Tuesday Open Thread
Upcoming Threads:
What's on your mind?
- supporting Banda; there are some people out there who might want to give it thought - if he succeeds, our district succeeds
- CTE expansion: growing national trend and also here in SPS
- Civics; remember that?
What's on your mind?
Comments
No biggie
Biggie
I did not write it, but who does he think the board is supposed to be accountable to? And when board members are taking donations in the $2K, $5K, $10K range from the Civic Elite and High Techies and Corporate Reformies, who does he think the board is listening to?
I did write that there are a whole lot of paid lobbyists out there using their own blogs and influence and money, money, money to get Their Way. We don't have much more than this blog - and you dedicated citizens. Viva la Dedicated Citizens.
DistrictWatcher
A pioneering Pierce County school district and a leading online education company have decided to end a partnership that began in 2006.
The Steilacoom School District and Virginia-based K12 Inc., which operates the Washington Virtual Academy (WAVA), will part ways when the current contract between the two entities ends June 30.
Together, the public school district and the publicly traded company laid some of the groundwork for early online education in the state.
The severing of their relationship comes in the wake of state funding cuts to online education programs that affect school districts across the state.
Last year, the Legislature cut funding to online programs by an average of 15 percent per student.
============
Given the publicity about k12.inc and its lack of performance, it is good to see this flow of money cut off. Hopefully more public private partnerships that are not doing the job can also be terminated.
It is way past time for "options" like TFA and the New Tech Network to be carefully examined .... before being started.
I have hopes that new Superintendent Banda will not be proposing anymore poorly researched ideas to the Board .... When programs are performing poorly elsewhere as was the case with NTN, Seattle need not contract with such outfits.
Right ON! Way to tee off!
Also, why is ST and SPS keep characterizing our capacity problem as "unexpected" enrollment surge. I knew before the last round of school closures we have a problem. I was sending out emails and asked Ms. Libros about the large incoming K classes in our school and told her for our cluster, this was not a crazy 1 or 2 year blip. Other parents in other clusters did too. But for some reason, our concerns were dismissed.
I guess this is what I'm getting at. How we on the ground may see things in small ways and may not always have the big picture. Fine then, clue us in. We might be wrong, but sometime those little voices can be the canary in the coal mine worth paying attention to. This is why I have my doubt about BEX price tag. It's too big. How did they get such a big (inflated?) number?
SPS has an ignoble history... easy to belittle, be butt of jokes, and subject of comtempt in the press and around water coolers. There is a level of meanness here that I don't get it. Because I am not sure it's about education and kids anymore. I was hoping with Mr. Banda, we might get an education detente not more cold war. And maybe then we can focus on fixing our classrooms, schools, and C & I.
-stuck
-stuck and now must run
"Or is it egos and roadmaps that got upset?"
Yup.
Add the school levy and by this time next year homeowners could be paying an additional $300/year on prop taxes, on average.
Hard sell when your house has lost so much value!
Once you're over that hurdle, then you can contact one of the many schools that have PTOs (I'm most familiar with Salmon Bay) and ask for a copy of their By-Laws to use as a guide.
You'll need to incorporate as a corporate entity with the State. Then, since you are no longer under the auspices of the state organization you'll need to get appropriate insurance and get documentation from the IRS confirming your tax-exempt status. There should be a lawyer-parent and/or an accountant-parent in your school community who can help with this.
In terms of the "campaign," the things I'd stress are the issues that state-wide entity has taken, and the fact that the mandatory PTSA bylaws you're forced to adopt contain lots of problematic things (from emphasizing the spiritual development of kids, to requiring you to do stupid, picayune things there way, like when to organize your nominating committee, to giving them the right to take your money if they feel you're not handling your affairs correctly). The only real "benefit" I've seen the state entity provide is deeply discounted insurance, and some of the training. But there again, they compel you to pay for the training and go.
Good luck. I've been wondering whether to start a similar movement at my current school.
http://tinyurl.com/7nedj5l
The girl's speech is fantastic.
Wouldn't it just be easier to replace these people than start a whole new organization?
Regarding Steilacoom School District and WAVA, I wouldn't be so quick to generalize. WAVA provided a valuable tool for families who were not being served by their local schools for various reasons, including crappy math and science, which you're well familiar with. Their math curriculum is pretty good (at least at the levels I'm familiar with), you should check it out if you haven't already.
There may be some ugliness at a national level with the parent organization (K12), but there was a lot of good happening at a local level, and now it seems one of the few resources will be gone. Perhaps it's for the best to sever the specific relationship with K12, but I don't want to see alternative programs like this disappear in general because sometimes kids need another path when their brick and mortar situations aren't working.
RosieReader - Many thanks for the insights. Much to think about.
-stuck
There is a level of meanness here that I don't get
I agree. It's pretty appalling -- especially when it comes from people in leadership or elected positions.
-critical-
n...
Please scroll down and review the e-mail between Frank Greer and Michael DeBell. Then, check on Frank Greer's political connections.
http://www.gmmb.com/about/leadership/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/87838852/The-Kingmaker-Speaks-for-
I'm ok with Melissa's blog. As a matter of fact, I welcome their perspective and transparency. Thinking first ammendment, here.
— Arnold
reposted by n...
I am a parent of three kids at a K-8. To my knowledge there has been zero community engagement prior to introduction of this amendment. It is after Open Enrollment. Particularly for many families of elementary students (and remember there are a lot of elementary students at a K-8), school start time is an important factor in school choice. PLEASE -- if you are concerned about this proposed change, let the School Board know.
Concerned Parent
speechless
That is child abuse.
Good catch, Concerned Parent. I'm looking at the document and attachments now and don't remember seeing any of this discussed here before.
They are recommending that ride times go back to 45 minutes for neighborhood schools and K-8s but can be as long as 60 minutes for other schools (elementary APP, option schools).
Third tier start/end times are also pushed back, with buses arriving at 9:20 instead of 9:10 and leaving schools at 3:55 instead of 3:45 this year. It's already ridiculous how late the third tier starts and how late the kids get home. Leaving school 10 minutes later and allowing a bus ride up to 60 minutes is not acceptable. Do the math - that's little kids dropped off at bus stops at almost 5PM.
Also from the document, "District transportation expenses have exceeded budget for each of the past three years. The trend has continued for the current (2011 – 2012) school year. On December 15, 2011, the Operations Committee was informed transportation expenditures were estimated to be $2.1M above budget. On February 8, 2012, the Board was informed transportation expenditures were projected to be $1.7M to $2.8M above budget. Several Directors then requested options for reducing transportation costs."
However, the proposed changes will only save $1M.
How is it we inconvenience so many families with super-early and super-late start times, long walks to community stops, yet we still spend more per pupil than other WA state districts?
"This year district staff benchmarked the cost of transporting students with the three other Washington districts that contract buses (attached). Our transportation cost per student transported for the 2010 – 2011 school year was $1,650. This compares with $979 for Everett, $1,058 for Tacoma; and $1,165 for Spokane"
-Not it.
First -- it always made sense to me that some of our extra transportation cost came from the choice system (which in turn was an offshoot of an assignment system meant to favor desegregation by getting kids OUT of segregated neighborhoods and into different schools. But I want to know whether we "saved" any money (and "saving" here would include -- no, costs still rose, but they rose by less than they would have if we had kept the old system).
Second, IF we didn't save any money (including any reductions in increases), do we have any clue why not? Increased expenses? Still too much "choice?" Option programs? Lots of sibs still going to out of assignment area schools, but as that tails off we will see more savings? Cost of gas? It would be great if someone at the District had, or would get, the answers -- not so we can tear our hair and rend our garments, but so we can logically figure out where to go from here. I don't even care, at this point, if the problem was half-a##ed assumptions and projections -- because we know we have not had good data based decision making from downtown on a number of things requiring projections (demographics, etc.). I would still care if it were outright lying, I guess, but let's assume just bad data. Could someone downtown please just clear everything off the table, look at where we were (miles, kids bussed, cost), where we thought we were getting to, and where we are -- and if there is a discrepancy, figure out what we didn't do. All heads (short of malfeasance) remain on necks. Let's just figure this out.
Incoming superintendent Banda should tap into region's innovative spirit
Not "some Seattle parents:. Not "activist parents". Not "vocal parents". Just "Seattle parents".
Granted, I was the idiot to have willfully read these musings. However, I'm still left wondering why ST would employ an "Education" editoral columnist who has such disdain for the very people who support - hell, bend over backwards - for our children's education. Nauseating.
They have received generous donations in the past from Gates.
I posted that information a while back on the Seattle Ed blog and if I can find it, I'll post it again.
Dora
Crosscut received $400,000 from Gates in 2010.
Dora
It has gotten co-opted by the big money that is behind LEV and Stand.
For information on that subject, you can read the following posts. I'm too tired to html them in (I've been "Occuypying" all day) so you'll have to cut and paste them in:
September 14, 2011:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/whoa-where-did-that-come-from-washington-state-pta-charter-schools/
October 20, 2011
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/the-final-outcome-of-the-washington-state-pta-legislative-assembly/
November3, 2011:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/the-washington-state-pta-and-the-lack-of-transparency/
November 29, 2011:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/the-washington-state-pta-the-league-of-education-voters-and-stand-for-children/
December 7, 2011:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/cant-get-a-straight-answer-from-the-washington-state-pta/
February 29, 2012
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/i-was-kicked-off-the-washington-state-pta-listserv/#comment-4588
Dora
We should support our new superintendent.
I have found that public education is a team sport. You just can't sit back and watch stuff happen, particularly when it comes to your children. You have to participate.
We've got a new supe and I believe that he has the opportunity to succeed.
Let's just move on from what was our dark past with MGJ with or without (preferably without) the corporate reformers and their champions like Heidi, Ramona, LEV, SFC and Burgess.
The Washington State PTA Convention: Be There
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/the-washington-state-pta-convention-be-there-2/
The convention is this Friday and the voting will be on Friday evening.
If your school has a PTA then two or more members have voting privileges. If you can, and you want to take back your PTA, go to the convention and vote. Your school PTA president should have all of that information.
It cost money and members of Parents Across America, Seattle will help cover the cost and provide a place for you to stay if you need accommodations. You can contact me at dora.taylor@gmail.com if you need any sort of assistance. For many of us, it's that important.
If you have any questions about the convention at all and can't get them answered through the WSPTA or your school PTA, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Dora
n
68 billion annually is spent by the US Dept of Ed.
During the stimulus ... the DoE was providing 12% of k-12 funding.
After 1 year, science/math program counts progress
Education: It’s finding best ways to further math, science classes
DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP • Published May 02, 2012
Washington STEM is focusing on how to make the leap from test scores that show a majority of Washington young people are not meeting the state standards in science and math to jobs that require those skills.
Their grants look a little scattershot so far, but Everlove says some of that is by design. They need to figure out what works and then find out how to scale that up so many more kids get the benefit of those discoveries.
It’s not entirely clear how a $475,000 grant to Teach for America, which offers an alternative fast track to teacher certification, will lead to better math and science education. Everlove says their agreement with Teach for America is that the money will be used to train STEM teachers.
OH YEAH ... $475,000 for TFA and for what??? Well because these folks just want to send TFA money ... thats my guess. ... Evidence for why this decision was made is apparently completely lacking.
To improve a system requires the intelligent application of relevant data..... to throw money away requires no such plan.
Category I:(Types DN1, D1, D2, DN2, ADV, and NPS1):
Mr. Bob Williams, Founder and Senior Fellow, Freedom Foundation (listed as an ADV)
Ms. Liv Finne, Director, Center for Education Reform, Washington Policy Center (a DN2)
Category 2:
Sen. Randi Becker
Rep. Kevin Parker (Spokane)
Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim)
Category I:(Types DN1, D1, D2, DN2, ADV, and NPS1):
Mr. Bob Williams, Founder and Senior Fellow, Freedom Foundation (listed as an ADV)
Ms. Liv Finne, Director, Center for Education Reform, Washington Policy Center (a DN2)
Category 2:
Sen. Randi Becker
Rep. Kevin Parker (Spokane)
Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim)