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
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All I can say is...
"DON'T Surrender Dorothy!"
:)
The November 2 is just one time point. I've attended most of the audit and finance committee meetings since August and I plan to continue all year. I hope to be a presence and a witness to the board following through on their promises and finally addressing the culture of entitlement.
(but immediately after the election
I am going on a knitting retreat. Not Disneyland, not OZ, just some wool, two sticks and the camaraderie of other knitters.)
http://kuow.org/program.php?id=21714
It includes guest call ins on the topic. Unfortunately many voters, like the enthusiastic "YES all the WAY" mom from Phinney Ridge, believe that they won't suffer cuts to classroom services by passing the levy.
That is simply not the case. I hope voters, on whichever side they land on this issue, understand: THIS LEVY AS PRESENTED WILL NOT RESTORE PAST CUTS to teachers, IAs, and other classroom service providers. In addition, IT MAKES ZERO PROMISE THAT IT WILL BE USED TO PREVENT FUTURE CUTS. And by future, I mean basically now. Coming within this school year and hitting next fall.
But it is always easier to believe the person telling you it just might help rather than the grinch telling you there's no santa claus.
The Establisment has Bill Gates, Alliance for Ed., LEV, Schools First etc...Yet, your voice is definately out there!
I am impressed. You've got the District on the run.
I have two kids in SPS and my wife is an SPS teacher, we are both voting No on this levy. for the very reasons you pointed out. this levy, save for the textbooks, is not putting money in the classroom. Had the district not spent their $ on closing schools only to reopen them costing more $$ than it cost to close, they could have a bit of a leg to stand on. How about the 1m they had to take from the general fund to cover the missappropriated $ they used to train contractors in how to submit a bid on a contract proposal to the district. that 1m$ could have been used to purchase books.....We all need to stand up and call a halt to this..
JPR/Seattle
But I do not speak for the PTSA or the PTA. Guy Nelson got that bio information and made assumptions. The RHS PTSA actually voted to endorse the levy. There were only about 20 people in attendance, but sure, why not, it's for the kids.