Tomorrow's School Board Meeting

Assuming that snow doesn't cause a cancellation of tomorrow's School Board meeting, here are the list of people who are testifying tomorrow night:

1. Chris Jackins, Garfield Construction Contract
2. Carol Simmons, Alliance Grant
3. Patty Iwamoto, Arbor Heights Elementary
4. Eric Iwamoto, Arbor Heights Elementary
5. Kim McCormick, Capacity - NE Cluster
6. Tamara Leonard, Capacity - NE Cluster
7. Lauren McGuire, Capacity - NE Cluster
8. Kelly Van Gelder, Center School
9. Caroline Brown , Center School
10. Kendra Wagner, Center School
11. Ricky Malone, Closures
12. Molly Gras-Usry, Cooper
13. Jean Hoppe, Lowell
14. Tracy Dobmeier, Montlake
15. Kenneth Sherr, Montlake
16. Lara Kreyenhagen, Montlake
17. Heidi Kaplan, Montlake
18. Shannon Callahan, Nova
19. Melissa Cain, Preliminary. Recommendations
20. Pam Berry, School Closures

*****

The agenda also includes:
  • Superintendent’s Update the Preliminary Recommendation for Capacity and Closures
  • Chief Academic Officer’s Update
  • Chief Operating Officer’s Update

and the usual assortment of BEX/construction-related votes.

The one interesting introduction item is proposed acceptance of "a three-year grant from the Alliance for Education totaling $5,747,680 to support the implementation of the strategic plan." Details here.

Comments

uxolo said…
I hope the campaign for $79 per student gets publicized, a great idea from contributor on Harium's blog. Each parent/guardian pays $79 and we don't have to close any schools!
12/17/08, 12:08 AM
TechyMom said…
I'm in, and I'll sponsor 5 other kids. I get corporate donation matching, so that will cover 10 kids plus mine. Anyone else?
12/17/08, 6:20 AM
zb said…
No, I'm not in, because I think we need to close schools, to close unsustainable buildings and combine programs. I think this will strengthen the school system, in the longer run, and that keeping all the schools open is a bail out without a plan.

Now, on the other hand, I'm perfectly willing to fund a bailout on top of strategic planning. The only convincing argument I've heard is the idea that a new assignment plan should be simultaneous with school closures, rather than staggered. But, I'd see that as an argument for stepping up the planning for the school assignment plan rather than delaying the closures.
12/17/08, 7:12 AM
Charlie Mas said…
You know, there is a trick to getting on the list to speak to the Board at a meeting like this.

Notice the two names at the top: Chris Jackins and Carol Simmons. They didn't have to call in at 08:00:00.01 to get those spots. They got kicked to the top of the list - regardless of when they called - because they are speaking to items on the agenda. Read the rules and you can make them work for you.

There are some, I'm sure, who think that reading the rules and using the rules to your advantage is somehow unfair. If you're one of these people, I would really like to hear that perspective explained, because I don't get it. My perspective is that work, such as research, yields benefits - as it should. My perspective is that thinking and creativity, such as finding ways to use the rules to your advantage, yields benefits - as it should.
12/17/08, 7:46 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
And once again, Facilities comes to the Board asking for more money to cover Garfield costs for both overruns and "... does not include amounts to settle construction claims."

Settle construction claims? What the ...?

We are now running nearly $25M over Garfield's budget. This IS not right and I know Chris Jackins will be pointing out the obvious tonight but maybe, at some point, greater detail about what happened on this project needs to be discovered.

That's money that could have covered BOTH a new school for Nova and money for SBOC.
12/17/08, 9:16 AM
CS said…
Not that I want to discourage people from donating to the public schools but I think the $79 per student idea is a bad one. It's not sustainable and the district would not be able to use it in budget planning.
12/17/08, 1:33 PM
Tosca said…
Will the School Board meeting still happen tonight with the schools closed today? I would think they are independent of one another and haven't seen anything to the contrary on the SPS website. I've been relying on this blog for my play-by-play on these meetings (thank you!) because I don't believe we have the Seattle Channel for my viewing pleasure.

With gratitude to the bloggers,

Jeanne
12/17/08, 5:00 PM
Beth Bakeman said…
JMT, yes the Board meeting is happening tonight.

I will try to do some live blogging this evening, but will not do the whole event.
12/17/08, 5:34 PM
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