Work Session on Capacity Management Heads Up
Unbeknowst to me, the schedule changed. They are having an Executive Session from 4-4:30 p.m., then the Exit Conference from 4:30-5:515 p.m. and THEN the Work Session from 5:15 - 6:30 p.m.
They are running LATE. The traffic is horrible and the Mariners game just let out. As of 4:15 p.m. they had NOT started the Executive session so I don't expect the Work Session to start until at least 5:30 p.m.
They are running LATE. The traffic is horrible and the Mariners game just let out. As of 4:15 p.m. they had NOT started the Executive session so I don't expect the Work Session to start until at least 5:30 p.m.
Comments
Mr. Ed
Do you know about a story that is coming out in the Seattle Times tomorrow? Can you share more?
Curious
Mr. Ed
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015465886_audit30m.html
- now I am really curious
- now I am really, really curious
Audit questions another Urban League contract with Seattle schools
"The state auditor is again questioning whether the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle has overcharged Seattle Public Schools — this time for a contract it signed with the school district in December to help African-American students at Cleveland High."
- now my curiosity is REALLY peaked
Nothing here about 30 million.
but the times page says the story has been removed
To be perfectly clear to everyone reading this: $30 MILLION IS A BLIND GUESS, AND NOT BASED IN ANY FACTS WHATSOEVER, JUST A FILE NAME.
- this cat may lose one of nine curious lives over the inadvertent stress I may be causing
Gist of the story is the district signed an $80,000 contract (whew, not $30 mil) with the Urban League to provide was was essentially tutoring services. The invoices sent to SPS were one-line wonders that came in at $8,000 per month, and who knows if any tutoring was actually done. After paying out $36,000, the contract was cancelled. Of course, we are all now asking what the hell the district was doing signing contracts with the Urban League after the Potter fiasco....
- still curious
"Along with questioning the Urban League contract, the auditors raised concerns about how the district safeguards funding in its Associated Student Body programs, and whether it is losing too much money from lost laptops that students receive as part of the new science-math-technology program at Cleveland.
In addition, the auditor reported a number of problems with Associated Student Body funding at Garfield, which has cost one employee her job."
I suppose the best thing to do at this point is wait for Melissa to write up the meeting notes.
- still curious
a) I don't want to recount details incorrectly; and b) it got people searching for the story. Is that okay?
Believe me, there's more details so read the actual report when it is released. Or don't, no big.
Mr Ed
The New School funding expires this year. Which other schools is LEV targeting to take over? When would they need to present to the Board?
Handing over the New School to them COULD be considered "back door" charterisation/privatisation...
While Melissa can be counted on to provide stellar reporting, on meetings, on history, on...reporting, surely some of us can do it ourselves and give the poor woman a break! Any one of us can write a commentary on this article (if not the precision and standards of neutrality of Melissa's work.)
But don't take any LONG vacations, Melissa; we DO need you!
These policies "MANAGE" to allow buildings run by "lead partners" that have CAPACITY to be accountable only to the barest of performance. I mean, who would oversee these "lead partners," particularly if the district signs willingly onto their programs, and is beholden to them for the money they bring to programs and to campaign warchests?
Here are the polocies again, read
'em and weep (links won't paste, for some reason, go to SPS, to Board, to Board Policies...as you should, regularly, anyway - they are changing quickly):
E03.00
E04.00
SPS audit
Mr Ed
That decision sounds like one that should be immediately revisited by the new School Board, come 1/1/2012.
During the internal investigation at Garfield, the District's ASB accountant found checks and cash totaling around $56,000 in unsecured locations. Is it any surprise that over $6,000 remains unaccounted for?
Is this old news?
a reader
Like I said, the Seattle Times picked the easy headline and glossed over the real bombshell item.
Mr. Ed
Do ASB supervisors in the school report to someone downtown, or is it the principals' responsibility to make sure they are following procedures? Is this what Cordell Carter/Ammon McWashington would have been in charge of?
(ASB -- Associated Student Body -- Basically student government)
They are talking about Cleveland HS here, so the Executive Director would be Mr. Tolley.
"We recommend the District:
Hold staff accountable when District policies or procedures are not followed."
Very good opportunity for Dr. Enfield to show how things would be run if she were given the job.
FY12 Budget shows 73.1 more FTEs and $10.8M more in expenditures than last year. I thought we had to cut, what was it, $43M or something ridiculous like that? Dang, do we got some money managers, or what!
I'm feeling really snarky.