FYI: Transition Plan Amendments
I just attended the Transition Plan press conference. Lots of good info that I will post later today.
I did want to get one thing out now because it is a change.
It was stated by Michael DeBell to the SCPTSA that the Board would be accepting amendments to the Transition Plan until Monday, January 10th. Steve Sundquist changed that (last night? yesterday sometime) so amendments to the Transition Plan will only be accepted thru FRIDAY, JAN. 7th.
So if you have an amendment you want to plead to any member of the Board, get it to them/that person no later than tomorrow, January 7th.
I understand the rationale of being able to see amendments far enough in advance to vet them, talk to other Board members,etc. However, giving parents the weekend (given the vote isn't until Nov. 19th), would have seemed more fair.
I don't know why Steve changed this but please let other parents know about it.
I did want to get one thing out now because it is a change.
It was stated by Michael DeBell to the SCPTSA that the Board would be accepting amendments to the Transition Plan until Monday, January 10th. Steve Sundquist changed that (last night? yesterday sometime) so amendments to the Transition Plan will only be accepted thru FRIDAY, JAN. 7th.
So if you have an amendment you want to plead to any member of the Board, get it to them/that person no later than tomorrow, January 7th.
I understand the rationale of being able to see amendments far enough in advance to vet them, talk to other Board members,etc. However, giving parents the weekend (given the vote isn't until Nov. 19th), would have seemed more fair.
I don't know why Steve changed this but please let other parents know about it.
Comments
"I understand the rationale of being able to see amendments far enough in advance to vet them, talk to other Board members,etc. However, giving parents the weekend (given the vote isn't until Nov. 19th), would have seemed more fair."
The Board meeting concluded on Jan 5; the original time frame as announced by DeBell gave 5 days. Sundquist shortened it to 2 days. This cuts the time allowed by 60%.
Director Sundquist has generally rejected all information submitted by the public that in anyway runs counter to the proposals pushed by Central Admin.
Director Sundquist is to be congratulated in not allowing those concerned about NSAP to waste their weekend constructing responses that would have been ignored anyway.
Charlie Mas said it well in his testimony. "The Board has no credibility with the general public."
It appears that the Board can now work on losing credibility with the Astroturf organizations and any other deluded individuals and organizations, which might be so uninformed that they think the Board to be a credible body.
"I understand the rationale of being able to see amendments far enough in advance to vet them,..."
These folks, Sundquist, Carr, Martin-Morris, and Maier do not even read contracts for $800,000 before approving them.
It seems introductory items should be submitted two months before action so the public has sufficient time to do the Board's work for them.
So why the short time frame for the NSAP transition document?
sheesh.
-skeptical-
http://www.seattlechannel.org/
videos/watchVideos.asp?program=schools
This timing is absurd- the draft 2011-12 Transition Plan was not even posted on the SAP page until this week, so if parents didn't know to look on the School Board agenda they would not be aware even of what was being proposed last night. And then, where is the notice on the SAP page of the amendment deadline for Friday that Melissa talks about?
On top of that, we still do not have the enrollment projections which were originally promised by early November, and later was changed to "sometime" between the Introduction on Jan. 5th and the Final Vote on Jan. 19th...which is after the fianl deadline for amendments! How absurd of a process is this?
I think most families have long given up on any hope that realistic input will be considered. Last night there were very few parents left, after the public testimony had finished.
Scoffer
The online video (link given above) discussion for the SAP/Transition Plan starts in Part II, at 64 minutes. The PowerPoint presented in the video was finally posted with an online link on the Board agenda.
At 66 minutes, it sounds like the enrollment projections now will not come out until after the vote (but rather in time for the capacity management report- wouldn't you think that should have come first, before all the decisions were made for next year?).
Steve Sundquist's announcement about amendments is at minute 67. It sounds like he is referring to "first drafts" from Board Member's amendments being accepted "by close of business Friday."