Hey, It's Another Survey (But For a Good Reason)

An interesting Superintendent Evaluation survey that appears to be circulating in the community came my way. (And if the original authors would take credit here that's great!) I'd urge you to take it THIS WEEK, even if you participated in the CPPS survey.

Why another survey? Because we want the School Board to be fully engaged with our community in formulating their feedback on Maria Goodloe-Johnson's performance. This survey appears to dovetail relatively well with the form that the Board will be using. Hopefully, there will be constructive information from it that the Board can use/cite in their review.

Let's give the Board all the specific feedback we can on the job Dr. Goodloe-Johnson is doing. Again, doesn't matter what your opinion is but please let them hear it. As soon as I have the results, I'll post them.

Here's a link to the survey. It should be live through the weekend. The Board is already gathering information so it's a tight schedule.

Comments

Steve said…
Any idea who created it, how it might be used, etc.? There's nothing on the survey that I could see to identify who sent it out. Hate taking surveys without knowing who's asking the information...
Central Mom said…
I don't much care who started it, although it would be interesting to know. I love the idea that it is posted on this community blog and that the results will go back to the community...and I assume the board...via the blog. Is that not the intent, Melissa?

The thing I most like about it is that it calls out the same programs being promoted by the District as District successes...but allows us, the community, to weigh in on whether WE think they are successes. Sometimes, when you move beyond a PowerPoint presentation, you get a different perspective on a program. (LOL)
wsnorth said…
It was someone with a sense of humor anyway - asking about MGJ's strategy, handling of principals, math, etc. Questions that shouldn't, normally, be laughable about a super's performance.
Joan NE said…
In case it is helpful for sake of discussion, here is a list of the survey questions. For each Q, respondent indicates degree of agreement, on a scale that ranges from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree."

1. Superintendent Dr. Goodloe-Johnson has a clear strategy for "Excellence for All" that drives her decision-making.

2. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson has created in a timely manner strategies in partnership with the communities for special education that will greatly improve their academic outcomes.

3. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson has created in a timely manner strategies in partnership with the communities for English Language Learner (ELL) students that will greatly improve their academic outcomes.

4. The newly aligned language arts (LA) curriculum was developed based on a thoughtful mapping of our District's current programs and will heighten the academic quality of our LA courses district wide.

5. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson uses parent and community input when making decisions for our District. The new data warehouse and MAP assessment are examples of this.

6. In the last 12 months I have participated in a District-produced family satisfaction survey.

7. I feel my SPS District concerns are being addressed through the Performance Management and Leadership Development strategies put in place by the Superintendent.

8. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's leadership creates stronger schools with better outcomes for students. An example would be the current District procedure for principal placement.

9. During the recent budgetary crisis, the budget development process was easy to follow and engaged all District stakeholders to ensure best possible solutions.

10. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson works well with her staff to ensure fiscally responsible management of the district.

11. I believe the currently adopted choices for the District's K-12 math curriculum are the right ones and will result in a closure of the achievement gap in the near future.

12. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson is effective at managing her staff and principals, utilizing evaluation tools to ensure quality instruction in every classroom.

13. The BEX and BTA projects and planning reflect the Superintendent’s willingness to innovate and plan for the 21st Century.

14. The BEX and BTA projects and planning reflect the Superintendent’s willingness to engage the community.

15. The Superintendent’s contract has two years left. In 2012, she will have served for 5 years. I am satisfied with the overall performance of Dr. Goodloe-Johnson as Superintendent of SPS and believe her current contract should be extended till 2013.

16. The Superintendent’s contract has two years left. In 2012, she will have served for 5 years. I believe the current contract should not be extended and results should be reviewed at the end of the 5 year period to determine a new contract (or not) at that time.

17. (Optional:) Additional Comments for Aiding in the Superintendent's Evaluation
(Optional:) Additional Comments for Aiding in the Superintendent's Evaluation

18. Please describe your current relationship to the Seattle Public School District.

19. [contact information, optional except for zip code]
Anonymous said…
Excellent! This survey does tie in with what the board will be evaluating. Remember, this is our superintendent's strategic plan that she has developed. How is she measuring up to her own set of standards?

This is far better than the one that CPPS had on their site and you can't do it twice as I did with the CPPS survey.
livfinne said…
Melissa,
I can't figure out how to post a comment on this blog---I get sent to blogspot when I try to sign in. I don't want to create a blog, I just want to post our new study about Seattle's current collective bargaining agreement. Can you help?
Liv
I am actually not sure who created (I received it through a nameless source).

Central Mom, that's why I posted it. It allows you to try to think like a Board member. What are they looking for as they review her work.
Anonymous said…
Melissa,

This survey is from a reliable source and was developed for the supe's evaluation.

I don't know who sent it to you, it wasn't me, but I do know the source.

By the way, to make sure that your response and thoughts get to another party, you can send them to MacDonald Boyd and Associates:

http://www.macboyd.com/?cat=15#steve

steve@macboyd.com

They will be facilitating the supe's evaluation. That's a sight better than last year when they had Payzant, the Broad superintendents' coach, presiding over the proceedings.
Central Mom said…
Just looked up the 2-page, board-approved overview of the strategic plan. Find it here.

I found it worthwhile to review the main points and supporting action items in order to thoughtfully fill out the survey.
Charlie Mas said…
Most of the questions were very badly written. They either asked about multiple things at the same time or made inappropriate assumptions.
Anonymous said…
The Post and Courier in Charleston: "McGinley Praised in Teacher Survey"

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/22/mcginley_praised_teacher_survey83219/

McGinley was elected as superintendent of the Charleston school district after GJ left.

What a difference.
Anonymous said…
And remember this from the recent past: "Arbitrary and Capricious".

"Judge rejects Seattle's high school math program"

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/415049_math04.html
Dora-- FYI, it would be easy to take this survey two times (or more) as well since it's built using similar technology. (Not that I expect most people will.) And as a word-of-mouth web poll that anyone can take anonymously, it's no more scientific.
It will be interesting to see if the two surveys correlate since some of the questions are similar (#1 is word-for-word identical).
The CPPS results will be out soon (the survey is closed & we're working on the analysis).
I took the survey myself because the more feedback the better, but it is strange not having any idea who owns this survey.
cascade said…
re: taking any survey more than one time

I took the CPPS survey and now this one. I assume both survey owners will do the same thing, which in summary is discarding IP addresses appearing more than once. It's a bit more involved than that, and there are always ways to game a system, but it will take care of the bulk of any issues. Now carry on with your community engagement on community engagement and quit sniping at each other. I for one am excited to see any and all feedback that is community produced as opposed to translated from little index cards from an SPS meeting.
SPS mom said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
seattle citizen said…
Yes, SPSmom, every year, the Board gets to decide if it wants to renew. If it does, we have another three years. If it doesn't, we have another two years no matter what. Unless the Board opted to remove her immediately, in which case it would have to buy her out, at a cost of....$480,000 (240 x 2)
Or at least that's my understanding.
Liv, write me at

melrhs@hotmail.com

and I will forward your request to Beth Bakeman. We generally need to vet documents before they are put on the blog.
Anonymous said…
I agree with Andrew, it's feels weird to participate in a survey made by someone we don't know, and don't have any idea of how or even [i]if[/i] it will be used. Yes, Dora has vouched for the creator(s), which is better than nothing, but why the mystery?

I'll probably take it anyway, but definitely have far less motivation.
Let me just be clear, the Board will get the results of this survey. That's the "why" of why take it. I agree that the mystery isn't great but I think the fact that it parallels what the Board is using makes it useful.

This survey coupled with the to-the-point CPPS survey can give the Board at least some outlook from outside the district headquarters.
dan dempsey said…
Seattle Citizen said:
"Unless the Board opted to remove her immediately, in which case it would have to buy her out, at a cost of....$480,000 (240 x 2)
Or at least that's my understanding."
?


True except there is always option "c"

"Fired with cause"

It appears that given enough rope option "c" is a possibility.
SPS mom said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
seattle citizen said…
Speaking of survey mysteries:
WHO actually organized and ran the "Our Schools Coalition" survey?
Was it Strategies 360, a PR firm? Who hired them, and where did the money come from?

WHO at SPS gave the list of staff and parent names and phone numbers to either a) the Alliance, who must have then given the list to Strategies 360; or b) Strategies 360 itself? Either way, SOMEONE broke the law, because the law forbids using this information for commercial purposes, and this includes giving the information to a commercial entity, which Strat 360 obviously is.
Someone has some 'splaining to do.
You know, SC, I think you are onto something. The "Our Schools" Coalition explains who took the survey but not where they got the list of parents and teachers. (Teachers are public employees so they have accessed public records. But parents and their phone numbers?)

You asked about Strategies 360 and I think they are a player in all this. I got an e-mail with a press release from Lesley Rodgers from 360 about the Board voting to join in on the RTTT money.

I called and asked who asked them to put out the press release and the answer was...the state. Interesting.
SPS mom said…
FERPA has some guidelines about the release of student information (including name, address, phone number):

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Doesn't the district have an opt-out form for directory information that is given to parents at the beginning of each school year?
seattle said…
"This survey is from a reliable source and was developed for the supe's evaluation. I don't know who sent it to you, it wasn't me, but I do know the source."

If you know the source, and it is "reliable" why not just give them credit, and put survey takers at ease?. All of the mystery and fog around this survey is odd and makes it feel like a hoax.

Why the secrecy Dora?
TechyMom said…
this one cracks me up

"5. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson uses parent and community input when making decisions for our District. The new data warehouse and MAP assessment are examples of this."

cuz, yeah, IT infrastructure spending. That's what customers always ask for.
Look, if you think about it hard enough, you might understand why the survey writers might not want to come forward (and they themselves might be protecting someone else). Think about it.

Sometimes everyone needs help to see the truth.
ParentofThree said…
Survey or no survey, if the board doesn't get how unhappy parents and teachers are at this point they aren't ever going to get it.


I'll just use Capacity Management in West Seattle as just one example.
Charlie Mas said…
Honestly, ParentofThree, I don't think the board knows that people are unhappy with the direction the District is headed. I think there are four members of the Board who are very happy with the District's direction and presume everyone else shares their perspective. Anyone who doesn't is dismissed as a crank.

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