tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post3590438578518095292..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Program Placement gamesMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41336585869752087032016-03-22T19:17:48.973-07:002016-03-22T19:17:48.973-07:00It is the board's legal responsibility to adop...It is the board's legal responsibility to adopt curriculum- questions, questions. The board chose a recommended math curriculum, but I'm not going to argue with you.Watchingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81941249016164041862016-03-22T18:39:53.735-07:002016-03-22T18:39:53.735-07:00School, program, service, classroom, curricular fo...School, program, service, classroom, curricular focus - the name doesn't matter. What matters is whether the authority to open it, close it, or move it rests at the school level or the District level.<br /><br />If the authority lies at the District level, it is program placement.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7033551297250437282016-03-22T10:05:35.430-07:002016-03-22T10:05:35.430-07:00Staff said that the EEU was a service not a progra...Staff said that the EEU was a service not a program, and that Middle College sites were just classrooms, so they could make changes without notice. I think it's a good thing that these changes are back under board oversight, but will the underlying issue still remain of how to define a program?<br />LizaSfTLiza Rankinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01074319353580223165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62541258246570943732016-03-22T06:01:45.325-07:002016-03-22T06:01:45.325-07:00I think they could find a more compliant Superinte...I think they could find a more compliant Superintendent and, here's the bonus, they could get a compliant one for less than they are paying now.<br /><br />Board policy 1620 states: "The Board is charged with setting district policy and the Superintendent is charged with carrying out and enforcing that policy."<br /><br />A Superintendent who saw the role in that context would be more affordable, less political, less expensive, and, hopefully, more competent, than one who thinks the Vision for the District should come from the Superintendent's office.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15744591539799645912016-03-21T22:05:02.669-07:002016-03-21T22:05:02.669-07:00The board is about to find themselves very busy. I...The board is about to find themselves very busy. I still think Sue Peters made a mess of things when she got so involved in the math adoption, but that's another story.<br /><br />The board is going to start putting in eight hour days,plus all the meetings? Hire and manage their own staff, using money that could support teachers?<br /><br />Maybe pay the directors, again, instead of hiring teachers?<br /><br />They could look for a more compliant super if they want, but can they find one and do they want to go through that process again?<br /><br />questions, questionsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75483161769141488272016-03-21T20:24:30.382-07:002016-03-21T20:24:30.382-07:00I just don't agree with the thesis here. The p...I just don't agree with the thesis here. The policy is the problem. Program placement - including whether a program stays or goes - is a very important decision over which the board should have the final say. After all, when the staff make bad decisions, as they have with EEU, or bad and racially offensive decisions, as they have with Middle College, the public rightly expects the board to be able to reverse it. In a democracy, the people's elected officials should have the ultimate say over the future of a program, just as they should over the future of a school. I think the last few years have proven this to be the case.Robert Cruickshankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06906581839066570472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9952622377764441152016-03-21T15:32:25.626-07:002016-03-21T15:32:25.626-07:00It's not just out of retirement. At least bac...It's not just out of retirement. At least back to Maria Goodloe-Johnson, and probably farther, the superintendents have felt free to ignore most board policies they didn't like. The board has no tools for disciplining a super other than firing, and firing for cause will result in a nasty unpleasant court case with lots of dirty laundry being aired on all sides. The board can not renew their contract, but that's usually three years out so it's not much of a threat as a consequence.<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260807460417787614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58278537353248906632016-03-21T15:02:14.985-07:002016-03-21T15:02:14.985-07:00A down side of hiring someone out of retirement, i...A down side of hiring someone out of retirement, is that they can do whatever they want and they don't really care if you fire. them. I think that's what we have with our current sup. <br /><br />The sup is putting the district at legal risk by randomly making decisions about programs. It's the board's job to provide supervision. When you have an employee failing to do their job, they have to be put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). The generally involves removing some of that employee's authority. <br /><br />Catherinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62654235552992656072016-03-21T14:15:29.461-07:002016-03-21T14:15:29.461-07:00We have no idea what process he uses when determin...We have no idea what process he uses when determining program placements<br /><br /><b>There is no program placement procedure.</b> None. Dr. Enfield used to use a Magic 8 Ball. Dr. Nyland apparently determines them through some secret ceremony with candles and the sacrifice of a goat to check its entrails for omens. If you don't think he does it that way then tell us how he does it and point us to the document that describes the process.<br /><br /><b>He has never given the public or the Board any early warning on decisions.</b> Never. The policy requires him to report quarterly on upcoming decisions. He has never reported an upcoming decision even once. Are we to believe that none of the decisions made each quarter were on the radar in the previous calendar quarter? Really? That would explain why<br /><br /><b>He refuses to engage the community or get their input.</b> He doesn't have time to ask anyone for their input because all of his decisions have to be made so quickly.<br /><br /><b>He utterly fails to offer any rationale for his decisions.</b> Only with the most recent report has he offered any rationale for any program placement decisions made since he got here.<br /><br /><b>And he tries to evade regulation by re-defining programs to exclude them from the policy</b> He gave very lawyerly explanations of how neither the EEU kindergarten, nor the Middle College at High Point, nor Interagency sites were covered by the policy. Except that all of his lawyerly explanations were rooted in his procedure and how none of these are programs or services or schools. He didn't base his explanations in the text of the policy. If your read the policy there is no questions that all of these are covered by it.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.com