Plus - Seattle
Seattle Education Association VP Patricia Robertson Thursday faces the budget realities and agrees it is time to close some underenrolled schools. Seattle school enrollment is 55 per cent of the 1970s, but 80% of the facilities are being operated. Seattle Times
Small schools are more expenseive, but have limited resources. With enrollment under 300 there is budget only for the principal, nurse one day a week, librarian one day a week and the teachers. The secretary has to heroically fill the shoes when the nurse is not there. And there is no help for non-English-language families. But a school with 500 can have full staffing. So it's a choice between more dollars spent for more understaffed schools, or less dollars spent for fewer fully staffed schools.
It's not easy to recommend closing schools. Good job, SEA.
(Mac Safari users click the time stamp to continue reading.)
Minus - Federal Way
"You'd think it would be a simple task, naming a school, but it's gotten completely out of hand," said school board member Earl VanDorien, quoted by Danny Westneat on Friday. Seattle Times
Federal Way's problem is that they want to name a school after a native American leader, but they can't rule one out just because he fled to Canada to escape conviction in the US;
- he was found guilty of hiring a hit man to snuff out a rival;
- while in Canada he was convicted of molesting a 10-year-old girl. Robert Satiacum was a leader of the Puyallup Indian Tribe during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He helped the Puyallups get their land back and resisted federal regulation of tribal businesses. At the same time he was getting rich off illegal gambling and illegal cigarette sales. He was convicted for crimes in both those areas and died while a fugitive in Canada in 1991.
Westneat finds witnesses who dispute the child-molestation and murder for hire charges. But not the crimes of gambling and running cigarettes. Fleeing the country to avoid prosecution puts him in a rare class.
So Earl VanDorien is steadfast in his commitment to teach middle school students the importance of civil citizenship by naming a school for Satiacum. He says to honor people for what they accomplished, not for who they are personally. Personal? OK, we won't look at Satiacum's taste in dress or his choice of music or the color of his car. But a crime is not a personal trait; it is an attack on our society. He chooses to teach the kids that crime is.... well I personally don't like it.... but we just can't judge anyone. Crime is just no big deal. OK, I put some words in his mouth, but that is what he is saying.
I am sure Federal Way is bypassing a long list of honorable citizens and organizations they can name their school after.
Posted by Ron Hebron at March 26, 2005 03:33 PM | Email ThisI still think the answer is to have the public schools offer a variety of school formats. Some students just don't do well in large populations, others benefit greatly from the extensive curriculum that can be offered in a larger school.
Maybe Seattle should do two things: divide the school into two districts, one north, one south. Then, the new districts can see what exactly their populations are wanting. If some of these under-populated schools offered some sort of magnet program, they would probably attract enough to keep the school open. Compromises would be made - the principal might have to teach a class or two, teachers might have to double up as librarians. But the parents who sign up know that, and accept it.
We can wait forever for vouchers or charter schools. Nothing is stopping the schools now from experimenting. I'm in Bellevue- there are a several magnet programs that are very well attended, and have helped save a couple of buildings from being underused. They keep students from escaping to private schools or out of the district.
Posted by: Janet S on March 26, 2005 04:30 PMAnd Seattle has to cut their expenses and underutilized facilities is a big one.
If you want experimenting then you want charter schools right now. Something is stopping schools from experimenting - the people in the Seattle SD central office who ran their budget into the ground. The same people have always done it this way. And there is the set of people in every school district - maybe one exception. A charter school allows a new start without the ancient concrete.
Posted by: Ron Hebron on March 26, 2005 04:55 PMAlso, a Canadian court determined that Satiacum WAS being unfairly railroaded in the RICO case and was jutified in fleeing to Canada. It is a US federal prosecutor who still insists on his guilt. Of course that makes it one red, white and blue lawyer, vs. one foreign red commie lawyer/judge (not a fair contest, at least in some minds).
Whether non-natives agree or not, Indian Tribes are sovereign nations, who through their treaties have ceded much of their land and some of their sovereignty.
The courts have long recognized this principle, including upholding the treaty fishing rights of natives here in Puget Sound in the (in)famous Boldt decision.
Where Satiacum ran afoul of the US and Washington State Governments is that he, as chief of the Puyallup Tribe, claimed sovereignty over tobacco taxation and the regulation of gambling on Tribal lands.
He and many other native leaders believed and still do that the tribes are not subject to State jurisdiction in matters related to the exercise of government authority on the reservation. The agreements now inplace between the US Government and the Tribes and between Washington State and the Tribes concerning tobacco taxes and c@sinos are an acknowledgement of Tribal sovereignty.
The use of the RICO statutes to procesute Satiacum is one of those actions where the Goverment arguably went beyond its authority in so far as it extends to the goverment permitting activities on sovereign native territory.
Posted by: DeadWood on March 26, 2005 05:37 PMThere is nothing socialist about your education. What you has was a practical and thorough education in a socialist country.
Posted by: DeadWood on March 26, 2005 06:02 PMIf they are going to be self sufficient then, fine, be sovereign. But if they are dependent, then stop pretending. Satiacum is forgotten. They chose dependency.
Posted by: Ron Hebron on March 26, 2005 06:09 PMThe treaties between the US Government and Indian tribes are agreements between separate independent sovereign entities. They have bee recognized as such by the courts since the 1790's.
Through the many treaties, tribes have ceded most of their territory and the US GOvernment in return has made obligations to support the tribes. These agreements wre not temporary, they are perpetual (i.e. As long as the sun rises and sets, etc.)
During the 20th century the tribes got good lawyers and many Indians went to law school. They learned the white mans ways and now have become pretty good at turning legal tables. We made the rules, they are just better now at using them.
Congress can, and has on several occasions, abrogated treaties. If we get riled enough we can do so again. That is a real threat we use when dealing the tribes, and they are perfectly aware of the precedents. But it would take some real guts on the part of politicians to take this sort of action, something the tribes are also aware of. The fear of congressional action is likely why the tribes have made consessions such as the MOA's on tobacco tax.
In an ideal world, good government would renegotiate a universal treaty that would acknowledge both tribal sovereignty and responsibility for all Indians tribes and other native groups within our borders. Maybe this will happen some day, but not soon. There are simply too many politicians who benfit from the way things are.
In any case, ragging on about how unfair it is doesn't solve anything. I was just trying to place some facts out here.
Posted by: DeadWood on March 26, 2005 07:41 PM(1) Satiacum isn't a possibility. It won't happen. Don't worry. Even the Satiacum people know this.
(2) The potential middle school attendees voted on names to suggest to the board. They suggested "Klahanie". Not a bad name, but that's the name of a trailer park near the middle of town.
(3) We've a tradition and policy of naming middle schools after Native American people, events, or places from literature. We're trying to stick to that. Look at the othem names of our schools, and you'll see why we want to keep it consistant. (Sacajawea, Illahee, Totem, Kilo)
Speaking as a committed Republican, conservative in politics and lifestyle, I believe your hasty conclusion is exactly what is wrong with folks today, those in and out of politics. A lack of intelligent discussion and quick judgments will never advance your (our) cause but it will cause further division.
You, as a blogger and purported purveyor of first-account news, I would expect to actually do some research before you comment. Up until now, I've found this site refreshing in its ability to do said research.
Danny Westneat of the Seattle Times spent several hours on the phone with me and many more hours researching the story with other individuals while pouring over documents. As I also did in my research. Much more than your five minutes to read the article and pronounce guilt in a quick breath. At the very least, with an open mind for the truth, some doubts would begin to surface about the convictions of Chief Satiacum. You ask the same of the “other” side in the Governor’s race issue, don’t you?
Were the convictions just? Were they trumped up? Were they fair? Did Satiacum have a right to fear for his life in US custody, as a Canadian court agreed? Is the recanting of the molestation by the very girl allegedly molested, now 28 years of age, enough to raise doubts? At ten, she wasn’t old enough to know better than go along with what was an alleged plot to accuse Satiacum purely to revoke the Convention Refuge status in Canada and extradite to the US. A plot paid for with US cash.
There is enough doubt that one must consider, as Danny Westneat did, that Satiacum could indeed be innocent.
All I'm saying is you unfairly judge, make derogatory comments that puff you up, and you totally fail to do what I as a board member try to do; teach our kids to read, then research, then ask questions, then form an opinion based on more than a few minutes in a newspaper column. I hope your readers do more research and have more of an open mind.
Earl VanDorien, FWPS Board of Education
In an extraordinary admission by Mr. VanDorien, this wasn't just a miscommunication or "slip-up", but part of the deliberative effort to honor a dishonorable person by naming a school after him.
Central to the task of educating our children is providing positive role models and influences. Children have an uncanny ability to perceive inconsistency and phoniness. It would seem almost ludicrous that the process of naming a school should engender such chaos and confusion. I think of the schools I attended in my early days - Blossomwood, Lakeridge, Maplewood, all fine schools, all innocuously named.
It shouldn't come as a revelation that this process shouldn't invite or involve controversy. Should an element of controversy become apparent, that choice should be eliminated in favor of a more conventional one. It may be old fashioned, but why would someone intentionally invite controversy needlessly into such a common procedure?
We are living in a time when it is fashionable by some to disparage the models of our past - even to the point of characterizing them as "old dead white guys". There is an agenda amongst several groups to rewrite history in an effort to reshape the future in ways that they cannot accomplish at the ballot box. Conservatives resist these efforts in favor of protecting, enunciating, and (telling everybody about) elaborating on the truths of history. It is also a decidedly conservative principle to acknowledge and revere the positive contributors to our society and culture.
The question Ron might have asked centers around the this statement, "It all started a few weeks ago, when Auburn's Jon McIntyre heard the School Board had a policy of naming all middle schools after Native American people, places or events."
A quick study of the Federal Way School system reveals that, if there is such a policy, it must be a recent one. It would seem ill-advised to me to limit your choices to such a narrow field, but whatever, that is up to the parents of that local school district (although it is readily apparent that they are being railroaded by elements within the district itself!).
In so limiting the choices, the Federal Way SD has made some interesting choices;
"Sacajawea" - the "Brittany" of Indian names. Safe by virtue of conventionality and common (dare we say fashionable?) usage.
"Totem" - You could have named it "Telephone Pole" but this is easier to spell. Considered iconic or emblematic, it might have just as easily been named "Flagpole", but equally non-offensive.
"Illahee" - an interesting choice. To the Chinooks, it means "land, country, earth, soil". I suppose it has a nicer ring than "Everything Middle School"
"Saghalie" - "sacred, holy, spiritual, of the spirit world". What? A politically correct entity shamelessly violating their most sacrosanct prohibition, the "stand logic on its head" leftist interpretation of the First Amendment's "separation of church & state". How interesting that their canard doesn't seem to apply (unless it is a Christian church).
Even a cursory examination of the facts surrounding the late Mr. Satiacum should provide considerable impetus for restraint. Even if all of the charges against him, including his convictions, his flight from justice, and his unpleasant lifestyle were exaggerated or untrue, common sense should dictate caution.
Unless.
Unless there is an agenda underway.
Unless someone is attempting to "force-feed" a solution where there is no problem.
Man! what a corner you've painted yourselves into! What you end up with is controversy, dissention, and worse. Not exactly the sort of kind of atmosphere for fostering a "positive learning environment"
And that "committed Republican, conservative in politics and lifestyle..." thing? Rings kinda hollow when measured against your actions.
Sounds to me like a little re-examination of principles might be in order......
Posted by: alphabet soup on March 27, 2005 10:43 AMReality check, Earl: you are only "conservative in politics and lifestyle" relative to your COMRADES on the school board. And when you confuse "right" with "reason" (as in your saying Satiacum had a right to fear for his life- of course he had a RIGHT TO, but did he have a REASON TO?- you show once again how even those at the top of our educational establishment are themselves lacking basic education.
I hope Earl will continue to read and reply. It's SO educational!
Posted by: Chuck Miller on March 27, 2005 12:04 PMhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/27/education/27charter.html
Posted by: Steven on March 27, 2005 04:31 PMDid they say lay off some staff?? or is the strategy to hide more useless layers of staff, and thereby collect more union dues within the larger student populations???
The SEA and the government schools are corrupt. They should all be closed. Get your kids out of government schools.
"If Satiacum had to fear harm while in custody it was not from the US. He knew where his enemies were. Maybe you are right that he had real fears. But that does not justify fleeing the border.
"I note that you say nothing about my analysis of your use of "personal" to rule out of bounds his illegal acts. Personal is favorite color and music, not crimes. A crime is against our society, that's why the state or county prosecutor brings the charges, not the injured person.
"I am astounded that you admit that you made a concerted effort to honor a man with multiple convictions, to find loop holes. You are not looking for a good person to name the school after. I thought you would."
Posted by: Ron Hebron on March 27, 2005 08:52 PMOn the FW Board of Education, Earl is not the token conservative. The other four have been persistant in challenging the union and status quo, and have been pushing an agenda of decency, morality, and academics. We don't even have a token liberal.
"We've a tradition and policy of naming middle schools after Native American people, events, or places from literature. We're trying to stick to that. Look at the othem names of our schools, and you'll see why we want to keep it consistant. (Sacajawea, Illahee, Totem, Kilo)"
Who on earth decided that FWPS has to stick with that policy? What ever happened to naming schools for the street they happen to be on? Or the neighborhood or subdivision they serve?
Feh.
In light of the evidently set-in-stone policy of naming schools for "Native American people, events, or places from literature," I propose the name "Ward Churchill Middle School."
After all, he is (allegedly) a Native American, is involved in educational events (some not of his own choosing), and is involved in literature (even tho it may be someone else's writing).
It's got a nice ring to it, too, dontcha think?
Posted by: JD on March 28, 2005 07:46 PM