Editor's Note 2026

 The following posts are on subjects I think worthy of consideration. I would hope this information is relevant for your consideration. That being said, nothing posted should be construed as to what I believe. It is my hope to open up the dialogue about various aspects of education.

Birth of this blog and the Melissa Westbrook connection 

USS Liberty incident

 Click here to get the latest seattle public school's FOIA request log      New June 2023 file

BOX OF SHAME   <<<<<< take a peek !

View OSPI's SPS citizen's complaints here     Full list of SPS parents complaints here

Seattle School Board Elections    More local stories     H1B impacts Parr-Franconia warehou

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_2w0UlpvjY 

The Reality of Seattle's Debt and Deficit

 When you strip away the programs and political jargon, Seattle’s core financial architecture is in a high-stakes balancing act. The city is simultaneously trying to claw its way out of an immediate budget deficit while managing a multi-billion dollar long-term mountain of debt.

The actual, current balance sheet for the city breaks down into two distinct financial categories:

Before Blaming Trump, Look in the Mirror: Seattle, King County and Washington State Must Answer for Its Own Problems

There is a curious contradiction in Washington State politics. For years, many of the loudest political voices in Seattle, King County, and across Washington have blamed Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington, D.C., for nearly every problem facing the country. Yet when it comes to the problems in their own communities, there seems to be considerably less enthusiasm for holding local leadership accountable.

Perhaps it's time for a little political honesty.

Seattle has not had a Republican mayor since J.D. (Dorm) Braman left office in 1969. King County's last Republican County Executive, John Spellman, left office in 1981. Washington State's last Republican governor, John Spellman, left office in 1985.

For decades, Democrats have held the dominant position in Washington's state government and in the political leadership of the Seattle and King County region.

That is a substantial record of political responsibility.

If residents are frustrated with homelessness, public safety, housing affordability, transportation problems, taxes, deteriorating public spaces, or the cost of living, they deserve to ask some basic questions:

• What have our local elected officials done to address these problems?
• Which policies have worked, and which have failed?
• How much taxpayer money has been spent, and what measurable results have residents received?
• Why should voters continue accepting the same explanations when the same political leadership has had years, sometimes decades, to produce better outcomes?

These are fair questions regardless of political affiliation.

 

Seattle Faces Business Revolt As Nearly Half Weigh Exit

 Nearly half of Seattle businesses surveyed by the Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have seriously considered moving operations, jobs, or investment out of the city, putting pressure on socialist Mayor Katie Wilson in her first year in office.

 

To add to the downturn, some of the highrises in Seattle have seen 80%+ price drops since 2019. The city's political leaders were given an incredible tech boom and they squandered it. 

 Recently, Starbucks Old Navy The Loft And many more businesses are GONE. They left because of crime and homelessness & now most of downtown Seattle looks VACANT.  

My Story: Why Aren’t There Flock Cameras on North Aurora Avenue to Help Record Shootings?

 When shootings happen along North Aurora Avenue in Seattle, one question deserves to be asked: Why aren't more measures being taken to help document these incidents, identify those responsible, and protect the people who live, work, and travel along this corridor?

For residents, business owners, commuters, and families, gun violence is not simply a headline in the news. It is a concern about personal safety, the safety of loved ones, and whether the community is doing enough to prevent the next incident.

   Could a system like this stop the shootings?

 

Flock cameras have become part of the conversation about public safety in many communities. These automated license plate reader systems can capture vehicle information and help law enforcement investigate certain crimes. Depending on the system and camera configuration, however, they generally do not record a shooting itself in the way a conventional video surveillance camera might. That distinction matters when discussing what North Aurora Avenue actually needs.

Is Seattle Public Schools Worth the Risk to Our Children, Teachers, and Taxpayers?

 When the safety of students, the well-being of teachers, and the responsible use of public money are in question, the community deserves more than promises. It deserves answers.

Every morning, parents across Seattle send their children to school believing they are making the right decision. They trust that their children will be safe, that teachers will be prepared to teach, and that school administrators will respond when something goes wrong. Teachers arrive with their own expectations: to educate, encourage, and prepare the next generation for the future. Taxpayers contribute billions of dollars to support a public education system they expect to serve the community.

But what happens when that trust begins to weaken?

What happens when teachers feel overwhelmed by escalating classroom behaviors, when students struggle to learn in disrupted environments, and when families question whether school administrators are responding effectively to their concerns? At what point should the public stop accepting explanations and start demanding measurable results?

These are difficult questions, but they are questions worth asking about Seattle Public Schools.

Teachers Are Reaching Their Breaking Point: The Growing Crisis in Today’s Classrooms

 Teaching has always been a challenging profession, requiring patience, compassion, creativity, and dedication. However, many teachers today feel that the challenges of the classroom have reached an entirely different level. Increasingly disruptive behavior, limited disciplinary consequences, and the growing responsibility of addressing students’ mental health and social-emotional needs have left educators feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, and emotionally exhausted. While education should be a place where every student has the opportunity to succeed, we must also recognize that teachers deserve safe, respectful, and supportive working environments.

One of the most pressing concerns facing teachers is the escalation of classroom behavior problems. Educators are expected to manage frequent interruptions, defiance, verbal aggression, physical altercations, and other disruptive behaviors while continuing to deliver meaningful instruction to an entire class. These incidents do more than interrupt a lesson. They take time away from learning, affect the emotional well-being of students and staff, and make it increasingly difficult to maintain a productive classroom environment. When a teacher must spend more time managing behavior than teaching, everyone loses.

Gunfire Erupts Near North 107th Street and Stone Avenue in Seattle; Police Find 80 Shell Casings

 SEATTLE, Wash. — October 24, 2026 — Seattle police are investigating a shooting reported Saturday morning near North 107th Street and Stone Avenue North in the Haller Lake neighborhood after dozens of shots were fired, leaving a nearby resident narrowly avoiding injury when bullets entered her apartment.

According to reporting by KIRO 7, officers received reports of gunfire shortly after 8:15 a.m. Police recovered approximately 80 shell casings at the scene, believed to be from five different firearms, including handguns and rifles.

Authorities said bullets entered a nearby apartment through a window. One bullet reportedly came close to striking a woman inside, but she was not injured.

Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage with assistance from Seattle's Real Time Crime Center. Police observed a black sedan traveling northbound that appeared to have significant bullet damage. Officers were unable to locate the vehicle.

Detectives with the Seattle Police Department's Gun Violence Reduction Unit responded to process the scene and assist with the ongoing investigation.

As of Saturday morning, police reported that no suspects were in custody. Investigators have not publicly established a motive or released additional details about those involved.

The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information or relevant video footage is encouraged to contact the Seattle Police Department.

92 Ballots Found in Seattle Dumpster as Election Nears, Prompting Postal Investigation

 SEATTLE, Washington — October 24, 2026 — The discovery of 92 undelivered election ballots in a dumpster at Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park has raised questions about the handling of election mail just days before Election Day.

King County Elections confirmed that two bins containing mail, including 92 ballots intended for voters, were discovered in a dumpster this week at the popular Ballard-area park. Officials say all 92 affected voters have been issued replacement ballots, while the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigates how the ballots ended up discarded.

The discovery was reported by local news outlets on October 22 and has drawn renewed attention to the security and delivery of mail-in ballots in Washington state. Source: KIRO 7 News.

Police Search Additional Trash Bins

Following the discovery, Seattle police checked 26 trash bins across two parking lots in an effort to determine whether additional ballots had been discarded. According to police, no further ballots were found during those searches.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was notified and is investigating the incident. Authorities have not publicly established who placed the mail in the dumpster or the circumstances that led to the ballots being abandoned.

The investigation will be important in determining whether the incident involved mail theft, mishandling, or another cause.

Nearly 120 Shell Casings Found After Seattle Shooting Just 1,500 Feet From North Precinct

 SEATTLE, WA — Nearly 120 shell casings were discovered in a North Seattle parking lot after a shooting late Thursday night, October 22, raising serious concerns about public safety in an area just approximately 1,500 feet from the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct.

According to reporting by MyNorthwest, officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at approximately 11 p.m. near Aurora Avenue North and North 100th Street. When officers arrived, they found nearly 120 shell casings scattered across a parking lot, including ammunition from both handguns and rifles. Several nearby businesses had also sustained gunfire damage. No victims were found at the scene, and the suspects had fled before police arrived.

A Troubling Distance From Police Headquarters

One of the most concerning aspects of this incident is the reported proximity of the shooting location to the North Precinct. At approximately 1,500 feet away — less than a third of a mile — the scene was remarkably close to a Seattle police station.

The discovery of so many shell casings in such close proximity to a police facility raises important questions about gun violence, public safety, and the security of surrounding businesses and neighborhoods.

Residents and business owners have reason to be concerned when gunfire damages nearby properties and those responsible leave before officers arrive. The incident also underscores the importance of understanding how quickly violent situations can unfold, even in areas close to law enforcement facilities.

However, the proximity alone does not establish whether officers heard the gunfire, could have intervened sooner, or had any prior warning that a shooting was about to occur.