Issue 29 -- SPS Rolls Out Districtwide Cellphone Policy

Phones will be away for the day in K-8 and during class in high school. Not everyone is happy about that last part.

Issue 28 -- April 22, 2026 School Board Meeting Recap

The first school board meeting in over a month saw a new K-5 ELA curriculum, new options for middle school advanced math, and an enrollment update.

Issue 27 -- Lincoln High School Athletic Fields: Three Proposals, Many Opinions

Seattle Public Schools staff presented three options for an athletic field, instead of two, reviving an old plan that had previously been cut from consideration.

Issue 26 – SPS Leaders Rally Around Controversial Principal

Adams Elementary School families sought reassurance about their new principal. Instead, she denied past allegations. And then the Superintendent criticized the school community itself.

Issue 25 – Notorious Principal Gets Assigned to Another SPS Elementary School

A community revolt ousted Anitra Jones from Rainier View Elementary in 2024. SPS just appointed her to be principal at Adams Elementary, raising questions about Superintendent Ben Shuldiner’s commitment to reform.

Issue 24 -- Seattle Parents Mobilize Against Harmful Digital Device Use In Class

The intentional tech movement argues it's not just the smartphones causing problems for student learning — it's also the internet-enabled iPads and laptops assigned to each student.

Issue 23: SaferWatch Raises Privacy Concerns, Invites Intrusive Surveillance at SPS

The introduction of SaferWatch to the SPS community raises questions about privacy, law enforcement surveillance, security, and costs.

Issue 22 -- Board Debates Pros and Cons of a New K-5 ELA Curriculum

Directors raise concerns about the newness and digital components of the proposed materials, and the length of the contract.

Issue 21 -- What Happened with School Funding in the 2026 Legislative Session

The millionaires tax comes with lots of promises about more K-12 funding, but legislators made cuts to K-12 schools this year and set up more cuts in the future.

Issue 20 -- March 11, 2026 School Board Meeting Recap

The board discussed their frustrations with the Student Assignment Transition Plan rollout; lowered the threshold for board approval of outgoing payments but not incoming grants; and hears public testimony pleading for increased staff allocations at several alternative learning sites.

Issue 19 -- The School Board Begins Dismantling SOFG

SOFG is going away and committees are back -- but new controversy erupts over board fiscal thresholds.

Issue 18 -- February 11, 2026 School Board Meeting Recap

The board re-establishes standing committees, weighs changes to the student assignment transition plan and to financial thresholds triggering board review, and hears public testimony on highly capable programs, ethnic studies at SPS, and student safety.

Issue 17 -- School Board Budget Work Sessions

Ben Shuldiner previews a new approach for SPS budgeting: direct, honest competence.

Issue 16 -- Shuldiner Takes Command

"Your voice should lead to action," says the new Superintendent, who begins his job with high expectations – and immediate concerns about student safety.

Issue 15 -- January 21, 2026 Seattle Public Schools Regular Board Meeting Recap

Board members discuss restoring committees, updated the rules about cops on campuses, and extended the student representative program.

Issue 14 -- Board Gets Update on Highly Capable Program

Two new highly capable cohorts are coming to West and South Seattle -- but so are changes to identification practices.

Issue 13 -- ICE Protections on SPS Campuses

Immigration enforcement activity has ramped up across the country in recent months. Though Seattle has not been specifically targeted in the same way as other cities, Seattle-area immigration arrests have more than doubled since Trump took office.  A well-documented incident of ICE officers executing violent arrests on school property in

Issue 12 – SPS Schools Shelter In Place Due To ICE Reports

Credible reports of ICE near SPS campuses triggered an immediate response.

Issue 11 -- January 14, 2026 Seattle School Board Special Meeting Recap

The board hears updates about "Life Readiness" and about the state legislative session.

Issue 10 – Will Washington State Finally Tax the Rich to Fund Public Schools?

Will 2026 be the year legislators amply fund public schools? Probably not. But maybe in 2029...

Issue 9 -- December 10, 2025 School Board Meeting Recap

The board re-elects their officers, hears a budget update, and learns about changes to the choice process.

Issue 8 -- Yes, SPS Is Still Using SOFG

SPS uses a controversial governance model to guide board procedures and relations with the superintendent. Liza Rankin incorrectly claimed it doesn't.

Issue 7 -- December 3, 2025 Seattle School Board Meeting Recap

New directors get bad news about student achievement.

Issue 6 -- Holiday Reading

A roundup of the latest SPS news as we go into the Thanksgiving weekend.