tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post6542264799327840433..comments2024-03-18T16:51:10.406-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This WeekMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25816875521451206412012-04-30T18:10:07.655-07:002012-04-30T18:10:07.655-07:00Doubt anyone is paying attention to this far down ...Doubt anyone is paying attention to this far down the page, but May 1 6 -7:30 ELL and Special Education Directors Community Meeting @ Jane Addams is <b>CANCELLED</b>.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16065719062339888773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9781684482785626662012-04-30T11:46:21.366-07:002012-04-30T11:46:21.366-07:00I am thrilled SPS is getting Lake City back: we ne...I am thrilled SPS is getting Lake City back: we need it. Not clear if they are bailing on SPS, or, if SPS came calling to try and terminate the lease, but, either way, it is good. The District’s ability to house ‘interim’ populations during renovations and rebuilding is severely constrained for the next 5 years and beyond. To have at least another potential option, that is HUGE! Yes, I know, SPS sold the playground to the City, but still, Lake City is a building that may be needed sooner rather than later in the right geographic location given the area’s potential for upzoned residential density. And, if the District “bought” the net $250K cash flow (e.g., $325K rental income less the $75K rental cost) for $3.2M, well, that is a great deal for the District (of course, that depends on the cap rate, but using 3.5% it comes out neutral, so it looks good to me).<br /> <br />In fact, any player holding the lease papers, if they had taken the time to figure out the position of SPS and how desperate the capacity issues north of the ship canal are, they would have jacked up the price of buy-back for the District. I count this as a wind. Our Capital department is highly functional now with Lucy Morrello, despite so many problematic challenges she inherited. Good thing, with BEX right around the corner...<br /><br />-happy to welcome you backAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10334247211033251712012-04-30T09:26:13.057-07:002012-04-30T09:26:13.057-07:00This Lake City business sounds fishy. If it is su...This Lake City business sounds fishy. If it is such a good deal, why can't they find private capital to buy out their interest?<br /><br />For 25 years they have been profiting from the "extraordinary bad deal" the District made with them. Now they have borrowed too much so we will finance them with public funds? Wouldn't the public have more leverage by waiting for them to go under and violate the lease terms?<br /><br />FishySmellDetectorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23585768804858992152012-04-30T08:17:25.323-07:002012-04-30T08:17:25.323-07:00I hate, hate, hate this MOU with the Alliance for ...I hate, hate, hate this MOU with the Alliance for Education.<br /><br />1. The payment for their fiscal services is WAY out of whack.<br /><br />2. What other group gets to have the superintendent and the Board President sit on their board? I seriously suggest that every school PTA ask for an MOU that includes the ex officio participation on their board by the Superintendent and a Board member as well.<br /><br />3. There is a lot of other language in this document that is completely un-necessary and un-helpful. This should just be a straight contract for services.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81440514657945602972012-04-30T08:02:46.718-07:002012-04-30T08:02:46.718-07:00Regarding the Lake City property.
Here's what...Regarding the Lake City property.<br /><br />Here's what I'm getting out of the documents - though it is not clearly stated.<br /><br />The District entered into a 99 year lease with Lorig back in 1986. The lease payment is $75,000 a year. Lorig developed the property and is earning about $325,000 a year from it.<br /><br />Only Lorig is in a financial bind right now (they probably over-leveraged and they can't re-finance), so they are offering to terminate the lease with the District for $3.2 million.<br /><br />The District is essentially buying the building on the property for $3.2 million. If the District does this, then the District will collect the rents of about $325,000 a year from the tenants instead of Lorig.<br /><br />If I have this right, if the District really can manage the property well, and if they really can net $325,000 a year from it, this is a very, very good deal for the District.<br /><br />This also highlights what an extraordinarily bad deal the District had when they leased the property in the first place.<br /><br />There are other properties like this. The District owns the property under the Oak Tree Shopping Center on Aurora at about 100th and the Jefferson Square shopping center a couple blocks from Admiral Junction in West Seattle. What are the lease payments on those properties?Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54748817922366194612012-04-29T21:53:13.984-07:002012-04-29T21:53:13.984-07:00I think that it is time to call out the Alliance, ...I think that it is time to call out the Alliance, Stand for Children and LEV for what they are in no uncertain terms, via op-ed's, e-mails to PTA's and news outlets.<br /><br />These organizations are cardboard cut out's of imaginary parents and students who really represent Gates and other big corporate money and honestly, I don't understand why we put up with them any longer now that we all know what they are about.<br /><br />These folks, who are paid to represent corporate interests, don't give a damn about our children.<br /><br />Mac Farlane, now with DFER (a very frightening organization) and Korsmo and Munn with LEV are paid, and paid very well, to spew the venom of corporate capitalism and nothing more.<br /><br />They want Husk because she will circumvent the democratic process, something that we are losing on so many different levels around this country to corporate capitalism and self interest. Let's not allow that to happen here in Seattle.<br /><br />They, DFER and ALEC, want to take over our public schools and hand them over to money making interests such as charter schools (aka "Innovation Schools"), charter management companies and online learning centers. And, LEV, along with the co-opted WSPTA, is happy to help in any way that they can. Is this what you want for your children?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20590101587995692382012-04-29T18:32:07.208-07:002012-04-29T18:32:07.208-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47796804525966005352012-04-29T18:31:00.738-07:002012-04-29T18:31:00.738-07:00LEV, P4L, CRPE, and S4C (the usual suspects) are h...LEV, P4L, CRPE, and S4C (the usual suspects) are having yet another "Tele-Town Hall" call-in thingy on May 2nd, this one on teacher effectiveness. It's between 12:00 and 1:00, which guarantees they won't have any pesky teachers weighing in (maybe EX-teachers: Chris Eide, who is Teachers United and BFF with the three Reform organizations sponsoring this, is sure to call in...)<br />Maybe some of us here at SSS Blog can call in then and give soe input?<br /><br />From LEV (and note that the director of P4L and of S4C are both called "experts. Expert what? Director? Policy Director? Or is this supposed to mean they are experts in the field of teacher effectiveness?):<br />• Jana Carlisle, Executive Director, Partnership for Learning<br /> • Dan Goldhaber, Research Professor, University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education*<br /> • Dave Powell, Policy Director, Stand for Children Washington<br /> <br />"The panel of experts will discuss the importance of high-quality, effective teachers..."<br /><br /> ■What: A+ Washington Tele- Town Hall: A focus on teacher effectiveness<br /> ■When: Wednesday, May 2 from 12-1 p.m.<br /> ■Phone number: 888-863-6102seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-385421396319552422012-04-29T12:59:31.336-07:002012-04-29T12:59:31.336-07:00Did you see some of the "200 account", t...Did you see some of the "200 account", they laboriously manage for us? Men of Queen Ann (sic), the Debbie Yasuda Fund, Ora P. Franklin scholarhip fund. What would have been more useful is how many transactions do they actually perform. I would rather the $$ go back to our PTSA and our excellent hardworking treasurer<br /><br />Rubbish!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83820074892058398662012-04-29T12:39:52.875-07:002012-04-29T12:39:52.875-07:00re: The Alliance thing. Methinks Sarah Morris basi...re: The Alliance thing. Methinks Sarah Morris basically drafted the board language and stuck it in. How about THIS turnaround:<br /><br />For the ALLIANCE to show the DISTRICT and THE COMMUNITY that they are actually a collaborative organization with the best interests of children at heart and not just the community's the ALLIANCE has voted to hire new leadership for its organization. One who doesn't piss off the community at large on a regular basis. <br /><br /><br />(Then we can talk about its 'raise'. If new leadership even put it on the table.<br /><br />DistrictWatcherAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82464343535708149262012-04-29T12:06:12.877-07:002012-04-29T12:06:12.877-07:00Re: Hale,
First, the fact that this proposal is m...Re: Hale,<br /><br />First, the fact that this proposal is made in lieu of a "formal claim" by the GC?! And that the GC/CM performed the "analysis" of this REA?!<br /><br />GC/CMs contracts are notorious for cumulative impact and inefficiency claims. In spite of the fact that GC/CM contracts have many contingincy pots of money to cover socpe gap, design development, risk allowance, the primes "pass-through" every single penny-ante request for change made by subs (who aggressively bid low and then try to make a profit via claims).<br /><br />If the mechanical subs claim has merit, then have it go through the contracted "formal" process. Let an independent third-party decide if this isn't just taxpayer payola to make this problem go away.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74954561370821696332012-04-29T12:00:32.598-07:002012-04-29T12:00:32.598-07:00And let's not forget, Banda and Husk did not s...And let's not forget, Banda and Husk did not show experience of doing special education except as business as usual. There is no track record. What was the board thinking in short listing these 2 people when they know how desperate our district is in the special education area? We have fared so badly with leaders who do not insist on change because they have no idea what change should look like and anyway they are all intensely anti-family. All of our current leaders are anti-family in special education. <br /><br />Anon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-12226378464463097902012-04-29T11:55:16.752-07:002012-04-29T11:55:16.752-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35568017062414736072012-04-29T11:52:48.941-07:002012-04-29T11:52:48.941-07:00And you want taxpayers to pay for $1Billion + levy...And you want taxpayers to pay for $1Billion + levy for such spendthrift practice?<br />-enough is enoughAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21197101647743720562012-04-29T11:52:26.477-07:002012-04-29T11:52:26.477-07:00Enoch just dropped out -- we are up the creek. A ...Enoch just dropped out -- we are up the creek. A guy with no serious high school or middle school experience or an ed reformer who does not listen. Lord have mercy.<br />--private school, next stopAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com