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Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Staffing Updates
It would be great if teachers, staff and parents in the know could share what's happening.
What turnover has your school seen? What additions to staff, what loss of staff?
19 comments:
Anonymous
said...
At Adams we lost an excellent teacher, Ms Vokey, because she could no longer work the extra hours she did outside of school and still have a functional life. She will be a great loss for the school. I wish the district had allowed her to job-share and not have forced her to retire. Adams is getting 2 other new teachers because of increase in enrollment. The last position was filled just last month, and there were over 200 applicants for it, so I do not understand why the district claims we need TFA. JSIS has also hired new teachers for next year (in addition to the new principal), but I do not know the details for that yet.
Liz Devlin has moved from Olympic View Elementary to Jane Addams K-8 to teach third grade. Jane Addams' student enrollment has increased to the point where an extra third-grade teacher is required. I do not yet know what, if any, Jane Addams K-8 teachers will not return for the 2011-12 academic year.
I'm at the Executive Committee meeting so this is a live blog (I'll have a complete write-up later.)She
But on this subject:
- Lowell is a priority issue (the Superintendent referenced a new kind of priority action for issues such as this). The Superintendent referenced a "leadership" issue and that a letter would be going home to parents.
- there is just 1 TFA hire on the list for the Board meeting next week (there are 3 other regular hires) for conditional certification. That TFA person already has a certificate but I guess because he is coming through TFA, he has to get a conditional cert.
There was no discussion about this but I'm sure it's quite worrying to UW and TFA.
That's probably because he's coming in via TFA and all TFA candidates have to get a conditional cert. I agree it seems odd but I'm pretty sure that's the reasoning.
We'll know at the Board meeting where this candidate will be placed.
One new teacher coming to Adams is Ms. Kennedy, who transferred from Whittier. Ms. Kennedy is an amazing teacher and you are lucky to be getting her. My son had her a few years ago for 3rd grade and she's still his favorite teacher.
The TFA person with an existing residency certificate should not be sucking off the mentoring resources that should be going to our new teachers.
As for why he "needs" a conditional certificate, it would not be because he is going through TFA, rather because he is trying to do an alternative route 4 certification. I hardly think that is why alt routes were set up.
As for an already certificated teacher who wants to get TFA (Fed) grant money towards a masters degree, I'd say that is just gaming the system. Why not just go through Argosy U and leach off federally insured student loans like any red-blooded capitalist?
The Lowell letter really made me lose confidence. Ms. Francois seems to have a lot of experience, but none of it relates to gifted education at all. And the reassurance than she knows where all children need to be when they exit elementary school seems a bit absurd when referring to children working at least two grade levels ahead.
Is there going to be another letter about leadership at Lowell? The first one came a few days ago, so why would Enfield say, "a letter would be going home."
Does everyone know that Lowell did not make AYP for the first time last year? Is the reason they are keeping two sites for what they are calling one school basically that they want the testing results to look better?
If Lowell doesn't receive Title I funds, there should be no sanctions under NCLB. And it doesn't get to Level 1 Improvement until the second year of not meeting AYP.
TTM did not meet AYP in 2008/2009, the last year it was open. It was in Step 2 Improvement (failure to make AYP for 3 years in a row, consequences: school transfer + supplemental services).
Not only does Ms. Francois appear to have little to no experience with gifted kids, her experience seems to lean the opposite direction toward troubled, struggling kids. That's fine, perhaps even admirable, but not appropriate placement here.
Her experience will incorrectly bias her opinions about how to manage the kids in her care.
After all that's been happening with Lowell recently, first the split, then all the teachers running away from their principal this year, then getting booted out of their building after school was let out. Can't we at least get someone with appropriate experience for our kids?!
I recommend everyone continue to contact Nancy Coogan and Susan Enfield regarding these legitimate questions and concerns about leadership at Lincoln and Lowell, and cc the school board.
19 comments:
At Adams we lost an excellent teacher, Ms Vokey, because she could no longer work the extra hours she did outside of school and still have a functional life. She will be a great loss for the school. I wish the district had allowed her to job-share and not have forced her to retire. Adams is getting 2 other new teachers because of increase in enrollment. The last position was filled just last month, and there were over 200 applicants for it, so I do not understand why the district claims we need TFA.
JSIS has also hired new teachers for next year (in addition to the new principal), but I do not know the details for that yet.
SPS Parent
Liz Devlin has moved from Olympic View Elementary to Jane Addams K-8 to teach third grade. Jane Addams' student enrollment has increased to the point where an extra third-grade teacher is required. I do not yet know what, if any, Jane Addams K-8 teachers will not return for the 2011-12 academic year.
I'm at the Executive Committee meeting so this is a live blog (I'll have a complete write-up later.)She
But on this subject:
- Lowell is a priority issue (the Superintendent referenced a new kind of priority action for issues such as this). The Superintendent referenced a "leadership" issue and that a letter would be going home to parents.
- there is just 1 TFA hire on the list for the Board meeting next week (there are 3 other regular hires) for conditional certification. That TFA person already has a certificate but I guess because he is coming through TFA, he has to get a conditional cert.
There was no discussion about this but I'm sure it's quite worrying to UW and TFA.
He has a cert but needs a sub standard cert for what reason? That's dumb.
-TTLN
That's probably because he's coming in via TFA and all TFA candidates have to get a conditional cert. I agree it seems odd but I'm pretty sure that's the reasoning.
We'll know at the Board meeting where this candidate will be placed.
One new teacher coming to Adams is Ms. Kennedy, who transferred from Whittier. Ms. Kennedy is an amazing teacher and you are lucky to be getting her. My son had her a few years ago for 3rd grade and she's still his favorite teacher.
Whittier Parent
The Superintendent referenced a "leadership" issue and that a letter would be going home to parents.
Ugh. What else is in store for Lowell?
Please post that Lowell letter to parents as soon as you can Melissa.
Lots of us have been aware of that "leadership issue" there for some time but the "Board" hasn't wanted to hear about it (like most everything else)
I would guess that they are referring to this letter
http://lowell-app--lincoln.lowelles.seattleschools.org/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?fid=12224918&gid=2367556&sessionid=60271af67ee592e8c0039681afb8956a
- north seattle mom
The TFA person with an existing residency certificate should not be sucking off the mentoring resources that should be going to our new teachers.
As for why he "needs" a conditional certificate, it would not be because he is going through TFA, rather because he is trying to do an alternative route 4 certification. I hardly think that is why alt routes were set up.
As for an already certificated teacher who wants to get TFA (Fed) grant money towards a masters degree, I'd say that is just gaming the system. Why not just go through Argosy U and leach off federally insured student loans like any red-blooded capitalist?
U.S. finds widespread fraud at for-profit colleges
The letter does not instill confidence and only brings up more questions.
She [Ms. Francois] clearly understands where our children need to be as they
exit an elementary program.
Really, really struggling with that claim.
View Ridge is adding a new K teacher and a new 4/5 teacher.
The preschool is moving to Pinehurst.
- A VR Parent
The Lowell letter really made me lose confidence. Ms. Francois seems to have a lot of experience, but none of it relates to gifted education at all. And the reassurance than she knows where all children need to be when they exit elementary school seems a bit absurd when referring to children working at least two grade levels ahead.
Is there going to be another letter about leadership at Lowell? The first one came a few days ago, so why would Enfield say, "a letter would be going home."
Does everyone know that Lowell did not make AYP for the first time last year? Is the reason they are keeping two sites for what they are calling one school basically that they want the testing results to look better?
Mountain or mole hill?
If Lowell doesn't receive Title I funds, there should be no sanctions under NCLB. And it doesn't get to Level 1 Improvement until the second year of not meeting AYP.
TTM did not meet AYP in 2008/2009, the last year it was open. It was in Step 2 Improvement (failure to make AYP for 3 years in a row, consequences: school transfer + supplemental services).
Not only does Ms. Francois appear to have little to no experience with gifted kids, her experience seems to lean the opposite direction toward troubled, struggling kids. That's fine, perhaps even admirable, but not appropriate placement here.
Her experience will incorrectly bias her opinions about how to manage the kids in her care.
After all that's been happening with Lowell recently, first the split, then all the teachers running away from their principal this year, then getting booted out of their building after school was let out. Can't we at least get someone with appropriate experience for our kids?!
I recommend everyone continue to contact Nancy Coogan and Susan Enfield regarding these legitimate questions and concerns about leadership at Lincoln and Lowell, and cc the school board.
saenfield@seattleschools.org,
necoogan@seattleschools.org
kay.smith-blum@seattleschools.org,
sherry.carr@seattleschools.org,
michael.debell@seattleschools.org, peter.maier@seattleschools.org,
harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org, betty.patu@seattleschools.org,
steve.sundquist@seattleschools.org
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