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Queen Anne News & Magnolia News Guest Editorial 12/21/2011
(The following is an editorial written by The Center School seniors Eli Miller, Julian Friend, Faye Thornburgh and Enrico Hipolito.)
Dow Constantine’s budget is a marvel of efficiency. As every TV screen and newspaper cover warns of continuing economic trouble and the necessity of cuts, it is encouraging to see that human services will receive the same funding it did last year, as well as $1 million in the form of a one-time grant.
However, we wish the King County Council would look beyond the status quo this fiscal year. Time and again, Health and Human Services has demonstrated that every $1 spent now in human services is a direct savings in expenditures for police, courts and emergency room care in the future. In a time when anti-government feelings mount at Westlake Center and the median income is falling in our county, wouldn’t it be heartening to see new, dedicated funding allotted for health and human service providers?
For the past decade the money spent on such safety and justice areas as police, prisons and courts has been allowed to swell, taking up a disproportionate percentage of King County’s discretionary revenue (that is, the funds that are not allocated via levies or other mandated services). Currently, the categories of justice and safety account for 76 percent of the $648.1 million available. Health and human potential, the County’s health and human services program, has shriveled to only 4 percent of the budget. Why does King County insist on investing the majority of its general funds in the less efficient programs that government offers?
According to this year’s budget overview, the County worked with its employees and unions to find ways to hold down health care costs, resulting in the avoidance of a projected healthcare cost increase of 12.5 percent for last year. In fact a surplus in the proposed budget will be used to pay for potential software updates.
Executive Dow Constantine’s proposed budget is one of the most encouraging pieces of legislation we have seen in a long time. But so much of the status quo, structural gaps (a widening inequality between government income via sales and property tax, and expenditures) and a swelling criminal justice budget are problems that can’t wait another year. Human service programs are an investment in a safer, more peaceful, efficient future. But more importantly, the services they provide are exemplary of the best of what government does in these times of economic hardship. The $1 million grant should not be a one-off event, but a continual fund to health and human service providers.
Yes, we need adequately trained and equipped police officers on patrol. We need well-maintained prisons. We need prosecutors and public defenders. But in this one, rare fiscal year when efficiency in government is being stressed, why can’t we make an investment by the allotting of a new source of stable funding to health and human services?
Can’t we all agree, no matter our political leanings, that the role of government is to serve the people, the poor, and the exposed? In times of austerity, it is not the duty of our legislature to “cut and burn” or even accept what we did last year as good enough. When the line in front of the food bank stretches the block, “no cuts” is not a good enough solution. When children and minimum wage workers, the new face of the poor, sleep in cars, “no cuts” is not enough.
Ultimately, the remedy to our county’s problems is in line with Dow Constantine’s vision: an investment in efficiencies, and the overdue recognition of Human Services as one of the best uses of government funds. Many of the deficit problems of our county are more related to the structural gap that our state Legislature faces every year than how the county uses its money.
In the end, the King County Council cannot address the complications we face. In a best-case scenario, Human Services would be mandated and our regressive tax system amended. However, neither of those options are in the bounds of Dow Constantine’s or the County Council’s authority. But this is a good start. With just a few tweaks, this could be the best budget we’ve seen in the long line of recession-influenced government budgets.
Originally printed in the Queen Anne News 12/21/2011
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Queen Anne News 12/21/2011
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, Editor
 When teacher Jon Greenberg started working with his Center School seniors in his Citizenship and Social Justice class this fall, the students didn’t realize they were going to learn some hard lessons about the real world.
Greenberg’s aim is to immerse his 52 advanced placement senior students into issues that confront local government agencies.
“I want this class to be a situation where they don’t just read about the government, but they actually get involved with government issues,” said Greenberg, who has taught at the school since it opened in 2001.
This year, Greenberg focused on King County and asked his students to think about how the King County Council should respond to Executive Dow Constantine’s proposed budget released earlier this fall. The budget called for cuts in social and human services supported by the county.
To answer this question, Greenberg had the students visit various human service organizations, including the Eastside Domestic Violence Program and the Aloha Inn Transitional Housing center on Aurora Avenue. They talked with officials at these centers about the services they provide and how their organization works. The students also met with people who had been homeless and who now sell the “Real Change” newspaper in Seattle.
The next step was to immerse the students in the nuts and bolts of the budget process. Greenberg brought in guest speakers to talk about the budget from various different perspectives, including a King County government representative and those from certain social services groups. Members of the Real Change Homeless Speakers’ Bureau also gave the students a first-hand description of what it is like to be homeless. John Drescher, the executive director of TechNet, also spoke to the students, offering a more conservative perspective on the need to control government spending.
“With all that information, the students decide what they think the county council should do about the budget,” Greenberg said. “Then, they advocate for a position.”
In this case, the students decided that King County needed to find ways to continue supporting social programs. One solution they offered was reducing the amount of money the County spends on Justice and Safety, which currently accounts for about 76 percent of the $648.1 million in available spending. At the same time, the Health and Human Services Program has shrunk to only about 4 percent of the current budget.
To advocate their position, the seniors took on different tasks. Some wrote guest columns to this and other newspapers. The top column is printed on page 5 of this edition.
Others stood on street corners in downtown Seattle asking voters to sign post cards that stated their position that more money should go to health and human services. Still others made public service announcements. A final group volunteered to speak to a meeting of the King County Council.
While all students were required to attend a council meeting not all had to give testimony, but Greenberg was surprised at the number of students who signed up to speak in front of the elected officials. Greenberg was impressed by the powerful speeches given.
For many of the students, the most powerful part of the program, so far, was talking with homeless people.
“What affected me the most was listening to the people from Real Change,” said student Megan Kennedy. “We heard specific stories about people who were homeless. They were trying to change but they don’t have the resources to do it. It put a human face on the problem. These people were injured or got behind in their bills. They just didn’t have the support of a family to help them. It’s really scary. That could be me.”
Queen Anne resident Matthew Wolf said this class has opened his eyes to the plight of the homeless.
“I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life and wasn’t aware of the needs of the homeless until this class,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about these basic services and how important they are to the homeless.”
As for getting involved with the governmental process, the students said that learning a little about how King County works and how to contact lawmakers helped them realize that their voices could be heard.
“Seeing the members of the King County Council helped make them real people,” said Enrico Hipolito. “It helped put a face on the government.”
Greenberg said making the government accessible is part of what his class is all about.
“Ultimately, I want students engaged in the democratic process. I want them to see how accessible our government is and how they can stay involved after high school,” Greenberg said. “There is so much more that students can do to make changes in the world. This class gives them the opportunity to be involved and then have the skills to continue in the future.”
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| (excerpted from SPS News Release:"Seattle Public Schools celebrates strong growth in high school performance")
Dec. 15, 2011
For the first time, two high schools reach Level 5, the highest performance level
The majority of high schools in Seattle Public Schools showed strong academic growth during the 2010-11 school year – thanks to great principals, great teachers and involved families who are connected to their schools, reported Dr. Susan Enfield, Interim Superintendent. “Improving student achievement at the high school level poses a particular challenge for any school system,” Enfield said. “The gains we are seeing at our high schools are a testament to the tremendous instructional leadership of our principals and assistant principals and the dedication and talent of our teaching staff.” Seattle schools are ranked by their absolute performance and year-to-year growth from Level 1 (low) to Level 5 (high). A total of 20 schools overall achieved the highest ranking, Level 5, including two high schools, which reached that level for the first time. In addition, the number of schools at the lowest levels declined sharply, as schools improved enough to move up. No high schools were ranked at Level 1, and only two were ranked at Level 2. High schools throughout the city showed robust improvement: Ballard High School and The Center School moved from Level 3 to Level 5; Nathan Hale High School moved from Level 3 to Level 4; and Chief Sealth, West Seattle, Ingraham and Cleveland high schools moved from Level 2 to Level 3. Please see The Center School Report Card for more detailed information.
Center School focuses on rigor, relevance and relationships
 At The Center School, which also moved up from Level 3 to Level 5, Principal Oksana Britsova uses one word to describe her school’s success: “focus.” “We focus on the three R’s,” Britsova said, “rigor, relevance, and relationships.” This focus led to significant gains between 2009-10 and 2010-11. The number of Center School graduates who had taken a college-level course (AP or IB) increased from 66.7 percent to 95.1 percent, and the percentage of test-takers who successfully passed a college-level test during high school (in AP or IB) increased from 68.2 percent to 75 percent. For underclassmen, the percentage of 10th-grade students meeting standard on the state reading test increased from 90.8 percent to 96 percent; and the percentage meeting standard in writing increased from 90.9 percent to 96 percent. Britsova noted that students’ performance was a direct result of increasing rigor in the classroom. “All our staff strive toward excellence,” Britsova said. “We have high expectations for student work, and we make sure students know that.” She pointed out that The Center School has developed a reputation as a college-focused, academically-oriented school, and teachers and staff work hard to help students succeed. On the second of the three R’s, relevance, Britsova pointed out that The Center School’s arts integration focus provides a natural way to make academics relevant to students. “We have a goal of involving at least two community members in each unit to show how our lessons relate to the world around us,” she said.
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| Seattle Public Schools celebrates strong growth in high school performance
Dec. 15, 2011
For the first time, two high schools reach Level 5, the highest performance level
The majority of high schools in Seattle Public Schools showed strong academic growth during the 2010-11 school year – thanks to great principals, great teachers and involved families who are connected to their schools, reported Dr. Susan Enfield, Interim Superintendent. “Improving student achievement at the high school level poses a particular challenge for any school system,” Enfield said. “The gains we are seeing at our high schools are a testament to the tremendous instructional leadership of our principals and assistant principals and the dedication and talent of our teaching staff.” Seattle schools are ranked by their absolute performance and year-to-year growth from Level 1 (low) to Level 5 (high). A total of 20 schools overall achieved the highest ranking, Level 5, including two high schools, which reached that level for the first time. In addition, the number of schools at the lowest levels declined sharply, as schools improved enough to move up. No high schools were ranked at Level 1, and only two were ranked at Level 2.  High schools throughout the city showed robust improvement: Ballard High School and The Center School moved from Level 3 to Level 5; Nathan Hale High School moved from Level 3 to Level 4; and Chief Sealth, West Seattle, Ingraham and Cleveland high schools moved from Level 2 to Level 3. “Principals and teachers have focused carefully on student progress, using data on student achievement to plan the best ways to reach out to individual students,” said Heather Swanson, the president of the Principals’ Association of Seattle Schools (PASS). “These segmentation results show that those efforts are succeeding spectacularly. I am so proud of the work that is happening in our schools.” Every year, Seattle schools are ranked from Level 1 (low) to Level 5 (high). This ranking system allows the District to design customized support for schools and students, while providing clear measures of success for families and community members. The rankings are based on both absolute scores that show how close schools are to achieving District-wide 2013 targets; and growth scores that show each school’s rate of improvement, as well as the progress students are making based on the progress of similar students at other schools. Lower-ranked schools (Levels 1 and 2) receive more oversight from the District office, and may receive targeted interventions to help students improve. Higher-ranked schools (Levels 4 and 5) receive more autonomy in terms of professional development and discretionary spending. Please see http://bit.ly/SPS_SchoolReports for more detailed information.
SUCCESS STORIES: Three schools
Ballard High School’s focus on 9th grade transition leads to school-wide success.
 At Ballard High School, which moved up from Level 3 to Level 5, the percentage of students meeting standard on the state reading test increased from 86.6 percent in spring 2010 to 91.7 percent in 2011; in science, the percentage meeting standard went from 63.1 percent to 71.4 percent. For juniors and seniors, the percentage taking college admissions tests (the SAT or ACT) increased from 59 percent in 2009-10 to 72.2 percent in 2010-11. Ballard Principal Keven Wynkoop credits the school’s 9th-grade transition program for helping to launch these successful trends. “This is the sixth year that Ballard has utilized a 9th-grade mentoring program known as Link Crew,” Wynkoop said. “We were the first Seattle high school to commit to this program and we have seen dramatic improvement in the grades and disciplinary rates of our 9th-graders.” Wynkoop also pointed to the Ballard High School staff’s commitment to collaboration, noting that Ballard uses its early dismissal days as an opportunity for teachers to work together in subject-area Data Teams, which design curriculum and measure student success; and interdisciplinary Professional Learning Communities, which organize themselves around a topic of study for teacher improvement. Center School focuses on rigor, relevance and relationships
At The Center School, which also moved up from Level 3 to Level 5, Principal Oksana Britsova uses one word to describe her school’s success: “focus.” “We focus on the three R’s,” Britsova said, “rigor, relevance, and relationships.” This focus led to significant gains between 2009-10 and 2010-11. The number of Center School graduates who had taken a college-level course (AP or IB) increased from 66.7 percent to 95.1 percent, and the percentage of test-takers who successfully passed a college-level test during high school (in AP or IB) increased from 68.2 percent to 75 percent. For underclassmen, the percentage of 10th-grade students meeting standard on the state reading test increased from 90.8 percent to 96 percent; and the percentage meeting standard in writing increased from 90.9 percent to 96 percent. Britsova noted that students’ performance was a direct result of increasing rigor in the classroom. “All our staff strive toward excellence,” Britsova said. “We have high expectations for student work, and we make sure students know that.” She pointed out that The Center School has developed a reputation as a college-focused, academically-oriented school, and teachers and staff work hard to help students succeed. On the second of the three R’s, relevance, Britsova pointed out that The Center School’s arts integration focus provides a natural way to make academics relevant to students. “We have a goal of involving at least two community members in each unit to show how our lessons relate to the world around us,” she said. Cleveland High School students make academic gains on state test
At Cleveland High School, which moved up from Level 2 to Level 3, students have shown impressive academic growth after their first year of participation in both the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program and the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program.  Their success is illustrated by their performance on the statewide reading and math exams taken by students in Grades 9 and 10: In reading, the percentage of students meeting standard increased by 6 percent from spring 2010 to 2011, rising from 63 percent to 69 percent; and in math, the school saw a 218 percent increase, as the number of students meeting standard increased from 17 percent to 54 percent. Since the state changed some parts of the state’s high school math test, it is impossible to fully compare spring 2010 and spring 2011 math results until spring 2012, when the students will have taken the same test for a second year in a row. Even so, Cleveland students have made significant progress in just one year. Cleveland Principal Princess Shareef said that faculty are working to increase the level of challenge in the coursework, as well as providing extra math instruction to students who are not yet meeting standards. Two other measures of successful high schools are enrollment counts and graduation rates. Cleveland’s enrollment had been declining for years, so one of the school’s goals has been to attract more students. Those efforts are paying off: in fall 2009, Cleveland had 738 students enrolled; by fall 2010, enrollment had increased to 795 students. Cleveland’s graduation rates are also showing progress: The school’s overall graduation rate jumped from 55 percent in spring 2010 to 68 percent in spring 2011. Shareef noted that staff focused on closing the gap in graduation rates between Anglo-American students and students of color. High schools throughout Seattle are making progress
Ballard High School, The Center School and Cleveland High School exemplify the focused attention to student achievement that is helping to drive student gains throughout the District:
- Students taking college admissions tests (SAT or ACT) increased from 63 percent to 69.5 percent between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
- Graduates taking a college-level course during high school (AP or IB) increased from 58.8 percent to 64.8 percent between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
- Students graduating in four years or fewer increased from 66.7 percent to 72.6 percent between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
- 10th-graders scoring proficient on the state science test increased from 46 percent to 52.4 percent between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
“Paying careful attention to how we are doing has helped us to improve,” Dr. Enfield said. “We’re very proud of the progress our high schools have made, and we have high expectations for continued improvement.”
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These days, high-school dances may look a little different from how they used to, but they still provide teenagers with some classic challenge
By Brian M. Rosenthal
Seattle Times education reporter
 Jazrelle "Jazzy" Kellough has been dancing with the prestigious Pacific Northwest Ballet for eight years.
But on Friday, she faced a challenge perhaps more daunting than any she'd faced before: her first high-school dance.
Hours before, as the 14-year-old attended class at The Center School, where she's a freshman, Jazzy felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. One question stayed with her throughout the day until she got to her family's Queen Anne apartment at 6:05 p.m., less than an hour before the start of the dance:
Would she be able to overcome the awkwardness and actually dance? For decades, high-school dances have served as a rite of passage for teenagers, with generations of high schoolers suffering through the same basic components — earsplitting music, boys eyeing the exposed dance floor and girls shrieking and jumping. The modern version typically features pop and hip-hop music played by a DJ. Attendees come with groups of friends, often dressed in costumes dictated by a theme. The theme on Friday was Halloween, and Jazzy had decided to dress as a cheetah. She asked friend Kelsey Tyas, a junior, to come over before the dance to help her with the costume. "Should I wear the gray cardigan?" Jazzy, dressing in her room, yelled to Kelsey, who was applying makeup in the bathroom. "Maybe I should have been a ninja." "Can you draw on my whiskers?" Jazzy settled on a gray and black dotted cardigan, matching skirt, black top, and a fluffy black tail. The cheetah got a ride from her father, a 52-year-old occupational therapist. Tom Kellough didn't seem too rattled by this particular moment in his daughter's life. On the way, he simply asked her to be careful. As she got out of the car, Jazzy's stomach tightened. A meeting space at Seattle Center, where the school is located, had been decorated with ribbon, skeletons and masks. On one side was the dance floor; on the other were chairs and tables, including one stocked with cookies, soda and organic lemonade. The girls headed for the tables. Jazzy was too nervous to dance. Andy Bell looked on from the doorway. An American Studies teacher and longtime chaperone, Bell said dances at the 300-student arts-focused school are usually tame. That's not always the case at other high schools, said Phil Brockman, an executive director at Seattle Public Schools. Brockman cited modern regulations regarding conduct at school dances — prohibiting students from dancing on the floor or with their bodies at an angle of less than 45 degrees, for example "These days, it's complicated," he said. A half-hour into Friday's dance, Jazzy was worried that she wouldn't dance at all. Still feeling self-conscious, the normally composed ballerina sat with a few friends, watching. Sophomore Eleanor Clayton approached and tugged at her arm. "Dance!" Eleanor pleaded. "No!" Jazzy howled, her voice carrying over the music. "I'm not ready!" A minute later, though, the night took a turn. The DJ put on "Rude Boy" by Rihanna, prompting Eleanor and others to run to the dance floor. And Jazzy decided to join them. She spent the next two hours dancing, only stopping for air or to persuade a friend to join. Even in today's complicated world, Jazzy found her solution was simple: "I just had to kinda let myself go." As for the next dance, Jazzy said there are only two things she wants to do differently. "I'm going to come with a bigger group," she said. "And be less nervous." From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016652959_schooldance31m.html |
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| from Erin Katz
700 students from high schools around the region attended the Northwest High School Film Festival at the Cinerama earlier this month, and several Center School film students came home with awards and scholarships. “Pandora’s Box” won an Award of Excellence for Outstanding Art Film (Zoe Brozman, Fergus Farley, Gina Matassa, Ella Miller). Art Film Honorable Mentions also went to “Last Supper” (Kathleen Mcintosh, Matthew Wolf) and “Red” (Ashley Armitage). Digipen, a regional educational center for game design, awarded 6 scholarships to seniors who show promise in the areas of art, storytelling and animation. Three of those scholarships went to our very own Zoe Brozman, Gina Matassa, and Kathleen Mcintosh. Alongside these festival wins, a group of Film 3 students created a video about Successful Schools In Action that has been nominated for a student Emmy by the Northwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The regional Emmy Awards are on June 11th, but alas, no red carpet is involved. |
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Center School students scored a major victory Sunday, May 8, 2011 and more than $3,500 in prizes by winning the 48-Hour Film Off at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY).
The team comprised of Tara Conley, Riley Moffitt, Jasiah Ruby, Sophie Mitchell and Sam Wolk competed against teams from seven other western Washington high schools.
The Challenge? Filmmakers had 48 hours to produce a three minute film from start to finish.
On Thursday evening, the teams were given their assignment: Produce a movie on the theme "Show us your jam" that incorporates a musical instrument, a scene of artistic inspiration and the line "behind the performer."
The Center team brainstormed the idea Thursday night and filmed all day Friday. The resulting film had a definite Center School (TCS) flavor. While most teams went the expected route and made films with musical themes, the Center team went in another direction. "Out of 6 submitted films, 5 films were about musicians and one was about jam," according to Erin Katz, TCS Film program instructor. The team took the assignment literally and made a movie about jam - with hilarious results.
The movies were shown Saturday night at the SIFF Cinema at Seattle Center, and the winning entry was announced to a packed house at the same location Sunday. The Center School entry, "Jam the Jam," was the favorite of both the audience and the judges.
Center was awarded $2,500 for the school's film program, which is under the direction of Ms. Katz. In addition, the film's primary writer, senior Riley Moffitt, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to The Prodigy Camp, a screenwriting program for promising teen filmmakers. Team members also got an assortment of other merchandise including a GoPro "wearable" video camera for the school film program. And here's proof. NFFTY |
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In the Seattle Times 2011 Poetry Contest, our very own Faye Thornburgh, Class of 2012, received the Editor's Choice award for her poem "Way Home."
Many congratulations to Faye -- check out the article, and her poem, here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2014961410_poetrycontest08.html?syndication=rss |
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from TCS principal, Oksana Britsova
Dear Center School Families,
We'd like to share some exciting news with you. On Monday, April 18th during the spring break, Senator Patty Murray visited The Center School. The visit was a part of a Congressional delegation that was looking into re-authorization of No Child Left Behind as well as into the movement of investing into existing schools vs. charter schools. Patty Murray was planning to spend about an hour to meet with 9 teachers from innovative WA State schools that have been selected to participate in the discussion. TCS housed the meeting at the Center as well and had a chance to meet with the Senator and tell her more about our innovative school. Patty Murray arrived at the Center and met with several of our staff members, a CSCA representative and several students. A huge shout out to Libby, Vanessa, Wyn, Andy, Liz Wolk and TCS students (Toshi, Dae Jin, Clair Star, Sky, Alyssa, Kylin, Sam, Danielle and an incoming 6th grader, Eli Wolk) who, in various ways, contributed to making Senator Patty Murray's visit to The Center School a success. A takeaway for the Senator was that innovative schools such as TCS are the future of education and an example for many to follow. Way to go, Center School!!!! |
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The Center School Annual Report
Principal Letter for School Reports 2011