What is Going on with this MOU?

I keep trying to get up from this computer but something new pops up.

So the Action Report on the Creative Approach Schools has changed (but not the MOU).  Here are the changes (the red is new):

I move that the Seattle School Board approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the Seattle Education Association and the Seattle School District No. 1 regarding the Collective Bargaining Agreement process for Creative Approach Schools and further direct the Superintendent to provide written notice to the Board prior to approving any Creative Approach School and consult Board Directors prior to waiving any Board adopted policies pursuant to this Memorandum of Understanding. The Board will outline oversight measures that will ensure continued accountability.

Then, under Background Information:

If the Board approves the motion, the Superintendent will seek to comply with the letter and spirit of the requirement to inform and consult with the Board. At a minimum, this would entail providing written notice in a Friday update to the Board of any pending approval of a Creative Approach School. This notice will be provided sufficiently in advance of a final decision to provide Board Directors an opportunity to raise concerns and provide input. 

 In addition, applications and any planned waivers of Board adopted policy will be brought to the Board’s Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee for discussion so that the Superintendent can consult Board members in a public session prior to approving any such application and waiver. The Board will revisit these issues and oversight of approval of Creative Approach Schools when considering the next Collective Bargaining Agreement with SEA in 2013. This item was removed from the February 1, 2012, Board agenda for further discussion with SEA.

What does "seek to comply?"  Give it the old college try?  Baffling.  And give notice in a Friday update?  Oh you mean those chock-full updates where the entire Board managed to miss the Sutor Report notice?  That kind of notification?

Hilariously, the bone they throw to the Board is allow them to raise concerns and give input.  (Which will promptly be followed by our superintendent stating "thank you for your concerns and input" )  And, if they have any applications or waivers of Board adopted policy will only go to the C&I committee before approving them.

The oddity is this:

The Board will outline oversight measures that will ensure continued accountability. 

When?  Read on.

The Board is advised it can revisit these issues next collective bargaining time in 2013.

Almost as if to say, "Look, this is done deal.  Want to revisit it?  You'll have your chance next time."

Nope.  They have their chance THIS time.  

Comments

dw said…
What on Earth?!

Whenever you see something that's completely odd like this, you can bet there's some shenanigans going on behind the scenes that we don't know about.

Again, I'm in favor of some kind of Creative Approach plan, but something is rotten with this MOU.
Anonymous said…
I tend to agree, dw. Jonathan was way to swaggering in his support for this MOU before the Board while Thompson and the attorney for the District (???) were very mum. I don't know what's going on either but I think SEA might need a new lawyer as well. . . Too much that was missed here and I don't know just who it benefits.

n...
PS: anybody else have trouble with the characters below the posting field?

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