Federal Way Public Schools

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Federal Way Public Schools is a school district covering all of Federal Way, Washington and portions of Kent, Des Moines, and unincorporated county land between the city and Auburn, totaling 35 square miles (91 km²). There are 37 schools (23 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 1 Public Academy, 1 Internet Academy (K-12), and 5 high schools) in the district. With 22,395 enrolled students as of 2006, it is the 7th largest school district in Washington. The district employs 3,766 staff members (including substitutes). It was founded in 1929.[1]

Federal Way Public Schools is unique in that it has a very successful public academy, which provides an advanced education to anyone willing to enroll. It is also one of the strongest advocates for charter schools in Washington. The current Superintendent is Tom Murphy.[2]

The school district recently completed a transition from Junior High Schools to Middle Schools.

Contents

[edit] Schools

[edit] Elementary

  • Adelaide Elementary School
  • Brigadoon Elementary School
  • Camelot Elementary School
  • Enterprise Elementary School
  • Green Gables Elementary School
  • Lake Dolloff Elementary School
  • Lake Grove Elementary School
  • Lakeland Elementary School
  • Mark Twain Elementary School
  • Meredith Hill Elementary School
  • Mirror Lake Elementary School
  • Nautilus Elementary School
  • Olympic View Elementary School
  • Panther Lake Elementary School
  • Rainier View Elementary School
  • Sherwood Forest Elementary School
  • Silver Lake Elementary School
  • Star Lake Elementary School
  • Sunnycrest Elementary School
  • Twin Lakes Elementary School
  • Valhalla Elementary School
  • Wildwood Elementary School
  • Woodmont Elementary School

[edit] Junior High/Middle

  • Illahee Middle School
  • Kilo Middle School
  • Lakota Middle School
  • Public Academy
  • Sacajawea Middle School
  • Saghalie Middle School
  • Sequoyah Middle School
  • Totem Middle School

[edit] High Schools

[edit] K-12

  • Internet Academy

[edit] Censorship

The Federal Way School District is notable for its censorship of various books and movies. The District has banned the showing of R and PG-13 rated movies. In 2004, the District banned the use of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie, saying that the book's sexually explicit scenes were inappropriate.[3]

In June 2006, the Board publicly considered a ban on flip flop sandals as part of a package of dress code changes. This sparked a local controversy challenging the wisdom of such a ban, and questioning the significance of students' footware compared to other issues facing the district. Both teachers and students opposed the move. [4] At the vote on June 27, the flip-flop provision was dropped from the dress code motion, which passed.[5]

On January 9, 2007, the Federal Way Public School District temporarily blocked its teachers from showing Vice President Al Gore's global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, without presenting a "credible, legitimate opposing view." The order was passed after Frosty Hardison, a Federal Way parent, complained about the movie's use in his daughter's class. Hardison was quoted in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer citing Biblical predictions of the age and end of the world, and saying neither condoms nor Al Gore belong in the school.[6] The Board cited its policies on the teaching of controversial issues, neither of which provide for a moratorium.[7][8] On January 23, after two weeks of criticism in the local and national scene, the Board backtracked and repealed the moratorium, but still insisted that opposing views need to be considered.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2005-2006 Federal Way Public Schools Fact Sheet
  2. ^ Federal Way Public Schools Official website
  3. ^ Associated Press, Washington school district strikes contested book from reading list, May 12, 2004
  4. ^ KOMO News, Federal Way Schools May Ban Flip-Flops, June 19, 2006
  5. ^ Associated Press, School Board Flip-Flops on Flip-Flops, June 29, 2006
  6. ^ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Federal Way schools restrict Gore film, Jan 11, 2007
  7. ^ FWPS policy 2231
  8. ^ FPWS policy 2331P
  9. ^ Seattle Times, Federal Way School Board lifts brief moratorium on Gore film, Jan 24

There were other Parents other than Mr. Hardison. Al Gore was/ is a political view/term that was used. (If one side is shown why not others?) The Condom reference was not noted as one of the other issues in school by news papers. It has been reported by students and teachers alike that if students need Condoms,that they need to go to the nurse for them. Thus the quote, "Al Gore doesn't belong in school, nor do Condoms."

However, the reporter of the Seattle PI failed to note this in his 45 minute interview with the Hardison family.