This Week in Seattle Schools
UPDATED
Monday, September 12
37th Democrats Candidate Forum (and Families & Education levy debate) at 7 p.m..m. at the Rainier Beach Cultural Center, 3515 Alaska St. (Note: I got my events mixed up; there is no F&E levy debate at this event.)
Tuesday (new!), September 13rd
Senator Scott White’s 3rd Annual Education Town Hall with Special Guests:
Randy Dorn, WA Superintendent of Public Instruction
Susan Enfield, Seattle Public Schools Interim Superintendent
Lauren McGuire, President, Seattle Council PTSA
Please join parents, teachers, and neighbors for a Town Hall discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing public education in Seattle, and across Washington.
This was kind of interesting last year but having Randy Dorn and Susan Enfield might make it more so.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Nathan Hale High School- Performing Arts Center
10750 30 Ave NE, Seattle
Wednesday, September 14
Board Work Session on the Series 5000 Board policies that deal primarily with Human Resources from 4-6 p.m. What is key here that Dorothy Neville has zeroed in on are the inconsistencies about when staff reports inappropriate behavior towards students and the chain of events that should follow. And, what to do if the principal wants to handle it at school rather than going to a district-level official such as an Executive Director (which, under this new restructuring, would be what a principal should do). There need to be clear procedures to protect both children AND staff.
Executive Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. Obviously some error here as this committee meeting is normally in the morning and clearly the Board members can't be in two places at once. I'll call and ask tomorrow.
The agenda reflects what the district will be working on in the Legislature this year, intermediate-term capacity management, budget development, capital planning, attendance reports, superintendent evaluation timeline, CFO search update, a resolution from/for? the National School Board Assn, and protocol for Board questions about action reports (this should be good).
Thursday, September 15
Operations Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. The agenda reflects something about the BEX program, capital planning documents, expanding the Resource Conservation program, intro of the "Operations calendar", capacity management advisory charter update, and intermediate planning update for Meany for SBOC and Nova.
A lot of capacity management issues in this meeting so it should be interesting.
They also note that the BEX Oversight Committee is looking to replace members who have left and to include BTA, capital planning and investments. Wow, that's a pretty big charge and I don't recall that these new items are included in the call for new members. I think there should be a separate oversight committee for BTA/capital planning. All three of these subjects - BEX, BTA and capital planning - are large enough to stand alone. I think this might be another place to ask the City for help.
Friday, September 16th
Saturday, September 17th
Board Retreat from 10-5 p.m., not sure of the location but I will find out.
Monday, September 12
37th Democrats Candidate Forum (and Families & Education levy debate) at 7 p.m..m. at the Rainier Beach Cultural Center, 3515 Alaska St. (Note: I got my events mixed up; there is no F&E levy debate at this event.)
Tuesday (new!), September 13rd
Senator Scott White’s 3rd Annual Education Town Hall with Special Guests:
Randy Dorn, WA Superintendent of Public Instruction
Susan Enfield, Seattle Public Schools Interim Superintendent
Lauren McGuire, President, Seattle Council PTSA
Please join parents, teachers, and neighbors for a Town Hall discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing public education in Seattle, and across Washington.
This was kind of interesting last year but having Randy Dorn and Susan Enfield might make it more so.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Nathan Hale High School- Performing Arts Center
10750 30 Ave NE, Seattle
Wednesday, September 14
Board Work Session on the Series 5000 Board policies that deal primarily with Human Resources from 4-6 p.m. What is key here that Dorothy Neville has zeroed in on are the inconsistencies about when staff reports inappropriate behavior towards students and the chain of events that should follow. And, what to do if the principal wants to handle it at school rather than going to a district-level official such as an Executive Director (which, under this new restructuring, would be what a principal should do). There need to be clear procedures to protect both children AND staff.
Executive Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. Obviously some error here as this committee meeting is normally in the morning and clearly the Board members can't be in two places at once. I'll call and ask tomorrow.
The agenda reflects what the district will be working on in the Legislature this year, intermediate-term capacity management, budget development, capital planning, attendance reports, superintendent evaluation timeline, CFO search update, a resolution from/for? the National School Board Assn, and protocol for Board questions about action reports (this should be good).
Thursday, September 15
Operations Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. The agenda reflects something about the BEX program, capital planning documents, expanding the Resource Conservation program, intro of the "Operations calendar", capacity management advisory charter update, and intermediate planning update for Meany for SBOC and Nova.
A lot of capacity management issues in this meeting so it should be interesting.
They also note that the BEX Oversight Committee is looking to replace members who have left and to include BTA, capital planning and investments. Wow, that's a pretty big charge and I don't recall that these new items are included in the call for new members. I think there should be a separate oversight committee for BTA/capital planning. All three of these subjects - BEX, BTA and capital planning - are large enough to stand alone. I think this might be another place to ask the City for help.
Friday, September 16th
Nominations are due for the SPS School Family Partnership Advisory Committee
The School Family Partnership Advisory Committee to the Superintendent (SFPAC) is seeking to recruit new members for the 2011-2012 school year. The SFPAC was formed to advise the Superintendent in implementation of the School and Family Partnerships Policy and Procedures (E10.00-01) and the School Family Partnerships Model District-wide.
The committee's work involves one to two meetings a month, a presentation of the School Family Partnership Report to the Superintendent, and a presentation to the Seattle School board between September 2011 and October 2012.
For more information contact Bernardo Ruiz,
Family and Community Engagement Division Program Manager, Seattle Public Schools,
Saturday, September 17th
Board Retreat from 10-5 p.m., not sure of the location but I will find out.
Comments
If I understand the theory correctly, schools were purposefully understaffed on Day 1 to prevent overstaffing adjustments. IIRC Dorothy reporting on this, there are supposed to be Day 4 and Day 14 adjustments before the Oct 1 adjustments.
I would love to know if any of those magically happen or if this is on the agenda for any of the meetings.
north seattle parent
I don't know how we will get a report on the fourth day count, perhaps by contacting a board member? Or asking Bob to send a copy of whatever report he submits to the board to the blog as well?
Monday, September 12
37th Democrats Candidate Forum (and Families & Education levy debate) at 7 p.m..m. at the Rainier Beach Cultural Center, 3515 Alaska St.
If so please report on the School Board candidates.
Mr. Maier and Ms. Carr were present. Mr. Maier nominated, but Sharon Peaslee won.
No one nominated Ms. Carr, but one said that she supported her in 2007 but was disappointed with her and nominated Ms. Martin. Votes: 8 for Carr and 20 for Martin.
But the hype for magnet schools with special programs is still the mind set of the board and administration and also in society. All schools should have programs that work and no more of this pitting powers between programs at different schools and this constant struggle trying to be the top dog or world wide model.
Bible: Where there is competition and envy, there is also insanity and every evil work. And the root of all evil is $$$$$$$$$!!!!
If a student is not a money maker, he is getting shafted. If gifted, such as APP students, there is federal dollars for him just as there is for the Special Ed students.
The average student is getting screwed over and being treated as a step-child. At Dir. Kay Smith-Blum's monthly meeting, she had NOTHING to offer the average student for her only interest lies with the money-makers and NOVA the most innovative school in the district and even though the public voted down charter schools, with much glee, "We have what the charter schools have to offer RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS via alternative schools.
For real, the average student is not on any of the board's radar. True, they have a pie in the sky illusion that they are for all students, but when the rubber hits the road, nobody but the money makers pork out at the trough.
The poor white student of the southend could not be bused. Only minorities could attend any school in the District. (And you got something started there that will be hard to break for some parents believe they have a right to bus their kids to any school they choose at the District's expense and only Alternative schools has busing!)
And the SE has been the dumping ground for any insolent and incompetent staff with the latest being Dussault.
Before closing of schools in 2004, the Board was constantly told that they needed to equalize education in all the schools BEFORE closing any. They ran ramshod over our suggestion and closed the schools.
Now they've allowed staff to create the NSAP. Martin Morris posted during the drafting stage, we don't know where the borders will be nor the rules surrouding that. The overseer clueless? Surprise! Look at the nonsense that chickens with their heads cut off can come up with while the board highly praised them for all their hard work, eh?
At the meeting regarding APP at Lowell, board members showed up as clueless as the public. As overseer of the Sup, the board's duty is to have in their hot little hands the plan with the data to back up that decision. And the only person that's allowed to communicate with the public is the Sup or board member, not some peon on the totem pole. (Nevermind the media.)
These two incidents point out the fact that the board is clueless or that the right hand does not know what the left is doing.
Somebody needs to challenge such insults to intelligence and the "outlawism" prevailing with the Board and this district.
Here 'tis lesson number one.
1. The 37th District Democrats in Southeast Seattle held their endorsement meeting last night. All four school board challengers—Sharon Peaslee (North Seattle), Kate Martin (Green Lake), Michelle Buetow (Capitol Hill, Laurelhurst, Roosevelt) and Marty McLaren (West Seattle)—beat out the incumbents. (The school board seat representing south Seattle is not up this election, but school board elections are city wide at the general level.)
This is incorrect. From the time that the original suit was filed over the racial tie-breaker the District stopped using it. The District could have continued with their plan and did not need to move to the New Student Assignment Plan.
Anyone taking credit for the NSAP needs to explain how it is making every school a quality school. As that was the reason given for the NSAP. --- Separate and increasingly unequal might not have been a big seller.
the NSAP could be the foundation of more neighborhood control of schools ... but given the direction of this Board and Superintendent that is not going to happen.
Note Loyal Heights asked for a math waiver for Singapore math and was rejected.
translates to
Carr 8/28 = 28.6%
Martin 20/28 = 71.4%
Looks like being an incumbent school board member is hardly an advantage when in person two-way contact is required.
Little wonder that Sundquist and Martin-Morris were no shows.
Look for the coming hundred thousand dollar media blitz.
I think that Sherry Carr was nominated. I do not think that Peter Maier was nominated.
Perhaps someone who was there can clarify this situation.
For Carr, one person said she had nominated her in 2007 but disappointed in her for certain reasons and therefore, she was nominating Martin. I wrote it down the vote, 8 for Carr and 22 for Martin.
Maybe Charlie and Dan as math whiz you won't mind recalculating the percentage.
What I wrote when they announced it was 8 for Carr and 22 for Kate.
Why did we have magnet schools if not to draw in more minorities? And if it wasn't solely for the sake of minorities, then why was it that the whites in the SE and SW not allowed to attend?
Why was Garfield and Ballard the only two operable high schools in this district for several years? And what was the reason for the lawsuit if not whites wanting to get into Ballard vs second class Franklin?
Why did the District splurge to make Garfield and Roosevelt a tourist attraction vs an environment for learning?
And did you not read the briefs of the Supreme Court justices? What was illegal if not their busing for integration purposes?
And what was it that they couldn't continue doing?
If their decisions makes a judge remove the 10 Commandments from the courtroom, then what this decision suppose to do? And if it wasn't the end of "racial integration," then why did Cheryl Chow and the other board members bawl about it?
(Please don't reply, crocodile tears, but I agree.)
These questions submitted in all sincerity for I'd like to be correct in what I post.