Rainy Day Recess

This is a new segment called "What Do Other Districts Do?" In this episode, we discuss how other districts handle school closures and how often other districts have school board meetings.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

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In 2005, Seattle Public Schools was projecting falling enrollment, and over the ensuing years, 11 schools were closed. But it turned out that the projections were wrong, and SPS needed to reopen most of the buildings. New Seattle Hall Pass contributor Dawson Nichols spoke to four people who were there - Kay Smith-Blum, Leslie Harris, Sue Peters, and Dora Taylor. 

Note that these interviews were recorded before the June 10 school board meeting had been moved to June 26.

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Disclaimer: Seattle Hall Pass features a variety of voices. Each person’s opinions are their own. 

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School Closure Community Engagement Meetings, May 28 - June 1. In this episode of the Seattle Hall Pass podcast, Christie Robertson and Jane Tunks Demel discuss the recent community meetings held by Seattle Public Schools regarding the proposed closure of 20 out of 73 elementary schools by the 2025-26 school year. They report on the first meeting at Roosevelt High School, which was poorly received due to lack of information and engagement, and then discuss the subsequent meetings at Garfield and Chief Sealth High Schools, where the district provided more details and answered questions from the community. The hosts share key information from the meetings, including estimated cost savings, enrollment projections, and the district's rationale for the closures, while also highlighting some of the community's concerns and unanswered questions.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

Seattle School Board Meeting of May 22, 2024. Guardrails on school discipline and welcoming environments will not be met, but this is not discussed. Testimony dominates the meetings, focused on tensions with the administration at Pathfinder K-8, and fears of looming school closures.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

Christie Robertson & Jane Tunks Demel discuss the Seattle School Board Meeting of May 8, 2024, wherein the board agreed to entertain a plan to close 20 elementary schools. The list is coming June 10, 2024.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

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School Board President Liza Rankin shares the Seattle School Board’s immediate plans for community engagement to help inform the district's new Strategic Plan.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

See our Show Notes
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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

In this special episode of the Seattle Schools Pass podcast, guests discuss the role of the Southeast Seattle Schools Fundraising Alliance's (SESSFA) annual Move-a-Thon in supporting 17 of our chronically underfunded schools. The Move-a-Thon raises essential funds for basic needs and educational experiences while also building community. Support the cause by donating online at sessfa.org or via mobile by texting D7MOVES to 44-321.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

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Jane Tunks Demel and Christie Robertson talk with Joe Mizrahi, the newly elected Seattle School Board Director for Director District 4. Topics include:

• Community engagement
• The SPS budget crisis
• District/board/union relationships
• Special education and inclusion

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.

In Episode 35, we cover the April 3 Seattle School Board meeting and the April 4 swearing-in of the new school board directors Sarah Clark (District 2) and Joe Mizrahi (District 4). We also discuss the budget work session, which included discussions around the 2024-25 school year and the 2025-26 school year. The scheduled progress monitoring session was canceled or postponed, and there was an unscheduled session outlining short-term and long-term community engagement plans. Look for school board directors to be coming to engage with you soon! Tune in on May 8 for the mostly-baked 2025-26 school consolidation and budget-cutting plan.

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.