Thurgood Marshall Elementary

2401 S. Irving Street
Seattle,WA 98144
206-252-2800
206-252-2801 fax

Thurgood Marshall Design Team Notes

THURGOOD MARSHALL PROGRAM DESIGN TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS – 2/28/09

GOALS
The overall goals of the program design team process are to ensure:

• Schools are ready to welcome students on the first day of school in fall 2009, with curriculum, facilities, staffing and other aspects implemented.
• Staff and families are well supported through the process of transition of programs, closure of buildings and discontinuation of programs.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

PROCESS OVERVIEW
Program Design Teams will be used to ensure smooth transitions in all sites where new programs are being located or co-located. This document will guide the work of those teams. The immediate priority for the teams is to define academic program requirements and facility requirements for the site for the 2009-2010 school year. Teams will develop these requirements and pass them on to the Project Manager for the closure process (Scott Masengill); Scott will manage the implementation teams to ensure that requirements are met. In addition, the program teams will identify student, staff and family desires to honor building closures through celebrations, and identify the community-building and emotional support needs of the school.

A few things to note:

• To ensure successful implementation, please limit requirements to those that are essential to get the school up and running for the 2009-2010 school year. (There is a section provided at the end of the document where future requirements can be noted.)
• Budget is available, but limited. Please be creative in limiting costs for the district.
• To ensure we serve students and staff well, we need to identify the needed program and facilities elements and then plan and move quickly to implement.

Meeting Process

• The facilitator will monitor the time and flow of the conversation.
• The team will review each section of the document and answer questions based on available information about each of the areas listed in the document.

• Decisions will be made following appropriate protocols

Subsequent Steps
Once the requirements meetings have been completed, the following will occur:

• The Instructional Director and CAO will review and approve the document to ensure instructional quality
• The Facilities department will review the requirements to determine feasibility.
• The Budget department will review and approve the estimated cost of the requirements.
• The implementation team will develop a timeline (the Design team will have varying degrees of involvement on different parts of implementation).
• The Design team will meet again to review any changes to the original proposal, the timeline, and to sign off on the final proposal.
• The communications department will support informing the community of the work
• The implementation team will execute on the plan.
• Designated individuals at schools will execute plans related to closure celebrations, visits to new sites, etc.

TEAM MEMBERSHIP (see separate team matrix)

• Team leader – Principal for the site: Julie Breidenbach
• Principal for current site if different:  Winifred Todd
• School staff: Brianne Carden (Thurgood Marshall Special Education); Spring Zoog (Lowell APP); Scott Norman (Thurgood Marshall Regular Education)
• Parent/Family representative(s): Tiffany Samuels (Thurgood Marshall Regular Education); Susan Sturms (Thurgood Marshall Special Education); Ian Story (Lowell APP)
• Instructional director: Patrick Johnson
• Facilities staff member : Eric Caldwell (Library and Tech. services)
• Recorder: Lynn Van Deventer (Feb 10 and Feb 12 meetings only)

TRANSITION TEAMS FOR PROGRAMS BEING DISCONTINUED and REASSIGNED

Transition Team Template
For the four programs discontinuing (AAA, Meany, Cooper, and Summit), transition teams will be formed to address student, staff and community needs. Separate logistical teams from the district’s Facilities and Technology divisions will address the technical and physical closure process.

These transition teams will have four primary objectives:

1. Address enrollment questions and issues (to include developing an outreach plan to help affected families understand their school and program options; and planning for and supporting visits to primary receiving schools for affected families)
2. Provide emotional support to the school community
3. Facilitate end of year celebrations to recognize that school community (these celebrations will also be supported for Van Asselt, Genesee Hill, Mann and SBOC @ Old Hay as requested).
4. Document and archive school and program artifacts.

DESIGN TEAM WORK – REQUIREMENTS NEEDED

The Thurgood Marshall Design Team makes the following recommendations for the 2009-2010 school year at Thurgood Marshall School.  Core values of each program will continue on during the 2009-2010 school year based on our recommendations.   We recognize that our recommendations are a starting point and further work will need to be done by staff, parents, and students.  We also recognize the need for staff and community stakeholders to “buy in” to our recommendations as well as any future recommendations.  As such, please continue to contact your representatives with your suggestions.  

I.  ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL COMPONENTS

A.  VISION STATEMENT FOR NEW SITE

• A provisional vision statement was formed with the understanding that our recommendation will need to have “buy in” by both staff and community.  “Thurgood Marshall….a united, diverse community achieving individualized excellence for all.”

• We also recommend that a quote from Justice Thurgood Marshall be placed just below his picture at the entrance of the building that reflects the necessity for all of our community to take responsibility for all students at the school. 
• “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.  We got here because somebody- a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”

-Justice Thurgood Marshall
date to be added

B.  CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS

• Library: The librarian at Thurgood Marshall has been allocated $10,000 to prepare the library for Accelerated Progress Program (APP) students.  Merilee Hudson, Lowell librarian, will work with Ann Brooke, Thurgood Marshall librarian, to purchase needed fiction and non-fiction books.  Eric Caldwell, central office support, will work with both librarians to support this process to ensure that both APP elementary schools have similar collections when school opens in September 2009. 

• APP curricular materials will be moved from Lowell in proportionate numbers to Thurgood Marshall to support the program split. 

• APP staff will be devoting the March 20th professional development day to grade level curricular needs.  Staff will create lists of those essential materials that will need to be duplicated so that both sites will have core curriculum material.

• APP student enrollment numbers vary greatly from year to year.  The math department will need to provide additional materials that are required for the fall.  Enrollment numbers will be available at the end of April.

• Curriculum and instructional practice decisions are made at the building level and are not part of the design team’s work.  Core curriculum for all programs will remain the same as currently taught.  APP curriculum receives input and guidance from the Advanced Learning Office (ALO).  The staff/Building Leadership Team (BLT) determines which specialists are staffed and could include art, computers (technology), P.E. and music.  The level of staffing is determined by the number of classrooms.  (The formula is one full time specialist for every 8 homerooms.)

C.  INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Instructional strategies are determined by the staff and the BLT and not part of the design team’s work.  Central office special education services, bilingual services, and the ALO also have input to how program delivery is made. 

• It is recommended that the Thurgood Marshall BLT make cultural competency a priority for the professional development plan for 2009-2010 to help with building community at the school.  Recent professional development material at Thurgood Marshall dealing with the issue of poverty is recommended to be reviewed again in the fall so that all new staff has this information.

• It is also recommended that priority professional development is offered to the entire school regarding the needs of bilingual, special education, and gifted learners.  This will include all staff including classroom teachers, specialists, related services, and building support staff. 

• It is the design team’s recommendation that community building be our priority for 2009-2010.  As much as possible, staff should not take on or be assigned any new major initiatives until the school culture/community has been established. 

• The team recommends that one of the August professional development days be used for team building activities for all staff. 

D.  SCHOOL CULTURE

• Establishing a positive and inclusive school culture is the priority for the team. 

• Thurgood Marshall School has the honor of being named after an important figure in U.S. history.  To honor his legacy and to help all students understand his dedication and passion for equal education, the team recommends that all classroom teachers initiate a book study beginning the first day of school on the life of Justice Thurgood Marshall.  (This would be in the form of a read-aloud for primary students and non-fiction text for intermediate classrooms.)  Recognizing the role that Justice Thurgood Marshall played in the public education practices of current day, his examples and beliefs should become common language in our community.  Every child and staff member will be an ambassador of his beliefs and mission.  This common curricular component will be a cornerstone of the philosophy of our new school.  We are united, diverse and will support the needs of all of our learners in all of our programs. 

• Recognizing the importance of personal relationships that must be fostered among our fifth grade students, we recommend that all fifth grade students go to Camp Orkila for three days at the end of September.  The focus of the camp will be team building.  We believe once fifth grade students take a leadership role of uniting all students as one student body, the younger students will follow suit. 

• We will work to identify opportunities for other grade levels (K-4) to engage in teambuilding exercises.

• Our recommendation is that Thurgood Marshall not be a uniform school next year. Reflecting our namesake’s belief in the importance of education in every student’s life, the team is making a recommendation regarding staff and student dress.  The mission of any school is to provide the academic, social, and emotional support to students so that they become fully active and successful citizens in our society.   As such, we recommend that all students dress in “work casual” clothing Monday through Thursday. This would include slacks, corduroys, cotton twill pants, skirts, shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts of any color.  All shirts need to have sleeves.  We ask that jeans, sweat pants, and graphic tees not be part of student dress.  Fridays will be Spirit Day.   All students and staff are encouraged to wear their Thurgood Marshall School t-shirts and any bottom of their choice including jeans.  The design team makes this recommendation as a reflection of Thurgood Marshall School’s educational mission.  We ask that all stakeholders recognize this as a mutual compromise so that our focus can be on what is truly the important work of students and staff. 

• Once the staff is in place, we recommend that a comprehensive plan for achieving positive student behaviors be developed.  This plan would include communication and anti-bullying measures that will be implemented school wide.  This plan would include a conflict mediator program, classroom meetings, buddy classrooms, etc.

• Additional tours at Thurgood Marshall have been scheduled to welcome all families intending to enroll their children at Thurgood Marshall for 2009-2010.

• Lowell students will visit Thurgood Marshall in the spring for a welcoming and touring event. 

• We will have a celebration honoring the Elementary Bilingual Orientation Center (EBOC) contributions to the current Thurgood Marshall School. 

• Knowing that Graham Hill had a similar situation a few years ago when the Montessori Program became part of the neighborhood school, Principal Breidenbach will set up a time to visit the school and meet with the principal there to learn from their experience. 

• We recommend that staff at both schools visit each other’s current school.  Half-day visitations by APP staff assigned to Thurgood Marshall will occur in the spring.  Half-day visitations by current Thurgood Marshall teachers will be planned at Lowell in the spring.

E.  COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS & ORGANIZATIONS

• Parents and families will be vital to the establishment of the new Thurgood Marshall School culture and climate.  The current PTAs of the two schools will be asked to plan a combined family event in the spring to give families a chance to get to know each other.  This will also include families of those students newly assigned to Thurgood Marshall for 2009-2010.

• We recommend that the 2009-2010 Thurgood Marshall PTA have co-presidents.  One president should represent the current Thurgood Marshall community and one the current Lowell community.  Recognizing the importance of the history of both PTAs, co-presidents will ensure the building of a new PTA inclusive of all families. 

• We recommend that the PTA schedule events early in the 2009-2010 school year that focus on community building.  As much as possible, the PTA initially will try to focus less on fund raising.

• An August kickoff picnic will be planned for all 2009-2010 Thurgood Marshall families.  The PTA leaders will be asked to work with school staff in planning this event. 

• We commend that a Cultural Diversity Committee be formed this spring to start planning cultural events for the 2009-2010 school year.  Teacher and parent participation on this team is recommended.

• Before and after school programs will need to be carefully planned so that all students have access to all programs.  Currently, Lowell offers students a variety of classes that are self-funded by participants.  Thurgood Marshall students have access to a “late bus” three days a week so that students who stay after school are provided transportation home.  Blending these two designs will need to be a priority this spring.

• The Lowell PTA has a long history of scheduling grade level community building events on evenings and weekends.  The new PTA will be asked to continue such support so that all students at each grade level have the opportunity to get to know each other in events oriented for getting to know other families and interact with each other outside the traditional school setting.

II.  TECHNICAL AND LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS

A.  FACILITIES

• No classroom changes will be made for special education programs currently at Thurgood Marshall.  There will be 3 k-5 and 1 preschool autism self-contained homerooms for the 2009-2010 school year. 

• Eighteen classrooms have been identified as homerooms for the K-5 (10 APP and 8 general education) student population next year.   Primary students will be assigned to first floor classrooms and intermediate students to the upper floor classrooms.  Classrooms will be assigned so that grade level rooms neighbor each other as much as possible.  Placements will be finalized by May 15, 2009.

• The computer lab will continue in its current space.  Any changes would be BLT driven.

• The gym will continue as the space for PE.

• The stage will be used for an additional specialist space and will be shared with instrumental music.  The stage cannot be used for art as it does not have running water.

• The YMCA will need to be contacted about using the childcare space for the art program.  A second option would be for the art teacher to be mobile and teach off a cart.  This option would require art to be taught in the homerooms.

• The special education resource room that will serve K-5 students with special education IEPs (Individual Education Program) will be co-housed with Learning Assistance Program (LAP) services in the space just off the library.

• Bilingual staff will be assigned to Room 114.  The Central Office Bilingual Department has indicated that schools will be using a “push in” model next year rather than a “pull out” model. 

• The in-school tutoring program will have access to the conference room in the southwest corner of the library. 

• Child Nutritional Services will need to provide more lunchroom tables to accommodate approximately 200 additional students. 

• The playground can handle the additional student population; however, some maintenance issues need to be addressed.  The principals will communicate with the Central Office maintenance staff about the needed maintenance work.  

• Central offices will need to provide furniture (student desks, student chairs, classroom tables, etc.) to accommodate the increased student population of approximately 200 students.

B. TECHNOLOGY

• Fran Clifton, district technology support, will be contacted about needed computers (teacher work stations) and document cameras/projectors needed at Thurgood Marshall to support the increase number of classroom instructors.

• No changes to the computer lab are recommended by the team.

C.  CHILD CARE AND EARLY LEARING

• Before and after school care will continue at the YMCA’s building adjacent to the school building.

D.  SPECIAL POPULATIONS SERVED AT SITE AND RELATED NEEDS

• Special education classrooms will continue to receive high priority in building decisions.  An example is bus loading in the afternoon.  Special education buses will have the closest, safest loading area designated for their buses.

E.  STAFFING

• All staffing matters are made at either the BLT level or principal level.  This work is not part of the design team’s charge.  Current APP classroom teachers at Lowell will be staffed as APP classroom teachers at Thurgood Marshall for 2009-2010.

F.  TRANSPORTATION

• Transportation and facilities need to make necessary changes to the existing loading area anticipating that Thurgood Marshall School will need to be able to load 4-5 special education and 12 (estimated projection) larger buses for the remaining students. 

• The school Safety Committee will need to develop a plan for the increased number of private vehicle student drop-offs and pick-ups.

G.  BUDGET/ASSOCIATED COSTS

• The design team is very concerned about the loss of Title dollars for 2009-2010 due to the substantial drop in the school’s free and reduced lunch percentage.  The anticipated funding decrease is expected to be significant.  Thurgood Marshall will need central intervention to mitigate this amount.  The demographics of the general education student population are not changing and these students will continue to need the highest level of support. 

• Need approximately $1,000 in sub release funds so that all Thurgood Marshall regular education teachers and specialists are able to visit Lowell School for one-half day in the spring to view the program and school culture. $500 is needed to allow all Lowell APP teachers assigned to Thurgood Marshall for 2009-2010 to visit for one-half day. 

• Costs for all students to receive one free t-shirt with a Thurgood Marshall Elementary logo is estimated at $2500.

• Cost for primary read-aloud non-fiction books on Justice Marshall is estimated at $300.  Cost for intermediate grades is estimated at $1000. 

• All classrooms need the chalk boards replaced with white boards.

• Additional photo copiers need to be provided.  Knowing that Lowell has four machines to support the current school size, it is anticipated that Thurgood Marshall will need to add additional IKON copier machines to support the increased enrollment.

• With the anticipated increase in the number of students in instrumental music, Thurgood Marshall anticipates needing access to a larger number of district-owned instruments. 

• Music stands will also need to be provided for the substantially larger instrumental music program.

• Family and community events to support the transition of students will require necessary support and funding.  No specific funding estimate is available, but approximately $1,000 for events is realistic based on the total size of the building for 2009-2010.

• The school currently has only 200 adult stacking chairs for the auditorium.  That number needs to be increased by 300 chairs to a total of 500 to account for the increased population.  (Does a site that is closing and/or closed have a supply of folding chairs?)

• Other costs as identified.

LONGER-TERM NEEDS

• The ALO office will need to take the lead on ensuring that the APP core curriculum remains in place at both sites. 
  
  The Design Teams will help ensure smooth transitions as programs are being relocated and buildings closed. For more infornmation, please click on the links on the Capacity Management Web site which includes the Design Team FAQ