Open Thread Friday
What did we see this week?
The Board passed the Transition plan which apparently, instead of being just a guide through one year, is rewritten NSAP material . Meaning, they have taken away choice via Open Choice seats. I sincerely doubt that after a couple of years of "transition", the Open Choice seats policy will go back to how it was written in the Board-approved NSAP.
Keep this in mind because it means both the district and the Board will promise, say and write one thing as policy and then change it whenever they want. This is deeply troubling.
One member of the leadership team apparently forgot to publicly disclose something he should have. I am very disappointed but not surprised. If the Superintendent went along for months believing she was above disclosure, it would follow that others might feel the same way. (I'm giving it a couple of days to see if a correction is made.)
Directors Carr and Maier are having community meetings tomorrow, both at Bethany Community church, across from Bagley Elementary. Carr's is at 8:30 am-10:00 am and Maier's is from 10:30-noon. I guess it depends on how late you want to sleep.
Go Steelers and Packers (but I do like the moxie of the Jets as well).
The Board passed the Transition plan which apparently, instead of being just a guide through one year, is rewritten NSAP material . Meaning, they have taken away choice via Open Choice seats. I sincerely doubt that after a couple of years of "transition", the Open Choice seats policy will go back to how it was written in the Board-approved NSAP.
Keep this in mind because it means both the district and the Board will promise, say and write one thing as policy and then change it whenever they want. This is deeply troubling.
One member of the leadership team apparently forgot to publicly disclose something he should have. I am very disappointed but not surprised. If the Superintendent went along for months believing she was above disclosure, it would follow that others might feel the same way. (I'm giving it a couple of days to see if a correction is made.)
Directors Carr and Maier are having community meetings tomorrow, both at Bethany Community church, across from Bagley Elementary. Carr's is at 8:30 am-10:00 am and Maier's is from 10:30-noon. I guess it depends on how late you want to sleep.
Go Steelers and Packers (but I do like the moxie of the Jets as well).
Comments
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013992465_sexoffenders21m.html
Race to Nowhere, a documentary film about the impact of America's high-stakes, high-pressure culture on America's children will be shown on January 31, 2011, 7:00-9:00 P.M. at the Roosevelt High School Theater. $10 general admission tickets are available online all remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $15.
Check Roosevelt website for more information.
I saw this last year and really liked the after discussion with parents & teachers.
Middle School Parent
-NY Times reporting that most effective way to learn is through testing, not studying
-Stephen colbert runs a piece critical of school "dis"-integration and the harm it causes
-southend shorttimer
--No mid--year transfers are allowed
--Nova is moving to Delridge
--You've not been attending school, so will have to be re-enrolled, and we will only enroll you at your assignment area school
--Want to go to Nova? Appeal your assignment directly to the school board
To be clear, students and parents have been told, in person @ JSCEE, that they are NOT allowed to enroll at Nova, even though there is space.
So, now that it's the end of the semester and staff are up to their eyeballs in time-sensative, student support work, they have to try to educate the enrollment staff about Option Schools??
There are many more stories, but the bottom line is that misinformation from the enrollment office is really hurting us- in enrollment, in staff time, in reputation, not to mention hurting students who are working to be proactive in finding a more appropriate educational setting.
Anyone else been told mid-year transfers are no longer allowed?
My understanding is that after Sept 30 no currently enrolled SPS student can not transfer to another school.
My understanding is that after Sept 30 no currently enrolled SPS student can transfer to another school.
Po3, Ah, I forgot about that Sept 30 cut off. Hmm. The semester is such a natural break point, especially at HS. Especially for kids realizing they need something other than a traditional, comprehensive HS. It just seems so contrary to our goals to tell kids who are currently not attending school, that they can't come. There has got to be some flexibility here.
Bodes well for getting questions answered about the new transportation plan.
Mission control to Customer Service. We have yet more problems.
-skeptical-
Helen Schinske
Of course it must be a gimme- given that they have ONLY 1100 students.
As I said, the really frustrating part is the seeming lack of support for kids trying to make a productive change.
And the move to Delridge? Telling perspective students/families that the school is moving again really presents a challenge for us.
Helen Schinske
Mr Ed
Apparently an idea was floated on the possibility of moving Nova/SBOC to Delridge while work was done on the Meany bldg. I didn't even hear of the possibility until it was doa, but somehow, enrollment staff were in the know and the rumor did spread.
T in WS
I asked over there, so I'll ask it here, too: How do international schools serve their special education students?
(We go to TOPS, so I'm asking not so much for myself but on behalf of special education families in general, and those Wallingford neighbors who are affected by McDonald going international next year.) Thanks!
Second, OF COURSE students change schools during the year. Remember how the transient student population is one of the primary justifications for textbook standardization - I mean Curricular Alignment? Check the annual report on any school and you will see transfers in and out. At some schools the transfers amount to about 20% or more of the average enrollment.
Ballard 9%
Chief Sealth 23%
Cleveland 35%
Franklin 13%
Garfield 7%
Hale 9%
Ingraham 24%
Rainier Beach 45%
Roosevelt 8%
West Seattle 14%
Don't tell me that students can't change schools after September 30 because it simply is not true.
Helen Schinske
I see not much has changed.
"Key Facts and Data
Draft data previously posted here has now been compiled into an Annual Enrollment Report as required by the District's Student Assignment Policy (D 03.00) and Capacity Management Policy (H 13.00)."
Guess what? Unless I'm blind, there are no enrollment projections- not for next year, and not for 2015 (see last year's report). What has happened? What will the impact of the current enrollment and the trends for the next few years have on each of our schools?
The Capacity Management Board Policy H13.00 says in the first sentence that there will be an annual report which includes "projected enrollments." Where are the promised and required projections for our schools, or are we just going to put our heads in the sand and hope that it will all "just work out"? Families making decisions for their incoming K's, 6th and 9th graders will be impacted for 3-6years and we are all in the blind.
--to supplement the Nova/SBOC library
--to donate to Books to Prisoners
--and to share directly with SBOC and Nova students and families
We are especially in need of picture books and early readers.
If you have books to share, feel free to bring them by the school Tuesday afternoon/evening. Thanks!
Nova
300 20th Ave E
on the transfer figure:
what comprises this number? is it all kids who come in and all kids who leave, including those in from outside the district or from private schools as well as those who leave the district? or is it just school to school transfers w/in district? it would make a difference in knowing exactly how important 'aligned' books/classes are. if the majority are in from outside, then it matters less than if they were all intradistrict transfers
-ttln
Interesting. Sad comment is that students quoted seem to not have a great deal of hope that adults are addressing vital issues.
The HIMS team was all 6th graders competing against 7th and 8th grade teams - many of which were homeschool groups. We were the only SPS School to compete!
These kids did an amazing job and overall they have a great outlook on the future as they see themselves as part of the solution. One student on the HIMS team told the judge he wants to be a structural engineer and build houses that can withstand tornados. He added, wouldn't it be great to build something that can save lives!
This is a great program, it is too bad more SPS schools do not compete.
HIMS Parent
"What can we learn from the struggles of Baltimore public schools?"
To give each school greater responsibility and shift resources accordingly, Alonso cut central office personnel by 34 percent. "Central office had to give up control so individual schools could respond," he said. The role of remaining central staff was redefined, from enforcing top-down compliance to providing support for the decisions made by each school.
Within the schools, the principals, who once controlled 3 percent of their budgets, were given control of 81 percent. Schools now have the authority to decide how time and money will be used as they hire and fire their own staff, tailor professional development to their needs, and develop the details of their own programs within broad state and federal parameters. In return for this autonomy, the individual schools are held accountable for student achievement.
He also said that he did not come into the District with a preset playbook/plan (something different than what happened with Seattle's superintendent/strategic plan.) He considers Baltimore its own, singular district and set up his priorities based on that specific district.
Hallelujah! And I agree the article should be its own thread.
"The Manager of the School Service Center will develop service level agreements with central office units (will initially start with Human Resources and Budget). The Manager of the School Service Center will lead a team of analysts to implement a tiered level service model to provide direct and customized support to Executive Directors, principals, school leaders, and central office leaders.