Good To Know

Thank you to SPS parent for the tip about the blurb in Seattle Magazine about Dr. Goodloe-Johnson (she's in there as one of Seattle's most influential people). Here's the blurb and it's pretty funny:

"Focused on goals and always on message, Maria Goodloe-Johnson appears most concerned with making a difference, and achievement is clearly her bottom line

Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson [ Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools ]

No one would say it’s been an easy ride for Goodloe-Johnson, 51, who took the helm of the often beleaguered Seattle Public Schools in 2007. Described variously as brisk, decisive, lacking warmth but focused on goals and always on message, the district’s top official appears less concerned about making friends than with making a difference. To date, she’s crafted a strategic plan for the district, announced school closures and leaped over controversy in getting a new math curriculum approved. Her biggest surprise? The amount of focus given to a change in school starting times. The school-bell issue, she says, “is not what really impacts achievement.” And achievement is clearly her bottom line. “Academic gains for all of our students,” she says, is her top goal for the coming year."

I think there are other descriptors for her but clearly, Seattle Magazine went with the softball lob ones. "Always on message'? Well, sure if you could actually get anything of substance out of what she says. Also, I love how they say "she crafted a strategic plan". I'll bet staff loves that: what are they - chopped liver? (I know, she had no control over what the magazine says but you'd think people who work as a group would give credit to everyone.)

And bell times? That's what she has found the most surprising? Not that out here alternative schools aren't all re-entry? Parents fight back? She can try all she likes to control the message but no, it's not possible?

And that goal for this year? How specific, how ....strategic.

Comments

Maureen said…
“Academic gains for all of our students,” she says, is her top goal for the coming year."

So if some of our kids don't make 'academic gains' will she count herself a failure and decline a raise?

Are any of you journalists? How does one justify this sort of softball fluff for an administrator who earns more than the mayor?
seattle citizen said…
I heard about a district once where academic gains for students WASN'T a top goal.

I think it was on Mars.
gavroche said…
Many of the glossy mag fluff pieces on Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson are written by incurious freelancers who clearly rely on the superintendent herself and the SPS spinmeisters for their 'info.' A true journalist would not churn out such laughable fairy floss.
SolvayGirl said…
Seattle Woman is all about women's achievements. It's definitely not The Stranger.
gavroche said…
Ah, the 'journalist' in question is Virginia Smyth -- Seattle Mag's own managing editor who ought to know better. Looks like she tossed this off in a couple of minutes. So much for her journalistic acumen.

These 'Most influential,' Best of,' 'Top 10' lists that these magazines like to do are often very contrived and superficial.

But they do bring in the ad bucks....
dan dempsey said…
I think a great goal for MGJ would be to get out the four required quarterly reports on the Strategic plan in 2010 unlike 2009.

Four or three they are both just numbers right ... hey this is close enough in SPS math I suppose.
ArchStanton said…
To date, she’s crafted a strategic plan for the district, announced school closures and leaped over controversy in getting a new math curriculum approved. Her biggest surprise? The amount of focus given to a change in school starting times. The school-bell issue, she says, “is not what really impacts achievement.”

Is leaped a new synonym for ignored?

Those silly parents making a big fuss about something as trivial as bell-times. If that's parents' biggest concern, then every thing must be hunky-dory.

I guess you can't say that she is not having an impact on achievement.

If I wasn't laughing, I'd be crying.
dan dempsey said…
"
No one would say it’s been an easy ride for Goodloe-Johnson, 51,"


It has been a lot easier ride for her than for the families she supposedly serves.
seattle citizen said…
FYI (OT):
From this month's District School Beat:
"All Seattle Public Schools students deserve a high-quality education that prepares them for college, careers, and life. As outlined in the strategic plan, Excellence for All, the District is committed to raising achievement for all students, retaining and attracting great teachers, and increasing efficiency in Seattle Public Schools. This month, SPS will launch a Districtwide performance management system that will provide the information and data needed to continuously improve the quality of education and meet the Excellence for All goals. The District has clearly defined performance goals and is being accountable by regularly measuring, reporting, and taking steps to improve – based on progress toward the goals. On November 12, an updated District Scorecard will be shared with the School Board and community at a work session scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the John Stanford Center. The Scorecard includes Districtwide academic and operational measures, and will be posted at www.seattleschools.org on November 13."
seattle citizen said…
The obvious question is what are the "clearly defined performance goals" and how IS it "being accountable by regularly measuring, reporting" and WHAT "steps to improve – based on progress toward the goals" will b taken?

We'll find out November 12, eh?
ParentofThree said…
"Seattle Woman" - It was "Seattle Magazine" and they did a piece on most influential people, like Jeff Bezo's.

And about start times, clearly there is evidence that school day start and end times impact learning.

Younger children learn in the early hours (hence why I opposed the 9:45 start time at my elementary) Older students learn better in the later hours, (hence why I supported moving the MS start times to a later hour.)

Does she pretend not to know this stuff? Or does she really not know this stuff? And which is worse?
dan dempsey said…
"Does she pretend not to know this stuff? Or does she really not know this stuff? And which is worse?

Seriously .... Does she even care?
According to Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, class size doesn't matter. Bell times don't matter. I'd like to know, in specific, what matters.
SSDemp said…
Her quarter million dollar salary and her cabal of spin doctors surrounding her to fend off those of us that alsp don't matter to her.
owlhouse said…
Dr G-J's surprise at parent response to changes in bell time is indicative of a larger problem. She, the district, national "reformers" do not seem to recognize that school is just one piece of a child's life. Data on childrens' biological rhythms aside, is she really unaware that changing bell times will impact child care, extra curricular activities, family patterns and such?

And- re: magazine confusion, the super and other district leaders were featured in a recent issue of Seattle Woman Magazine. Now, this month, she's in Seattle Magazine. Are these publications owned by the same co?
hschinske said…
Seattle Woman is a very small outfit owned by Marianne Scholl, not connected to Seattle Magazine whatsoever. I would say they aren't known for hard-hitting journalism, but they aren't especially fluffy, either.

Helen Schinske
owlhouse said…
Thanks Helen, I was curious but hadn't yet checked.
SolvayGirl said…
" It was "Seattle Magazine" and they did a piece on most influential people..."

To paraphrase Glinda..."Is she a good influence, or a bad influence?"
Joan NE said…
Maria's failure to make her four quartly reports on progress on E4A (Excellence for All) is encouraging to me, if it means that she is not making good progress on implementing data-driven decision making, accountabiltiy measures, performance management system etc. These are elements that will bring about the demise of SPS.

I am all for accountability, if it is authentically best practice, if it genuinely contributes to progress on authentic measures of student achievement, if it is fair to to students and teachers, if it doesn't contribute to deprofessionalization of the teaching profession.

The accountability we are getting under E4A does not meet these criteria.

So I for one would be quite pleased if the district made no progress on "performance management systems" and "accountability" as they define these terms.

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