Tag Archives: Franklin High School

Franklin High School Starts Teach-Ins in Response to Largest SPS Budget Deficit in Years: ‘It’s Crunch Time’

by Shamaar Thomas


On March 20, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) hosted an online event presenting information about its projected budget deficit for the 2023-2024 school year. SPS described the district’s finances and established the concept of “well-resourced schools,” but postponed providing information about staff and future school building plans until its “Community Engagement for Future Changes” engagement period begins in September. For South Seattle’s Franklin High School, concerns are growing over staff and programming cuts because of this deficit. Although SPS announced that there will be no school closures for the 2023-2024 academic year, Franklin High School still has concerns about where resources are being allocated, teachers said.

Continue reading Franklin High School Starts Teach-Ins in Response to Largest SPS Budget Deficit in Years: ‘It’s Crunch Time’

Catherine Brown Demotion Completes Admin Overhaul at Cleveland and Franklin High Schools

by Ari Robin McKenna


The end of this school year is bringing continued uncertainty for two South End schools. Franklin High School will begin next school year without the principal and vice principals who guided them through this tumultuous year. And there will be no members left of Cleveland STEM High School’s administrative “dream team” in charge when the pandemic began. 

Continue reading Catherine Brown Demotion Completes Admin Overhaul at Cleveland and Franklin High Schools

PHOTO ESSAY: Murals — Accessible Art for Everyone

by Susan Fried


There are hundreds of murals all over the City of Seattle, and some of the city’s most iconic reside in South Seattle. Several of those murals have become cherished parts of the neighborhood. Recently, after the Martin Luther King Jr. mural on the wall outside of Fat’s Chicken & Waffles was defaced on MLK Jr. weekend, the community, including the mayor, vowed to work together to repair the damage. Similarly, when the mural celebrating the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party that hangs on the fence in front of Franklin High School was vandalized in 2021, some of the members of Franklin’s Art of Resistance and Resilience Club and several local artists repaired it.

The murals of South Seattle are an eclectic group with depictions of everything from Sasquatches, dogs, and cats to expressions of solidarity, artistic renderings of the Seattle skyline, marine life, and dancers. The art is accessible to anyone driving or walking along Rainier Avenue or Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

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The Morning Update Show — 9/7/21

The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope, and whereweconverge.com.

We also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Tuesday, September 7

Rising Rents Across the Region | Compassion Seattle Won’t Appear on the Ballot | Mask Rules for King County Take Effect | Mu Variant Now Found in 49 States | Franklin HS Football Breaks an 8-Year Losing Streak | We Buy Black | #WelcomeBackSeattle

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New COVID Cases Outpacing Vaccinations, Highest Among 18 to 24-Year-Olds


by Carolyn Bick

Even as Washingtonians mark their calendars for April 15, the day  everyone aged 16 and older in the state will be able to get vaccinated, the viral storm clouds on the horizon are growing darker.

In the last week, the average daily COVID case rate in King County alone has risen to 250 new cases per day, Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin told listeners in an April 2 press conference. This represents a 26% increase from the week before, and an 86% overall increase from the beginning of this most recent rise, which likely represents a fourth wave beginning, Duchin said.

Continue reading New COVID Cases Outpacing Vaccinations, Highest Among 18 to 24-Year-Olds

Why Franklin High School Teachers Spent the Last Two and Half Days Outside

by Ari Robin McKenna


On Monday afternoon earlier this week, as clouds began to block the sun, the temperature dove from its high of 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Extension cords of various colors trailed out of the heated, fortress-like Franklin High School (FHS) building, built in 1912, and made their way through the bushes and across walkways to where teachers, bundled up, sat at fold-out tables on their laptops, attending virtual meetings. A couple of them appeared to be shivering.

Continue reading Why Franklin High School Teachers Spent the Last Two and Half Days Outside

PHOTO ESSAY: Franklin High School Club Responds to Vandalism With BLM Art

by Susan Fried


On the afternoon of Feb. 26, as unpredictable weather loomed overhead, the students in Franklin High School’s (FHS) Art of Resistance & Resilience Club hung their latest project outside, a group of handmade signs celebrating Black lives and social justice. They attached the project to the fence next to the school’s mural honoring the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panthers, which was vandalized late last year.

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Black History Today: Trent and Ericka Pollard, Leading With Love

by Marcus Harden

(Black History Today is published in collaboration with Rise up for Students.)


“Like sweet morning dew

I took one look at you

And it was plain to see

You were my destiny

With you I’ll spend my time

I’ll dedicate my life

I’ll sacrifice for you

Dedicate my life for you”

— From the song “All I Need,” by Mary J. Blige and Method Man

I love “love.” I don’t know how else to say it. I truly believe that love is where “God” resides, in the spiritual realm and inside of all of us.

Healthy love, positive love — love that is dedicated to a purpose, a profession or a person — to me is truly the greatest love of all.

Continue reading Black History Today: Trent and Ericka Pollard, Leading With Love

Emerald Asks: What Are Your Favorite Murals in the South End?

by Emerald Staff

Murals are infused with meaning. More than decorations on a building’s exterior, murals represent and reflect the community. That’s why the Emerald asked readers this month: What are your favorite murals in the South End?

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Franklin High School Welcomes Basketball Teams from Florida to Vancouver, B.C.

by Susan Fried

The Franklin High School gym floor echoed with the sounds of squeaky tennis shoes and basketballs being dribbled on the hardwood as 16 teams from four states and Canada participated in the 2018 High School Basketball Tournament of Champions at Franklin High School. The teams came from as far away as Miami, Florida. High School teams from all around the state of Washington also showed up for the tournament. Along with the host team from Franklin, Nathan Hale and Cleveland teams also participated.

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