Jan 21, 2024

Seattle Public Schools is making a huge mistake

Digital art by OpenAI. Prompt: Child sitting with book in hallway by himself, beige lighting, digital art.
Digital art by OpenAI. Prompt: Child sitting with book in hallway by himself, beige lighting, digital art.

This piece was authored anonymously by an independent middle school teacher, whose own children attended and graduated from Seattle Public Schools, and her husband works in Seattle Public Schools. They have taught in independent, public, and international schools in the Middle East and Europe as well as in Seattle. 

Seattle Public Schools, in the guise of equity, is doing away with advanced learning programs in elementary and middle schools.

The district explained their reasoning recently in a prepared statement, frustratingly describing the advanced model as “changing,” when it would be more accurate to say it is disappearing. “When our new Advanced Learning model is implemented across the district in local neighborhood schools, every student — particularly those furthest from educational justice — will have access to the learning services that meet their needs, so they can reach their full potential,” they said.