Friends of Salmon Bay
Re-Envisioning Public Education in Seattle
designed and facilitated for Friends of Salmon Bay K8 Advocacy
2024
2024
The Challenge
The 2024 school year opened with stress and uncertainty for Seattle families as the district announced a list of closures. Parents and caregivers had a lot to learn and process, and few spaces to do it together or feel as though they have a sense of agency. This workshop also took place the week of the election, so many people arrived feeling quite depleted.
The Solution
As part of Friends of Salmon Bay Advocacy, I designed and led a workshop that moved participants through time, listening to a history of SPS, considering the purpose of schools, leading to shared visions of a school district made for our current era.
The Challenge
The 2024 school year opened with stress and uncertainty for Seattle families as the district announced a list of closures. Parents and caregivers had a lot to learn and process, and few spaces to do it together or feel as though they have a sense of agency. This workshop also took place the week of the election, so many people arrived feeling quite depleted.
The Solution
As part of Friends of Salmon Bay Advocacy, I designed and led a workshop that moved participants through time, listening to a history of SPS, considering the purpose of schools, leading to shared visions of a school district made for our current era.
- Agenda
- Past: how we got to the point of proposed mass school closures in Seattle Public Schools, with guest speaker Jasmine Pulido, co-host of the Seattle Hall Pass podcast.
- Landscape of Orgs & Initiatives: a map of the organizations and initiatives already working for change.
- What if? small groups assessed current needs, created "What ifs" and "Future Truths" where students and schools thrive, then imagined how these schools could look and feel and roles needed to make it happen.
- Agenda
- Past: how we got to the point of proposed mass school closures in Seattle Public Schools, with guest speaker Jasmine Pulido, co-host of the Seattle Hall Pass podcast.
- Landscape of Orgs & Initiatives: a map of the organizations and initiatives already working for change.
- What if? small groups assessed current needs, created "What ifs" and "Future Truths" where students and schools thrive, then imagined how these schools could look and feel and roles needed to make it happen.
“
Hope locates itself in the premises that we don’t know what will happen and that in the spaciousness of uncertainty is room to act. When you recognize uncertainty, you recognize that you may be able to influence the outcomes — you alone or you in concert with a few dozen or several million others.”
“
Hope locates itself in the premises that we don’t know what will happen and that in the spaciousness of uncertainty is room to act. When you recognize uncertainty, you recognize that you may be able to influence the outcomes — you alone or you in concert with a few dozen or several million others.”
- Step 1: Needs & PurposesIn the first phase of the activity, groups considered: "In the 21st century, what are some different needs of childhood and adulthood, and purposes of schools?"
The activity helped get people thinking of the growth needed to move from childhood into adulthood. Then we moved from thinking about individuals, to K-12 schools, and how they start to serve that development, as well as other needs for caregivers and parents, communities, and society.
- Step 1: Needs & PurposesIn the first phase of the activity, groups considered: "In the 21st century, what are some different needs of childhood and adulthood, and purposes of schools?"
The activity helped get people thinking of the growth needed to move from childhood into adulthood. Then we moved from thinking about individuals, to K-12 schools, and how they start to serve that development, as well as other needs for caregivers and parents, communities, and society.
friendship & connection
practical education in nutrition, phys ed
financial literacy
managing and tolerating discomfort
providing before- and after-care services
places to gather
instilling importance of diversity & inclusion
partnerships with local businesses
- Step 2: What Ifs & Future TruthsIn phase 2, participants created "What if..." questions, then rephrased them to be stated as "Future Truths" to help place us 15 years ahead where these ifs are accepted as normal.
- Step 2: What Ifs & Future TruthsIn phase 2, participants created "What if..." questions, then rephrased them to be stated as "Future Truths" to help place us 15 years ahead where these ifs are accepted as normal.
- What If...schools raised citizens instead of only students??
- Future Truth...our schools guide students to become good citizens.>
- What If...we designed & funded classrooms to meet all students' needs??
- Future Truth...our classrooms are designed and funded to meet all students' needs.>
- What If...we treated schools like valued communities??
- Future Truth...our schools are valued communities within the city.>
- Step 3: Make It Real!Finally, participants brought everything together to envision what our schools would look like 15 years from now. They imagined what schools would look like, how they would feel, and what roles would support this future.
- Step 3: Make It Real!Finally, participants brought everything together to envision what our schools would look like 15 years from now. They imagined what schools would look like, how they would feel, and what roles would support this future.
kids graduate with life skills to thrive in all areas
classrooms have multiple staff in each room
the school has ties to the larger, multi-generational community around it
each child has a considered place in the school and is know by the staff / adults
fully funded art / music / library / nursing / social worker / SEL supports
decrease in drug usage & violence
- The ResultsAround 40 attendees took part, including parents, grandparents, and educators, and everyone left feeling lighter, connected, and more hopeful.
If you're involved in the education space and would like to explore this workshop further, I would love to run this workshop again, or setup a continuation of it to turn ideas into action steps.
- The ResultsAround 40 attendees took part, including parents, grandparents, and educators, and everyone left feeling lighter, connected, and more hopeful.
If you're involved in the education space and would like to explore this workshop further, I would love to run this workshop again, or setup a continuation of it to turn ideas into action steps.
Project Details
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Collaborators- Friends of Salmon Bay
- Speakers: Jasmine Pulido, Seattle Hall Pass
- Speaker: Jess McHugh, parent at Salmon Bay K8
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Deliverables- event arc and agenda
- futuring activity design
- handouts
- synthesis