tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post7956060161175317151..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Leadership UpdateMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-36273580317967975822020-09-11T06:32:59.070-07:002020-09-11T06:32:59.070-07:00I am very enjoying to read your well-written artic...I am very enjoying to read your well-written article posts. It seems that you devote a great deal of hard work and time onto your own blog.Learn <a href="https://360digitmg.com/pmp-training-in-hyderabad" rel="nofollow">360DigiTMG PMP Certification Cost in Hyderabad</a>PMP Certificationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27567958262797872612014-05-21T17:22:33.187-07:002014-05-21T17:22:33.187-07:00Reader, I think that is a product of browbeating b...Reader, I think that is a product of browbeating by media/ed reform types over "micromanaging." I think they fear that label and that it marginalizes them. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30813116667412191352014-05-21T14:27:37.024-07:002014-05-21T14:27:37.024-07:00"What's amazing to me is that these staff..."What's amazing to me is that these staffing changes are what drive SPS policies, rather than the board."<br /><br />I see the Board getting less and less traction year to year. What do others see? <br /><br />ReaderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84349078914383656762014-05-21T09:27:17.359-07:002014-05-21T09:27:17.359-07:00What's amazing to me is that these staffing ch...What's amazing to me is that these staffing changes are what drive SPS policies, rather than the board. Is our school board unwilling to stand up to staff and insist that the democratically elected representatives of the people, not bureaucrats, make choices for our schools?Greenwoodynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57361658052874642052014-05-21T07:17:00.223-07:002014-05-21T07:17:00.223-07:00Do any of these hires need Board approval -- does ...Do any of these hires need Board approval -- does the employment contract (including benefits) go beyond $250K? <br /><br />Is the a mechanism for the Board to openly question adding two expensive<br />Muckity mucks in a time of severe operating budget tightness/deficits? <br /><br />Don't think there is, but this just burns money and doesn't help children.<br /><br />Waste NotAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81892943913393708162014-05-20T19:33:15.518-07:002014-05-20T19:33:15.518-07:00everytime these come out I'm hoping and prayin...everytime these come out I'm hoping and praying to see tolley shuffling of the JSCEE mortal coil and gravy train. <br /><br />DarnDarnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37644538126716602812014-05-20T16:22:52.399-07:002014-05-20T16:22:52.399-07:00When will they hire for the Ministry of Silly Hats...When will they hire for the Ministry of Silly Hats?<br /><br />Assistant Superintendent for Funny Walks?<br /><br />Maybe they could have funded full-time librarians or full-time art teachers at the schools that can't afford to supplement from PTA? <br /><br />Signed: Math CountsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15681842866657188702014-05-20T13:59:33.990-07:002014-05-20T13:59:33.990-07:00I am really disappointed that they hired the Commu...I am really disappointed that they hired the Community Partnerships position from within. This position, in particular, would have been a very good opportunity for the District to reach out to the community and bring an experienced executive director from a leading community-based organization. Leadership should come from someone who deeply understands the work of CBOs, especially those that serve low income and minority youth - not another District technocrat with very little "real world" experience. <br /><br />Disappointed AgainAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39216423709377433782014-05-20T13:32:40.831-07:002014-05-20T13:32:40.831-07:00A Director of Project Management AND a Director of...A Director of Project Management AND a Director of Continuous Improvement??? (Don't principals serve that function? Aren't they the ones, working with their teachers, trying to improve the teaching and increase effectiveness so that their kids do better and better? Aren't they overseen by a cast of Ex Directors???) We already have a Director of Operations, who in turn has a Director of Logistics (Transportation), report to her, AND we have of course, Assistant Superintendents, one for Teaching and Learning, plus his fleet of personnel (Curriculum and Instruction has a Director). AND we have a Deputy Superintendent (what exactly is his job?).<br /><br />Are these two newest positions really an absolutely necessary expense? Couldn't we have just hired 6 more teachers to lower some ridiculous class sizes? Some middle school teachers have sections with 42 in it, they teacher far beyond 150 students. <br /><br />My own school has 6 fifth grade classes each with either 30 or 31 students. If just one added teacher was payed for, by the District in its wisdom, then the classes would all be 25 or 26 students. Wouldn't that be a better investment to achieve 'continuous improvement'? It sure would, at least in the opinion of 181 students, 6 teachers, 1 principal, and 362 parents and guardians. And, that is just one example. I bet there are dozens and dozens of examples in buildings in all regions and in each grade band. If nothing else, Special Ed could sure use some more teachers and department types. Really, in buildings with 96% F&RL, couldn't you have 'invested' in 'continuing to improve' the lives of students, by adding a teacher in the lower grades, and bring down the teacher - student ratio to 15? That would make for an unbelievably excellent improvement in the lives of those students! That would be a real boost up for students from economically disadvantaged situations. That would have durably impactful, measurable, academic affect. <br /><br />Mr. Banda, in consulting parlance, this hiring mini-spree is called 'creep'. What will we have to show for the investment of these 2 positions in 3 years? Don't you trust our teachers, their principals, and their overseers, the Ex Directors, to serve students and work to make things better? Don't you think they know what they are doing, and, maybe you should listen to them? Won't these 2 positions be essential redundant? Wouldn't Dr. Libros be able to do better things with the money, identifying buildings who need, NEED, another teacher to 'improve things'?<br /><br />Class size matters. Teachers are the heart of education, they are the ones next to the students. More of them, please. Less administration, more actual teaching.<br /><br />-TOP HEAVYAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13286537409817600652014-05-20T11:24:42.866-07:002014-05-20T11:24:42.866-07:00There is just no way this money would not have bee...There is just no way this money would not have been better spent on teachers. More teachers at almost any school, at this point, would be better. How many would these salaries fund? 5?<br /><br />-sleeperAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16775203521288238582014-05-20T11:02:39.105-07:002014-05-20T11:02:39.105-07:00For years now, the SOLE project at Central has bee...For years now, the SOLE project at Central has been PGE and HR "transformation". How's that panning out? After $MM$s spent.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-76527847094565922802014-05-20T10:16:22.215-07:002014-05-20T10:16:22.215-07:00I did a little research on the new person, Bill Ec...I did a little research on the new person, Bill Echevarria, and he is definitely in the reformer camp. I googled his name and looked at his Linked in profile. It looks like he taught math for a short while down in the Denver area, but he doesn't list an education degree. His major was Engineering. He also follows Michelle Rhee and the Broad foundation. Not sure if he was a TFA, as he doesn't mention it there. He also took part in the Walton Leadership program, as well as some others. I have checked out some of the other recent appointments and see that reform minded people, with similar backgrounds, are the ones that Banda is choosing for our leadership positions in this district, which is worrisome. <br /><br />As for the Special Ed changes, as a SPED teacher, I have yet to see or hear of what they are. I hope it isn't like the last time they made changes and we found out after school started, via osmosis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-36110301303069015672014-05-20T09:52:00.761-07:002014-05-20T09:52:00.761-07:00Hmm... wonder how many of those classroom people g...Hmm... wonder how many of those classroom people got riffed to pay for "continuous improvement" - what a bunch of malarkey.<br /><br />reader47Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47042458706945126582014-05-20T09:26:47.241-07:002014-05-20T09:26:47.241-07:00In truth, the Central Administration has bitten of...In truth, the Central Administration has bitten off much more than it can chew. They have made extravagent promises that they cannot begin to deliver. Here are just three of them:<br /><br />Special Education. Not only is the District scrambling to meet the requirements of the OSPI correction plan, they are trying to design and implement a whole new vision for Special Education. Unfortunately, their Vision isn't that clear (or all that good), and the habits and legacy practices aren't going away very easily. This project reaches into nearly every classroom in the district. This is a huge struggle and would be difficult and time consuming enough to be the District's sole project.<br /><br />MTSS. The District claims to be implementing Multi-Tier Systems of Support. Again, this project reaches into every classroom in the district and, by itself, would be enough to occupy the entire district, but it's just one of dozens.<br /><br />Common Core. Again, a project that both reaches into every single classroom and could justifiably be the district's sole project for the next two years.<br /><br />Just these three projects - nevermind all of the others - will be nearly impossible for an organization that has proven so utterly incapable of implementations. All of these projects require revolutionary changes for the teachers, but teachers haven't been actively engaged in any of them. They will all appear as mandates coming down from the adminosphere. Given the district's notorious inability to monitor or enforce, the teachers will all be essentially free to ignore all of it.<br /><br />The Central Administration has committed itself to these projects, but these projects don't require any changes in central administration. The folks in the JSCEE won't have to change anything they do. All of the real work of implementing these projects will have to happen in the classrooms and will have to be done by the teachers. And where are the teachers in this process? Nowhere. There has been little or no teacher involvement in the development of these initiatives, and little or no effort to win teacher buy-in. The JSCEE staff act like they can just issue orders and the teacher corps will jump. I have no idea where they get these notions.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73673536375249973022014-05-20T09:24:59.214-07:002014-05-20T09:24:59.214-07:00Kids, this is consolidation of power and it's ...Kids, this is consolidation of power and it's at headquarters. I think any kind of real innovation at any school is going away. I doubt if the Creative Approach schools will survive. <br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66653985207056918292014-05-20T06:18:31.182-07:002014-05-20T06:18:31.182-07:00MGJ brought the Broad "Project Management&quo...MGJ brought the Broad "Project Management" perspective to SPS. All the bigwigs downtown got training. It was a big nothing.<br /><br />In my view, the only major project that needs a manager is the special education new service delivery.<br /><br />Bill sounds like a compadre of Charles Wright.<br /><br />Is this Central idea of making itself relevant. Process improvement and project management?mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74550612774457917592014-05-20T05:15:11.721-07:002014-05-20T05:15:11.721-07:00More executives.More executives.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.com