tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8963426419788166707..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Times, This One's For YouMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86046272500238717162014-09-07T07:41:55.114-07:002014-09-07T07:41:55.114-07:00More teachers, please. An LA teacher with 164 stud...More teachers, please. An LA teacher with 164 students is criminal. Assign an essay? Five minutes each (comment, critique) x 164 = 840 minutes = 14 hours. If we want to actually give students the cogent, individualuzed feedback they need we need more teachers and smaller classes. It's a waste of time, and a crime, to pack classroms to capacity.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-63446492436060310382014-09-06T09:30:05.552-07:002014-09-06T09:30:05.552-07:00Over at the Washington Policy Center they have ano...Over at the Washington Policy Center they have another piece on school funding. <br /><br />http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/why-are-local-schools-short-money-when-school-district-budgets-are-going<br /><br />They are shocked to find that <br />1) not all schools are funded the same (they are from the state funding but the type of student determines overall funding)<br />2) SPS spends so much on administration. <br /><br />But I did note at their webpage that Seattle does seem to have a large administration. I gave a couple of reasons why that is but mostly I shake my head.<br /><br />The district has rearranged the chairs so it looks like they are smaller than they truly are. And they know it.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53098272652859763652014-09-06T09:14:19.614-07:002014-09-06T09:14:19.614-07:00Thanks for the link to this study - it is quite in...Thanks for the link to this study - it is quite interesting. It seems (based on the pie chart) like the fastest way to improve student achievement would be to influence the two massive student-based indicators - controls (race/ethnicity) and student variance. I bet the only way for the district (rather than communities and families) to do that is to radically increase the number of licensed teachers reaching students (especially in poorly performing areas) and to improve existing teacher morale and performance with better salary compensation and more class prep. time.<br /><br />Really, a complete restructuring (read: shrinking) in central administration staff is needed. Positions should be eliminated in favor of more certified teaching positions. The superintendent's salary and other high level administers needs to be cut and funneled to teaching positions, the buildings to house them, and teacher salaries. This could occur without a lot of nattering task forces as it uses existing channels for disbursement. Positions designed to serve public relations rather than students basic needs have to be eliminated. The Ombudsman for example. Our personal experience has been that the Ombudsman's chief skill is to compose pithy emails stating that they are powerless to accomplish or influence problem A,B, or C (take your pick). What a shocking waste of salary money. One teacher can do so much more than one Ombudsman. If anyone else has a counter opinion on the value of these characters, I would be interested to hear it. <br /><br />Furthermore, I have noticed that capacity and staff limitations seem to be the underlying factor for many recalcitrant Principals' draconian policies that limit student opportunities as well. Often Principals' won't admit this because they are invested in making the district look like it is in control. Principals need to be advocates for their schools not apologists for the district.<br /><br />I hope if the legislature can be compelled to adequately fund education the money will be shuttled to teachers, classrooms, curriculum and not used for ANY of the following:<br />-assembling and administering task forces<br />-more central administration staff<br />-"studies" run by outside companies<br />-expensive outside searches for superintendents<br /><br />I don't think any of this will happen because there is (as Charlie Mas says) a true culture of lawlessness in the district central administration. They are really robbing our kids to feather their nests.<br /><br />-DistrictParent<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com