Continuing in the Pursuit of Unwhelming Engagement

I received a link to the robocall that the Superintendent sent out about the levy. I don't particularly have a problem except that it's not the Operations Levy; we had that in February. This is a supplemental operations levy. There is a difference but the Superintendent is hoping you won't notice.

She also talked about the upcoming meetings about the NSAP. She said info has gone out to schools and PTAs. Did anyone receive anything from either source on Friday? Was it posted in your school? Website? Kid mail?

(I did a quick spot check and found one high school - Center - had it on its webpage. Only Hamilton had it (and they didn't mention the NSAP so it wasn't clear what it was about). For K-8, I found South Shore had a complete listing with explanation. I couldn't find one elementary that had the info. So I am hoping it went home in kid mail or is hanging up at school. (Eckstein and Wedgwood already have their 2011 tour dates up - fast work.)

But what really was annoying is that she said the drop-in meetings started November 29th (and they started yesterday October 29). No one on staff caught this? She didn't play it back, listen, and look at the script as she did? And, they had to correct the dates for the Regional meetings at the News and Calendar page.

These meetings are probably some of the most important ones for all parents that this district will have this year. Please, if you don't see visible info, go to your principal and/or PTA Board and ask that it get out ASAP.

Comments

SP said…
from The School Beat
Oct. 29, 2010

Superintendent's Corner
Please vote on Nov. 2; operations levy on ballot
There are many important measures on the Nov. 2 ballot, including a Seattle Public Schools operations levy. Please remember to postmark your ballot by Nov. 2.

**************************

Nope- No NSAP info home from the 2 schools I get info from, nor from the PTSA's either.
10/30/10, 10:43 PM
BigB said…
JSIS had an all school email sent out Friday AM -- thanks to the PTSA and alert parents -- about the upcoming meetings. There was a follow on email in the afternoon after it was learned they had rescheduled the NW regional meeting due to a scheduling conflict. As it turns out, the NW regional meeting was scheduled the same night as the SPS International Arts Auction (not sure how they missed that on their own calendar). To their credit, they rescheduled the meeting after parents brought it to their attention.
10/30/10, 11:26 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

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.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more