Debate the issues facing Seattle Public Schools, share your opinions, read the latest news. Organize and work for high quality public schools that educate all students to become passionate, lifelong learners.
Now It Will Get Real on McCleary Funding
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
The Dems will be releasing their proposal for the budget, including McCleary funding, today at noon. It will be televised on TVW.
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Comments
Outsider said…
Just wondering -- what funding level would the pro-tax faction consider adequate? Leaving aside the issue of lump sum vs. per student funding, the proposed funding level of $12,500 per non-special student strikes me (naive as I am) like a lot. The amount actually spent on non-special students at the building level in Seattle is about half that. I assume that districts are still allowed to raise capital budgets via levy, so where is all this per-student money going? What is the rationale for saying indignantly that it's not enough?
Outsider, so that total is not all state dollars but yes, it is a large sum.
But let's go over what that provides:
- teachers - other school staff including principal,custodian, office staff, counselors, etc. - books and other supplies - preventative and emergency maintenance - building utilities - headquarters and the staff there - specialty staff like nurses - technology (which has to be maintained and updated) - testing
There's a lot more than that but you get the idea.
The capital levies - at least for Seattle - are way behind because of the number of buildings being served and the number of aging buildings that the district has.
It would be interesting to ask the district to break down the basic per pupil funding down to one student.
I note that when I hear GOP members say they want accountability, well, there is a budget for every single district. But when I ask the question - how would YOU spend the money differently? - I never have received an answer. Not a single time.
Anonymous said…
RE: Outsider - I agree that this $12,500 number in isolation is hard to gauge. For me, what puts this number into context are the stats that show how WA school funding compares to other US states. -WA is the 10th wealthiest state but the 42nd in funding. -WA puts less than 3% of GDP into education funding.That's less than 48 other states.
These stats embarrass and frustrate me. All of our kids deserve better than this.
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Why You Should Care Mr. Crabill has found quite the acolyte in Director Chandra Hampson. In the course of discussions over SOFG, she says his name over and over, "A.J .says we...." Now that's not too surprising given the direction the district is heading and that it is Mr. Crabill's work with the Council of Great City Schools is how we got here. But it appears that Mr. Crabill is working very closely with Hampson and we know she wields some amount of power over the majority of the Board. Mr. Crabill is going to continue to work with the Board as SOFG is instituted in SPS. In fact, his role may become more public as it did at one SPS Board meeting in the spring where he was on the phone during the meeting and suggested the Board stop the meeting to "self-reflect." I also noticed that in a district in South Carolina, when things weren't going to plan, he blamed the Board for not following SOFG to the letter. Look for that to happen here if Board members w
This may only be a partial list of reasons; please, add anything else in the comments. The deadline to file to run for the Board is May 19th. Entire Board Majority NOT vetting the Superintendent in any way, shape or form. Even the Seattle Times thought that was wrong. It was just absolute hubris and it was wrong. For the second time in just over a year , board members voted to negotiate a superintendent contract during a special meeting with no opportunity for public comment. This time, they showed an even deeper disregard for their responsibilities as public servants: Aborting a national search for a new superintendent and denying Interim Superintendent Brent Jones a chance to show students, parents and taxpayers that, indeed, he is the best person for the job. Government bodies can’t fast-forward through transparent processes just because they think they know the right answer. One other odd thing about the hiring of Brent Jones - most permanent SPS superintendent contracts ar
Comments
But let's go over what that provides:
- teachers
- other school staff including principal,custodian, office staff, counselors, etc.
- books and other supplies
- preventative and emergency maintenance
- building utilities
- headquarters and the staff there
- specialty staff like nurses
- technology (which has to be maintained and updated)
- testing
There's a lot more than that but you get the idea.
The capital levies - at least for Seattle - are way behind because of the number of buildings being served and the number of aging buildings that the district has.
It would be interesting to ask the district to break down the basic per pupil funding down to one student.
I note that when I hear GOP members say they want accountability, well, there is a budget for every single district. But when I ask the question - how would YOU spend the money differently? - I never have received an answer. Not a single time.
-WA is the 10th wealthiest state but the 42nd in funding.
-WA puts less than 3% of GDP into education funding.That's less than 48 other states.
These stats embarrass and frustrate me. All of our kids deserve better than this.
-Mark