Odds and Ends
The first of the regional "Welcome Back" meetings with Dr. Goodloe-Johnson and CAO Susan Enfield are this week.
Community Meetings
Director Maier is having a morning meeting on Wednesday the 22nd from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Lake City Public Library, 12501 28th NE.
Board Committee Meetings
As previously reported, Audit and Finance is going to divide up their meetings to cover as much as possible. So there will be another Audit and Finance meeting (I'll check for which topic tomorrow) on Thursday the 23rd from 4-6 p.m. in the School Board conference room.
Also I checked the Families and Education levy committee reports and I think I know the source of the concern over the Family Support workers. In a Powerpoint dated 9/17/10 about the School Board priorities for the levy, it states:
Enhance health/wellness by replacing family support workers with elementary and middle school counselors.
Oh, so that's where it came from. However I asked Harium and he said he was puzzled where this came from but the Powerpoint says, at the beginning, "directors are well-versed in levy activities" and "work session held on August 25 to discuss priorities" and "all 7 directors were in attendance."
So either it wasn't actually discussed or Harium missed it.
What it would mean to have counselors versus family support workers is open for discussion. I know someone who did both so I'll ask her.
- Monday the 20th is the Northeast meeting at Eckstein Middle meeting
- Wednesday the 22nd is the Central meeting at Bailey Gatzert Elementary
- Thursday the 23rd is the Northwest meeting at Hamilton Middle School
Community Meetings
Director Maier is having a morning meeting on Wednesday the 22nd from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Lake City Public Library, 12501 28th NE.
Board Committee Meetings
As previously reported, Audit and Finance is going to divide up their meetings to cover as much as possible. So there will be another Audit and Finance meeting (I'll check for which topic tomorrow) on Thursday the 23rd from 4-6 p.m. in the School Board conference room.
Also I checked the Families and Education levy committee reports and I think I know the source of the concern over the Family Support workers. In a Powerpoint dated 9/17/10 about the School Board priorities for the levy, it states:
Enhance health/wellness by replacing family support workers with elementary and middle school counselors.
Oh, so that's where it came from. However I asked Harium and he said he was puzzled where this came from but the Powerpoint says, at the beginning, "directors are well-versed in levy activities" and "work session held on August 25 to discuss priorities" and "all 7 directors were in attendance."
So either it wasn't actually discussed or Harium missed it.
What it would mean to have counselors versus family support workers is open for discussion. I know someone who did both so I'll ask her.
Comments
Silly.
Betty Patu: If, as we claim, we have early learning a priority, why close the Ballard Montessori program?
MGJ: We are not closing that program, we just do not have room for it anymore.
Besides that surreal encounter, the thing that strikes me is the talk about the transparent budget process. MGJ says there will be a workshop in September for the board and district to dialog about how that will work. So, does anyone know about this workshop? Anyone going to one of these meetings and can ask her for that detail? Or who should I contact at the district to find out when this workshop will be (or if I missed it).
and apropros, WV says I'm "hyped"
MGJ: We are not closing that program, we just do not have room for it anymore.
How is that different from closing it?
Do keep in mind that the audience can't say anything (although Harium did say that there really aren't any rules about that) and that doesn't mean you can't e-mail Board members in advance and/or attend and slip them notes.
Yes, I did point out the Superintendent's "not closing, don't have room" statement previously. What is even better is that the space used was built for a pre-school program to be at Ballard and now that will get dismantled. Yet another one of those capital things that gets done and then undone.
MGJ: We are not closing that program, we just do not have room for it anymore.
And, of course, the REASON they "don't have room for it anymore" is a direct result of the implementation of SAP boundaries with respect to Ballard. They clearly could have had room for it if they wanted (especially with extra space available at Ingraham).
Oh -- that the Board would ask the logical follow up questions!!!
Isn't LEV "for the kids" anymore? Don't they hold kids to standards of creativity and against plagiarism?
Furthermore, of all the pictures one could choose from of Mr. Johnson (Mayor of Sac, leader of a charter school, mentor, ad astra ad nauseum) why choose one of him as an NBA star? Isn't the conference about education? Don't we have enough images of NBA players? Can't we have some statesmen?
I'm aghast. The winning "poster" is, evidently, a blown-up photo, un-credited, of a basketball player.
sigh.
As for the other 2 (new) Directors, I had thought maybe it was a toxic blend of Seattle "niceness" mixed with a hesitancy to rock the boat too early and be unfairly painted as unable/unwilling to work with others.
I hope that it is the latter; and I hope that Directors Smith-Blum and Patu will wake up to the fact that only their courage and willingness to fight for Seattle Schools will save what has not already been ruined/damaged to date. I also hope (but am not holding my breath) that if they grow spines, maybe DeBell will lose what appears to be his fear of an "unseemly row" and grow one as well.
If so -- THEN we will find out if there is ANY reason not to recall Carr and Martin Morris (Maier and Sundquist both appear to be beyond hope).