A Message from Ben Shuldiner

Dear Seattle Public Schools Community,

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

Yesterday, more than 60 high school students came to the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (JSCEE) to spend their Saturday with me and other district leaders as part of this year's Student and Superintendent Advisory Board. It was awesome. For an hour we discussed topics that were meaningful to our students. We talked about safety and security and the use and misuse of artificial intelligence, specifically large language models (LLMs) and generative AI. I heard students discuss their desire for more rigorous instruction, and I listened intently around the availability or lack of availability of programs and classes, as well as many other important topics.

The students were thoughtful and kind, deeply interested in making their schools and the district better. Be it finding ways to stop students from vaping in the bathrooms or how students and some educators could stop using AI to bypass the work needed to have a robust educational experience, every idea posited was made in a cogent and clear way. I am so incredibly proud of these students who spent their weekend sharing their ideas and lending their voice to making our district better. I can't wait until next month's SSAB meeting. Thank you again to all the students who participated.

I also want to talk about the "October Shuffle." As many of you know and have experienced, the district has a history of moving teachers from one class to another in October to make up for enrollment imbalances. Over the years, this has prompted teachers to be taken out of classes well into the semester, causing students to start over with a new teacher and sometimes even be combined into other classes.

Clearly, this is not good for either our students or staff. This is why last school year we made such a concerted effort to not only get through our open enrollment, waitlists, and transfers as soon as possible, but also do a very diligent and thorough June adjustment, with a series of mitigations, so that we could get the most accurate staffing possible and, if we needed to move educators, do it over the summer rather than during the school year.

Well, I am happy to report that this hard work has paid off. For our "September Shuffle" (yes, we are moving even quicker), we are only removing 3 General Education FTE (full-time equivalent) classroom teachers from their current classroom, and we are adding 4.8 FTE for a total net change of only +1.8 FTE. Of course, I wish it was zero and that no one would have to move, but please put this in context: a district with over 100 schools and almost 50,000 students being staffed in a way that, at least right now, we don't have to remove more than 3 general education educators is a pretty good win.

For Special Education, we are adding 2.5 FTE certificated staff and removing 1 FTE, and we are adding 3 FTE Multilingual certificated staff during the "September Shuffle."

I do want to be clear that these numbers are much more dynamic. We do staff adjustments every two weeks for Special Education because IEPs and individual needs can change so rapidly. But the large-scale balancing is now finished.

I want to thank all of the people from Enrollment, Special Education, Multilingual, Budget, Operations, and the Executive Directors and Principals who made this structural change possible. Slowly but surely, we are resetting the district to be better for our community.

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

When Denny International Middle School students identified pedestrian safety concerns near their campus, they took action. Members of the school's Associated Student Body (ASB) partnered with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to advocate for safer crossings, sharing ideas that helped bring new street safety improvements to the neighborhood, including enhanced crossing features designed to improve visibility and safety for students, families, and community members.

The project expanded beyond transportation and safety. After the improvements were installed, students designed and painted colorful murals on the new curb bulbs, creating welcoming public art that reflects the culture, environment, and connections within the Denny and Chief Sealth communities. The student artwork celebrates local nature, school pride, and the shared journeys of students across Southwest Seattle.

The effort demonstrates the power of student leadership and civic engagement. By identifying a community need, advocating for change, and helping bring their vision to life, Denny students created a lasting impact that will benefit current and future generations. Their work serves as a reminder that student voices can help build safer, stronger, and more connected communities.

Read the full story to learn more about how Denny students partnered with community leaders to improve safety and leave a lasting mark on their neighborhood.

Seattle Public Schools invites students, families, staff, and community members to participate in the first Superintendent Community Engagement Meeting of the 2026-27 school year on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Thornton Creek Elementary School. These meetings provide an opportunity for community members to share feedback directly with district leadership on issues that matter most to SPS schools and students.

The Sept. 29 meeting will focus on three topics identified as priorities through last year's engagement process: academic rigor, school design, including neighborhood schools, option schools, dual language programs, and Highly Capable services, and school safety and security. Feedback gathered during these discussions will help inform future conversations and district planning.

To make participation as accessible as possible, language interpretation in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese, as well as ASL services, will be available. Light refreshments and activities for children will also be provided.

Your voice matters.

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

Seattle Public Schools' Rainbow Families mailing list helps connect LGBTQ+ students, families, and allies with opportunities for community, support, and resources across the district, including the annual LGBTQ+ Families Dinner.

Families with one or more LGBTQ+ members are encouraged to sign up and stay informed about upcoming events and opportunities to connect.

Visit the SPS website for additional LGBTQ+ resources and supports.

Beginning Jan. 4, 2027, Seattle Public Schools will transition away from the current one-to-one iPad model in kindergarten through second grade and move to a classroom-based approach to technology access. The change reflects the district's commitment to developmentally appropriate learning experiences for its youngest students.

Under the new framework, iPads will continue to be available in K-2 classrooms when they support a clear instructional, accessibility, intervention, or assessment purpose. Technology will remain an important learning tool, but classroom instruction will continue to prioritize reading, writing, conversation, collaboration, movement, play, and hands-on exploration.

The update also means K-2 iPads will remain at school and will no longer be sent home with students. SPS will continue to provide all technology-related accommodations and supports required through IEPs, Section 504 Plans, Assistive Technology Plans, and other approved accessibility services, ensuring students receive the tools they need to succeed.

Read the full family letter and review the FAQs on the SPS website for additional details about the transition and what it means for students and classrooms.

Together, we're helping create developmentally appropriate learning experiences that allow every SPS student to thrive.