| Aki Kurose Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 3928 S Graham Street Seattle, Washington, 98118 USA |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Public, Middle School |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Status | Open |
| School district | Seattle Public Schools |
| Principal | Mia Williams |
| Vice-principal | Ron Howard |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Number of students | 465 |
| Grade 6 | 132 |
| Grade 7 | 160 |
| Grade 8 | 173 |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Peace Cranes |
| Website | http://www.akikuroseacademy.org/ |
Aki Kurose Middle School is a public secondary school in Seattle, Washington, part of the Seattle Public Schools. Located in the Rainier Valley in southeast Seattle, it serves students in grades 6-8. Aki Kurose has 97% minority enrollment, very high racial diversity and a high proportion of recent immigrants. 42% of the students are non-English speakers. The school emphasizes development of relationships between the community and the school, and establishing respect between students and teachers.[1] The students wear uniforms, consisting of plain white, blue, navy or black clothing.
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Aki Kurose was a teacher who inspired many by advocating for peace. She taught in the Seattle Public Schools for 25 years, and helped bring Head Start programs to Seattle schools. Ms. Kurose would often care for students who needed food or shelter or other kinds of help.[2] She died in 1998.[3] Aki Kurose Middle School was the first Seattle public school to be named after a teacher.[4]
Aki Kurose is a relatively new middle school in an old building. It first opened as Casper W. Sharples Junior High School in 1952. The nearby South Shore Middle School opened in 1973, but afterward enrollment at both schools declined. In 1981 the district closed Sharples and re-opened it as Sharples Alternative Secondary School, to accommodate students who had dropped out or had been expelled and could not re-enter a regular high school.[5] The middle school students moved to South Shore.
In 1999, the alternative program moved to the South Shore building and became South Lake Alternative High School. South Shore's middle school students moved back into the Sharples building, which was renamed Aki Kurose Middle School.
Of all Seattle's middle schools, Aki Kurose has the highest percentage of non-white students at 97.2%. African American students are 42.2% of the total, Asian Americans 41.1%, and Hispanics 11.8%. Whites and Native Americans account for less than 3% each. 42.4% of students are non-English speakers and 18.3% are bilingual.[6] Aki Kurose houses the school district's Bilingual Family Center, an office that helps students and their families whose home language is not English. On June 22, 2010 the Bilingual Family Center will move to the SPS headquarters building.[7]
English as a second language is taught at the school. Spanish is taught as a foreign language.
Spectrum students study at about one year above their grade level. In 2008, there were four students in the Spectrum program.[8]
Many students from Aki Kurose attend Rainier Beach High School, which is nearby.
In the self-contained special education program, special needs students stay together in one class most of the day and receive individual help. In 2008-2009, 84 students were enrolled in this program.[9]
Aki Kurose lags behind the Seattle Public Schools and Washington State averages in WASL testing. In 2008, 50.3% of 8th graders passed Reading, 51.5% passed Math and 47.9% passed Science. 22.7% of students who were tested passed all three subjects. From 2005 to 2008, pass rates rose by an average of 2% to 5%.[10] The school has failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act for every student category in Math, and every category in Reading except Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics.[11]
The school offers classes in drawing, painting, printmaking and pottery. There are drama and band music classes. Manufacturing technology students work with wood, metal, plastics and robotics. After-school classes are offered in cartooning and dance.
Aki Kurose offers boys basketball and soccer, and girls volleyball, soccer and basketball. Students also can compete in co-ed activities like track and Ultimate Frisbee.[12]
In June 2008, a class aide was charged with third degree child molestation. In June 2007, a girl reported being sexually assaulted in a school bathroom.[13]
According to Aki Kurose's 2009 annual report, student suspensions were more than four times the district average in 2006-07, when approximately 25% of students were suspended. In 2008-09, suspensions were more than three times the district average and approximately 20% of students were suspended.