tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post365980543192171598..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open ThreadMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73095632310025706792013-02-13T23:05:59.281-08:002013-02-13T23:05:59.281-08:00Understood. I know (as well as one can "know...Understood. I know (as well as one can "know" electronically) that you're a passionate person, and quick to react in general, so I saw this and figured all is cool. Friendly hug.<br /><br />I also thought about the "APP stuff wears on me" comment, and realized that it wears on me as well, but my perspective might be different. Even with one foot in that boat, it wears on me just like capacity issues wear on me, and special ed issues wear on me. Not because I blame the parents who are repeatedly speaking out on behalf of their kids, but because the same issues go on and on and on every year and the district never seems to get it right -- if they even address the issues at all. So the parents complain year after year because, well, what else can they do? <br /><br />It does get tiring, but I don't see it changing.<br />dwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79719273777117053892013-02-13T23:03:37.473-08:002013-02-13T23:03:37.473-08:00Understood. I know (as well as one can "know...Understood. I know (as well as one can "know" electronically) that you're a passionate person, and quick to react in general, so I saw this and figured all is cool. Friendly hug.<br /><br />I also thought about the "APP stuff wears on me" comment, and realized that it wears on me as well, but my perspective might be different. Even with one foot in that boat, it wears on me just like capacity issues wear on me, and special ed issues wear on me. Not because I blame the parents who are repeatedly speaking out on behalf of their kids, but because the same issues go on and on and on every year and the district never seems to get it right -- if they even address the issues at all. So the parents complain year after year because, well, what else can they do? <br /><br />It does get tiring, but I don't see it changing.<br />dwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59155038119021106612013-02-11T09:54:13.472-08:002013-02-11T09:54:13.472-08:00Sorry dw, I guess we both feel insulted. As an et...Sorry dw, I guess we both feel insulted. As an ethnic minority, I detest the term "street smarts", particularly if it's used to describe smart students who aren't white or live in the best part of town.<br /><br />I'll admit that the APP stuff wears on me.<br /><br />Again, i'm sorry if I misunderstood you and sorry for flipping out. I do want MORE students in disadvantaged situations to be given the opportunity to be the best of the best of the best.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86642558690114825162013-02-10T21:04:03.184-08:002013-02-10T21:04:03.184-08:00deep water,
Thanks for a thoughtful post, I agree...deep water,<br /><br />Thanks for a thoughtful post, I agree with everything you said: We have less than ideal tests and testing processes, pain-in-the-ass parents, less than ideal APP program (but has its advantages), and respect for kids in difficult life situations.<br /><br />But, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't see anything actionable, just lots of lamenting about the situation (which I do plenty of as well). How can we make things better?<br /><br />You've talked more than once about bright kids with unrealized potential (and probably <i>unrecognized</i> by most people as well). The vast majority of those kids would flounder and be discouraged if they jumped straight into a program like APP; they just haven't had the support/infrastructure in place to develop their talent. Some level of talent is natural, but academic skills are built over time, with support from family and schools. Don't these kids deserve some help to develop their potential? Why is SPS so stubborn that they can't recognize there are different kids with different needs? Education is not a one-size-fits-all world, but SPS wants easy solutions that can be implemented "with fidelity" for everyone across the board. SpEd families fight the same types of battles, just on a different battleground. It's depressing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />dwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4914708542425247002013-02-10T20:22:29.781-08:002013-02-10T20:22:29.781-08:00mirmac1 said: Wow, dw, that statement strikes me a...mirmac1 said: <i>Wow, dw, that statement strikes me as very racist and ignorant. I hope you will clarify just WTH you mean!</i><br /><br />Wow indeed. How insulting, especially considering the racial diversity in my family and friends. I think you're the one that needs to explain how you came up with "ignorant and racist" from what I said. I'll re-quote again for convenience, but I assure you there's nothing there. I hope you understand that "gifted" in this context has a very specific meaning:<br /><br /><i>The context was around advanced learning programs and identification, APP in particular. You're talking about kids with street smarts, which is an important life skill, but very, very different from gifted. </i><br /><br />So the above accusation made me angry, but this part simply puzzles me to no end:<br /><br /><i>That's not helping your case (which frankly I'm tired of hearing about).</i><br /><br />What is "my case"?? Seriously, I didn't realize I had one. I've been trying to contribute to the conversation here about ways to help kids that are falling through the cracks? I would have thought you'd be all over this, especially because you seem to be an advocate for kids who get marginalized by the district. Are you really tired of hearing about that in general, or something in specific? Kids who are bright and/or talented, but are not identified as highly gifted by SPS, especially kids in the south end, are getting screwed. That sucks.<br /><br />If it's long posts that bother you, I don't know what to say. I like to at least <i>try</i> to make things as clear as possible within reason. I know you tend to leave lots of short drive-by posts (that I don't care for), but I appreciate your contributions here, especially the FOIA digging, so I've just kept my mouth shut about that. Confused.dwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89416316623904660072013-02-10T15:26:36.980-08:002013-02-10T15:26:36.980-08:00In today's Sunday New York Times Magazine is a...In today's Sunday New York Times Magazine is an article about stress, how it impacts testing, how it impacts lives...Interesting. It posits genetic factors controlling dopamine, amoung other things:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/why-can-some-kids-handle-pressure-while-others-fall-apart.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" rel="nofollow">Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?</a>seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51238218364495771422013-02-10T12:22:48.242-08:002013-02-10T12:22:48.242-08:00Melissa, Pinehurst has asked Director Peaslee for ...Melissa, Pinehurst <i>has</i> asked Director Peaslee for help, and she's been sympathetic, but the fact is, the district seems to have no idea what the hell to do with the school. I think they're hoping we'll just, I dunno, drift away or something. It's hard to blame them: it IS a small school (but I worry about the developmental pre-school rooms; where will they go?), and they've got capacity problems that are much larger than the 160 or so kids at Pinehurst, but it'd be nice to hear that they at least have a plan, that they've at least thought about it.<br /><br />So, yeah, I think she shares our frustration, but has not been able to get any commitments one way or another, aside from keeping Pinehurst K-8 in its building next year. I think we're resigned to having to move after that, but it'd be great to have a sense that there is someplace to move TO (Marshall, maybe?).<br /><br />I'm not writing as any sort of official representative of the school, of course. Just a parent keeping his ear to the ground.Josh Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242600011474990770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8976157667287588922013-02-10T12:04:32.815-08:002013-02-10T12:04:32.815-08:00Syd,
If your child does not have a disability Me...Syd, <br /><br />If your child does not have a disability Mercer probably will work. Aki does not have the capacity to provide sustained support for students at that academic threshhold. If your child is smart AND has a disability, welcome to the southeast where you are SOL. <br /><br />Reader Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4394155825438193242013-02-10T12:01:00.985-08:002013-02-10T12:01:00.985-08:00Well there's the rub isn't it. My point i...Well there's the rub isn't it. My point is how we look at APP and the method who gets recruited and how kids get taught is imperfect and to me feels more like fool's gold. It misses even when kids have achievement and life's advantage (otherwise there wouldn't be a rollicking conversation in the APP blog devoted to test scores and appeals). The method schools use to measure cognitive thinking, IQ, is indirect. It can only measure what children are exposed to and what they can inferred based on their exposure. The test developers themselves do not throw a wide net with the test questions. So you'll miss kids who don't conform or aren't raised based on the norm environment. <br /><br />For all the well expressed skepticism for standardized testings and even cognitive testings in this blog, we appear obsessed by it. It's the stuff that some chose to define kids with and while some profess to hate it, will still trot it out when it's useful. It's the stuff that flames the emotion. It's part of the culture that I stand with one foot in - the need to be defined and stand out with all the right numbers and acronyms attached. It's a world where people in it often feel on the defensive and under attack (or at least on the blogs).<br /><br />I don't fool myself or my children that if you get into APP, it's gonna be life changing (mainly because the quality of the progam). What I see is more the cohort and parents surrounding such grouping. Parents and kids have far higher expectations for high achievement and competition. It's the unmeasurable advantage of networking and surrounding a child with people who are determine to do owhatever it takes so their children can be the best, of the best, of the best, of the best. But there are disadvanatages that can be seen as it manifest itself in awkward moments such as the now famous anti-levy email that went out to PTA members. (What these parents can learn from other similary beseiged schools.)<br /><br />My other foot is in a different place where I also see advantage and intellligence. I get to see kids if fortunes were reversed could easily qualify to be in APP, chess and robbotics tournaments. They may have street smart, but they didn't get their street smart because they have learned to survive and make do. It's how they did it and still make progress in their short life and school and stay right. How they learn to communicate, to strategize, to deal with adults, to think quickly, to problem solve, when to miss schools, what is more important: a parent's job, or making an A on a paper or get by with a B-, but keep their after school job or deal with a troubled sibling who is on his/her way to juvie or a younger sick sibling they'll stay home and take care of. These aren't the stuff that can be tested for. But I have a lot respect because some of these kids have learn to be resilient and deal with people who are in a rush to judge because they don't have the label of being the best, of the best, of the best... which in itself (to me) a burden. <br /><br />deep waterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11593785377266225122013-02-10T11:30:43.295-08:002013-02-10T11:30:43.295-08:00 I have a fifth grader at Graham Hill next year, a... I have a fifth grader at Graham Hill next year, and we will be looking at Middle schools. We are assigned to Asa Mercer, for now, but live very close to the southern boundary (less than a block). I would very much like to hear from parents at Asa Mercer and Aki Kurose...with a special emphasis on high performers. My child scores in the top 5%, and I want to know if this is going to be a good fit. Sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715140880268606856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48054740733384272192013-02-10T11:28:40.874-08:002013-02-10T11:28:40.874-08:00The testing window for Washington English Language...The testing window for Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment opened this past week, but an emergency suspension was called due to problems with the testing materials.<br /><br />In a show of poor leadership, the SPS ELD Head has remained silent, leaving all communication to the data person.<br /><br />There is no word yet on how the State will proceed. In show of poor communication, not a word has gone to families, even though some students have completed portions of the test.<br /><br />ELLs are not the students typically discussed on this blog, but they sure could use someone in their corner. <br /><br />Powerless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-65263019963808090512013-02-10T08:50:46.699-08:002013-02-10T08:50:46.699-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75992271063391386682013-02-10T08:15:29.285-08:002013-02-10T08:15:29.285-08:00Great piece from The Washington Post's "T...Great piece from The Washington Post's "The Answer Sheet" on the effects of the K-12 testing obsession.<br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/09/a-warning-to-college-profs-from-a-high-school-teacher/<br /><br />ConcernedCitizenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42777989372940090192013-02-09T21:32:22.723-08:002013-02-09T21:32:22.723-08:00Unhappy, we do talk about Special Ed. Do you have...Unhappy, we do talk about Special Ed. Do you have a specific topic I could start a thread on?<br /><br />As for the question of director support of schools, they can support as many as they want. I'm sure if Pinehurst had asked, Director Peaslee would be happy to help as well. But I have seen directors give a lot of support to single schools (see Don Nielson and Center School) so I don't really have a problem with this.<br /><br />However, we have a widely advertised ethics policy in this district. The way to register questions or concerns is to file a complaint. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85365615224461162472013-02-09T20:42:07.897-08:002013-02-09T20:42:07.897-08:00This is a great blog. Can you talk about Special E...This is a great blog. Can you talk about Special Education a bit more? It is in serious shambles in this district.<br /><br />-Unhappy with SPSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38031641803794178672013-02-09T19:44:09.823-08:002013-02-09T19:44:09.823-08:00This looks like an interesting article on identifi...This looks like an interesting article on identification of underrepresented gifted students. Any chance anyone has access and has read it? I can only get the abstract.<br /><br />Group-Specific Norms and Teacher-Rating Scales<br />Implications for Underrepresentation<br /><br />http://joa.sagepub.com/content/23/2/125.abstract<br /><br />Thanks,<br />HIMSmom<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49932090414531735812013-02-09T18:44:22.345-08:002013-02-09T18:44:22.345-08:00dw said "You're talking about kids with s...dw said "You're talking about kids with street smarts, which is an important life skill, but very, very different from gifted." <br /><br />Wow, dw, that statement strikes me as very racist and ignorant. I hope you will clarify just WTH you mean! That's not helping your case (which frankly I'm tired of hearing about).mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48901411325960036582013-02-09T18:40:14.885-08:002013-02-09T18:40:14.885-08:00Report the author of the email to their email serv...Report the author of the email to their email service provider as a spammer.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60971333652132701492013-02-09T16:38:24.119-08:002013-02-09T16:38:24.119-08:00A parent sent out an email to many (School Board, ...A parent sent out an email to many (School Board, Superintendent, Mayor, City Council, etc.)regarding the Jane Addams K-8 promotional video posted today on their website and questioning if it's ethical that Director Sharon Peaslee donated her time and equipment to create it. I'm new to Board policies, does anyone know if it's ethical or a conflict of interest? Can a Board member promote one school in their District or are they required to provide the same treatment for all the schools in their District such as Pinehurst which could always use support?kgrothnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20160694781263473102013-02-09T16:30:34.282-08:002013-02-09T16:30:34.282-08:00"Well, I'm not yet convinced that the Pea..."Well, I'm not yet convinced that the Peaslee plan will carry us through next year. I'm still bracing for a shuffle after this year's open enrollment."<br /><br />Could you explain what you mean? Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64781263680501699862013-02-09T16:15:28.601-08:002013-02-09T16:15:28.601-08:00Got this email from KSB. Maybe it should go out t...Got this email from KSB. Maybe it should go out to all those NE folks who got that email urging a no vote on the levy.<br /><br /><br />Hello Friends,<br /><br />I am asking you to please vote YES on both Proposition 1 and 2 for Seattle Public Schools. <br /><br />Proposition 1 provides critical funds for about 20% of our teaching corps salaries, librarians, counselors, etc along with vital materials and technology to keep our classrooms humming. <br /><br />Proposition 2 funds our next building cycle which will supply in no small part the much-needed seats WE DO NOT HAVE for over 3000 students coming into our system as kindergarten students and/or more than 2000 students matriculating to 6th grade by 2017. Our capacity issues are huge district wide as well as our maintenance back log. When our levies did not pass in the 80's, our back log surged to over $500 million. This levy will eliminate over $175 million of that back log as well.<br /><br />See the message from Schools First below. Click here to go to their website. And many thanks for your vote!<br /><br />Kay Smith-Blum<br />CEO - Butch Blum<br />SPS Board President<br /><br />RRAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44462964939967441562013-02-09T14:40:24.638-08:002013-02-09T14:40:24.638-08:00@deep water, I suggest you go back and read the re...@deep water, I suggest you go back and read the rest of the thread where you snagged that comment. <a href="http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2013/02/board-meeting-update.html" rel="nofollow">Board Meeting Update</a><br /><br />No, they are not there. The problem, of course, is defining who "they" are. The context was around advanced learning programs and identification, APP in particular. You're talking about kids with street smarts, which is an important life skill, but very, very different from gifted. <br /><br />Now, the thing that I hope most of us can agree on is that there are also kids with <i>potential</i> that are very difficult to identify. That doesn't mean a program like APP would be a good fit for those kids, in fact it's almost guaranteed to be a terrible fit. APP, by its very nature, is a program for kids who are <i>already</i> way out there, both in cognitive skills <i>and</i> achievement. Even if we could identify kids with that type of potential with 100% clarity, they would simply not have the necessary skills built up so that they would be successful in that type of program.<br /><br />This is exactly the reason why I'm such a strong advocate for <i>other</i> programs to serve the needs of those kids as well, and to act as a bridge to help them span the "support chasm" necessary to <i>develop</i> their talents. These programs could be ALO or Spectrum, or something completely different, but they need to have support from the district, and that support just doesn't exist. Until that happens, there is always going to be a racial and socio-economic imbalance in programs like APP.<br /><br />I suggest that we, as parents of this district and as citizens of our city, should push the Advanced Learning department to work toward these goals. It would benefit <i>everyone</i>.dwnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37718339896813876402013-02-09T14:36:08.793-08:002013-02-09T14:36:08.793-08:00Well, I'm not yet convinced that the Peaslee p...Well, I'm not yet convinced that the Peaslee plan will carry us through next year. I'm still bracing for a shuffle after this year's open enrollment.<br /><br />weary and wary parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16623318019918458462013-02-09T07:45:15.789-08:002013-02-09T07:45:15.789-08:00The feeling I got reading that email is that those...The feeling I got reading that email is that those people are so caught up in the fight they've forgotten what they're fighting for. I'll remind them: You won! Jane Addams will become a middle school! That part about it not happening instantly? That's called compromise. It's something grown-ups have to deal with every day.NE PArentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-36898223516956014152013-02-09T00:09:51.491-08:002013-02-09T00:09:51.491-08:00I hope all you NE parents who got that e-mail are ...I hope all you NE parents who got that e-mail are responding with reply-to-all and letting the entire list know how you feel. WSDWGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com