Meetings This Week
Wednesday, the 10th
Executive Committee meeting - 8:00-10:00 am
No agenda yet available.
Thursday the 11th
League of Education Voters Charter School On-line Discussion - noon
Signup here. From their website:
If you have questions that you'd like us to answer during the chat about public charters, please send them ahead of time to info@educationvoters.org.
The chat will last 30 minutes, so you'll have plenty of time for lunch!
I'll be writing a thread on charters this week
They also have an on-line quiz about charters which isn't entirely right. For example, on principal powers, "principals in charters can hire anyone and make all salary decisions." This is their "correct" answer but then they say "ultimately, how much authority principals are given depends upon how the charter law is written." Oh. Most charter laws say you have to hire a certificated teacher. So that's not "anyone."
Another example is the question, "ELL and Sped students can be excluded from charter schools."
The answer is false BUT unless the state charter law compels them to provide services, they don't have to do so. Real public schools have to serve all comers (and yes, I know there are issues with the services they do provide but at least you know you will get something.)
Friday, the 12th
BEX Oversight Committee Meeting - 8:30-10:30 am
No agenda yet available but they should have information at this meeting about applying to be on the Committee so I will give you details when I have them.
To note, the first School Board meeting for 2011-2012 is next Wednesday, the 17th. When the agenda gets published on Friday, I'll post. This should be interesting because any TFA recruits that have been hired will have to be approved for conditional certification by the Board. We will then know how many have been hired and where they will be teaching.
Also to note is the district's announcement of Christopher Kinsey as the interim principal at Chief Sealth International High School. He was former an assistant principal at Cleveland High School. From the announcement:
Mr. Kinsey will serve as the Interim Principal for the 2011-12 school year. As is our practice with an interim appointment, the Chief Sealth community will have an opportunity to provide feedback over the winter. Then, we will decide if a national search needs to be conducted for a permanent principal.
Executive Committee meeting - 8:00-10:00 am
No agenda yet available.
Thursday the 11th
League of Education Voters Charter School On-line Discussion - noon
Signup here. From their website:
If you have questions that you'd like us to answer during the chat about public charters, please send them ahead of time to info@educationvoters.org.
The chat will last 30 minutes, so you'll have plenty of time for lunch!
I'll be writing a thread on charters this week
They also have an on-line quiz about charters which isn't entirely right. For example, on principal powers, "principals in charters can hire anyone and make all salary decisions." This is their "correct" answer but then they say "ultimately, how much authority principals are given depends upon how the charter law is written." Oh. Most charter laws say you have to hire a certificated teacher. So that's not "anyone."
Another example is the question, "ELL and Sped students can be excluded from charter schools."
The answer is false BUT unless the state charter law compels them to provide services, they don't have to do so. Real public schools have to serve all comers (and yes, I know there are issues with the services they do provide but at least you know you will get something.)
Friday, the 12th
BEX Oversight Committee Meeting - 8:30-10:30 am
No agenda yet available but they should have information at this meeting about applying to be on the Committee so I will give you details when I have them.
To note, the first School Board meeting for 2011-2012 is next Wednesday, the 17th. When the agenda gets published on Friday, I'll post. This should be interesting because any TFA recruits that have been hired will have to be approved for conditional certification by the Board. We will then know how many have been hired and where they will be teaching.
Also to note is the district's announcement of Christopher Kinsey as the interim principal at Chief Sealth International High School. He was former an assistant principal at Cleveland High School. From the announcement:
Mr. Kinsey will serve as the Interim Principal for the 2011-12 school year. As is our practice with an interim appointment, the Chief Sealth community will have an opportunity to provide feedback over the winter. Then, we will decide if a national search needs to be conducted for a permanent principal.
Comments
So give me a compelling reason why we need charter schools?
Also, did not know that the legislature can vote to enact charter schools. Guess the writing is on the wall at this point.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/duncan-states-will-get-school-testing-wa
Obama administration is going to offer states waivers to exempt them from testing...
Someone ask the Board about this development...?
-JC.
Tough Lessons from Teach for America
Through the waivers, schools will get some relief from looming deadlines to meet testing goals as long as they agree to embrace other kinds of education reforms such as raising standards, helping teachers and principals improve, and focusing on fixing the lowest performing schools.
Would "reforms" include allowing charters?
It sounds like the waiver is for meeting AYP benchmarks, not an outright elimination of testing.
Even if pull-out time is essentially study hall- that's something!
raise scores "by any means necessary."
"This despite the fact that in study after study of student success on standardized tests, the biggest factor by far -- more than the quality of the instruction or the school -- is the social class of the parents and the community in which they live, says University of Arizona education professor David Berliner."