A Message from Ben Shuldiner

Dear Seattle Public Schools Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am happy to write to you all this week.

I promise this week's missive will be shorter. Thank you to the entire community for your outpouring of support for the very long, yet important newsletter I sent last week. It is never easy to make change, especially dramatic, large-scale change impacting thousands of people. But I cannot tell you how pleased I have been with the initial discussions about possible mergers. The thoughtfulness, care, and desire to put students and staff first that our community has shown, even in the face of immense impact, is nothing short of remarkable.

We have held almost half of the staff meetings, with the rest coming over the next two weeks. These meetings have been anxiety-filled and exciting; fraught with fear and trepidation, but also hope and promise. Each has been unique, but the overall feelings are the same: everyone wants our students to be supported, loved, and safe. This is why many teachers are so adamant about keeping the communities they have created. I totally get that. In fact, I applaud our staff for being such vociferous supporters of community. At the same time, there is an acknowledgement that some school buildings are not conducive to modern learning, or some class structures are not built for the best delivery of instruction. Over the next few weeks, I will update the community on the meetings and provide more detail about what is driving these possible mergers.

I also appreciate that folks want to know more specifics, like how mergers will allow more students to access Special Education services within their own school, or how many schools will go from singleton classrooms to more robust grade-level offerings. I look forward to sharing all of this. However, I want to be respectful of the process. The staff's voice is very important, and already some topics have been highlighted that have made us iterate on the possible mergers. This is why we have these meetings before I formally present anything to the Board. And as a reminder, once it gets to the Board, there is yet another round of conversations.

So, this week, I just want to talk about Ultimate Frisbee.

By the time you read this, either Lincoln or Roosevelt will be crowned the 2026 Washington State High School Boys (Bx) Ultimate Frisbee Champion. I appreciate that sports like football and basketball usually take center stage in high school athletics, but I want to make sure we recognize all our student-athletes and give them the recognition they deserve. For me as Superintendent, I feel like we have already won. An SPS team, no matter which one, will be state champion, and I hope everyone reading this takes great pride in that. I will let the community know who won next week.

These next weeks and months will be difficult as we discuss possible school mergers. Emotions may run hot. We will do our best to support all involved while putting children's needs at the forefront of our decisions. But today, let us congratulate Lincoln and Roosevelt for making it to the state finals and bringing a championship to Seattle Public Schools.

Thank you all for believing in SPS. With your help and hard work, SPS truly will be the best urban public school district in the country.

Ben

Ninth and tenth grade students at Ingraham High School recently spent the day learning, connecting, and building skills to support their wellbeing through the Possibility Festival.

Centered on the themes of Connecting, Learning, Altruistic Giving, and Play (CLAP), the festival provided students with opportunities to strengthen relationships, explore strategies for managing stress, and engage in activities designed to foster belonging and community. Students participated in interactive experiences alongside their peers and educators and watched an educational documentary focused on mental wellbeing.

The Possibility Festival supports Ingraham's efforts to increase student engagement, strengthen school culture, and create an environment where every student feels connected and supported.

Learn more about the Possibility Festival and how Ingraham students spent the day building skills to support their mental wellbeing

Seattle Public Schools invites students, families, staff, and community members to join the next Superintendent Community Engagement Meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Zoom. These meetings provide an opportunity to share feedback directly with district leadership and help shape the future of SPS schools and services.

Building on conversations from previous meetings, the Nov. 17 session will continue discussions around academic rigor, school design, and school safety and security. Community input will help inform future engagement opportunities and district planning efforts.

To support broad participation, language interpretation in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) services, will be available.

Your voice matters. We hope you'll join the conversation.

View the full meeting schedule and learn more on the SPS website.

Ingraham High School is expanding opportunities for language learning and cultural exchange through a new partnership with OneWorld Now!, made possible by a grant from the Korean Education Center in Seattle. The new after-school Korean language program will provide students with the opportunity to learn Korean, engage in cultural exchange experiences, and earn world language credit.

The partnership was recently celebrated with a visit from Yongwook Lee, Director of the Korean Education Center in Seattle, alongside Ingraham school leaders and staff. Through this collaboration, students will have access to meaningful learning experiences that broaden perspectives, strengthen communication skills, and deepen cultural understanding.

The program reflects a shared commitment to expanding educational opportunities and helping students connect with the wider world through language and cross-cultural learning.

Read the full story and learn more about this partnership on the SPS website

Lowell Elementary students had a visit from some special reading buddies!

Visitors from Page Ahead and their corporate partner PEMCO visited classrooms to read with students in small groups. The event also included a special guest Doppler from the Seattle Storm, bringing even more energy and excitement to the school.

And the best part? Each participating student got to select a free book to take home and keep, helping young readers build their own libraries and continue discovering the joy of reading beyond the school day.

Read the full story on the SPS website.