Seattle Schools Week of March 26-31
Tuesday
FACMAC meeting Tuesday 4-7 at JSCEE.
Wednesday
No agenda yet.
No agenda yet.
Thursday
Alliance for Education Annual Breakfast, 7 am at the Sheraton.
This should be good. You see all the movers and shakers in education plus all the elected officials in Seattle. We should see a large crowd (at least in reporters) as two of the speakers are Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee, candidates for governor. Charlie and I will be seated at the pariahs' table.
Arts Education - Southwest meeting at Chief Sealth High School from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Saturday
Community Meeting with Director Betty Patu at Cafe Vita from 10 am to noon.
Arts Education meeting for students at the Meany building from 10 am to noon. This meeting is geared towards middle and high school students. More info/RSVP.
FACMAC meeting Tuesday 4-7 at JSCEE.
Wednesday
School Board Work Session - BEX IV
4:00-5:30 pmNo agenda yet.
School Board Work Session - Budget
6:00 pm- 7:30 pmNo agenda yet.
Thursday
Alliance for Education Annual Breakfast, 7 am at the Sheraton.
This should be good. You see all the movers and shakers in education plus all the elected officials in Seattle. We should see a large crowd (at least in reporters) as two of the speakers are Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee, candidates for governor. Charlie and I will be seated at the pariahs' table.
Arts Education - Southwest meeting at Chief Sealth High School from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Saturday
Community Meeting with Director Betty Patu at Cafe Vita from 10 am to noon.
Arts Education meeting for students at the Meany building from 10 am to noon. This meeting is geared towards middle and high school students. More info/RSVP.
Comments
http://heraldnet.com/article/20120326/NEWS01/703269935#Some-Snohomish-parents-opt-out-of-standard-tests
Would love to see SPS parents consider the same at least for MAP testing....
FedMomof2
Considering that most of the $183 million (low-ball estimate) that the WA system will be putting into Common Core will go for testing development and implementation (Our share) .... as well as professional development ..... almost nothing makes it to the classroom level.
The SPS is the poster child for useless professional development and coaching of teachers and lots more testing.
AJC - Cheating our Children.
Make that FedMOm2also. End of year testing (for math alone) is MAP, EOC and MSP. Then, tack on a few more tests.
I've already opted my child out of MAP. I remain concerned about test fatigue. Unfortunately, many parents are fearful of non-compliance.
How Michelle Rhee Orchestrated a Deceitful Billionaire Bait and Switch
That is where SPS would sit, if it where up to some people.
HR Transformation
First, crappy HR was ONE reason given for retaining TFA (like the latter would IMPROVE teacher quality?!)
Second, this was devised with the assistance of Meredit Honig at UW.
Third, I see MORE $$$ high-level central admin positions, but having a hard time envisioning their contribution.
Fourth, observe the reference to the "Teacher Residency Program" (TRP). More on-the-job training ala TFA.
Finally, I am gratified to see the Deputy Superintendent's deep involvement in this. The plan, at least, is fully-fleshed out. Now the execution will be interesting.
What does a teacher need in a principal? Support.
I have mentioned this before but it bears repeating.
I recently had a principal in Seattle who used to pull me out of teaching my primary level class of 28 students so that I could handle discipline matters for her. She said, "Handling discipline is not my thing."
Also, if the primary role of principal is now "instructional leader," shouldn't that warrant a certain amount of years in the classroom with proven expertise as a master teacher? I saw nothing in the document that requires proof of instructional mastery applied to a classroom by a principal--which should be fundamental to this document. However, it sure mentions teacher accountability all over the place.
It is very difficult for any principal(the aforementioned one told the staff that she is so glad to be out of the classroom, after teaching for three years--she doesn't know how we do it) to have credibility as an instructional leader when the staff is well aware that the principal was either not a good teacher and/or was not in the classroom long enough to develop mastery.
By the way voters, this revamping of HR is one of the "reasons" Kay Smith Blum used for her vote to continue TFA--sort of like increasing coal burning until the global warming crisis has been solved.
--enough already
What struck me was their uniform answers:
- we need more support
- I have too much on my plate and I worry about getting it done
- How can I do proper assessments for teachers AND all my other work?
One principal, from South Dakota, ran a rural school of about 500 students grade K-8. He said he had no idea how he was going to visit each teacher's class 5-8 times in a school year to assess them.
(South Dakota also doesn't have charter schools. I had forgotten this when I asked about them. After explaining how rural his school district is, he said, "What would be the point?")
I don't think the public knows what it means when you put in more assessments and the large and varied work load that a principal has today.
Those that lead our schools listen to the KIPPs and TFA know-nothings:
Who Needs Teaching Experience to Be an Instructional Leader?
Thanks for that inersting--to quote Ross Perot--reading.
Hey, some might work well as managers in the schools (handling discipline and setting up schedules), but let's not pretend they will be "instructional leaders."
But as Bob Cooper says, "Whether they want to be confused by the facts is another matter..."
--enough already