tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post6511837478392391106..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Math Adoption: Apples to Apples?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85177741609199940102014-05-30T07:32:29.338-07:002014-05-30T07:32:29.338-07:00Everyone: Push for a dual-adoption! At least 3 b...Everyone: Push for a dual-adoption! At least 3 board members are publicly in favor of it, and what's Ron English going to do? Sue the Board? Get an injunction? Right. <br /><br />E-mail your school board reps now. Do not wait or let this opportunity go by. Do it. <br /><br />We have a chance to make a historic and significant improvement in our schools and the daily lives of our kids. DO IT! <br /><br />E-mail board members NOW and let them know you support a dual-adoption. If any of you watched hour 2 of the 5/21 board meeting, Peters, McLaren and Peaslee were AWESOME in their questioning and advocacy. Give them the support they need! This is HUGE!<br /><br />DO IT! <br /><br />WSDWGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13805344984608083552014-05-29T20:51:22.915-07:002014-05-29T20:51:22.915-07:00Melissa was not against a quick-fix STEM school in...Melissa was not against a quick-fix STEM school in an interim location, but I was. I saw how Director McLaren was easily swayed by staff's pronouncements that it could be done on the cheap with "free" capital money. Then from the onset there was the outcry because nothing's free. Then I saw Enfield hire a knock-off (who was a career-climber like her) and plunk her there as principal. And the Ed Reform WASTEM foundation ponied up some bucks. Then I witnessed the PR campaign with soccer scarfs, baby strollers, letter-writing and manufactured area-wide "consensus" that that this school of 350-some take control of one of the last remaining pieces of property in this district, despite the looming WS MS and HS capacity crisis. Finally, I heard from my neighbors that access to Boren for AH was being limited by...who and why? It's a frickin' huge building!<br /><br />I know why Melissa would say what she said. And I fully expect that Denny will need to move into the Boren building to give Sealth back its property.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-32753986203363084062014-05-29T17:11:04.689-07:002014-05-29T17:11:04.689-07:00Melissa,
Our invitation was a gesture of solidarit...Melissa,<br />Our invitation was a gesture of solidarity and good will. Of course we knew that it wasn't up to us. Geez.StringCheesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58368757145599747352014-05-29T16:46:21.468-07:002014-05-29T16:46:21.468-07:00As a parent at Schmitz Park Elementary, I am fight...As a parent at Schmitz Park Elementary, I am fighting to protect Singapore Math at our school. I am in opposition to the Math Adoption Committee’s recommendation to implement the enVision Math Program as the new math curriculum for all elementary schools and strongly support the continuation of our Singapore Math-based curriculum and the rigor it has created for our students.<br /><br />In 2007, our teaching staff determined Singapore Math was the best way to teach math. We are proud to be a part of a community who identifies Mathematics Mastery as a key element in elementary education. Our families, past and present, have supported the development and advancement of Singapore Math for our children. This commitment has required persistent fundraising and we are incredibly fortunate that through the generosity of families, and later the District, we have grown this program at Schmitz Park into what it is today.<br /><br />As a PTA, we have asked the Board Directors and District Staff to support our choice and respect the investment we have made in Singapore Math at Schmitz Park and take action on one of these alternatives:<br />1. Reject the Math Adoption Committee’s recommendation of enVision and adopt Math in Focus as the new K-5 Math Curriculum.<br />2. Approve a Dual-Adoption giving schools the choice to implement enVision – OR – Math in Focus<br />3. Amend Policy No. 2020 on the Waiver of Basic Instructional Materials to allow schools using, or desiring to use, a Singapore Math-based curriculum like Math in Focus and ensure funding will be provided from the district to support an approved alternative math curriculum.<br /><br />Schmitz Park has worked hard for 7 years to build, develop and achieve the results we see year over year. Those results were hard earned and completely driven by the passion of teachers and the buy-in from parents who believe in Singapore Math. Imagine what all schools could accomplish with support from District leaders.<br /> <br />Depending on the final vote, our fight may continue past June 4th.<br />Emily Giaquintanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-67532824105249871122014-05-29T16:13:42.407-07:002014-05-29T16:13:42.407-07:00You invited them to share Boren?
I've been ...You invited them to share Boren? <br /><br />I've been in the district a long time but I've never heard of a school having the ability to invite any other school to share what has been an interim site. I must have missed something. <br /><br />I welcome all input but when I get a steady stream of it - all saying the same thing - from one direction, it does cause me to wonder.<br /><br />I was not against K-5 STEM; I was worried about where it would go given the lack of space in our district. The district has a bad habit of creating programs AND then figuring out logistics. They did that with Cleveland as well.<br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50349090704756062482014-05-29T15:40:11.601-07:002014-05-29T15:40:11.601-07:00Melissa,
Wow. Just wow. What a way to take an atte...Melissa,<br />Wow. Just wow. What a way to take an attempt to clarify some false assumptions and turn it into school v. school warfare. Uncool.<br /><br />STEM and AH are working the best they can to make the co-housing work. When I say "dismantling" I mean the district ignoring or dismissing the vision and mission that our school has created (with district help, I might add). Any frustration and resentment that has fomented in either community could have been prevented by the district actually having the stakeholders (STEM and AH admin) in on the planning from the beginning. Lack of knowledge and transparency leads to fear and defensiveness.<br /><br />It didn't have to be this way. As it stands, in spite of the district, the co-housing will be fine. There are actually some really great and creative things that are coming out of the process. If you were at the BEX meetings, you would have seen every STEM parent present standing beside AH in their quest for an expedited timeline. We also publicly invited them to share Boren if needed. It is only the implementation by the district (through the lack of true stakeholder engagement) that ruffled feathers in either community.<br /><br />As for the K-8 roll-up, the School Board unanimously voted on this expansion and roll-up last November.<br /><br />This is a blog and clearly you are within your rights to assert your biases. You have been against the creation of K-5 STEM from the beginning. I get it, but let's move on and not feed unsubstantiated rumors. Please.<br /><br />Thank you Libby and West Seattle Mom for bringing in the voice of reason.StringCheesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24536065685900477832014-05-29T11:51:51.073-07:002014-05-29T11:51:51.073-07:00I see that this makes for some uncomfortable readi...I see that this makes for some uncomfortable reading. That is to be expected when what seems to be obvious gets said out loud. I accept that criticism. <br /><br />I will say that, for example, there the rather large and glaring example of South Shore and most everyone - including the staff and the Board - prefer that not be stated out loud. I don't know why but that seems the case. <br /><br />That K-5 STEM wants to be a K-8 (and seemingly quickly) seems to be happening and I have to wonder - with so much to do,both academically and for capital needs - how that is moving forward. I don't recall the district making that announcement.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4748309352866922462014-05-29T11:39:20.760-07:002014-05-29T11:39:20.760-07:00Melissa,
Let me start by saying I don’t have a c...Melissa, <br /><br />Let me start by saying I don’t have a child at either Arbor Heights or K-5 STEM. I do know families at both schools. And, from what I’ve heard, there has been much frustration on both “sides” about the lack of leadership and communication from the district regarding planning for the co-housing. My understanding is that both school communities recognize that they each have their own challenges with the situation and are now working hard to make the building a positive, productive environment for all involved.<br /><br />I have a few responses to what you wrote:<br /><br />1)My original question was: “Could you please elaborate on what those fast-tracked wish list items are?” I truly am curious about this. <br /><br />a.To clarify: Are you saying that one of those items is that K-5 STEM wants to expand into a K-8 and, because of that, AH’s timeline has been shortened—resulting in other schools’ timelines being lengthened?<br /><br />b.Could you please share a couple other fast-tracked wish list items? <br /><br />2)When someone in your position makes a statement such as “(I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is the new darling of the district because they seem to be getting a fast track for a lot of things on their wish list. Hmm.)”, it raises big red flags of concern to me. This kind of statement is a great way to prime the pump for a flow of defensiveness from the K-5 STEM community—which can then easily devolve into school communities throwing accusations at each other, when instead they could be really listening to each other and having solution-seeking conversations. <br /><br />You suggest, “…all schools should remember - you're in this together. Not jockeying for position because, like with parents, the district likes when communities pit against each other instead focusing on the people making most of the decisions that affect those communities.” I completely agree. I also know that, because of the incredibly strong emotions we all have about our children, it’s not easy to “walk that walk”—and those same emotions make it very easy to get fired up, defensive and/or accusatory—responses that are not conducive to building a district-wide community of parents that fights for the right of every student to get an excellent education. I ask you to please keep these things in mind when you are writing about inequities—and to consider the ramifications of suggesting that one school (or group) is getting preferential treatment.<br /><br />West Seattle Mom<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78514258872451863032014-05-29T10:36:12.264-07:002014-05-29T10:36:12.264-07:00"I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is ..."I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is the new darling of the district because they seem to be getting a fast track for a lot of things on their wish list. Hmm."<br /><br />I'm sorry, Melissa, but how does your comment move the conversation forward? Not constructive at all and does more than StringCheese's comment to pit schools against each other. K-5 STEM has an excellent relationship with the Arbor Heights folks, as far as I can tell.<br /><br />Libbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18268453360490386546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-18766704710366309732014-05-29T09:40:50.034-07:002014-05-29T09:40:50.034-07:00"K5- STEM is getting stuff fast-tracked"..."K5- STEM is getting stuff fast-tracked"<br /><br />Roll up, roll up folks and come and see what the SPS circus does best folks - pitting school communities and programs against each other. <br />You'll see...<br />No transparency in their processes (do they even have consistently applied processes?).<br />Nepotism, favoritism, and back door deals (or at the least the appearance of such)<br />Lots suspicion and rumors.<br />The perception that other* schools or communities are getting something better, or some kind of special consideration or treatment (* insert K5-STEM, APP, Thorton Creek, ….. others).<br />School communities and families wondering whether the axe is going to fall on them next (cuts to services administration changes, program changes, moves etc).<br />More and more fat cat administrators being stuffed into that bureaucratic clown car that is SPS.<br />The blind leading the blind.<br />Principals jumping through hoops.<br />…...It's the greatest show on earth. <br /><br />Honestly, this district missteps at every opportunity - math adoption, rezoning, WP planning, and on and on.<br />Hiring more administrative fat cats with fat salaries to do what (see other post)? What tangible results will we see for it? What academic gains? How can we justify that sort of money for those sort of bureaucratic black hole positions when actual kids in actual schools go without basics. <br /><br />Take back Seattle SchoolsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50922248303510693862014-05-29T09:39:02.430-07:002014-05-29T09:39:02.430-07:00"..to not dismantle our community in the proc..."..to not dismantle our community in the process of co-housing with Arbor Heights." <br /><br />Well, that would be one example of what I am hearing about vis a vis K-5 STEM. Arbor Heights, in the crappiest building the district is going to co-house with K-5STEM and K-5 STEM thinks they are getting the raw end of the deal?<br /><br />That is not what I have heard. The fact that AH was going to be at the end of BEX IV's timeline, then keeps getting moved up points more to someone's (?) desire for K-5 STEM to expand. (Get AH in and out as quickly as possible.) <br /><br />I'm not saying K-5 STEM is - in any way - a "bad"school. I know how hard it must be to start a school from the ground up. But all schools should remember - you're in this together. Not jockeying for position because, like with parents, the district likes when communities pit against each other instead focusing on the people making most of the decisions that affect those communities.<br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85253581974359004722014-05-29T09:27:58.300-07:002014-05-29T09:27:58.300-07:00Ron English is giving bad advice if he is saying t...Ron English is giving bad advice if he is saying the board can do anything more than approve or disapprove a recommendation. Here is the law:<br /><br />RCW 28A.320.230<br />Instructional materials — Instructional materials committee.<br /><br />Every board of directors, unless otherwise specifically provided by law, shall:<br /><br /> (1) Prepare, negotiate, set forth in writing and adopt, policy relative to the selection or deletion of instructional materials. Such policy shall:<br /><br /> (a) State the school district's goals and principles relative to instructional materials;<br /><br /> (b) Delegate responsibility for the preparation and recommendation of teachers' reading lists and specify the procedures to be followed in the selection of all instructional materials including text books;<br /><br /> (c) Establish an instructional materials committee to be appointed, with the approval of the school board, by the school district's chief administrative officer. This committee shall consist of representative members of the district's professional staff, including representation from the district's curriculum development committees, and, in the case of districts which operate elementary school(s) only, the educational service district superintendent, one of whose responsibilities shall be to assure the correlation of those elementary district adoptions with those of the high school district(s) which serve their children. The committee may include parents at the school board's discretion: PROVIDED, That parent members shall make up less than one-half of the total membership of the committee;<br /><br /> (d) Provide for reasonable notice to parents of the opportunity to serve on the committee and for terms of office for members of the instructional materials committee;<br /><br /> (e) Provide a system for receiving, considering and acting upon written complaints regarding instructional materials used by the school district;<br /><br /> (f) Provide free text books, supplies and other instructional materials to be loaned to the pupils of the school, when, in its judgment, the best interests of the district will be subserved thereby and prescribe rules and regulations to preserve such books, supplies and other instructional materials from unnecessary damage.<br /><br /> Recommendation of instructional materials shall be by the district's instructional materials committee in accordance with district policy. Approval or disapproval shall be by the local school district's board of directors.<br /><br /> Districts may pay the necessary travel and subsistence expenses for expert counsel from outside the district. In addition, the committee's expenses incidental to visits to observe other districts' selection procedures may be reimbursed by the school district.<br /><br /> Districts may, within limitations stated in board policy, use and experiment with instructional materials for a period of time before general adoption is formalized.<br /><br /> Within the limitations of board policy, a school district's chief administrator may purchase instructional materials to meet deviant needs or rapidly changing circumstances.<br /><br /> (2) Establish a depreciation scale for determining the value of texts which students wish to purchase.<br /><br />If the EDM adoption involved the board tacking on a second core set of instructional materials, that would have been contrary to the law. But if it was to allow for supplementation, that would be fine because supplementary materials don't require IMC or board removal. I think that is the technically used to explain what was done with EDM. But that was about ten lawyers ago and I don't think Gary Ikeda was as apt to provide his comments in public the way Ron English does.btdtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68712299939677081092014-05-29T09:10:27.897-07:002014-05-29T09:10:27.897-07:00"(I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is..."(I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is the new darling of the district because they seem to be getting a fast track for a lot of things on their wish list. Hmm.)"<br /><br />Melissa, I'm curious what you mean by this. Could you please elaborate on what those fast-tracked wish list items are?<br /><br />West Seattle MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-12294468959448156672014-05-29T08:35:08.086-07:002014-05-29T08:35:08.086-07:00"Shauna Heath just issued a two-year waiver f..."Shauna Heath just issued a two-year waiver for K-5 STEM at Boren to continue using Singapore Math. Confirmed, not rumor!"<br /><br />"(I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is the new darling of the district because they seem to be getting a fast track for a lot of things on their wish list. Hmm.)"<br /><br />*The waiver is not "new." <br /><br />STEM adopted Singapore math during its design team process in 2012. The official, Cathy Thompson at the time, swore that she had all of the paperwork signed and submitted. THEN, we get a call from Heath in 2013 stating that they had no record of our waiver anywhere. Adam Dysart, who did a wonderful job leading the subcommittee that adopted Singapore, could have cleared this up with Heath but did not. We went through the whole process for a second time in Spring of 2013. Honestly, this last email from Heath is the first official notification from the district that they had managed to file our paperwork appropriately. Meanwhile, we kept using our own funds to purchase materials.<br /><br />*I can also state, unequivocally, that STEM has never felt like the "darling" of anyone.<br /><br />it has felt like our entire 2 years in existence has been hard fought -- for our existence; to avoid a poorly planned, last day of school announcement of a co-housing with a high school that would not be beneficial for either school; to get the district to follow through on their commitment to find us a permanent home; to not dismantle our community in the process of co-housing with Arbor Heights. It even took us pressuring the district for a year to get them to openly admit that we were a "school" community and not merely a program they could shove about willy nilly. <br /><br />We were given a principal with ZERO elementary experience and ZERO experience with SPS, with ZERO communication skills for speaking with elementary parents. She was on leave when the time came to work with facilities on the AH co-housing and she left for 2 weeks immediately after the announcing her departure to the community.<br /><br />Where has our principal been on this math adoption issue? Silent. Absent. Checked out. STEM is achieving amazing results with Singapore across broad ethnic and socio-economic lines. Who is fighting for our right to continue this work? Parents.<br /><br />We are amazingly optimistic about the interim placement of Ben Ostrom as principal next year. Despite the fact that he is, in essence, doing 3 people's jobs, he has found the time to meet with staff, the BLT, and the PTA. He has also attended almost every community event we have held since his placement was announced.<br /><br />So, before you go on thinking that STEM is getting anything easily, try talking to the parents. StringCheesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71498671070481219142014-05-29T06:58:38.414-07:002014-05-29T06:58:38.414-07:00Rules? Rules? You're wondering about the rules...Rules? Rules? You're wondering about the rules? There are no rules. This is Seattle Public Schools. The Board, the senior staff, the principals, and the teachers can do whatever they bloody well wish. No one will stop them. In the absence of enforcement, there are no rules.<br /><br />The Board may very well go ahead and adopt enVision, particularly if the superintendent makes it clear that doing anything other than what was recommended by the MAC would be micromanagement, meddling in matters outside their expertise, and an insult to the superintendent and staff.<br /><br />Most schools will get the enVision materials and PD and start using the books as their primary instructional material for math (with some supplemental material). They will do fine. Maybe not great, but fine.<br /><br />Some of these schools will use the adopted materials because they are not motivated to use anything else. Some will use the adopted materials because they can't pay for the texts they really want. A few might use the adopted materials because they think the rules require it.<br /><br />Some schools - schools that would rather not be named - will make primary use of other materials. They will find a way to pay for it on their own - quietly - and they will use the other materials - quietly - and the District will allow it - quietly. Their students will also do fine. A couple of them will do very well. When they get noticed for doing so well people will discover their use of alternative materials and try to attribute the success to the use of those materials. It won't be true, but the District will claim that they knew about it all along and that it was all within the rules (despite a number of statements to the contrary made to cow the timid into obedience).<br /><br />This is how it has always been nd this is how it will always be.<br /><br />Math in Focus could be a choice for the Tier II instructional materials. If it is, then get ready for a lot of kids in Tier II.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90423206202358539852014-05-28T21:00:14.509-07:002014-05-28T21:00:14.509-07:00If that is true, Deja Vu, then the door is now ope...If that is true, Deja Vu, then the door is now opened for others. (I'm getting this whiff that K-5 STEM is the new darling of the district because they seem to be getting a fast track for a lot of things on their wish list. Hmm.)Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41248528143224896172014-05-28T19:44:51.899-07:002014-05-28T19:44:51.899-07:00EDM and Singapore was not technically a dual adopt...EDM and Singapore was not technically a dual adoption. Singapore was a 25% supplement. Of course the staff ignored it.<br /><br />Linh-Conoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11638083037188168852014-05-28T19:41:03.432-07:002014-05-28T19:41:03.432-07:00Shauna Heath just issued a two-year waiver for K-5...Shauna Heath just issued a two-year waiver for K-5 STEM at Boren to continue using Singapore Math. Confirmed, not rumor!<br /><br />Deja Vu...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16049365279406448662014-05-28T19:37:48.214-07:002014-05-28T19:37:48.214-07:00Po3 is absolutely correct. The district did a dual...Po3 is absolutely correct. The district did a dual adoption last time of both EDM and Singapore Math. This was the compromise that some brave Board members worked out because the Math Adoption Committee was biased towards two curricula (EDM and TERC). Recall that many people associated with that debacle were (in effect) given their walking papers after the EDM adoption. Remember Rosalind Wise? This cycle's Rosalind W. is Adam Dysart.<br /><br />The precedent has been set and R. English needs to do his due diligence to determine how it was justified last time.<br /><br />Deja Vu all over again…<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27618639112478584072014-05-28T19:19:16.416-07:002014-05-28T19:19:16.416-07:00This is also reminiscent of the high school math a...This is also reminiscent of the high school math adoption where it was clear that staff wanted Discovery brought to vote. And then we realized all the BS that had gone on behind the scenes to get the desired result.<br /><br />Po3noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53662303028228995472014-05-28T19:16:10.099-07:002014-05-28T19:16:10.099-07:00Odd, response from Ron English as the current K5 m...Odd, response from Ron English as the current K5 math curriculum was a dual adoption - EDM and Singapore - but never implemented.<br /><br />The Singapore books are still warehoused somewhere in the district.<br /><br />My BS meter is going off on that one.Po3noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77182053295305919212014-05-28T19:02:03.581-07:002014-05-28T19:02:03.581-07:00I find it odd that the Board could adopt a differe...I find it odd that the Board could adopt a different curriculum but not say, we'd like to revisit this and adopt two (upon the rec of the Committee).Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26337983824468589242014-05-28T18:14:59.970-07:002014-05-28T18:14:59.970-07:00This is a response I received from one of the memb...This is a response I received from one of the members of the MAC:<br /><br />Ron English, chief legal counsel for SPS, addressed this very topic in a committee meeting. His message was clear and simple:<br />from a legal standpoint, the School board can do one of three things:<br />Adopt the curriculum recommended by the committee,<br />Adopt one of the curriculum that was reviewed, but not recommended<br />Choose not to adopt any new curriculum<br />Linh-Conoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62490191709473067922014-05-28T16:06:15.052-07:002014-05-28T16:06:15.052-07:00the Seattle School District has more problems than...the Seattle School District has more problems than just mathMr Tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4744052765932019062014-05-28T15:34:59.973-07:002014-05-28T15:34:59.973-07:00Savvy, I think you are correct but the Board could...Savvy, I think you are correct but the Board could reject the motion and say, we believe a dual adoption is in the district's best interest.<br /><br />That's my read of it. Anyone?Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.com