This is both a good news day and a bad news day for Seattle children.
The Seattle Public Schools issued their first ever school-specific scorecards (like a report card) earlier today. Get the whole report, including the district-wide scorecard and those for individual schools, here. Read Seattle Times coverage here.
The good news: 11 elementary schools and one K-8 school received the highest ratings, a five on a one-to-five scale. They are: Catharine Blaine, Bagley, Coe, Hay, Lafayette, Loyal Heights, McGilvra, North Beach, Schmitz Park, Thornton Creek, View Ridge and Wedgwood.
The bad news: one middle school and 12 elmentary schools scored a one on the rating scale. They are: Aki Kurose, Dearborn Park, Dunlap, Emerson, Gatzert, Hawthorne, Highland Park, Leschi, Madrona K-8, Martin Luther King, Northgate, Roxhill and West Seattle
The school district did the right thing. We will only make progress when we acknowledge what’s not working. I commend school district leadership for telling us the truth about which schools are failing our children.
Everyone in Seattle, including our city government, needs to step up and commit to making sure every child in every school in every neighborhood receives an education that will prepare her or him for college. We can’t turn away from this challenge any longer. Because the district has a new neighborhood school assignment plan that limits school choice, it’s more important than ever that we address this crisis with urgency and creative thinking.
I’m confident we can rally around our teachers and school district leaders to make a difference. The overwhelming passage of the supplemental levy just last week proves that Seattleites care about public education and will pitch in.
Why is this important? Read this article from today's New York Times if you have any doubt. Every child deserves a quality education that will allow her to compete in today's changing world. Education is the key to social mobility, a prepared and high qualilty workforce, long term economic sustainability, safe neighborhoods, and a strong sense of community.
We've got work to do, folks. Let's get on with it.