tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post2472433963198057742..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Open Thread Friday - Have a Good TimeMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62847567760594243392012-02-20T18:46:28.448-08:002012-02-20T18:46:28.448-08:00@ Josh Hayes: we are interested in Pinehurst. We t...@ Josh Hayes: we are interested in Pinehurst. We toured it earlier this year. The only thing is that it isn't really in our neighborhood. People are always saying it is in danger of closing, I heard that is why people are wary of applying.Baba Blacksheephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995702410393056685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53594307019260576552012-02-19T10:27:38.429-08:002012-02-19T10:27:38.429-08:00Another element of 5895 that I haven't heard d...Another element of 5895 that I haven't heard discussed is permitting student ratings of a teacher to figure into her evaluation. What are the implications of <em>that</em>? How would it change the dynamic between student and teacher? Would it contribute to even more grade inflation?<br /><br />DWEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73730240648340743482012-02-19T09:09:10.362-08:002012-02-19T09:09:10.362-08:00Beloved Senior Teachers
SEA chooses to ignore the...Beloved Senior Teachers<br /><br />SEA chooses to ignore the fact that senior teachers are being forced out by predatory administration tactics.<br /><br />Please consider sharing your experiences.<br /><br />http://seattleareateachers.blogspot.com/<br /><br />SalanderSalanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139709577516284114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13151194368881028332012-02-18T08:59:42.473-08:002012-02-18T08:59:42.473-08:00SeattleSped...
Thanks for the clarification of ho...SeattleSped...<br /><br />Thanks for the clarification of how the SpEd classification is used in different places.<br />=====<br /><br />New topic<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/18/2031082/puyallup-school-chief-search-narrowed.html" rel="nofollow">Puyallup Superintendent search</a> has been narrowed down to three.<br /><br />The three finalists are:<br /><br /> • Lester “Flip” Herndon, Jr., superintendent of the Bremerton School District and a former assistant superintendent for Tacoma Public Schools.<br /><br /> • Michael Newman, deputy superintendent of business and operations for the Auburn School District.<br /><br /> • Timothy Yeomans, superintendent of the Meridian School District in Bellingham.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-855818137721970652012-02-18T08:12:42.687-08:002012-02-18T08:12:42.687-08:00Yeah, SpecialEd, I had to smile when I saw he visi...Yeah, SpecialEd, I had to smile when I saw he visited Medina Elementary School. Of all the schools in Bellevue or the region, that's the one he got sent to. (I know it probably closest to where he needed to be but there is some irony. He would have been the only African-American in the building as they have no African-American students.)Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23771383537391811942012-02-18T07:22:00.983-08:002012-02-18T07:22:00.983-08:00DWE,
You're misunderstanding politics and math...DWE,<br />You're misunderstanding politics and math about money. <br /><br />How many emails have you had from WEA about the possible health care changes? 5? 8? <br /><br />How many calls to action on this stupid Right Wing Rodney Tom pack of lies blaming us working stiffs instead of the bosses? 1? 2? <br /><br />If the state changes the health care, the union pooh-bahs get the same ol same ol as other state workers. If the state changes teacher evals and fires 1/2 of us, well, the districts hire new teachers and the pooh-bahs still get their dues. <br /><br />With Tim Burgess ('I never met an ed deform lie I didn't parrot') showing up at School Board meetings to support Jonathan's and Michael's midnight MOU on 'creative schools', what is MOST important to union leadership is that they have a seat at the table when the cutting edge of conventional don't rock the boat "wisdom" is dished out.<br /><br />ThereIsThemThereIsUsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72387987787730031662012-02-17T23:41:14.734-08:002012-02-17T23:41:14.734-08:00What kills me is, when has Obama EVER visited the ...What kills me is, when has Obama EVER visited the Northwest without paying homage to the 1% in Medina? Does he think that represents US? We are MORE than Boeing and Microsoft!SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81151493069032250042012-02-17T23:37:23.845-08:002012-02-17T23:37:23.845-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78652548508991026422012-02-17T21:12:17.638-08:002012-02-17T21:12:17.638-08:00Dan, a wise friend of mine who knows more than jus...Dan, a wise friend of mine who knows more than just counting IEPS said:<br /><br />"At Blaine school they call their middle school program "self-contained" to try to keep students with disabilities out of core classes. "Oh. We're self-contained, so you've gotta go to the room." But when they the get real, self-contained students. Those who have been in low-incidence self-contained programs, SM2, with lots of adaptive challenges - their tune changes and they say "Oh. We're NOT self-contained, like we were 5 minutes ago... you must go to Hamilton." They're self-contained when it suits them.... and no too self-contained when that suits them... all in an effort to limit service."<br /><br />It's the principal that drives that kind of doublespeak. Hey, Blaine isn't the only place that does it. But they have a rep.SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-18258334460435759622012-02-17T20:50:14.123-08:002012-02-17T20:50:14.123-08:00Upon reading Kristof's article, I see Randi We...Upon reading Kristof's article, I see Randi Weingarten is behind it. Some years ago, there was a push for us to become AFT members. I endorsed that change. I believe Albert Shankar was a superb leader of teachers and we sure need another Albert Shankar today. He was really, really smart. I would still prefer that affiliation. <br /><br />n...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-43365718562528800992012-02-17T19:39:03.675-08:002012-02-17T19:39:03.675-08:00Principal change at Whittier next year. Linda Robi...Principal change at Whittier next year. Linda Robinson is retiring. Perhaps assistant principal Helm will apply for the position? From Blaine to Whittier. Similar demographic isn't it? <br /><br />n...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23509899718408622752012-02-17T19:25:11.618-08:002012-02-17T19:25:11.618-08:00DWE,
This entire game is a giant sham.
From CATO...DWE,<br /><br />This entire game is a giant sham.<br /><br />From CATO <br /><a href="http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/war-against-the-core/" rel="nofollow"> The War against Core</a><br /><br />---<br />Today’s new front comes in the form of the Brookings Institution’s 2012 <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2012/0216_brown_education_loveless.aspx" rel="nofollow">Brown Center Report on American Education, </a>which includes three sections attacking rampant misuse of standards and tests. The first focuses on the Common Core, looking at the discernable impacts of state-level standards on achievement, and finding that (a) varying state standards have no meaningful correlation with achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and (b) there is much greater variation within states than between them, <b><i>meaning national standards will do little to change big achievement gaps.</i></b><br /><br />The report’s other two sections deal, first, with differences between the Main and Long-Term Trend NAEP – <b><i>which brings up a central problem of using tests to judge quality without knowing what’s on them – and second, the misues of international exams to tout favorite policy prescriptions.</i></b> Basically, pundits and analysts love to pick out countries in isolation and finger one or two characteristics of their education systems as key to their success. Some also love to invoke this stinker that I and others have railed about for years:<br /><br /> In the U.S., advocates of a national curriculum have for years pointed to nations at the top of TIMSS and PISA rankings and argued that because those countries have national curriculums, a national curriculum must be good. <b>The argument is without merit. What the advocates neglect to observe is that countries at the bottom of the international rankings also have a national curriculum.</b><br /><br />The report is well worth checking out.<br />----<br /><br />Clearly we have too many elected representatives that DON"T KNOW SQUAT about education or research or the intelligent application of relevant data.<br /><br />The size of various achievement gaps certainly would lead me to believe that article IX of the state constitution is being violated ... so who cares?<br />NOT the Courts<br />NOT the SPS Central Admin<br />NOT enough SPS directors<br />NOT enough legislators<br />NOT Randy Dorn<br /><br />WA State = #42 in education spending and proud of it.<br /><br />This is not solely about spending ... equally at fault is the disastrous decision making by leadership.<br /><br />The SPS spends a lot irrationally.<br /><br />To Improve a System requires the intelligent application of relevant data. <br /><br />-- Dandan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-43536241171264861922012-02-17T19:18:39.675-08:002012-02-17T19:18:39.675-08:00DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of ...DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of student growth will be developed for teachers of all subjects?"<br /><br />Here's another question, so far unanswered (but I've heard that SPS supposedly HAS an answer):<br /><br />Student takes Reading HSPE or MAP. Student's score goes up or down. Question: Who is responsible? Who get's credit or discredit? The student has Reading, Language Arts, History, Science, math, and elective teachers, all working with text in one form or another.<br /><br />Other variables to throw into the mix - Student has never been tutored after school in the past but has been the semester before the test. And/or, student's parent's divorced and mom took the household library and reading time with her and the student, through her/his tears over the divorce, cannot read anyway.<br /><br />Who is responsible for growth or lack of it in Reading?<br /><br />I've heard rumor that the district has decided that in cases where a student has both a reading teacher and an LA teacher, the teachers share responsibity got growth or regression (as measured by tests that invariably show both growth AND regression over time...)seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82408049384451903142012-02-17T19:17:27.103-08:002012-02-17T19:17:27.103-08:00DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of ...DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of student growth will be developed for teachers of all subjects?"<br /><br />Here's another question, so far unanswered (but I've heard that SPS supposedly HAS an answer):<br /><br />Student takes Reading HSPE or MAP. Student's score goes up or down. Question: Who is responsible? Who get's credit or discredit? The student has Reading, Language Arts, History, Science, math, and elective teachers, all working with text in one form or another.<br /><br />Other variables to throw into the mix - Student has never been tutored after school in the past but has been the semester before the test. And/or, student's parent's divorced and mom took the household library and reading time with her and the student, through her/his tears over the divorce, cannot read anyway.<br /><br />Who is responsible for growth or lack of it in Reading?<br /><br />I've heard rumor that the district has decided that in cases where a student has both a reading teacher and an LA teacher, the teachers share responsibity got growth or regression (as measured by tests that invariably show both growth AND regression over time...)seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33346729092427118642012-02-17T19:16:58.040-08:002012-02-17T19:16:58.040-08:00DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of ...DWE asks, "do you understand how measures of student growth will be developed for teachers of all subjects?"<br /><br />Here's another question, so far unanswered (but I've heard that SPS supposedly HAS an answer):<br /><br />Student takes Reading HSPE or MAP. Student's score goes up or down. Question: Who is responsible? Who get's credit or discredit? The student has Reading, Language Arts, History, Science, math, and elective teachers, all working with text in one form or another.<br /><br />Other variables to throw into the mix - Student has never been tutored after school in the past but has been the semester before the test. And/or, student's parent's divorced and mom took the household library and reading time with her and the student, through her/his tears over the divorce, cannot read anyway.<br /><br />Who is responsible for growth or lack of it in Reading?<br /><br />I've heard rumor that the district has decided that in cases where a student has both a reading teacher and an LA teacher, the teachers share responsibity got growth or regression (as measured by tests that invariably show both growth AND regression over time...)seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8081111863416594402012-02-17T18:24:49.957-08:002012-02-17T18:24:49.957-08:00Has anyone read Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5...Has anyone read Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5898? If so, do you understand how measures of student growth will be developed for teachers of all subjects? In other words, who (and at what expense) will develop measures of student growth for Auto Tech, Theory of Knowledge, Family and Consumer Science, IB Business,and so on? For subjects for which standardized district-based or state-based assessments don't exist, will teachers then have the latitude to develop classroom-based assessments that will figure into their own evaluations? If so, what incentive would anyone have for (1) teaching in a district-based or state-based tested subject, (2) taking on classes of historically low-growth students, (3) teaching, say, three preps instead of one or two, (4) taking on a new course, or (5) working an especially difficult schedule (teaching a 7th or 0 period, working an 1.2 FTE contract, and so on)?<br /><br />In the absence of funds to develop new measures of student growth, won't most high school assessments be classroom-based? In that case, why would anyone want to teach language arts or math?<br /><br />DWEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16125969190088944272012-02-17T17:24:51.123-08:002012-02-17T17:24:51.123-08:00About Blaine and SpEd students
Special Education ...About Blaine and SpEd students<br /><br />Special Education (May 2011) 79 <b><i>14.5%</i></b><br /><br />That was 79 students out of 546.<br /><br />The SpEd average for the SPS is 14.2%<br /><br />The WA State average is 13.1%dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3342437835485641622012-02-17T17:17:33.633-08:002012-02-17T17:17:33.633-08:00Can Community Colleges train workers for high tech...<a href="http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp120217can_community_colleg" rel="nofollow">Can Community Colleges train workers for high tech jobs?</a><br /><br /><i>The President and his Republican challengers are battling over who can create more jobs. <b>But mechanization has devastated the workforce, and Americans are not being trained for the high-tech economy of the future.</b> How much would the President’s plan for mobilizing community colleges help?</i>dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23381779147286359572012-02-17T17:01:34.677-08:002012-02-17T17:01:34.677-08:00Many of us question whether it is legal. We'r...Many of us question whether it is legal. We're not lawyers. What is not questionable is that, there is no way in h*ll that one special educator with specialized expertise can be in both a gen ed classroom AND a SpEd classroom at the same time. The result will be NO ONE will be served.<br /><br />There's been NO community engagement on this. There's been no school staff engagement. Who MAKES these decisions and steps in these cowpies?!SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50285366580042160622012-02-17T16:17:30.887-08:002012-02-17T16:17:30.887-08:00I second Johnny's kudos to the TOPS 8th grader...I second Johnny's kudos to the TOPS 8th graders. I also want to thank the supportive administrators, parent coordinators and volunteers and especially the eight teachers who spent three days and two nights away from their own homes and families. Those kids are so fortunate to be part of a community that is motivated to support them as they become <a href="http://www.topsk8.org/" rel="nofollow">active participants, leaders, learners, and contributors to social justice.</a>Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-69247710255312991862012-02-17T15:04:13.868-08:002012-02-17T15:04:13.868-08:00And can it possibly be legal?!
--monkeypuzzledAnd can it possibly be legal?!<br />--monkeypuzzledAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51057220614830177522012-02-17T15:03:29.270-08:002012-02-17T15:03:29.270-08:00Seattlesped, I'm probably naive to be so shock...Seattlesped, I'm probably naive to be so shocked but ... isn't the result going to be taking kids who may have thrived in inclusion and forcing them into self-contained? Can this be correct???<br />--monkeypuzzledAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83561094661721039572012-02-17T14:45:54.604-08:002012-02-17T14:45:54.604-08:00Seattle Sped, I believe she is on the superintende...Seattle Sped, I believe she is on the superintendent search committee representing PASS.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44660824201161536312012-02-17T14:14:57.431-08:002012-02-17T14:14:57.431-08:00Monkeypuzzled,
Some principals only heard about i...Monkeypuzzled,<br /><br />Some principals only heard about it yesterday. There is a meeting Monday night (holiday?!) with Sped Staff and administrators to talk about the new definition of service Model 4; it's a class for both inclusion AND self-contained. See SPS makes it easy. Rather than offer a continuum of placements in the district, they offer a continuum in ONE ROOM!<br /><br />Yeah, we're pissed!SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79319012750487812912012-02-17T14:11:20.790-08:002012-02-17T14:11:20.790-08:00I understand Blaine was also quite successful at k...I understand Blaine was also quite successful at keeping special education kids OUT. Raspberries to Swanson.<br /><br />And I'd like confirmation whether she is representing PASS on the Supt Search Committee. Hardly seems appropriate now.SeattleSpedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705544363458155912noreply@blogger.com