Update on McDonald Issue
From Duggan Harmon:
"I have just confirmed that there is no district funding going to the Graham Hill Montessori pre-school program for 2012-13. This is consistent with the information shared with the board earlier and the message communicated to the Graham Hill community back on March 15th."
I have no word on McDonald yet.
To me the point is not whether this is the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do.
It's about being open and transparent in how the district spends money and why they make the choices that they do. I understand the need at McDonald and they have had to take on a lot and very quickly.
So when I hear something, I'll let you know.
Comments
over and out
Sadly, this is not the only issue at Mickey D's...
several families have withdrawn through the year, midyear, to escape the insanity, chaos and abusive attitudes of certain adults there. A couple of good language programs can't save the rest of it which is mired in terrible management, money-obsessed PTA, and the horrible authoritarian culture that's given a pass to Bullying, Abuse, unjust suspensions, a blatant disrespect for non-immersion upper grades, and preferential treatment for youngest grades.
Also the admin has botched their duties in addressing and investigating the issues.
Also there's this weird anti-kid anti-play controlfreak regime. Judge for yourself: McD banned ALL PLAY BALLS ON THE PLAYGROUND DURING RECESS earlier this year.
Maybe being a new school, the many new/first time school parents are too timid and overwhelmed to help steer their school's fate. But some people have definitely figured out how to fill the power vacuum.
Either the quiet parents need to rise up and claim control, or the parents who can see it and care for their kids need to exit ASAP. Another bad plan poorly executed.
Fed Up NorthSeattleParent
Both my kids lost recess for giggling at lunchtime during that regime. God forbid a child giggle.
I also want to know why the district can start new expensive programs when we can't fund the "regular" schools or transportation.
As an aside, L@L isn't even one of the top fundraisers in the city. Just want to get that out there.
The school is immersed in a very top down, authoritarian, rote learning, follow the adult leader as they bark commands, kids should be seen and not heard, teach to the test type of approach, because I said so and I am the teacher, and, in my children's words, it's a Simon Says school, as in the childhood game.
What worries me is not about who raises the most money, but how can we teach so that in 20 years we have creative, risk taking, innovative, adaptable, problem solvers. Technology will take care of the rote learning and worksheet math that McDonald is "teaching" our kids. It's proven better at these sorts of tasks than humans.
We need to make sure that our kids can identify issues, independently and cooperatively create solutions, and value difference so that we can keep the US-innovation-creation-machine alive.
And to follow this style of leadership under the name of an "international school" is a complete oxymoron!! What a joke! How can you teach empathy and appreciation for the world and others when the children can't express their own thoughts or solutions?
This is not a very good place to put your hard earned cash or children!!
That said, there are two really great teachers in the upper grades.;-)
another Fed Up parent in North Seattle