Update 2: So I have seen a message from President Liza Rankin on why she, Director Evan Briggs, and Director Michelle Sarju backed out of this meeting. In a nutshell: - She says there was no organization to the meeting which is just not true. They had a moderator lined up and naturally the board members could have set parameters for what to discuss, length of meeting, etc. All that was fleshed out. - She also claimed that if the meeting was PTA sponsored, they needed to have liability insurance to use the school space. Hello? PTAs use school space all the time and know they have to have this insurance. - She seems to be worried about the Open Public Meetings law. Look, if she has a meeting in a school building on a non-personnel topic, it should be an open meeting. It appears that Rankin is trying, over and over, to narrow the window of access that parents have to Board members. She even says in her message - "...with decisions made in public." Hmmm - She also says that th
Comments
This powerful film is part of the Kind Campaign, a movement that brings awareness and healing to the effects of meanness within "girl world." Suitable for ages 11 and up. This a great opportunity for girls and their parents to talk about bullying.
FHP
FHP
http://www.standillinois.org/
Public School Parent
FHP
Thanks for any info.
--southpaw
"The Equal Opportunity Schools® organization (EOS) is a not-for-profit educational reform start-up. EOS changes lives and narrows the achievement gap by consulting with and coaching principals and superintendents to address an inequity in our schools: under-enrollment in the best academic programs -- especially by students who are Latino, African-American, or low-income. EOS identifies these "missing students" -- who we have shown can succeed at the highest academic levels within their schools -- and works with school leaders to transition them into the best classes."
http://www.equalopportunityschools.org/Pages/default.aspx
Holy crap! Another social entrepreneurial astro-turf group. Take a number. The "donors" are really into the philanthropic, emerging, innovative, scalable, leaderish blah-dee-blah garbage. Gates must launder his money through the Social Venture Partners.
I didn't say one way or another.
--NEM
Urban Legend
We care what she thinks because:
1) She has, essentially, the loudest voice about education in five states.
2) She helps to form the opinions of people who get their opinions from the print edition of the Seattle Times.
3) As much of a dinosaur as it may be, the print edition of the Times is where the geezers who control this town get their news.
4) The Seattle Times is the newspaper of record around here.
The queen is dead and the new king has not yet been crowned, so no one is going to make any moves lest the move (or even the initiative) displease the new king.
Dr. Enfield has been a lame duck since December and nothing has been done since then.
When Mr. Banda starts, all of the switches will be reset to zero. All of the plans stopped and archived. All of the promises will be void. All of the procedures will be repealed pending further notice.
I'm the one who simply ASSumed it was another phony group.
The EOS looks interesting. Might be worth talking to; their leader is quite accomplished (and was a teacher but not via TFA).
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/npo/3073775188.html
http://mynorthwest.com/11/692043/Bracelets-could-help-teachers-better-understand-students
Public School Parent
June 8, 2012
Military Recruiter at GHS Academic Awards Ceremony
Dear GHS people and PTSA,
I attended the Garfield High School Academic Awards Ceremony for the 2012 class, in Quincy Jones Auditorium. The first part of the program was Scholarships and Awards, given by Special Presenters: examples of these awards and presenters were the Against All Odds Award, given by Dr. Carole Simmons, and the Key Club Award, given by Marta Trimble.
But near the end of these presentations, and not on the program, a Navy Recruiter came on stage to present an award to a senior who had enlisted in the Navy. The recruiter, in a manner that seemed more in keeping with a T.V. situation comedy than a high school academic event, presented the student with a huge blank check, saying that the Navy had faith that the student could get himself not only a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s and Ph.D.
This was an absolutely dishonest and completely inappropriate display.
There is no academic honor in being signed up by the Navy. Who allowed this? A Navy recruiter, or a family, somehow got permission from someone at GHS to interrupt the proceedings to give a little boost for the military.
There was no scholarship offered, though money being part of a package was implied. That Navy recruit has the right to take courses while working for the Navy, and might be eligible for financial aid for school after his 8 year commitment.
The Navy recruiter made his presentation and left shortly afterwards, showing little respect for the other students or the proceedings.
The student receiving the ridiculous blank check from the Navy recruiter was African-American, and the racism inherent in this patronizing celebration of a Naval enlistment at an academic awards ceremony was shocking.
One of the academic awardees was, as the presenter said, from a war-torn country, and the audience applauded for all that surviving such a history means. To hear the audience clap just as vigorously 5 minutes later for a Garfield student going to wage war was to see a total disconnect from reality.
We have all watched an education budget decline, and a war budget grow to 50% of discretionary funds, and still don’t relate education decisions to war. We talk against gangs and killings, and then act as if going to war is a personal choice that shouldn’t be commented on. We say schools teach critical thinking, but I wonder if that poor young man and his family know how few enlistees go to college, how many are homeless, how many break down with the reality of killing other human beings in wars even most politician decry? And yet, someone on staff at Garfield allowed the Navy recruiter to make a mockery of all of Garfield’s efforts to help every student achieve. We treat the military with a reverence that contradicts all we know of history, and we sacrifice our own students to keep alive the idea that everything will be okay.
My last child is graduating this year from Garfield. During the time my kids were students at Garfield, I've seen loss of counselors, teachers, a career specialist, and more etceteras than I can count. I've seen the military recruiters break all rules, and be invited back, again and again, to take advantage of the economic situation in the school.
I hope someone will want to take on the job of military recruiter monitor. The students are not being given the information they need to make an informed decision about the military. GHS was in the forefront of this civil rights struggle to control aggressive military recruiting in schools, and a monitor is needed more than ever.
Sincerely,
Kathy Barker
Parent of Zoe Barker-Aderem ’09
Zan Barker-Aderem ’11
Sasha Barker-Aderem ’12
I hope you told the Board this story.
The Garfield HS PTSA has a military recruiting monitor, and maybe someone on this list from Garfield is interested in this compelling job...or wants to set one up on their own board?
If anyone would like to, or sees such goings-on on their own schools, please let me know. And if you have the time to drop a note on the recruiter at Garfield- why, it would be greatly appreciated!
Kathy Barker
- southpaw
http://www.alternet.org/story/155717/'firing_day'_at_the_charter_school?page=1
Somehow I fail to see how this type of situation is better for kids than having a teacher who has job security thanks to the evil teachers unions, but since I am just a teacher and not a millionaire/billionaire infused with all of the magical knowledge to help save the American student from the horrible teachers union and lower-class public schooling, it's probably no surprise that I can't see the benefits of charters.
-CT
Freaked Out
-just another bad teacher
-parent fed up with principal - an how!
salander688@gmail.com
The same thing happened to my kid's teacher and I am disgusted. How is a new teacher supposed to develop skills with no support?
~sad parent
--Old School Music
-just another bad teacher
-just another bad teacher
-concerned
Confused at Bryant
Funny - when I check DEL's site, it shows no recent inspection (since July 2011), nor does it site any complaints (post 2005). I checked a few other providers in the area and could find some pretty current information. I am really skeptical of SPS accusations, and the coincidental missing DEL report.
No need to worry though (sarcasm) -SPS is putting the program out to bid and Tamie is welcome to participate?! And family representatives will be part of the decision process. Not sure what parent would vote against her?! So it is a bit patronizing.
A meeting will be held later this month and SPS will answer any questions. I will be in attendance! Tamie does a lot more for our school than just run a daycare.
Also Confused at Bryant
Can Bryant parents ask to see the evidence on which this decision was based?
- former bryant parent
The Sample Math PGE (not from our district) was really disturbing to me. It was so focused on MAP scores and trying to achieve a certain amount of growth - are teachers here having to show similar objectives? I couldn't bring myself to read through all of it. Please, please, tell me this isn't how MAP scores are being used.
There was a year that a teacher seemed to be prepping the class for MAP with a week or two of very random work, and looking back, it almost seems like it was only an attempt to improve test scores (not long term learning). Please, please, tell me this isn't what's happening in classes here. -
Anonymous pick a name, any name, or you'll be deleted.
Yes, that is what is happening here. Lame, isn't it? The posted materials are from the training materials available to principals and APs to help them write goals with teachers. Then, teachers, WATCH OUT if you fail to meet them.
Unfortunately, there is no set criteria for formulating these goals (at least according to materials provided to date).
Urban Legend
any name
`furious
SPS is rotten to the core. The only way to fix the numerous problems is to start with a clean slate and hire managers who are experienced, intelligent, thoughtful and creative. Oh, and these people must have integrity and be able to authentically engage and lead-not just be liars and frauds who cipher the commands of the corrupt.
jt
Also furious at Bryant
-just another bad teacher
We used an older pre-algebra book to supplement and it actually covers a lot of the material that the district Algebra I book covers, in addition to topics covered in CMP.
anon
and yet another furious at Bryant
http://www.nychold.com/cmp.html
SPS has had these books for seven years and it's time to reassess and consider a new adoption.
anon
A+Washington , web pages , ad found on The Daily Caller
Public School Parent
SPS HQ and admin. is rotten at the core and needs a complete overhaul.
Urban Legend - Where did you get those numbers? Are teachers identified by name? How can I find out if one of them is the brilliant master teacher from my child's school who is being run out of the school this year by the principal?
I am a member of the Teachers'Defense Committee. This group is made up of master teachers who have been run out of schools by idiot principals. We are amassing data that is not available to the general public. We have a team of three attorneys working with us. Unfortunately we do not have names. We try to find teachers through word of mouth and posts on various blogs. Please encourage this teacher to contact salander688@gmail.com. Or if you feel comfortable with giving us the name we can try to find him/her. The SEA has helped the district rather than helping teachers so we have to do the legal work.
Urban Legend