SAMI at Point Defiance
The TNT has an interesting article about a new science and math centered school to be created at Point Defiance. Despite budget restrictions, Tacoma Public School District has gotten creative to make this happen. Reused portables from McIlvaigh Middle School, rent free land from Metro Parks and an emphasis on using the setting as a classroom adds up to an interesting prospect.
The Science and Math Institute (SAMI) is modeled after the successful SOTA school. There are only 130-140 slots this year, but hopefully if it’s a hit they’ll expand it in the future.
It’s great to see innovation in our schools. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if it works. Thoughts?
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: tacoma-schools
16 comments
M Mofo from the Hood March 26, 2009
I don’t get it. What type of graduate is this school going to produce? A non-college bound graduate?
What will distinguish a graduate from this school and a graduate from one of the newly renovated state-of-the-art Tacoma High Schools?
The multi-millon dollar environment of Stadium, Wilson, Lincoln, and Mt. Tahoma is not suitable for learning the fundamentals of math and science?
• Math: abstract reasoning.
• Science: Gathering data, making inferences, deducing a conclusion by abstract reasoning.
Huh…just making an observation, not a judgement.
A amy March 26, 2009
I am so excited about this new school! Finally, the time has come to offer quality education in a non-multi-million dollar complex!
It will attract bright students and talented teachers, and will be a wonderful alternative to the existing Tacoma high schools.
A altered Chords March 26, 2009
“it will attract bright students”
Students who don’t “see” themselves as college bound?
So we are attracting bright teachers away from schools where the students are bright enough and motivated enough to visualize a college education and placing those teachers in a school for poorly motivated students to teach them math and science???!!!!
No child left behind (left behind the smart children who’ve been ignored = all children left behind other regions who allocate resources to the motivated and gifted) That’s my arithmetic equation for failure of an education system to compete.
S Squid March 26, 2009
I’d be more interested in a SERIOUS ramping up of hands-on vocational programs as a means of engaging the non-college bound student and inspiring them to stay in school (these programs have been seriously marginalized). We’re a port town with a blue collar tradition – when will we play to our strength?
I hope SAMI works, but I’m scratching my head on this one.
J jamie from thriceallamerican March 26, 2009
I like the potential for targeted, hands-on programs such as these…though my liberal arts schooling background still prefers the idea of less specialized schools where kids can both play in the band AND take their AP classes.
Also, in this specific case, I’d wonder about how a science class can be taught w/o proper lab facilities; would the fire department even allow a Bunsen burner in a portable????
Still more power to Tacoma Schools for trying this out (on the cheap). I think SOTA is cool for the kids that “think” that way and I’m sure that there’s a niche that this will fill as well.
M Mofo from the Hood March 26, 2009
Well ya know, maybe there’s something to be said for dissecting fresh Bull Frogs and Crickets in their natural habitat.
A altered Chords March 27, 2009
The Bunsen burners will be solar powered (magnifying glass) and will be used in the forest. Get one last look while you can.
T tyler March 27, 2009
The Tacoma school board is so creative! These are ways to get more kids to graduate, and to provide a magnet program for kids who are interested in pursuing science as a career. Sure, a comprehensive school can do this. But It can’t show how applicable it is to real life.
And with the budget crisis, ALL public schools get the same amount of funding funding per student. SOTA and SAMI just get creative.
A Andre March 27, 2009
Really. You locate a school as far away from the high poverty areas of T-Town and think it will reach at-risk kiddos? Please. This is an elite model for the wealthy (check out the demographics of SOTA proper for a sneak peek) and they want to suggest this is an intervention for “at-risk kids? I attended Curtis HS and we were urban/inner-city compared to this.
J J. Cote March 30, 2009
Andre@#9: When you mention “the demographics of SOTA proper” are you referring to the students or the school?
The students come from many, many different backgrounds. They are even from outside the Tacoma district and outside Tacoma proper. I know of a few from Gig Harbor and one from the Olympia area. They are rich, poor, in-between, white, black, hispanic, asian, Catholic, Hebrew, Islamic and Buddist. Those are the ones that I know of through my own brief personal contacts. My son is also a student.
As for it’s location, it’s downtown, big whoop. It’s the students, the staff and it’s unique location that make the school what it is: successful. More so than the $140Million that was spent at Stadium that had ZERO effect on it’s success.
A Andre March 31, 2009
J. Cote: Gig Harbor and Olympia are not the bastions of diversity I would cite if I were you. I checked the TSD website and the SOTA population is 77% white, 14% free and reduced lunch and they must first demonstrate success in 9th grade, then must apply to join the ranks of SOTA. Must kids apply to other public schools? Bellarmine, yes, but public schools should not have that as a requirement.
As for the location, they (SAMI) are not downtown. If so, I would be much happier, but Pt. Defiance is another 30 minutes away for a kid on a bus. Think what that means if you come from Mount Tahoma. I am guessing an hour each way.
Finally, I think SOTA does some good things. I am not arguing that. Instead, they are being promoted as the “answer” for our educational problems. They are as much an answer as Bellarmine, Curtis, etc… Try and do the same work with kids who are in special education, homeless or academically deficient. If they have the same success, then my hat is off to them. Until then, it is an elite school for the kids of the elite.
M Mike P March 31, 2009
What is the difference between this and a charter school other then it is the school district that is suggesting/supporting it thus circumventing the unions issues? Also as far as demographics for SOTA, the kids may be kind-of diverse in societal status, but if you check their test scores before they came to SOTA were they really representative of a regular public schools diversity? I am betting not although I have not been able to find that data.
A Andre March 31, 2009
From what is on their website, kids must apply to join SOTA as 10th graders showing success as 9th graders. Thus, a rigged setup of sorts. I am not sure how SAMI is working although the TNT article suggested an application of some sort.
J J. Cote March 31, 2009
Mike, Yes, Sota has a student population that includes kids with special needs that require accommodation. As for the 17% free lunch note. They don’t have a cafeteria! The kids eat sack lunches or eat at a local diner. Maybe some just didn’t fill out the paperwork knowing that it was a moot point. That would certainly drop the number.
In my own personal contacts with the school and the kids, I can honestly say that it is NOT an elite school. The kids take classes in 9th grade not to show success. There are a few classes that SOTA can’t teach because of logistics, money and teachers. You need to have taken some of the Health requirements. If you want to take a foreign language other than Spanish, you must take it in 9th Grade as SOTA has but one Foreign Lang. teacher and she teaches Spanish. There are some other issues too such as Sports teams, etc. I’m unsure of them all. But the reason is NOT to see how they measure up.
SOTA has been great for my son. It has giver him an outlet to use his artistic side. The teachers LOVE what they’re doing. I had one run across trafic the other day to tell me that she’s got some extra credit work for him that would help him to pull his grades up.
L Lucas P. April 2, 2009
As a student at SOTA, I can say that the environment is very far from elite. I know many students of several economic backgrounds and every public school in Tacoma is well represented. As far as the racial demographics are concerned, I’ve had a few roles in facilitating the application process and I’d say that the demographics that attend our ‘information nights’ for prospective students are reflected quite well in the actual acceptance rates. From what I understand, the school is actually actively trying to increase the diversity of the applications. Jon Ketler and the rest of the administration just can’t help it if more white students are interested in an arts high school than students of other races.
And as for SOTA SAMI, I think it’s a joke and is probably doomed for failure. The only thing it will be successful at in the coming years will be leeching educational talent from SOTA and the rest of the school district.
E Erik S April 2, 2009
I went to a public alternative junior high school and, yes, you can have the burners in a portable. Or at least you could back in 1990.