Spokespeople “for a clean-up-under-the-bridge work party. Meet at 2 pm under the West Seattle Bridge along the bike path. Tools provided by the WS Tool Library. It’s getting messy under there. Work party should be no more than two hours.”
There’s still a burn ban in effect, but as of a few minutes ago, it’s lowered to Stage 1, from the original Stage 2. This still means you’re not supposed to use your fireplace unless it’s your main source of heat, and beach fires are still off-limits (even in the Alki rings), but it means pellet stoves and EPA-certified woodstoves and inserts are OK now, says the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
(10/13/2012 WSB photo by Nick Adams – that’s Sealth AD Sam Reed at right, flanked by the orange canisters)
The 2012-2013 school year is only half over but it’s already been a year of milestones for Chief Sealth International High School‘s athletics department – like the Huling Bowl football victory in October, the first-ever Nels Enquist Alumni Game event in November, and just this past weekend, the first “friendship game” between the girls-basketball teams of sister schools Sealth and Chongqing Nankai. The man facing his players while helping them hoist the Huling Bowl trophy in our photo above is Sealth Athletic Director Sam Reed, who has just been honored as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association‘s District 2 Athletic Director of the Year. The district includes six leagues from around the metro area, representing more than 55 high schools. Reed will be in contention for statewide AD of the Year at the WIAA state conference in Spokane this April. It’s been a big year for him overall even beyond the big events mentioned above and his daily/nightly work at Sealth as AD and activities director – Reed also serves in a variety of capacities beyond Sealth itself, including Metro League president.
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