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 

Chris Reykdal Annouces He Will Not Run Agian After Leaked Comments

 

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to the office in 2028, though he left open the possibility that he may run for other elected offices.

In a news release, Reykdal said the primary reason he is not seeking a fourth term as state superintendent is because he “deeply” believes in term limits. 

Comments on several local educational blogs wrote that Reykdal had made derogatory comments about students and teachers that led to his decision to quit. 

One commenter wrote that Reykdal said in a meeting,  "these kids don't want to learn and the teachers are either burned out or woke nuts". 

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/1wdaxgz/reykdal_seeks_2b_infusion_for_wa_public_schools/ 

We have reached out for an offical comment on this. 

Seattle Public Schools Decides to Waste More Public Funds Fighting I-638

                                                That's a lot of Dodos

In a big middle finger to WA state voters the Seattle School Board chose to waste more funds suing the state to stop I-638. 

Before taking the vote, the board entered into a closed session to discuss the matter. The seven-member board then passed the resolution unanimously after brief discussion in open session, to a smattering of applause

Supporters of I-638 had put out a flyer on social media to decry that the discussion would take place in closed session, and to show up for the meeting. The flyer, titled “638 Now,” had a tagline that read “Respect the vote. No Decisions behind closed doors.”

As the meeting ended, one person could be heard shouting “King County does not get to veto —” before the microphones cut out.

I'm sure there will be much more to come on this.

Plaintiff Washington Education Association (“WEA”) is a Washington nonprofit organization representing over 80,000 members statewide, 

Are Girls' Sports Really Safe in Washington State? And Will Voters' Voices Even Matter?

 Washington voters have once again been asked to make their voices heard through the initiative process. This time, the issue is the future of girls' sports and whether female athletes should have the right to compete in athletic programs designated for them.

Initiative 638 has brought an important question to the forefront: Are girls' sports in Washington being protected, and what happens if the will of the voters is once again challenged, changed, or overturned?

The early election results suggest that a majority of Washington voters support Initiative 638. That should mean something. It represents thousands upon thousands of Washingtonians who took the time to sign petitions, consider the issue, and cast their ballots.

But there is another question Washington residents have reason to ask: How much confidence should voters have that their decisions will actually stand?

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.