Seattle, WA

Parents worried Seattle's Dual Language Immersion schools could be on 'chopping block'

Published

3 weeks ago

June 5, 2024

Parents worried Seattle's Dual Language Immersion schools could be on 'chopping block'

SPS holds forums for possible school closures

Seattle Public Schools hosted a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss a plan to close 20 elementary schools within the district. The move would help make up a budget deficit of more than $100 million that the district says it’s facing.

SEATTLE – Seattle Public Schools hosted a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss a plan to close 20 elementary schools within the district. The move would help make up a budget deficit of more than $100 million that the district says it’s facing.

The list of school closures has not yet been released, and the uncertainty is causing some to worry.

“I’m concerned that it could be on the chopping block,” said Adriana Casas Gorski, whose son attends John Stanford International, a dual language immersion school (DLI).

“My husband is of Japanese heritage, and I am Mexican, so this school offers Spanish and Japanese,” said Gorski.

She’s worried that her son’s school and McDonald International Elementary might be on the closure list.

“I have seen the wonderful work that the staff and admin have done there, and I’m concerned others won’t have that opportunity,” she said.

As a teacher herself at a Spanish cooperative preschool, she says demand for the DLI schools is already so high, the district is losing students to private schools.

“Every year we have parents that are heartbroken because their child did not get into an immersion school. We are losing students each year to PCPE that should be coming to SPS,” said Gorski.

At Tuesday’s virtual meeting, SPS leaders answered written questions only. When asked how DLI schools would be impacted, no promises were made to keep certain schools open, but the superintendent said the district planned to maintain programming.

“We are actually talking about, ‘how do we shore them up?’ Our dual language programming should sustain as we go forward. So, I wanted to give some people some reassurance on that,” said Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.

School officials said Tuesday, generally speaking, even if some schools stay open, students could still be moved.

“It is very possible students would be moving from their current school, even if it’s not a school that is closing,” said Dr. Marni Campbell, the executive operations director at Seattle Public Schools.

Tuesday’s virtual meeting comes on the heels of an in-person meeting last week during which the crowd was frustrated they weren’t allowed to comment.

Gorski was one of the parents who said they wanted to be heard. She says if dual language immersion schools close, SPS will miss the moment.

“I mean, we are a world city. Seattle is a world city, and we need to prepare our students that way,” said Gorski.

SPS says the consolidated schools would be called “well-resourced” schools and would include high-quality educators and modern classroom resources and technology, inclusive curriculum and foster a supportive environment.

A public hearing is scheduled for June 10.

SPS has said that the closures will be distributed evenly across the district and the superintendent will be presenting recommendations to the board later in the month.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle’s Bill Nye earns star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Published

19 mins ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Seattle’s Bill Nye earns star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Seattle Times staff reporter

Seattle’s Bill Nye the Science Guy is among the stars.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has awarded Nye a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, cementing his cultural impact in terrazzo and brass among the likes of Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe.

Nye is one of eight honorees to earn a star this year in the television category. The chamber of commerce also awarded stars in motion pictures, live theater/live performance, radio, recording and sports entertainment.

“Each honoree truly embodies the essence of excellence in their respective fields,” said Peter Roth, chairman of the Walk of Fame Selection Committee, in an online announcement.

Other honorees include Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell and Jane Fonda in the motion pictures category, a posthumous star for Prince in the recording category and a sports recording star for David Beckham.

Between 24 to 30 stars are inducted once a year in June, according to the Walk of Fame website. The committee receives an average of two hundred applications each year.

Before he was “The Science Guy,” Bill Nye came to Seattle in the 1970s to work as a Boeing engineer. An astronomy class with Carl Sagan at Cornell University had stoked his appreciation for science.

Nye entered the world of comedy after winning a Steve Martin look-alike contest. A relationship with John Keister got Nye working on “Almost Live!” in the ’80s, and a canceled guest allowed the classic KING-TV sketch show to shine a spotlight on Nye for the first time.

After cutting his teeth on the Seattle comedy scene, Nye’s energetic blend of entertainment and education struck a chord in “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” The show appeared before Saturday Night Live and later on Comedy Central, winning 19 Emmy Awards during its 1993-1998 run on KCTS-TV.

Beyond serving as CEO of The Planetary Society and on the board of the Mount St. Helens Institute, Nye has appeared on countless TV programs and written more than a dozen books for kids and adults.

Material from The Seattle Times archives was used in this report.

Vonnai Phair:
206-464-2757 or vphair@seattletimes.com; Vonnai Phair covers morning breaking news and enterprise for The Seattle Times.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will AJ Barner Factor In As a Rookie?

Published

7 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will AJ Barner Factor In As a Rookie?

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Will A.J. Barner factor in as a rookie for the Seahawks?

Barner was a three-star recruit out of high school in the 2020 class and committed to Indiana. He spent his first three seasons at Indiana and didn’t see much production despite being active for 30 games. He transferred to Michigan as a four-star transfer portal recruit for his final season in 2023 where he helped the Wolverines win the National Championship. He was the secondary option at tight end for the Wolverines, primarily used as a blocker opposite of potential 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland. Barner did catch 22 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown, including an impressive 11.3 yards per catch as tight end No. 2. The Seahawks selected Barner in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to play a similar role.

The way that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has called games in the past, Barner theoretically fits in as a blocking TE2 with pass-catching upside. Barner fits that profile perfectly and shows there could be more underneath the surface.

With tight end depth not set in stone, Barner grabs it by the horns during training camp and doesn’t let it go. His size at 6-6 and 251 pounds is prime for the position and he uses it to his advantage in all phases of the game. He is the prime complement to Noah Fant and emerges as a regular rotational player going into 2024.

While the potential is there for Barner to be the next Colby Parkinson, he proves to be too raw and struggles with consistency. Despite having played some of the best competition college football has to offer, NFL defensive linemen give him fits in the running game and he can’t hold onto blocks. Those struggles send him down the depth chart.

Barner is a really intriguing bet to make at tight end. He possesses ample size for the position and more than capable athleticism with an 8.70 Relative Athletic Score. His limited sample size for the position as a pass catcher is one of the main reasons why he was available on day three, but the upside is certainly there.

What should be expected by Seahawks fans with Barner is a player that needs time to develop but will be a capable blocker immediately. He will see most of his action in short-yardage and goal line situations and can be an impactful receiver in the red zone when given the opportunity. Don’t expect much out of him right away, but in 2-3 years, Barner could easily be a major contributor for the Seahawks.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle city attorney, SPD propose new street racing measures to city council

Published

15 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Seattle city attorney, SPD propose new street racing measures to city council

SEATTLE – Seattle is at a breaking point as fearless street racers continue to scoff at the law.

City Attorney Ann Davison is determined to change that by proposing hefty fines and making video, including social media posts, admissible as evidence.

“We need to have our laws matter,” Davison said. “With our understaffing with Seattle Police, we need to be smart in how we address this.”

Seattle Police Department street takeover dashcam video

On June 22 and 23, 2024, Seattle Police officers responded to street takeover events in the city.

On Tuesday morning, Davison and leaders with the Seattle Police Department presented their proposal to members of the City Council Public Safety Commission.

Seattle Police report that social media posts often inspire swarms of people to attend these dangerous events. What begins as death-defying donuts often escalates into deadly consequences: gunfire, hit-and-runs and even homicides.

One example of that blatant disregard is Miles Hudson, the man-behind-the-wheel of the infamous “Belltown Hellcat.” Despite a slew of criminal charges, thousands of dollars in fines and constant demands to stop, Hudson continues to post videos of him speeding and revving his souped up car on his Instagram.

Belltown Hellcat exploits WA’s new street racing law

Despite facing two reckless driving charges and over $80,000 in fines, “Belltown Hellcat” driver Miles Hudson is still on the streets and posting new content in his 2023 Dodge Charger.

“I saw how people were laughing at officers because it felt like they couldn’t do anything,” remarked Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. “I’m assuming people come to Seattle to do it because we don’t have particular laws that prevent this from happening.”

Davison suggests imposing a $500 fine for cars caught spinning out. She also argues that video evidence, including dash or body camera footage and social media content, should be used to prosecute offenders.

During the discussion, Councilmember Rob Saka expressed strong support for following the city of Kent’s lead in criminalizing spectators too. Saka promised to reach out to Kent mayor Dana Ralph to learn more.