Meetings This Week
New Update: Tuesday, September 22, at 7 pm at the John Stanford Center auditorium is the first meeting for the Special Education PTSA with guests Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, Dr. Enfield and Marni Campbell.
(Update: forgot Dr. Goodloe-Johnson starts her Coffee Hours this week. One was yesterday but there is one tomorrow)
Wednesday, September 23
8:05 – 9:05 a.m.
Washington Middle School, 2101 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98144
Meetings:
Board Community Meetings:
2010 BTA III Levy Meetings
Tuesday, September 22
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Mercer Middle School
1600 S. Columbian Way
Thursday, September 24
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Madison Middle School
3429 45th SW
(Update: forgot Dr. Goodloe-Johnson starts her Coffee Hours this week. One was yesterday but there is one tomorrow)
Wednesday, September 23
8:05 – 9:05 a.m.
Washington Middle School, 2101 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98144
Meetings:
- Board Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee Meeting today from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, Board Workshop on Curriculum Alignment, 4-8 p.m.
Board Community Meetings:
- Wednesday, Director Sundquist from 9-10:30 am
- Friday, Director Bass from 6-9 p.m.
- Saturday, Director Martin-Morris from 9:30-11:30 am
- Saturday, Director DeBell from 9-11 a.m.
2010 BTA III Levy Meetings
Tuesday, September 22
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Mercer Middle School
1600 S. Columbian Way
Thursday, September 24
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Madison Middle School
3429 45th SW
Comments
Missing from the C & I committee agenda, however, is any discussion of those commitments that Director Martin-Morris has on his blog that he says are being followed in the C & I committee. Nor are they discussing a number of other topics that could (and should) come up:
Where is the APP curriculum?
What is the status of curriculum alignment and text standardization?
Does Dr. Enfield have that glossary that she was going to write? She said that she anticipated having a draft done at the end of September.
What is the status of the review of Policy D12.00 that the Board directed the superintendent to make on January 29?
What is the enrollment at the Southeast Initiative schools? Has their peformance met the accountability targets? What are the accountability targets?
They picked at the Materials Adoption Policy, but didn't move it forward to the next step. In fact, they are unsure of what the next step should be. Director Carr wants public input before it is too late to matter, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.
They essentially skipped over the timeline for policy review.
They were about to start a discussion of the wide variance in of hours of instruction at high schools but were short-circuited by the staff saying that they were just about to start looking into that and will report out soon. There was a mood that the hours of instruction don't really matter. It was dismissively referred to as "seat time". Hmmm. If it doesn't matter then why doesn't Madrona go ahead and have art, music and recess? If seat time doesn't matter then why does Aki Kurose have an extended day?
Quality time on task does matter! I hear over and over from teachers that their time in the classroom is most important, yet it's always being taken away from them.
Of course it's the quality instructional time concept and equity among schools that parents are concerned with- it becomes a legal issue when policies are being changed (along with the procedures that go along with those policies, which are not even available yet for stakeholders to review).
Don't kid yourself- this instructional time is a big deal to parents and teachers alike and it needs to be protected and defined properly by School Board policy. We need more time to do this before a Board vote is held.
And,"looking into that"? They know very well what is happening; there's no looking into that. No, it's figuring out a way to snow the Board and hold parents at arms length.
(If there is a better place to post this, please do.)
Split, but not divided!
Come and join APP's 30th Birthday Celebration!
The APP community from all five schools--students grades 1-12, teachers, staff, and families--are all invited to come together for the
APP 30th Birthday Celebration!
Saturday, September 26
Garfield High School (400 23rd Ave. near Cherry)
2-5pm
It will be great for recently split friends to see each other, visit with past teachers, listen to student musical performances
including Garfield's Jazz and Orchestra ensembles, get a peek at Garfield, enjoy cake,
and honor our community and the teachers and staff who have worked so hard to make the program a success for so many years.
We will also acknowledge Dr. Nancy Robinson, who together with her husband initiated the program 30 years ago and
for whom The Robinson Center at UW is named, as she will be there too!
If you can help with this event, please contact stbower@comcast.net.
For more information or to sign up for the APP Advisory Committee email list, go to http://groups.google.com/group/app-ac-seattle
Please forward this invitation to all APP grads, alumni, retired teachers--it's a reunion too!
We look forward to seeing everyone there!
(--APP Advisory Committee)