This Week's Meetings (and School Tours)
Update: found the listings for elementary tours. Very convoluted to find. Most elementaries do not have tours until late January and most go into late Feb./March. However, Bailey Gatzert has two this week (on the 11th and 13th) and Madrona has an evening tour on the 13th.
I have to say that with very few elementary schools having a tour during Early Enrollment (ending Jan. 31), it might make it hard for parents to decide "do I enroll now or do I want to want for Open Enrollment?"
Elementary school tours are organized by service area:
The district has put out some info on enrollment.
I wasn't able to go to the Board retreat on Saturday but here were the agenda topics. Intriguing, no?
- Introduction
- Board Governance
- Constituent Relations
- Sustainability
- Looking Forward
I have to say that with very few elementary schools having a tour during Early Enrollment (ending Jan. 31), it might make it hard for parents to decide "do I enroll now or do I want to want for Open Enrollment?"
Elementary school tours are organized by service area:
- Aki Kurose Service Area
- Denny Service Area
- Eckstein Service Area
- Hamilton Service Area
- Madison Service Area
- McClure Service Area
- Mercer Service Area
- Washington Service Area
- Whitman Service Area
The district has put out some info on enrollment.
- if you are continuing at your school (or are a new student who completes Early Enrollment by Jan. 31), you should receive a confirmation letter by mid-March. Assignment letters will confirm continuing assignments or provide notification of new assignments for 2011-12. These are initial assignments, and nothing further is required if the family wishes to keep the initial assignment. If a student wishes to attend a school other than the school listed in the initial assignment letter, then they need to submit a choice application during Open Enrollment.
- Open Enrollment is March 15-31st.
- I would put a link to the elementary school tours but following their directions, I don't see it. (I can see if I search by each individual region, I can find a list but that's nuts. I'll call and ask about it tomorrow.) Here's the link for high school tours. Note: West Seattle has one on Tuesday the 11th and Sealth and Franklin have tours on Thursday the 13th. Here's the link for middle school/K-8s tour. Eckstein had one last Friday, McClure has one on the 13th.
- Executive Committee Meeting, Tuesday the 11th, 8-10 a.m. This one could be interesting (and a heads up) because they will review Board member amendments for the Transition Plan.
- On Wednesday, the 12th, Director Smith-Blum has a community meeting from 10-11:30 am (however it is not on her community meetings page - call to check). Also there is a Board Work Session on the 2011-2012 budget from 4-8 p.m.
- On Thursday, the 13th, there is an Audit and Finance Committee meeting from 4-6 pm
- On Saturday the 15th, Director DeBell has a community meeting from 9-11 am at Cafe Appassionato, 4001 21st Ave W.
I wasn't able to go to the Board retreat on Saturday but here were the agenda topics. Intriguing, no?
- Introduction
- Board Governance
- Constituent Relations
- Sustainability
- Looking Forward
Comments
Introduction.
Who among them needs to be introduced? Who among them needs to be introduced to these topics? Really? Introduction?
Board Governance.
They keep using that word. I don't think it means what they think it means. The Board has not made any attempt at governance since the current majority was elected. There can be no governance if the Board is incapable of enforcing the policies they write. And this Board is absolutely and completely incapable of enforcement. They don't even have a process for it. Think about it. If you were to report a violation of a Board Policy to a Director what could they do about it?
Constituent Relations.
I let this slip in my recent testimony. The Board Directors' real constituency are local electeds, editorial boards, Olympia, and education advocacy organizations - not the Seattle community. I've said it before, but it bears repitition: the Board has the worst community engagement of anyone in the district. Twice a month they allow no more than 20 people to speak to them for no more than 3 minutes each. Then they don't respond. Not at all. Individual directors may do more, but no individual director speaks for the Board.
Sustainability.
First, I don't know what it is they have that they want to sustain. Second, I'm finding it increasingly unlikely that four of them will even be there next year, so sustainability really isn't their responsibility.
Looking Forward.
I think four of them can look forward to being off the Board this time next year.
http://novaknows.com/
Like mose things Nova, it's student-run.
To start things off, assuming that the latest forecast for rain is correct instead of a major snow event, let's hold our first one this Thursday morning, January 13th. 9AM at Mosaic Coffee House. Right off I5, it is between Wallingford and the U District.
Helen Schinske
There should be a separate sheet that lists tours for all of the Option Schools that makes it clear that you can apply to any of them, but will only get transportation to the one in your MS attendance area. There should also be a way to sort for Option Schools on the above linked School Directory page. There should be a link from the Address Lookup results page to the entire list of Option Schools-not just the one in your MS Attendance Area.
There should be a separate sheet that lists tours for all of the Option Schools that makes it clear that you can apply to any of them, but will only get transportation to the one in your MS attendance area. There should also be a way to sort for Option Schools on the above linked School Directory page. There should be a link from the Address Lookup results page to the entire list of Option Schools-not just the one in your MS Attendance Area.
http://novaproject.my-ptsa.org/
http://novaknows.com/
Our first tour is Jan 18 @ noon
Open house is Feb 15 @ 6p