News

Last week, over 500 Seattle Public Schools staff, educators, and community members registered to participate in the Liberation Through Anti-Racist Education Institute. Hosted by the district’s Department of Racial Equity Advancement, the four-day virtual institute focused on transforming SPS into an anti-racist organization.

To ensure that our commitment to safe and welcoming environments and academic readiness continues in a remote learning model, the district is prioritizing SEL supports for our students. When we focus on educating the whole child, students are healthy—and feel safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Seattle Public Schools is committed to teacher diversity. The Academy of Rising Educators (ARE) is one way we are hiring and recruiting more educators of color.

ARE prepares and supports candidates that model three program goals. Candidates are rooted in our communities. They are dedicated to long-term teaching and they are committed to anti-racist teaching to support students furthest away from educational justice.

Join us for the annual Seattle Public School College Bound Scholarship Conference on March 7, 1 - 4 p.m., at the University of Washington.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to virus and germs. Everyday preventative actions can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 and other diseases.

During the December 11 meeting, the Seattle School Board welcomed returning and new members to the Board and elected board officers.

Authentic family engagement is critical to student success. Together, parents and classroom teachers are partners in ensuring student’s academic and social-emotional strengths and needs are supported.

Families in Seattle Public Schools can now pay student fees and other school-related bills online with the district's SchoolPay system. Beginning Fall 2018, all schools will now have access to SchoolPay.

This fall, Seattle Public Schools has made a change to the username students use to log on to district digital tools such as The Source and the student portal. This change will enable students to keep their same username until they graduate!

When Daniel Bagley Elementary (Bagley) dismisses for the summer, students, teachers, and staff will say goodbye to the school for a year. They will be moving to an interim location at John Marshall School while Bagley is under construction. The Bagley community will be welcomed home in September 2020.

Between June 2019 and August 2020, the school will be renovated and expanded. A two-story classroom wing addition will add eight new classrooms, and a new gymnasium addition will be more than double the size of the existing gym.

None of our drinking water sources at any Seattle Public Schools building or school have elevated levels of lead in the water. We are continuously improving these testing procedures, with funding from our local levy dollars, to ensure that our students and staff consume healthy, non-contaminated water while in our buildings.

Seattle Public Schools serves a diverse school community. We are dedicated to creating welcoming environments where each students feel safe and their differences are celebrated. Seattle Public Schools has a long history of supporting and advocating for LGBTQ students, staff, and families.

The week of Oct. 8, I visited several schools including Franklin High School where I had the opportunity to meet student body representatives Ashleen and Gabi, see the amazing work at Cleveland's health center, and observe students at Washington Middle School explore college and careers during Discover U week.

Under the state's 24 credit graduation requirement, students must earn three (3) science credits: at least two lab sciences, and a third credit of choice. In previous years, students were able to graduate with two (2) science credits. In addition to the course work, students will be required to pass the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science at the end of their junior year.

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau is embarking on a comprehensive Listening and Learning Tour to gather an understanding of the district's strengths, challenges, and what is most important for her to consider as plans are developed for the district's future.

Getting students to and from school is top of mind for me. Like many of you, I am frustrated that the start of school hasn’t been smooth for all of our students and families. Our students deserve timely, safe, and predictable transportation to and from school.

At a recent School Board meeting, Gail Morris, Native American Education program manager and Stacia Hawkinson, Native Education consulting teacher, debuted the short film, which showcases Native Seattle Public School high school students and staff sharing their stories, hopes, and dreams for their future.

Available to next year’s 8th through 12th graders, Naviance will help students identify their strengths, interests and goals, and link them to potential college and career pathways; providing a deeper knowledge about options for the future.

Tracy Gill, a 6th grade social studies teacher at Denny International Middle School, has been awarded the Regional Teacher of the Year; representing Puget Sound Educational Service District 121.

As part of the 24-credit graduation requirements that affects all Seattle Public Schools students beginning with the Class of 2021, students must earn at least one credit in Career and Technical Education.

Students taking career-technical education (CTE) summer courses through the Seattle Skills Center had an opportunity to meet with local chefs and employees in the restaurant industry at an event sponsored by Tom Douglas.

In 2019-20, new high school boundaries will be implemented with the opening of Lincoln High School in north Seattle. Watch a video that highlights the changes.

Seattle Public Schools is anticipating increased demand for world language courses in response to new graduation requirements and student and family interest. In addition to world language classes in all middle and high schools, our district offers dual language immersion program in five international elementary schools.

I am excited to be serving the families, students and staff of Seattle Public Schools. I truly believe that together we can make Seattle Public Schools the best public education system in the nation - providing every student the education and future they deserve.

U.S. News and World Report has recognized several Seattle Public Schools high schools as top high schools in Washington state in their annual report.

The Visual and Performing Arts Program offered a professional development session on May 2 in partnership with the Family Partnerships and the Center for Arab and Islamic Resources (CAIR).

At the May 9, 2018, School Board meeting, the School Board Directors adopted guiding principles for the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. These principles provide direction as staff continues work to develop a list of recommendations on what should be included in BEX V, which is a replacement for the BEX IV Capital Levy expiring in 2019.

The district is piloting ethnic studies curriculum in six schools aimed at engaging students in perspectives of historically marginalized groups.

Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors honored AAMAC at the board’s April 25 meeting for AAMAC’s partnership with the district, specifically for their focus on eliminating opportunity gaps.

At the April 25 regular school board meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the contract with Denise Juneau to become the next superintendent, her start date is July 1, 2018.

On the evening of April 3, Phillipa Dugaw, North Beach PTA president and Brooke Walker, North Beach auction chair, presented a $10,000 check to Northgate Elementary. Principal Dedy Fauntleroy, Family Support Worker, Guillermo Carval, and Librarian Kate Eads were present at the PTA meeting to receive the donation on behalf of Northgate.

Starting with the class of 2021, students will need to earn 24 credits to graduate, an increase from 21. Most high schools in our district currently offer 24 credits over the course of four years. Traditionally, SPS has offered students more courses than required by the state to provide flexibility for students to explore new electives or to recover missing credits. We are currently working with a variety of stakeholders to increase credit-earning opportunities for our students.

Seattle Public Schools is currently testing an interim assessment tool for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) for students in grades 3- 11 and is seeking board approval for interim assessments districtwide.

With Loyal Heights Elementary nearing completion for opening in September 2018, nearly all of the 17 major construction projects included in the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy have been opened and welcomed students and staff.

After a year-long adoption process, the Department of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction has identified enVisionmath2.0 from Pearson as the new middle school math textbook.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has releasing the new Washington state and federal accountability information for every school in the state as required in the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015.

Seattle Public Schools recognizes that decades of deeply embedded bias requires more than policy to undo institutionalized and structural racism. Institutionalizing racial equity in all schools requires transforming our practices and beliefs. Racial Equity Teams are one strategy that we are using to do this critical work.

In support of the courage and activism of students, we encourage citywide participation in the student-led March for Our Lives Seattle rally and walk at 10 a.m. on Sat., March 24. The School Board invites students, staff and families to join the district in showing our unified support for safe schools and the Seattle students who are organizing this non-school day march.

Seattle Public Schools prioritizes student safety. It is our goal to prevent emergencies from happening, therefore all lethal or potentially lethal statements, whether verbal or written (including electronic) are to be taken seriously and investigated.

This February, the Seattle community came together at New Holly Gathering Hall in Southeast Seattle to celebrate the launch of a very special children’s book. The colorful board book, titled “Baro Af-Soomaali,” is unique in several aspects.

With this new service you can opt-in to receive text messages on a cellular phone number that is on record with your student’s school.

Seattle Public Schools high school students will see increased credit and assessment requirements with the change in state law requiring 24 credits to graduate.

The new agreement outlines how district and city will plan together to review school capacity issues, plan strategically for future school locations and address the 70-year-old Memorial Stadium.

In response to students' needs, Seattle Public Schools is introducing new state health education standards for self identity in several elementary schools this fall.

Seattle Public Schools has partnered with King County and American Traffic Solutions to deter drivers from illegally passing buses that are loading and unloading students.

Exterior cameras have been added to 120 of the 379 First Student buses that transport our students each day. The cameras capture video of vehicles that appear to be illegally passing the bus when its stop paddle is fully extended.