Advocacy Committee takes message to Olympia
On the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday last Monday, Jan 19, the Mercer Island School District (MISD) Advocacy Committee, consisting of representatives from each of the six schools in the district, made the trip to Olympia to attend the 2015 Washington State PTA Annual Legislative Focus Day. Committee members also met with state legislators to discuss funding issues facing MISD.
In an email sent to the Reporter, the MISD Advocacy Committee detailed its advocacy message with the following objectives:
-The Legislature should ensure that McCleary is fully-funded while maintaining the definition of basic education, and that during this process, no further restrictions, limitations or reductions occur with respect to local communities’ ability to supplement education through local district education levies.
-If levy lids were reduced by three percent, five percent or 10 percent, this would equate to MISD losing $1.08 million, $1.80 million or $3.6 million, respectively.
-Reducing local levies will result in some communities losing significant school funding. During this critical legislative session, Washington lawmakers must ensure that students in certain districts are not actually harmed by their actions on the McCleary decision.
The group met briefly with Representatives Tana Senn and Judy Clibborn to share its message, and was tentatively scheduled to meet with Senator Steve Litzow, but unable to meet due to the relative short notice of the trip.
The advocacy message was composed by Mercer Island’s PTA Legislative Advocacy Team, which included the Legislative advocacy representatives from all six Mercer Island schools, School Board Director Pat Braman, MI Education Association President Tani Lindquist and City Councilmember Mike Cero.
Listen online to MIHS musicians perform on KPLU radio
Last week, six members of the Mercer Island High School jazz program were featured in a performance on KPLU radio, 88.5 FM, Jan. 15 at KPLU’s Belltown studio. KPLU recently posted the performance on its website (http://www.kplu.org/post/live-studio-session-mercer-island-high-school-jazz-sextet-special-guest-jay-thomas).
The performance was part of the KPLU School of Jazz project. KPLU selects 10 schools to participate in the project and sends a guest artist to each participating school to work with students and prepare the performance. The guest artist also participates with the students during their on-air performance. The guest artist for MIHS was trumpet and saxophonist Jay Thomas.
The performing students are: Riley Fang, saxophone; Shea Kelsay, trumpet; Tynan McGee, trombone; Eric Westergard, piano; Max Van Gelder, bass and Dylan Lesko on drums.
Mercer Island School District 2015 Childfind notice
As required by Washington state law, the Mercer Island School District (MISD) is offering Childfind activities to locate, evaluate, and identify students age birth to 21 with suspected disabling conditions, regardless of the severity of their disability, who are residing within the boundaries of the Mercer Island School District and are not currently receiving special education services.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that local school districts make every effort to identify and provide a free and appropriate education for all educationally disabled students between birth and 21 years of age, regardless of whether or not the student is attending private school, including religious schools.
In addition, Childfind activities are calculated to reach highly mobile students with disabilities such as homeless and migrant students, and students who are suspected of being a student with a disability and in need of special education, even though they are advancing from grade to grade.
If you have a child who is between birth to 21 years of age whose development is of concern, please call the MISD Special Education Department at 206-236-3329.
