EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN SEATTLE DOES EXIST!

"Many things can wait. Children cannot. Today their bones are being formed, their blood is being made, their senses are being developed. To them we cannot say "tomorrow." Their name is today."
– Gabriela Mistral (Chilean teacher 1899 - 1957)

After retiring in 2006 I turned my hand to subbing, first all day, and now half days in the afternoon. This so that I could spend mornings writing a blog, poetry and children's stories. The latter remains a publishing dream. To date, counting those which have since closed, I have been in about fifty elementary and K-8 schools. This experience has afforded me a firsthand look at what is going on for elementary age public school kids. My opinion: The news is mostly good.
A snapshot of Maple and Olympic Hills Elementary Schools follows:

Last week I saw an example of excellent team teaching in the third grade at Maple Elementary , a warm, welcoming school located on Beacon Hill in Seattle. It features an open concept setting which means that the three classrooms are separated only by partial partitions, with the back part of the room devoted to computers and round tables for smaller groups. The learning area is called a pod and this was the D pod - D1, D2, and D3. By peering around the partitions one can catch a glimpse of what is going on in the other rooms. The noise level is surprisingly manageable.

What I liked: The three teachers rotated every 45 minutes from one third grade to another, each teaching to their areas of interest and expertise. I took the place of a teacher who was teaching writing. The other two teachers were experts in math and science. I remembered the teacher who was responsible for science as the district coach for that subject years ago when I was at Martin Luther King Elementary School. She was an outstanding coach then, and seemed equally skilled in her present post. I liked going from one learning area to another rather than having the children move. As I taught the same lesson for all three I felt confident that I was following the day's objective and that I was not just "baby sitting" as a substitute.

What I didn't like: The teachers are under such stress to get their scores up they are worried they might have to give up a teaching format they all seem to like. These days If the overall scores aren't high enough the teacher risks losing his or her job. The burden is on each individual teacher to have high enough scores. In team teaching each teacher has to have trust that his or her teammates are doing their jobs. Never mind that the playing field is not level for schools like Maple, with a high level of students on free and reduced lunches and homes where English is not the first language. In my view, teachers using best practices, and working together to provide an excellent education, should not have the constant threat of test scores driving their programs.

Two days later found me at Olympic Hills in Lake City. My first impression was of a front office staff that, like Maple, was also warm and welcoming. As I went down the hall to a second grade traditional classroom my next impression was the face of true diversity. The staff was wide ranging in age and race, and one teacher was conducting class from a wheel chair. I later learned that the student population represented thirty different countries and eighteen different languages.

Before the teacher in my assigned room left, she shared some information that I found interesting. One new student was from Eretria in Northern Africa. He spoke little English and was unused to classroom rules. Luckily another student, whose parents came from that country, spoke the language and was able to communicate with the newcomer. I was also told that, contrary to what occurs in most schools, I would not have to go out and get the children as they lined up from their lunch recess. They would come in on their own. This they did, quietly taking their seats and waiting respectfully for me to speak. Perhaps my biggest surprise was the class size - 15 students in all. This is indeed a blessing in today's world of shrinking dollars causing growing classrooms.

In my experience this is unique. For students to line up and come to their classrooms can often be a trying experience. When the bell rings for entering the building, usually the teacher meets the students and escorts them to their lockers or rooms. Recess behavior usually comes in with the children, ranging from complaining about a playground problem to tattling about someone "taking cuts" and running ahead. To minimize this all kinds of ploys are used. "Lip-Hip" means putting a finger on one's mouth with one hand while the other hand is touching one's hip. Hugging oneself to keep from touching a student in front or behind is another. None of that was necessary.

Many schools have a self-manager program, where those students who show they can manage their own behavior get special perks, i.e. going to lunch or out to recess on their own, an extra recess for all self managers at the end of the week, etc. Unfortunately, as good as it sounds, it isn't always as effective as it could be in many buildings. At this school they have a successful Self-Manager program in place. Their school-wide expectation is that students be kind, helpful, safe and responsible. They indeed walk the talk, and it's a refreshing change.

In speaking with the principal at the end of the day I learned that Olympic Hills has several programs providing academic rigor. Five staff members were trained in the Lucy Calkins model of teaching reading and writing. She said O.H. is called a "lab school" where colleagues from other schools, twenty so far, come to observe good teaching techniques. All teachers provide readers' and writers' workshops, and an overall curriculum plan for the school is followed. She was particularly proud of the fact that community money makes it possible to provide free musical instruments for 4th and 5th graders to have music one day a week.

I understand this wonderful program may be at risk in the future because of funding woes. If so, what a shame! Perhaps the public relations department in Seattle Public Schools should feature
how schools are benefiting by community money, and what will be lost without their continued support. Individuals won't help fund what they aren't aware of.

The computer lab is manned by a former 4th and 5th grade teacher who helps students to become computer literate, and gives a strong focus to the academic program. Parents and students can log on to the computer and see homework assignments, academic activities for reading, writing, math and English language learners, games and more. Check the Olympic Hills site, and go to the computer teacher's classroom page to see the many activities available.

In asking about the small class size she explained that they chose to spend their money in a way that would allow for the smaller numbers, which meant that they had to give up on other things. As an example, teachers needed to incorporate art into their own classroom lessons rather than having an art teacher. She pointed out that their success comes despite 71% of the students being on free or reduced lunches, 30% of the student body being bi-lingual, and 18% designated as special education students.

It is my understanding that this is a certified Advanced Learning Opportunity School which means that daily classroom learning contain educational experiences above the children's grade level. This seems to be reflected in the school district data. I checked out the stats for this school on the Seattle Public Schools web site, and was not surprised to see their positive results. See for yourself by going to http://district.seattleschools.org/, then clicking on "schools" which will take you to this school or any other school in which you are interested.

With all the bad news in Seattle, l'd like to give my own personal "shout out" to Maple and Olympic Hills. You are doing right by your students, the families, and the community. You represent what educator Deborah Meier envisioned when she said "Good schools, like good societies and good families, celebrate and cherish diversity." You are doing what you can to make sure your students are reaching their potential.