Why Does SPS News and Calendars Never Have Any?
I try to check in with the News and Calendars section at SPS every day. Oh call me crazy but I just think, "Golly, there might be some news there I can use or even better, my readers." Usually, major disappointment. So is there really so little going on at SPS? Nope, it's just a failure of the SPS Communications department. Let's look at the content that is there right now.
- old story about Transition Plan from Jan. 20th
- Open houses - still good information but no links and no mention of tours
- levies - okay, still topical
- STEM Open House...on Jan. 23rd. Way down within this topic is information about Open Enrollment. Not much help to those who would skip that topic.
- Memorial Stadium meeting on Feb. 2nd - guess what? I actually missed that one. Would have gone to that meeting
- National Board Certification - good stuff but still, a little old
- some info on district-wide performance management. Not really helpful because (1) the teachers are going to negotiate a contract which might make some of this moot and (2) they've promised this stuff before and it never appeared
- and a few other very old stories
They actually pay people in this district to keep parents and the public up-to-date. And yet, no mention of the court case that could be the biggest thing to hit public education in this state in decades. No mention that the district has to review the high school math adoption. No reassuring words about safety in our schools despite several recent cases of violence in various schools that even involved teachers. How are these people so out of touch?
Anyway, FYI Sherry Carr has her community meeting tomorrow from 8:30-10:00 am at the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center, 8515 Greenwood Ave. N. (You have to find this information at the Board calendar because why put it on the District calendar.) If I felt like getting up early, I'd ask her how it feels to have your reviewing abilities slammed by a judge. Or, more politely, what happens next (or what did district staff tell you will happen next)?
- old story about Transition Plan from Jan. 20th
- Open houses - still good information but no links and no mention of tours
- levies - okay, still topical
- STEM Open House...on Jan. 23rd. Way down within this topic is information about Open Enrollment. Not much help to those who would skip that topic.
- Memorial Stadium meeting on Feb. 2nd - guess what? I actually missed that one. Would have gone to that meeting
- National Board Certification - good stuff but still, a little old
- some info on district-wide performance management. Not really helpful because (1) the teachers are going to negotiate a contract which might make some of this moot and (2) they've promised this stuff before and it never appeared
- and a few other very old stories
They actually pay people in this district to keep parents and the public up-to-date. And yet, no mention of the court case that could be the biggest thing to hit public education in this state in decades. No mention that the district has to review the high school math adoption. No reassuring words about safety in our schools despite several recent cases of violence in various schools that even involved teachers. How are these people so out of touch?
Anyway, FYI Sherry Carr has her community meeting tomorrow from 8:30-10:00 am at the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center, 8515 Greenwood Ave. N. (You have to find this information at the Board calendar because why put it on the District calendar.) If I felt like getting up early, I'd ask her how it feels to have your reviewing abilities slammed by a judge. Or, more politely, what happens next (or what did district staff tell you will happen next)?
Comments
10:30am to Noon on Saturday, February 13, 2010 - at Bethany Community Church located at 1156 80th Street, in the Auditorium.
He said that they were running way short of staff in the communications department, something like 1 and a bit FTEs instead of 4 FTEs. I don't know if that has been fixed in the meantime. He said part of the problem was 2 people leaving the office. I don't know if the hiring freeze means that those positions won't be filled.
Eric
I am so tired of Staff making excuses as to why they can't do things, yet they are the most bloated and, at least at some levels, highly paid staff in the region.
Robocall
If MGJ has the time to call about the levies, she has time to call about transportation.
DeBell is way off on this one. A bit scary in terms of the kind of leadership we need right now. He should be telling parents I have directed the MGJ to get the communication out by X day. Not, sob sob they have no staff.
We hear Board candidates talk about providing leadership all the time, but all I have ever seen them do is follow and support the superintedent without providing any leadership or direction.
When they run for re-election - and they will - let's be sure to ask them for specific examples of their leadership and let's ask them to describe how they took a leadership role on the math textbook adoption, on curricular alignment, on community engagement, on the Denny/Sealth co-location, on the Garfield renovation, on the Ingraham addition, on various other litigation, on capacity management, on closures, on openings, and on the new student assignment plan.