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Dueling Posts on the SLOG
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The Stranger invited both sides of the Supplemental School Levy to write posts for their news blog, SLOG.
Sadly, the Stranger Slog comments section isn't working because of a strain on the server due to a contest they are having. But you can certainly comment here.
Sharon Rodgers, who wrote for Schools First, is someone I know. She and I have a cordial, respectful relationship and I certainly don't take anything she said personally. But I think I will use her wording in reply.
I am appalled by people who are enablers for our district to continue to fail financially. I am appalled by people who, levy after levy, promise to hold the district and the Board to be accountable and yet, nothing changes. Parents are large group and could be counted on if Schools First and/or the Seattle Council PTSA asked them to rise to the occasion and put pressure on the district to do better.
They never have.
They encourage us to write letters to the Board and talk to the Board and even more hilariously, talk to Dr. G-J. Sure, that'll work.
I am appalled that anyone could read that audit and not feel sickened. And then go out and say, trust the district.
I am appalled that anyone could look the other way or pretend that it's just a few naysayers saying no. It's not and Schools First knows it. Sorry, when you get the Seattle Times saying no and the solid citizens of the League of Women Voters expressing deep dissatisfaction with the district and, instead of backing this levy as they did for the ones in Feb, say they are taking no position, then it's not just a few people.
It's interesting because I was having a conversation with a state legislator who told me that he was surprised about how much the district was making of the cuts because the Legislature tried very hard to stay away from education and made cuts much deeper in other areas. It's like the district is tone-deaf to the rest of the state having to make do with less.
And those cuts hitting "bone"? Not when you don't freeze the travel budget or you have extra money for a lavish party or hire Broad residents for upper management jobs. Sorry, we're really not there yet.
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.)
I know I may have said this before but I used to think that a school was only as good as the three-legged stool that it is - parents, teachers/staff and principal. I soon learned that without a good principal, you might not ever want to sit on that stool. I have also often wondered if Seattle Schools had just bad luck/poor judgment about principals or if other districts have the same kind of churn. And principals aren't the same category as teachers. They don't have a union per se but in SPS, they have their own org, PASS (Principals Association of Seattle Schools). They oversee hundreds of students, not a single class. They have to juggle multiple balls of budget, discipline, curriculum and governance of a staff. That plus make parents and students feel good about the school. It was also an interesting fact for Seattle Schools that only until recently, they had three principals who had all graduated from the school that they now oversaw. That was Martin Floe at Ingraham High
Updates: from The Seattle Times , it appears that Franklin High School was also closed yesterday due to COVID and staffing issues. As well, Also on Monday, Lake Washington High School in Kirkland shifted back to remote learning temporarily, according to a statement on the school’s website . The shift was due to COVID-related staffing shortages, other illnesses, and absences. On Monday and Tuesday, Lake Washington students will be learning independently from home (asynchronous learning) while staff plan to make the switch to live online learning with a teacher (synchronous learning). On Jan. 19, students will return to in-person learning. Last week, state schools superintendent Chris Reykdal warned that some local school districts may need to close temporarily over the next three to four weeks. While state-mandated preventive measures make schools among the safer public spaces, a lack of staff may force a district or individual school building to shut down, he said. And here's the
Comments
Sharon Rodgers, who wrote for Schools First, is someone I know. She and I have a cordial, respectful relationship and I certainly don't take anything she said personally. But I think I will use her wording in reply.
I am appalled by people who are enablers for our district to continue to fail financially. I am appalled by people who, levy after levy, promise to hold the district and the Board to be accountable and yet, nothing changes. Parents are large group and could be counted on if Schools First and/or the Seattle Council PTSA asked them to rise to the occasion and put pressure on the district to do better.
They never have.
They encourage us to write letters to the Board and talk to the Board and even more hilariously, talk to Dr. G-J. Sure, that'll work.
I am appalled that anyone could read that audit and not feel sickened. And then go out and say, trust the district.
I am appalled that anyone could look the other way or pretend that it's just a few naysayers saying no. It's not and Schools First knows it. Sorry, when you get the Seattle Times saying no and the solid citizens of the League of Women Voters expressing deep dissatisfaction with the district and, instead of backing this levy as they did for the ones in Feb, say they are taking no position, then it's not just a few people.
It's interesting because I was having a conversation with a state legislator who told me that he was surprised about how much the district was making of the cuts because the Legislature tried very hard to stay away from education and made cuts much deeper in other areas. It's like the district is tone-deaf to the rest of the state having to make do with less.
And those cuts hitting "bone"? Not when you don't freeze the travel budget or you have extra money for a lavish party or hire Broad residents for upper management jobs. Sorry, we're really not there yet.
Vote NO!
Helen Schinske