Article of interest

Below is an interesting editorial on teacher contract negotiations.

Summertime but Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union won't rest easy
Contract talks between Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union ought to feature less Sturm und Drang and more collaboration around stark new economic realities.

By Lynne K. Varner
Seattle Times editorial columnist

Alliance for Education Development Update

The end of the school year is always a good time to look back and reflect. That is precisely what we’ve done with our community outreach and development efforts here at the Alliance. This year, we have revamped our efforts to effectively reach and engage the community as well as raise funds to support our work. Our outreach consists of letters, phone calls, newsletters and emails evenly spread throughout the year. Our most visible vehicles remain our Community Breakfast and our Black and Orange Ball.

Our 8th Annual Community Breakfast, held on April 28th, was a big success this year. Over 900 teachers, parents and community members gathered to support students – it was our biggest Breakfast ever! We could not have been more pleased with the turnout and generosity of those who attended. It is encouraging to see how many people share our passion and vision for a city unified in helping children fulfill their potential as learners.

Our 8th Annual Black and Orange Ball will be held on October 23rd at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. We are currently working hard to get all the pieces in place for a memorable event. The Black and Orange Ball is a celebration of our students and our work as well as an auction benefiting the Alliance’s mission to help every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success.

Together we can make a difference and we thank you for all you are doing to help students at Seattle Public Schools. Your involvement - whether you are volunteering, advocating for your children or financially supporting education – is the key to our success.

Please consider supporting the Alliance for Education this year. Click Here to make a donation online and Click Here to send me an email if you’d like to get involved in other ways. Our goal is to convene and engage the community in meaningful discussions about education and rally their support to achieve the positive outcomes we are all striving for. Thank you for your continued support.

Edgar Gonzalez, Director of Development, AFE

Seattle College Fair – A Huge Success

The Seattle College Fair was held this past Saturday, June 12th at Seattle Central Community College. Over 300 people, including students, parents, and family members, came from all over the city to learn strategies for college planning and preparation. The event kicked-off with emcee Jesse Jones of King 5 News, followed by brief speeches by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Chief Academic Officer of Seattle Public Schools, Dr. Susan Enfield. The keynote speech was delivered by Anthony Kelley, former UW football player and an inspiration to many students.

The fair held a number of workshops that assisted students and parents on topics such as:

• Financing college
• Getting into college
• Community colleges
• Parental involvement in the college going process
• Why college matters (student panel)

Seven organizations sponsored the event, including:

• Alliance for Education
• City of Seattle
• College Success Foundation
• NELA (Northwest Education Loan Association)
• Seattle Central Community College
• Seattle Public Schools
• Washington Higher Education Board

97% of participants that filled out the evaluation at the end of the event said that they know more now about college planning and how to pay for college than prior to the event.

Over 50 students applied for the College Bound scholarship, a state-funded scholarship designed to motivate 7th and 8th grade students to pursue a college education. To learn more about the scholarship please visit the website: http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp.

- Mark Yango, AFE

Community Schools Update

In collaboration with Seattle Public Schools and other partners, the Alliance is engaged in research and community discussions on the Community Schools strategy, an approach to public education showing promise in several areas across the country.

While there are numerous Community Schools models in different regions, there is no single program design. But in general, a Community Schools (CS) approach engages partners in a coordinated system that offers a range of supports to children, youth and families before, during and after school.

Partners include educators, health and social service agencies, youth development organizations, parents, volunteers, business, and others. In general:

• The school becomes a “hub” or local focal point for student, family and neighborhood engagement, a place where school-community connections are built and reinforced.


• Programs may include pre-school/early learning, academic support, counseling, student health clinics, family engagement, access to basic services, refugee assistance, evening programs for adults (e.g., parenting support, language and job skills, etc.) and others.


• Broadly speaking, the vision is:
• Children are ready to learn when they enter school and every day thereafter.
• All students learn and achieve to high standards.
• Young people are well prepared for adult roles in the workplace and future families.
• Parents and community members are involved with the school and committed to their own life-long learning.
• Neighborhoods are safe, supportive and engaged.

In a recent survey, we learned there are over 300 community based organizations delivering numerous on-site and off-site services to Seattle students. Currently, a few schools do benefit from a coordinated approach to these services (e.g., the Community Learning Centers in some middle schools and the federally funded Full Services Community Schools Program at two high schools). However, the district and others agree that a system-wide strategy in which providers and schools align to achieve specific goals would reduce fragmentation, improve services and impact academic outcomes.

In partnership with the district, our work to date includes:

• Interviewing other CS projects to benefit from the lessons they learned in start-up and implementation (e.g., Children’s Aid Bureau in New York, Chicago Public Schools, LINC in Independence, Missouri, SUN Schools in Portland, Cincinnati Strive, and Harlem Children’s Zone).


• Surveying and interviewing local service providers to document the number, types and locations of student services, the level of coordination with schools and other providers, and other information.


• Developing a catalog of services that will be posted very soon to the Alliance’s website (we’ll let you know when it’s available).


• Engaging with funders, government officials, higher education and others who may be interested in supporting partnerships between schools and communities (e.g., Seattle Foundation, Seattle University and others).


• Researching national models to learn about the planning and implementation of these initiatives.


• Convening district and community partners to work toward a common vision of what this strategy would look like.

The Seattle School Board continues to study this promising approach as we conduct research and analysis, and engage the community about the model. For further information about the CS strategy in general, visit http://www.communityschools.org/. For local updates, stay tuned to the Alliance blog.

- Karen Tollenaar Demorest, AFE

Attend the Seattle College Bound Resource Fair

The Alliance for Education is partnering with a number of organizations from the Washington College Access Network (WCAN) and the Seattle College Access Network (SCAN) to host the 2010 Seattle College Bound Fair.

The College fair will be held on Saturday, June 12th 2010 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Seattle Central Community College.

This event will engage families in the college preparation process and build community support for all College Bound Students. It provides an opportunity for College Bound Students and their families to learn more about the scholarship and other support/resources in the community that are available to them as they navigate their pathway to college. There will be workshops for students and parents on getting into and paying for college, career pathways, and goal setting.

The Seattle College Bound Conference presents an excellent opportunity for your individuals and organizations to connect with over 400 College Bound students from 7th to 10th grade. We encourage organizations that provide social and/or academic support to youth to participate in this event by hosting a booth.

If your organization has summer programs and is looking for students to recruit, the college fair is the perfect opportunity. Students who attend the event will be eager to learn about 2-year and 4 year colleges as well as community resources to help them prepare and get into college, including service opportunities and academic support.

Please encourage all College Bound eligible students to attend.

This is a free event that will be open to the public. Seattle Central Community College is located at 1701 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122.

We look forward to seeing you at the fair.

If you are able to participate and host a booth please contact Lee Lambert at (253) 439-5805 or via email at LLambert@collegesuccessfoundation.org.

- Mark Yango, AFE

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The College Bound scholarship is a state-funded scholarship designed to motivate 7th and 8th grade students to pursue a college education. It is four-year scholarship that will cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books. The amount of the scholarship will be based on tuition rates at Washington public colleges and universities and will cover the amount of tuition and fees (plus $500 for books) not covered by other state financial awards.

Students in the 7th or 8th grade who meet one of the following requirements should apply:

• Are eligible for or receive free or reduced-price lunch
• Are a foster youth (regardless of income)
• Receive TANF benefits
• Meet the family income requirements on the College Bound Scholarship Application

http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp

Since 2007, approximately 55,000 students have signed up for the College Bound Scholarship, the first cohort graduates high school in 2012. In the Seattle Public Schools there are 1800, 9th and 10th grade students who have signed up for the scholarship and another 2700, 7th and 8th grade students who are eligible. These students will need your help and support to graduate high school college aware, college eligible, and college ready in order to collect their scholarships.

Teacher Appreciation Week

As you may know, the Alliance has been involved in addressing the issue of recruiting, supporting, and retaining the strongest teachers in Seattle Public Schools. At the heart of this work is the recognition that a strong teaching corps is the most valuable asset of a school system. The vast majority of our teachers do not receive the credit they deserve. We would like to acknowledge the great teaching that goes on day after day in our schools.

Teacher Appreciate Week began on Monday, May 3rd. This is a unique opportunity to show our teachers how much we value their diligence and commitment to our students. The role of being a teacher is no simple undertaking, nevertheless most of our teachers are passionate, engaged, and student focused. Let’s all take this time to express our gratitude for their work.

Send an email, write a letter, stop by your neighborhood school and drop off a personal gift, or simple say THANK YOU! My son’s fifth grade teacher at Leschi Elementary is a dynamic instructor, mentor and role model. I truly value the impact she has on my son’s life and academic career. Thank you Ms. Blackwell for your amazing work in our public schools!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Click on the links below for gift ideas and other information on teacher appreciation week.

http://www.pta.org/teacher_appreciation.asp
http://www.teacher-appreciation.info/

2010 Alliance for Education Community Breakfast - A Great Success

Last Wednesday the Alliance for Education held its 8th Annual Community Breakfast to the beat of the Denny Middle School Steel Drum Band. Over 900 individuals attended the Community Breakfast. Turn out for this year’s breakfast was the largest ever, many of them community members, students, teachers and principals of Seattle Public Schools that believe a city’s success starts with the public school system. This year’s breakfast featured Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle Public School Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, and Wendy Puriefoy, President of the Public Education Network.

Moved and inspired by the performances and testimonies of students and teachers, over $215,000 was raised to support the Alliance for Education, which will use the funds to boost academic achievement in Seattle Public Schools.

Sara Morris, President and CEO of the Alliance, addressed the recent progress of the Alliance for Education as well as what still needs to be done to ensure that every child in the Seattle Public School District receives the best education possible.

Daniel Nguyen, the ASB president and senior from Franklin High School emceed the event which featured performances from the Denny Middle School Steel Drum Band and the S.C.A.T.S. acrobatics team from Dearborn Park Elementary. Keynote speaker Wendy Puriefoy, the President of Public Education Network from Washington D.C., spoke about education reform and the importance of community in the efforts of achieving quality public education.

The breakfast also celebrated the achievement of certain individuals and made the public aware and proud of what’s going on in their community. The following awards were recognized:

• Comcast Leaders and Achievers Awards for Student Excellence,
• Swain Teacher Awards for Excellence, and
• Thomas B. Foster Award for Principal Excellence

We are grateful for everyone's support for the Alliance -- a partner and advocate for every student in Seattle Public Schools.

Thank you and see you next year!

- Mark Yango, AFE