Friday Open Thread
Silas Potter was arraigned (welcome back, Mr. Potter) and put in a plea of... not guilty. Yes, I know that's what you do while trying to get a deal but it strikes me as funny anyway.
What's on your mind?
What's on your mind?
Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
If the Board should choose to hire someone locally, they would not necessarily bring in their "Don Kennedys" and would appreciate some of the quality admin staff we have now.
The Board should seriously consider this.
See this link.
In March, when I was appointed Interim Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, the District was in crisis. I was tasked with assembling the very best team of professionals to help lead this District, create transparency, improve communication and restore trust between families, the community and Seattle Public Schools.
I am incredibly proud of the work our students, teachers, principals and staff have accomplished over the past 10 months. Seattle is fortunate to have such a team of dedicated educational professionals. The progress we have made is significant:
• Seattle Public Schools students outperformed the state average in every tested subject in grades 3-8
• Our four-year graduation rate is up from 67 percent to 73 percent in the last year
• Our overall school performance is increasing, with 27 schools increasing their overall performance level during 2010-2011
• Enrollment is on the rise
• Our city passed yet another Families and Education levy that will provide essential supports to our students
While I am proud of what we have accomplished together, today I am announcing my decision to neither seek nor accept the permanent position of superintendent after my contract ends in June. This was not an easy decision for me to make given my commitment to Seattle and to our students. I wish the school board well in their search for a new superintendent, and will work with the new appointee to ensure a smooth transition for our staff, students and families. It is my sincere hope that the board will continue to build on our successes to date and continue the momentum we have built. I believe strongly that losing this momentum would be a disservice to our students and staff.
Our work here is far from over. Continuing to improve outcomes for all students and attack our achievement gaps will require great principals, great teachers, connected families and community partners and a central office serving schools by supporting high quality teaching and learning in every classroom. Please know that I remain dedicated to Seattle Public Schools and will continue to partner with, and serve you all to the best of my ability in the months ahead.
While we may hold different opinions on how to best serve our students, we must remember they are counting on us to fulfill our mission of ensuring that they are prepared for college, career and life. It is essential that we discipline ourselves to keep this mission—and our students—at the forefront of all we do, and not allow adult issues, egos and politics to stand in the way.
I want to thank you for your support. I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to serve the students and community of Seattle.
Sincerely,
Susan
Susan Enfield, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
In reference to the ACT Young Playwright Program-
I'd also like to give congratulations to the participating students at Cleveland High School and their teacher. In their first year of participation three students were selected by local theater companies to be produced in the spring. 120 students under LA teacher Susannah Boly participated in the program and 5 were given Honorable Mentions by ACT for their plays. Susannah Boly was awarded Teacher of the Year by ACT for her dedication to bring the program to all of her students. Congratulations to this outstanding Cleveland success story!
Marcus
Yeah! I'm a band geek groupie!
I have never undergone the quantity of training on any topic in my near decade with Seattle Public Schools. Content and academic training at staff meetings has been regulated to PLCs. Most staff meeting are more focused on reviewing data and the new evaluation system. Are these really the most important things to focus upon?
SPS uses Charlotte Danielson 4-tiered framework for teacher evaluations. With the exception of a rubric instead of satisfactory/unsatisfactory, it is similar to standards of practice of the old evaluation system. I spent last year documenting how I was meeting those standards while earning my professional certification. Combining the time and effort I spent to earn the pro-cert with all the many hours I have been forced to sit through various domains of Charlotte D., has been exhausting and corrosive.
-Sorrel
-nora