No Surprise - the Times Endorses Husk for Superintendent
After being very late with this editorial, it finally showed up at the Times' website. Frankly, it's doesn't lay out the greatest case and spends time writing around some flaws.
One key item to note from the editorial (and remember for later on down the road if she is chosen):
When it comes to talking and listening, she's more likely to do the latter.
They even spend time writing about Enoch even though they state that he withdrew. So why bother?
He is well-read and steeped in the latest pedagogical research. But Enoch's track record of doing is more mixed. He has the least experience working with urban students and when he left one school district, it was essentially broke. His withdrawal was probably a good decision.
Not very nice (Enoch explained the financial issue) and not necessary unless you really wanted to back up the weak decision that is their endorsement for Husk.
They end by saying there will be "large money requests" to the public - oh, you mean the billion dollars worth of levies?
They also mention "the district's central office will rightfully remain under scrutiny for management and accounting weaknesses." Oh, you mean accounting issues like the Board about to approve an MOU with the Alliance for Education for services that will give the Alliance a profit and should be sent out for a bid? Or is that about not being able to oversee principals and their actions (see Lowell and Van Asselt)?
I do want to take this point to say that whoever gets selected is going to hear from me the same lines I have said to our last four superintendents when I met them:
One key item to note from the editorial (and remember for later on down the road if she is chosen):
When it comes to talking and listening, she's more likely to do the latter.
They even spend time writing about Enoch even though they state that he withdrew. So why bother?
He is well-read and steeped in the latest pedagogical research. But Enoch's track record of doing is more mixed. He has the least experience working with urban students and when he left one school district, it was essentially broke. His withdrawal was probably a good decision.
Not very nice (Enoch explained the financial issue) and not necessary unless you really wanted to back up the weak decision that is their endorsement for Husk.
They end by saying there will be "large money requests" to the public - oh, you mean the billion dollars worth of levies?
They also mention "the district's central office will rightfully remain under scrutiny for management and accounting weaknesses." Oh, you mean accounting issues like the Board about to approve an MOU with the Alliance for Education for services that will give the Alliance a profit and should be sent out for a bid? Or is that about not being able to oversee principals and their actions (see Lowell and Van Asselt)?
I do want to take this point to say that whoever gets selected is going to hear from me the same lines I have said to our last four superintendents when I met them:
Welcome to our district. What can I do to help?
Comments
Help me out here, can someone please. How can I turn around my thinking on Husk. How could she be good for the district? Under what conditions?
--Help me, I think I have fallen and I can't get up!
I would have to see more to believe all the claims made about her but if she is our new superintendent, she will have her opportunity.
The Times just put out its glowing editorial endorsing Husk! Seems like the education powers-that-be have made their choice. Maybe I should reach out to Mr. Banda to get him to withdraw as well so he can save face with his Anaheim community. As an above board guy he let the entire ACSD stakeholder groups know of his finalist status and I hope putting him through this process wasn't just for show. In subsequent conversations with him since his return from Seattle, he did say he learned a great deal and doesn't regret his to interview for the SPS superintendency.
Anaheim Resident
p.s. Melissa - Mr. Banda said he enjoyed meeting you and very much appreciated your insights into some of the challenges in SPS.
Up chuck
Anaheim Resident
-Aarghh!
how many times have they been all trumpeting the same party line on some big decision, but, OOPS! we missed the Sunday print edition deadline ... ya ... o.k.
relative to the number of people impacted, how many people are really paying attention to all the kabuki and potemkin process ??
there is nothing wrong with being really good at what you do, but, you don't work in the top tier - and the top tier is your hourly pay rate. You're not in the top 25% of cabinet makers, or C++ programmers, or saute cooks, or auto mechanics, or landscapers, or gourmet burger cooks - BUT - you're good at what you do.
and then there are those who are NOT in the top 25%, who are in the middle or lower, and who are NOT good at what they do. What is the worst is that they're not good, AND they're not willing to learn what it takes to be the among the best, AND, they think they're good! 2nd or 3rd tier, and 3rd rate.
The Seattle Ed Deform Billy Astro Turf Boot Lickers aren't good at making anything work better, but, because they're good at writing sentences and good making splashy powerpoints, REAL good at self promotion, and REAL good Boot Licking - they think they're good at stuff they're not good at.
IF Enoch was that smart and that experienced and that savvy, he got a good whiff of these 2nd tier 3rd rate Billy Boot Lickers and decided he had better things to do with his time than be BFFs in the Stritckus, Burgess, DeBell, Rueven, Kormos, McFarlane ... Boot Licker Hall of Fame.
MySpineAndKneesWork
I hope the board reads this blog and comments.
VOTE BANDA.
--proBanda mom
I think Enoch figured out Husk was the pick from the get go.
-ok mom
Look for yourselves. Hispanic, Low income, Special Education. The results are not impressive. In the case of Special Education they make me cry.
SPED Mama
I'm kind of behind on board meetings but watched the principal of Maple presenting some awesome charts that follow kids and data. After the requisite nods of approval, she said basically that her school has a lot of support and you can't expect every principal to do eighteen evaluations by themselves. Not possible.
So I thought to myself: hmm, teachers are expected to keep up with twenty-to-twenty-eight student evaluations and no one blinks an eye. That has become standard.
Does anyone see a disconnect in that? When will parents, legislators and school officials finally realize that it is an impossible task to maintain current and accurate data on every student and to act on that data with every child?
I may get taken to task for this but numbers do not tell the whole story.
Having said that, I look forward to seeing Maple's collective increases in achievement. If achievement scores do increase significantly, I'll grant my kudos liberally.
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I will actively oppose just about every levy (I oppose garbage levies like the supplemental one anyway).
I will actively campaign for a responsive school board - particularly anyone running against those who vote for Husk.
Vote for a caring human being. Vote for someone who works for kids, not their buddies in the Chamber of Commerce. Vote for Banda.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018104052_seattlesupe30m.html
SD
Banda over Husk without a doubt.
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"oink" - hog blog space.
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Not saying it is good to have this much movement of personnel but I don't think it would have phased Enoch.
Send this to local Board members. Their own position of "power" is at stake.
We really don't know, but I've seen nothing to indicate that he isn't an honest person so maybe we should just take him at his word.
*Over 50 so you shouldn't trust me