Debate the issues facing Seattle Public Schools, share your opinions, read the latest news. Organize and work for high quality public schools that educate all students to become passionate, lifelong learners.
FYI
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Just a reminder of tonight's forum on Youth and Families, part of an initiative by Mayor McGinn:
I have e-mailed the Mayor's office and LEV (they are coordinating the caucuses). They apologized and are setting up a new one and will let us know when that is done. I expect to hear back this week.
Please go here and read the Declaration of Support of Public Education... if you agree with the principles contained within this Declaration, please consider signing the petition...
And please, if you have the inclination, see how different this Declaration is to what the Our Schools Coalition has put forward as 'community, grass roots desires' for public education...
Nowhere else to put this, but if like me you don't like what the Alliance for Education/Our Schools Coalition is doing around town (trying to influence teacher contract bargaining and education reform, claiming it speaks for the SPS community), you might like to take the time to tell them, either on their blot or on their facebook page, which URL I have included at the top...
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Why You Should Care Mr. Crabill has found quite the acolyte in Director Chandra Hampson. In the course of discussions over SOFG, she says his name over and over, "A.J .says we...." Now that's not too surprising given the direction the district is heading and that it is Mr. Crabill's work with the Council of Great City Schools is how we got here. But it appears that Mr. Crabill is working very closely with Hampson and we know she wields some amount of power over the majority of the Board. Mr. Crabill is going to continue to work with the Board as SOFG is instituted in SPS. In fact, his role may become more public as it did at one SPS Board meeting in the spring where he was on the phone during the meeting and suggested the Board stop the meeting to "self-reflect." I also noticed that in a district in South Carolina, when things weren't going to plan, he blamed the Board for not following SOFG to the letter. Look for that to happen here if Board members w
Here's the agenda for tonight's Board meeting. I note that people can no longer sign up to speak at a Board meeting by phone. It is strictly by online sign-up. Not good. Public Testimony seems to cover two topics. Apparently, the Chinese program at West Seattle High School is in jeopardy and there are several speakers for that issue. The other issue is, of course, school closures. There are six people on the waitlist. Here's the latest from the Times which says that " Seattle Could Close about a quarter of its elementary schools." First, that would be a heck of a lot of schools (17) and two, only elementaries? My cynical side is that the district is throwing out a big number so they can "generously" only close 10-12. The article claims that the district is taking "$32M from its reserves" which is not true; they have no reserves. I think the reporter means capital reserves. I'll be tuning in with updates. 4:15 pm and has the 4:15
Comments
http://www.petitiononline.com/PUBED102/petition.html
Please go here and read the Declaration of Support of Public Education... if you agree with the principles contained within this Declaration, please consider signing the petition...
And please, if you have the inclination, see how different this Declaration is to what the Our Schools Coalition has put forward as 'community, grass roots desires' for public education...
Nowhere else to put this, but if like me you don't like what the Alliance for Education/Our Schools Coalition is doing around town (trying to influence teacher contract bargaining and education reform, claiming it speaks for the SPS community), you might like to take the time to tell them, either on their blot or on their facebook page, which URL I have included at the top...