tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post4058292035279914690..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Open Thread FridayMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20713545869051997272011-10-13T12:30:34.324-07:002011-10-13T12:30:34.324-07:00I posted a followup last Friday, but it seems to h...I posted a followup last Friday, but it seems to have disappeared. <br /><br />Briefly: I met with the principal, and my daughter will not be taking any more MAP tests in the future. I got a brief acknowledgement that we were not notified, and asked that parents be notified in advance when any baseline or makeup MAP tests are administered. I have not seen any results of her partial, invalid tests (she was pulled from class with no warning, and cried during the test because of it. Plus it was her birthday, and she missed recess, and thought she would have to leave the school if she failed the test. Poor bunny!).<br /><br />I still have not heard from the Advanced Learning office about how current SPS students who do not have 2011 MAP scores will be handled. I will follow up more firmly again today and tomorrow. My older daughner, who is not in SPS, did receive a CoGAT test date, but my younger one, new to SPS this year and without last year's scores, did not. <br /><br />I'll post again if/when I find anything out.TraceySnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28904898083474485102011-10-12T17:51:48.617-07:002011-10-12T17:51:48.617-07:00Parent -- you are so right. And it is a crying sh...Parent -- you are so right. And it is a crying shame that in this age -- with tons of ability to use on-line technology to allow kids to progress at individual speeds, we don't do more of this in schools. The "golden ticket" here is learning -- acquiring knowledge and skills. It matters less whether you learn it in 2 weeks or 3 than it does that you just LEARN it. <br />I once knew a teacher at what is now WS Elementary who used this approach -- at HUGE cost (in time) to herself. For example, in spelling, there were no bad grades. If you "missed" words in the weekly spelling test, after working on them for X days, they simply stayed on your "personalized" spelling list, and you got them again next week -- and the week after, and the week after -- until they were right. Because each list only had 20 words (or so), it meant that some kids got 20 new words each week -- and some only got 14 or 15. If you got bored of the same words -- you learned to spell them right and get them off your list -- but every child ultimately spelled at 100%, at his/her own pace. Keeping track of multiple word lists was hard, as was figuring out how to give tests -- but she did it because it mattered to her that kids actually learn each word, and that they come to realize that they were successful spellers. She had similar arrangements for math as well. And I have seen this done at the high school level with geography. Of course, all of it could be vastly simplified using technology.<br /><br />If we adjust our expectations to make it clear that the teacher sets the mastery bar -- but the child sets the pace -- we wind up with systems where all children become "mastery" learners. For many, as they gain confidence and pride in a job well done, they begin to set goals of achieving mastery with greater efficiency. But in no case do they just fail and go on to the next chapter.Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09923777229601243321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26168492164939648062011-10-11T21:21:59.967-07:002011-10-11T21:21:59.967-07:00One, that's how they are doing it in Everett a...One, that's how they are doing it in Everett and Tukwila and how their graduation rate is going up. Relentless attention to struggling kids. <br /><br />I'm hoping the F&E levy passes and those same supports happen in SPS because our district hasn't made that choice for itself.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9329795450228153422011-10-11T11:22:22.580-07:002011-10-11T11:22:22.580-07:00One idea that I learned from the Kumon lessons my ...One idea that I learned from the Kumon lessons my kids did was that there was no failure. <br /><br />In Kumon you just keep plugging away at your lessons. But the fact that you may be moving through the curriculum at a different rate than someone else is not described as a failure. If you stop working for a week because you were sick or caring for a sibling or decided to party, you don't fail. You just start plugging away again. <br /><br />And the teacher was very careful to keep the level of work in a place where a kid could feel successful. If the work was too overwhelming, then the level was too high or the amount of work was too much. They changed it and slowly moved a kid up.<br /><br />I don't know how this can be applied in classrooms. But I see too many opportunities for kids to fail. If homework didn't get done, then they fail that lesson. Or if it was done in the wrong way or submitted at the wrong time, it's a failure. A few of failures and then it is overwhelming & kids just give up.<br /><br /><br /><br />-ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83426440175524248812011-10-11T08:23:12.355-07:002011-10-11T08:23:12.355-07:00But wrablece - that's not a catchy-enough phra...But wrablece - that's not a catchy-enough phrase to serve SPS admin's purpose, which is to justify their existence.<br /><br />WV: you are dingedmirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86570433991687843422011-10-11T06:00:34.916-07:002011-10-11T06:00:34.916-07:00I can tell you what an administrator at Auburn HS ...I can tell you what an administrator at Auburn HS told me was the key to student success: "follow up with the kids on day to day accountability." You ask the kid every day where the work is, if they tried the strategy, if they did the reading- every day. All a kid who is behind wants to do is disappear. You don't let them disappear in your classroom. You don't let them blow out, you don't let the missing work go unnoticed (you don't humiliate them for not having it done, either; there are subtle ways of having these conversations). Pretty soon, the kid figures the path of least resistance is to do the work. That is how you get kids to improve, you notice them, you talk to them and you follow up- every day.<br />-one in a family of educators<br /><br />WV would call this a wrablece- wrap around blanket of fleece -servicesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15371671534253233292011-10-10T18:52:41.700-07:002011-10-10T18:52:41.700-07:00Jack said: they are creating a system where the ki...Jack said: they are creating a system where the kids serve the system, rather than the system serving the kid. Whatever lip service is paid to other ideas, Teachers are in fact valued only insofar as they produce these narrowly defined quantitative results, and kids are treated in fact as product widgets whose educational experience is reduced to performing to meet that rigidly defined standard.<br /><br />My sentiments, exactly, Jack -- but you said it better than I could have.Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09923777229601243321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62311831523897738532011-10-10T16:28:39.188-07:002011-10-10T16:28:39.188-07:00If I were Noel Treat, with a relatively unbesmirch...If I were Noel Treat, with a relatively unbesmirched rep, I would not throw myself on the sword to protect the benighted techno-crats. Furthermore, I would not tolerate an underling like Ron English.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47450743033295604612011-10-10T16:12:08.553-07:002011-10-10T16:12:08.553-07:00Inside, that is interesting. I do not doubt you. I...Inside, that is interesting. I do not doubt you. I just know that Treat is very involved as well and people I know who had talked with Wayne have gotten followup with Treat. I will ask him next time I see him, what the chain of custody or command or whatever. (I do have to say that even without hearing any controversy regarding Clover, it does seem rather odd, very odd that she be moved to the TIF director position. The job description seems nothing like a principal description, a completely different path.)Dorothy Nevillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17108759281089768738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46982295538058174422011-10-10T16:02:33.058-07:002011-10-10T16:02:33.058-07:00Dorothy, mirmac1
One of Wayne's investigators...Dorothy, mirmac1<br /><br />One of Wayne's investigators told me (in person) that Ron English is directing the city's efforts.<br /><br />Nuff said?<br /><br />As long as Ron is in that role, we will never get to truth. Just add layers of cover for English and his merry band.Inside as wellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3095154948136808072011-10-10T13:07:26.882-07:002011-10-10T13:07:26.882-07:00Wayne's contact with SPS seems to be Noel Trea...Wayne's contact with SPS seems to be Noel Treat, not English. And Treat does appear to be both appalled by the truths that has been uncovered so far and determined to keep uncovering in order to change. Now, at least one of the issues I know about is almost ready to go public. We'll see for ourselves how effective the ethics contract is and how sincere the district's desire for change is.<br /><br />Maybe I am too hopeful, but really, there is so little in district and other news to be hopeful about, a girl has to have some positive dreams, yes?Dorothy Nevillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17108759281089768738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85814990044764949762011-10-10T12:41:52.666-07:002011-10-10T12:41:52.666-07:00Wayne answers his phone, and has urged me to conta...Wayne answers his phone, and has urged me to contact him directly in the past....mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6011288202685342982011-10-10T12:37:10.756-07:002011-10-10T12:37:10.756-07:00SSD have also done a great job of concealing the f...SSD have also done a great job of concealing the facts of their administrative policies. The primary responsibility of building level administrators is to harass teachers even if that means they must falsify documents. Clover has lots of company.Salandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81394869197172496302011-10-10T12:31:56.195-07:002011-10-10T12:31:56.195-07:00That last comment was by me.That last comment was by me.Jack Whelannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33448258095155527542011-10-10T12:30:49.853-07:002011-10-10T12:30:49.853-07:00I know this thread has moved on by now, but I want...I know this thread has moved on by now, but I wanted to make one more point. A lot of the confusions lies in the way district staff and sitting directors use humanistic language despite their fundamental technocratic approach toward solving problems. They would insist, for instance, that they care about every child in the district as much as any humanist does, and, of course, we must take them at their word. <br /><br />But what they don't see is that in their obsession to close the achievement gap as measured by some cookie cutter standard, they are creating a system where the kids serve the system, rather than the system serving the kid. Whatever lip service is paid to other ideas, Teachers are in fact valued only insofar as they produce these narrowly defined quantitative results, and kids are treated in fact as product widgets whose educational experience is reduced to performing to meet that rigidly defined standard. <br /><br />Teachers, of course, will tell you that they care about each of their students, and of course they do. But the technocratic system is set up to incentivize teachers to care more about getting test results than caring about what each kid really needs--a broad, rich, quality education. Since teachers' livelihood depends on these kids getting results, teachers are incentivized to think of their own personal survival before thinking about the needs of the kids. So, sure kids, we care about you, but I got my own family to care about, too. And that's what leads to Atlanta, Philadelphia, etc.<br /><br />SPS is not Atlanta, but that's where we're headed. Technocrats will blame the teachers rather than the system when Atlantas happen. Or they'll argue that they have to improve security or the quality of the test, but they miss the fundamental point. The test has become the tail wagging the dog, and the more adjustments you make the more vigorously shaken, confused, and sickened becomes the dog. It's Campbell's Law.<br /><br />@Dan--I think your point about Auburn closing the achievement gap is really about their use of a more effective math curriculum. I'd argue, that's an example of focusing on quality and letting the quantitative measurements to take care of themselves. Any place you can improve quality, whether in instruction or in curricula, you're going to get good results. But quality is not what technocrats care most about--they care about control and conformity--and in fact their policies are working everywhere to resist quality when it conflicts with control & conformity. This explains why it's so difficult to get a waiver to teach Saxon or Singapore.Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57700963582907978462011-10-10T11:10:43.461-07:002011-10-10T11:10:43.461-07:00Say folks:
Hate to burst any "bubbles" ...Say folks:<br /><br />Hate to burst any "bubbles" that may still survive here but the suggestion made about Clover last week: "please contact Wayne Barnett. You can file anonymously" is really funny.<br /><br />With no dis-respect to Wayne and his group, do the readers here realize who is in charge as gatekeeper for Wayne's efforts (and presumably the anonymouse part) at the District?<br /><br />The answer is: Ron English...........<br /><br />Nuff' said?<br /><br />So we know the street address of the "chicken house", anybody want to name the fox?<br /><br />Wayne's group has been sent on so many merry goose chases thus far that it will be a cold day in a really hot place before they actually get to look at anything downtown. <br /><br />English will make sure of that. Mark my words.<br /><br />Come to think of it, there hasn't been any news of any investigations of ANYTHING since he was appointed "Interim" General Counsel.<br /><br />Mission accomplished huh Ron?Inside as wellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45758964013552268992011-10-09T16:53:22.129-07:002011-10-09T16:53:22.129-07:00SC,
About the Software... in the NY Times article...SC,<br /><br />About the Software... in the NY Times article:<br /><br />“The advertising from the companies is <b>tremendous oversell <i>compared to what they can actually demonstrate</i></b>,”<br /><br />Followed by the company man's response of .... "<b><i>districts do not implement the software properly with correct teacher training</i></b>".<br /><br /> .... Hey that is the Everyday Math line "fidelity of implementation" and Professional Development needed... <b><i>Do these con men use that same line for all their failures?</i></b><br /><br />The High School Math Discovering series in the SPS ==><br /><br />$800,000 for books with a decision to not buy books below algebra ( a best practice?)<br />$400,000 for Professional Development<br /><br />Produced a Low-income student pass rate, for students in grade 9 that took algebra class in 2010-2011, on the Algebra End of Course Assessment of 38% .... with more than one in three students ... at level 1 = Algebra clueless.<br /><br /><b><i>So what did Seattle fail to buy? What did they fail to do? </i></b> {I mean other than the District making an intelligent selection and adoption approval decision ... remember CAO Enfield and now interim Superintendent Enfield finds math to be improving}<br /><br />Clear we are watching CYA mode to the max.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59325171090455336012011-10-09T16:28:11.658-07:002011-10-09T16:28:11.658-07:00My buddy Dave says:
=====
the Washington State Ac...My buddy Dave says:<br />=====<br /><br />the Washington State Academy of Sciences held their Fourth Annual Meeting on September 22, 2011. The title was,<br /><br /><b>Rising Above the Gathering Storm:<br />STEM Education in Washington <i>is a success!</i></b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washacad.org/about/meeting_11_review.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.washacad.org/about/meeting_11_review.html</a><br /><br />Hmm.<br /><br />Creating special schools for a subset of well motivated students is good for them. It has little real benefit to the kids at the bottom or the majority in the middle. They are addressing an easy problem, directing money at well motivated, high achieving students and then they go home. How hard is that? <br /><br />====<br />Right another Success!!!<br />----<br /><br />Don't Leap to calling Cleveland STEM a success just yet...... The CHS student body has a lot of kids that may not be in the subset of "well motivated, high achieving students."dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54321179815133619242011-10-09T16:19:51.393-07:002011-10-09T16:19:51.393-07:00Dan, you might take a look at the software over-hy...Dan, you might take a look at the software over-hype article I linked to the post before yours. The main focus is on math ed softwareseattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59998528152030864812011-10-09T15:14:02.911-07:002011-10-09T15:14:02.911-07:00DWE is right on with his comment that the coming S...DWE is right on with his comment that <b><i>the coming SPS Board election is of monumental importance.</i></b><br /><br />In most elections the choice is between usually two candidates each of which is beholden to big $$$ donors.<br /><br />In the 2007 Board elections only one candidate in each of 4 races received the big money ... each won ... and look at the four years of results "the $500,000 four" produced.<br /><br />The "Occupy Protests" may be an indication that lots of folks wish to arrest the nation's 50 year slide into an Oligarchy.<br /><br />Ballots will be mailed on October 19. <br /><br /><b>The question is ....<br />Will sleepy Seattle voters reelect the agents of the oligarchs or will enough wake up to <i>replace them with Directors that will obey laws because they are not trying to slam a predetermined agenda on us all?</i></b><br /><br />-- Dan DempseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8573686054726880132011-10-09T12:44:21.248-07:002011-10-09T12:44:21.248-07:00In today's New York Times, an article about In...In today's New York Times, an article about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/technology/a-classroom-software-boom-but-mixed-results-despite-the-hype.html?_r=1&hp" rel="nofollow">Inflating the Software Report Card</a>, how educational software companies praise their own products as successful whilst ignoring research to the contrary. This is a growing business, and should be viewed cautiously.<br /><br />Another NYT article is about how <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/us/politics/gop-anti-federalism-aims-at-education.html?ref=us" rel="nofollow">G.O.P. Candidates Take an Anti-Federal Stance [against Education Department]</a><br /><br />Lastly, the NYT reports that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/us/california-measure-allows-tuition-aid-for-illegal-immigrants.html?ref=us." rel="nofollow">Dream Act Becomes Law in California</a>seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6359578548711583342011-10-09T11:05:26.160-07:002011-10-09T11:05:26.160-07:00"DWE, I'm looking into the CASE endorseme..."DWE, I'm looking into the CASE endorsement because it seems they may not have even talked to any challenger. An odd thing to endorse a candidate without even talking to the challengers. . . ."<br /><br />CASE dispensed with the pretense of interviewing the challengers unlike, say, <em>The Seattle Times.</em><br /><br />As I've said elsewhere, Seattle's school board race is a local election of national importance. It would be significant, indeed, if the wealthy elite driving a neo-education reform agenda were to have their candidates lose an election in Seattle. We've yet to see independent expenditures, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them if the challengers are perceived as a big enough threat. <br /><br />DWEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66960256724799459632011-10-09T10:39:36.256-07:002011-10-09T10:39:36.256-07:00"He also didn't notice that the new Serie..."He also didn't notice that the new Series 1000 policies no longer included the plan of introducing motions at one meeting and voting on them at the subsequent meeting."<br /><br />I totally missed this, Charlie. That's crazy talk. How did the Board miss this?<br /><br />DWE, I'm looking into the CASE endorsement because it seems they may not have even talked to any challenger. An odd thing to endorse a candidate without even talking to the challengers (but Conlin and Burgess did it as well and Conlin has contributed to all the incumbents campaigns).Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26425146662872845142011-10-09T10:08:41.582-07:002011-10-09T10:08:41.582-07:00I want to give a shout-out to someone (936AM post)...I want to give a shout-out to someone (936AM post) and the other line folks in Transportation. I've had good experiences on the phone this year, and a week or so ago, I spoke to someone who was very helpful who did seem to "get" some of the concerns that parents had, even if there wasn't much he could do to fix the situation in the short-term. I did in fact get the sense that the staff shares some of the families' concerns.<br /><br />So, thanks, transportation staff, for taking all our calls and listening. That has got to be a particularly challenging job at the start of each school year!Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07777580098975083499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20618655863101230722011-10-09T09:36:28.301-07:002011-10-09T09:36:28.301-07:00In their defense - the line staff of transportatio...In their defense - the line staff of transportation shares yourr concerns about the new system comletely. They care deeply and have been working their butts off to solve the type of issues raised here. The problem is at a higher level - with a manager unwilling to listen to input and unwilling to respond. Please don't blame the line staff. Tom is the problemn not them.someonenoreply@blogger.com