tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post1799788007736690330..comments2024-03-27T20:01:11.889-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Danny Westneat Weighs in on Sup's BonusMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-76855458881228761662009-11-24T13:09:21.684-08:002009-11-24T13:09:21.684-08:00Hey Stu,
Keep in mind the "NEWS" lawsui...Hey Stu,<br /><br />Keep in mind the "NEWS" lawsuit over funding education adequately. A decision will be given prior to end of February.<br /><br />It is the paramount duty of the state to adequately fund education. The idea that the school directors are looking at PTA funds as part of the school budget makes me think that Mr. Ahearne will be winning the "NEWS" lawsuit for the plaintiffs.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-63221117686279624762009-11-24T11:10:48.342-08:002009-11-24T11:10:48.342-08:00Like adhoc, I never begrudged giving money to the ...Like adhoc, I never begrudged giving money to the elementary school our son attended, or to the Lowell fund. We went to auctions and plays, we sold wrapping paper and entertainment books, all so the educational experience could be improved.<br /><br />What always bothered me, however, was that I remember the board discussing PTA fundraising during the APP split discussions. They were including fundraising figures in some of their discussions about school funding and a number of people pointed out that it was the job of the district to pay for a lot of these things and that, just 'cause we made up the difference, raised money should not be part of their calculations. Quite often, I would hear them discuss class size without mentioning that some of those sizes were "paid down." They never mentioned maintenance that, against the rules, parents managed to arrange. this was particularly serious when discussing the APP split 'cause there was no way that both schools were going to get the same kind of money that Lowell had been able to raise. They were splitting a community AND that community's ability to support the program. How's that turning out now?<br /><br />stuStuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769983958729170219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83206766012865113932009-11-24T10:14:32.443-08:002009-11-24T10:14:32.443-08:00While the Sup is getting a bonus, I am being asked...While the Sup is getting a bonus, I am being asked to pay hundreds of dollars, on top of my tax dollars, to keep my kids public high school afloat. <br /><br />To date, at my sons high school, I have paid the following:<br /><br />$20 for mandatory Logbooks<br /><br />$35.00 to the art teacher for art supplies<br /><br />$25.00 to the science teacher for supplies (science, yikes!!!)<br /><br />$50.00 for a yearbook (isn't $50 a bit steep?)<br /><br />$30.00 for my family of 4 to see the school play X 4 times a year<br /><br />$20.00 each Friday for my family of 4 to go to the football game<br /><br />$90.00 for 2 auction tickets<br /><br />$X00.00 for auction purchases<br /><br />$100.00 Foundation/annual campaign donation.<br /><br />And I pay these fees gladly because the school could not function without this money. But, it's like pouring salt on a wound to give the sup a bonus while we struggle and give what we can to keep our school above water.SPS parenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766426598026724476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45827720542417787582009-11-24T10:13:01.086-08:002009-11-24T10:13:01.086-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.SPS parenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766426598026724476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86554095851284508702009-11-23T21:43:11.050-08:002009-11-23T21:43:11.050-08:00Stu: And someday, like Alan Greenspan, they'll...Stu: And someday, like Alan Greenspan, they'll all say, "Gee, I was wrong."<br /><br />A school district has as much in common with a for-profit business as Genghis Khan has with Gandhi. <br /><br />The very idea that for-profit business models are appropriate for a school district is nuts. If the district were a business, it would stop doing business with lots of its customers right now, instead of hand-wringing over them. Ugh. It needs no further explanation. <br /><br />Before MGJ says, "If we were a business," she ought to realize how foolish and fanciful that is coming out of her mouth, from a person who NEVER RAN A BUSINESS! <br />She may as well preface every statement with "If I were 20 feet tall and had 6 legs..." <br /><br />Simply amazing.wseadawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08750439461734046035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37158601174932025392009-11-23T19:27:33.943-08:002009-11-23T19:27:33.943-08:00Right on those promises. When the Super can only ...Right on those promises. When the Super can only deliver three out of four required quarterly reports what chance does any promise have?<br /><br />This is looking like hostages ... those who cannot afford out are held hostage. If you doubt this start examining the lowest performing largely black elementary schools. Think of being assigned to one of those schools with only the Super's promise to make every school a quality school.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14082724997853440292009-11-23T12:50:18.235-08:002009-11-23T12:50:18.235-08:00So why would anyone do this to herself and her sta...<i>So why would anyone do this to herself and her staff? Well, you would if you were ambitious. You would if you had your sights set higher than a small urban district. Your resume would look hugely padded out if you had this list that you could say you planned and were sending into motion. You could say you left the district with a lot "done". </i><br /><br />Bingo! She's going to have a bumper crop of "bullet points" for her resume, and she won't pay the price when all these new programs are dying on the vine. The APP reshuffle isn't going well and the admin isn't meeting any of their deadlines for curriculum. This is how they do it, they have no use for APP until it's time to tweak it again for another improvement plan.<br /><br />I think parents need to start saying, politely but very bluntly, "Don't promise anything new until you keep your old promises. You have no more credibility." <br /><br />When the economy improves, I fully expect there to be an exodus of students into private schools because their parents have given up the district's ability to deliver on its promises.Danny Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07632244455766365141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60380206160539267022009-11-23T10:48:31.822-08:002009-11-23T10:48:31.822-08:00Dori Monson will be talking about this on his KIRO...Dori Monson will be talking about this on his KIRO radio show this afternoon. KIRO is now at 97.3 FM (no longer at 710AM).Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56803342962485573442009-11-23T10:31:08.522-08:002009-11-23T10:31:08.522-08:0049 students listed CHS as a first choice this year...49 students listed CHS as a first choice this year. Lowest since 2006, when MGJ started.<br /><br />too bad their isn't a "fine" structure in place for these kinds of dips. (see my WASL scores above)<br /><br />MGJ would probably owe us!ParentofThreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15853045587227159562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30353442413834013392009-11-23T10:20:11.633-08:002009-11-23T10:20:11.633-08:00Is MGJ's contract an ongoing thing or is it fo...Is MGJ's contract an ongoing thing or is it for a specific time period. For example, is it a 3-year contract, or 4-year contract, with certain "renewable" clauses, or is it just ongoing with annual bonuses and reviews?<br /><br />I'm asking 'cause I'm thinking of starting a "when will MGJ leave Seattle" contest. I would put a giant grid online and everyone would get to "buy" one month over a three-year period. (As tie-breaker, each person picks a day within their selected month.) Each "pick" would cost a person a $5 donation to a public school PTA. In addition, each "player" commits to another $5 donation to the winner's PTA choice!<br /><br />As for voting out the entire board, we couldn't even find a way to get Charlie Mas into the general election and he's one of the most knowledgeable people out there. I can't imagine we'll be able to make much of an overall change. Part of the problem is that there are people who like the direction of the board; there are people who believe in the "business-model" approach and the Gates Foundation and the Broad Foundation and all the great things that are going on in the district.<br /><br />stuStuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769983958729170219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59155677728403612652009-11-23T10:10:15.058-08:002009-11-23T10:10:15.058-08:00Charlie, what I don't get about that is that t...Charlie, what I don't get about that is that the SAP depends on people choosing Cleveland. It's an option school, which is great for the program if people choose it, not so much if noone knows what it is other than that it is located in a school that hasn't been a popular choice for parents to date.<br /><br />I'd be amused by the prospect of what is going to happen to the district's projected numbers were it not for the fact that there are real kids affected by all of this.djhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01720927162286657378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83608802859669378152009-11-23T09:54:55.456-08:002009-11-23T09:54:55.456-08:00It is amazing to think that the board wrote a cont...It is amazing to think that the board wrote a contract to say MGJ could get $1,000 if 26 additional students pass a flawed test that is no longer being used.<br /><br />What else is hidden in the fine print I wonder? <br /><br />It really is amazing to watch. <br /><br />FYI: Harium supports this, I saw a comment on the Seattle Times that showed his response to a parent.<br /><br />Personally, I am ready to vote the whole board off the island. <br /><br />Will be interesting to see what the new mayor thinks about this latest....bet he's reading this blog!ParentofThreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15853045587227159562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71894182533367610042009-11-23T09:17:31.958-08:002009-11-23T09:17:31.958-08:00Maybe I'm naive, but I think a public school s...Maybe I'm naive, but I think a public school superintendent who needs a nickel-and-dime cash incentive on top of a generous salary doesn't really have the right attitude. <br /><br />At this point I'd be much more excited about somebody who wanted to excel even if their pay wasn't that great. Hey, just like my child's teacher!Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11464853896829896814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26904977143883020312009-11-23T09:07:14.821-08:002009-11-23T09:07:14.821-08:00Melissa wrote:"I'd also be willing to bet...Melissa wrote:<i>"I'd also be willing to bet that in the last 10 years, the use of outside consultants in this district has risen dramatically."</i><br /><br />And ... how has that improved anything?? Look for more of the same to come ... because this is an education fad that MGJ follows to be a knowledgeable in demand urban superintendent. Remember results are not as important as playing the "Club Ed" team game plan.<br /><br />This would be the same type of planning that led the board to believe that a bonus for an over-paid superintendent would improve student learning.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55660915899636742102009-11-23T09:00:53.677-08:002009-11-23T09:00:53.677-08:00MoneyPenny said:
"Peter Maier is a lawyer, an...MoneyPenny said:<br />"<i>Peter Maier is a lawyer, and Steve Sundquist is a competent business person. You may not like it, but this is the deal the School Board struck.</i>"<br /><br />The Superintendents contract was signed in the summer of 2007. Neither Sundquist nor Maier took office until Dec 2007.<br /><br />The credit if any goes to:<br />Chow, DeBell, Flynn, Butler-Wall, Soriano, Bass, Stewartdan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61179569051463015382009-11-23T08:54:47.633-08:002009-11-23T08:54:47.633-08:00I'd also be willing to bet that in the last 10...I'd also be willing to bet that in the last 10 years, the use of outside consultants in this district has risen dramatically.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52725770161325647942009-11-23T04:09:37.079-08:002009-11-23T04:09:37.079-08:00This post by Mel hit me at just the right time. Wh...This post by Mel hit me at just the right time. When I was talking to David Tucker about the failure to hold the community meetings on the STEM program that were supposed to have occurred in September and October, he said that he's sorry they couldn't do them but they were really busy with the new Student Assignment Plan.<br /><br />I questioned him whether the people who were working on one project were the same people working on the other project.<br /><br />What I should have asked instead was "Didn't they know, by the time they made the presentation to the Board on September 16 how busy they would be on the Student Assignment Plan?"Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85260046252111582612009-11-23T01:53:47.526-08:002009-11-23T01:53:47.526-08:00Sorry to hijack the thread, but thought some folks...Sorry to hijack the thread, but thought some folks may be interested (if they're not at the curriculum mtg at Ballard the same night):<br /><br />Mayor-elect Mike McGinn is holding a town hall meeting, Monday, Nov. 30 in north Seattle to give people a chance to share their thoughts about the future direction of Seattle.<br /><br />The meeting is set for 7-9 p.m., Nov. 30, at the Northgate Community Center, 10510 - 5th Ave. NE.h2o girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12512408535354009657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71066266609101026592009-11-23T00:39:23.739-08:002009-11-23T00:39:23.739-08:00Realizing that none of us have actually seen the c...Realizing that none of us have actually seen the contract, I have a stupid question.<br /><br />If the bonuses are tied to specific achievements, 4 or which the district has met, why is there a vote? Wouldn't it be triggered automatically or is this just a procedural thing? Are they voting to give her the bonus or are the voting to allocate the money for the pre-determined bonus?<br /><br />Can they vote no? Not this board, obviously, but a board that pays attention . . . could they actually vote no on this?<br /><br />stuStuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769983958729170219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90064894767818427162009-11-22T23:54:24.624-08:002009-11-22T23:54:24.624-08:00SPSmom says same kids drop 9% but the board sees t...SPSmom says same kids drop 9% but the board sees this as improvement. Welcome to the upside-down views of the Seattle School Directors.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62227622764270058842009-11-22T21:09:28.496-08:002009-11-22T21:09:28.496-08:00Since MGJ is getting a chunk of change for the 6th...Since MGJ is getting a chunk of change for the 6th grade reading results I went back and checked how these 6th graders performed two years ago when they were 4th graders, MGJ's first year I believe. <br /><br />2006: <br />District wide 4th grade Reading WASL = 80% pass <br /><br />2008 <br />District wide 6th grade Reading WASL = 71% pass <br /><br />SAME STUDENTS! <br /><br />Seems to me that we are losing ground here!ParentofThreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15853045587227159562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4607095793007509252009-11-22T19:57:44.288-08:002009-11-22T19:57:44.288-08:00A quarterly report on the Strategic Plan was misse...A quarterly report on the Strategic Plan was missed. Only 3 out of 4 reports in the last year.<br /><br />Hardly worthy of a bonus.<br /><br />Could someone please quote the contract language that says 4 out of 20 goals is worth $5,200. Did the board really enter into such a contract?<br /><br />That WASL pass rate sounds more like normal statistical variation than significant improvement.<br /><br />Remember 12 out of 13 high schools had lower WASL math pass rates in 2009 than 2008 (again few were probably statistically significant).dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52437431017105628052009-11-22T18:11:23.322-08:002009-11-22T18:11:23.322-08:00She takes it.She takes it.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31265917891418951332009-11-22T17:39:26.205-08:002009-11-22T17:39:26.205-08:00Was the SAP one of the 20-odd factors that would t...Was the SAP one of the 20-odd factors that would trigger bonuses?<br /><br />Is the raise she received enough to cover work on the SAP?<br /><br />Is her salary enough to cover work on the SAP?<br /><br />Since this is a group effort, do all district employees now get 2% bonuses, particularly those that sweated the details (Tracy Libros comes to mind)seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85184990751075204982009-11-22T17:33:37.560-08:002009-11-22T17:33:37.560-08:00Bets on whether she takes it or leaves it on the t...Bets on whether she takes it or leaves it on the table?<br /><br />I say she takes it.ParentofThreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15853045587227159562noreply@blogger.com