Updates

Reminder: sign-ups for the School Board meeting next Tuesday (not Wednesday because of the 4th of July holiday) are tomorrow, Friday the 29th starting at 8 am.  The agenda is not yet available.

Call 252-0040 or boardagenda@seattleschools.org

This will be the first "official" Board meeting for Superintendent Banda.  I note that there has been discussion here over the K-5 STEM program, late-breaking principal placements and our favorite, the math curriculum.  This is a good opportunity to get his attention.

There is also a Executive Committee of the Whole today from 5:10-6:30 p.m.  It could be quite interesting.  

Speaking of Banda, the event in his honor at El Centro de la Raza (with the Alliance) was very nice.  I realize now that the Alliance needed a head count as they generously served food and drink.  It was a big crowd when full (I'd say at least 200+ people).  The Mayor attended as did Michael DeBell, Sherry Carr,  Kay Smith-Blum and I think Director Martin-Morris.

There were a few interesting comments from the speakers.

Sara Morris, head of the Alliance - "Bringing communities together" has been the Alliance's bedrock.  Really?  I would not have thought that at all, at any time in the Alliance's history and particularly not now.

Tom Stritikus, Dean of the College of Ed at UW - He chose, for whatever reason, to give his entire speech in Spanish.  It was at a Latino group's building but as Estela Ortega said, it was room that was a rainbow of diversity.  I thought it odd but I believe the Dean wanted to make public a link with Banda but I think it was off-putting to many (at least three people asked me what was up with it).

Michael DeBell - Also spoke some Spanish but switched back to English.  He talked about Banda's ""journey to Seattle" and how Banda was the "CEO" of the district.  He asked the crowd to give him time to "make connections, to allow him to learn what he needs to know." 

Jose Banda - Relaxed, friendly, good at making connections.  He stood for at least an hour, greeting everyone who stood in line to meet him.  It was a great start.


Comments

Carol Simmons said…
Did anyone attend the Curriculum and Instruction meeting last Monday, June 25th? I have not seen a report posted. Is there some way to get a report?
Thank you
Carol
Anonymous said…
Are there additional new late breaking principal changes?


Can you be specific?

Parent
Charlie Mas said…
There were four members of the public at the C & I meeting: Brian Rosenthal of the Seattle Times, Dorothy Neville, Mel Westbrook, and myself.

They were all there when I arrived at about 5:30. The meeting ran late - til nearly 7:00 - and Mel and Dorothy left around the scheduled end time.

I stayed for the discussion of the program placement policy.

The meeting was pretty unremarkable and it would be difficult to offer any sort of report. As for the discussion of the program placement policy, the board seemed much more concerned that they be forewarned about program placement changes, such as the Middle College to Boren, than they were concerned about the process being open, fair, or honest.

I don't get the sense that the Board directors really understand or appreciate the critical elements of the issues before them.
mirmac1 said…
Reminder: Director Betty Patu event at 7 p.m. at Pravda Events Center. Info at virtuouschg@msn.com
or 425-891-6705
I will update the C&I meeting as soon as I review my notes. I think the issue of race and equity and wording was the most interesting thing happening.
Carol Simmons said…
Charlie,

It was because of your monitoring and speaking to the Board directly that they did not pass the motion and withdrew it. Thank you. Melissa, I will be so interested in the Race and Equity discussion at the C and I committee meeting. Did they do or say anything of substance?
Thank you
Carol
Dorothy Neville said…
Carol wants to know if anything of substance was discussed regarding race and equity? Um, no, not as far as I could tell. They were word-crafting a draft policy document and we in the audience did not have copies, so who knows, maybe the edits were insightful and wonderful. Seemed to me like meaningless blather and navel gazing about unenforceable things and one notable line about how we cannot forget that Caucasian is a race too, so this should be equity for everybody.
mirmac1 said…
Stritikus, browning-nosing already.
hschinske said…
They said Caucasian? With a straight face? In 2012? *facepalm*

Helen Schinske
Dorothy Neville said…
Let me be clear, the word Caucasian is not in the policy as far as I know. The policy says something about white and black (I think) and some folks wanted that broadened and clarified. A board member pointed out the bit about Caucasians as part of this discussion of equity. You can see how fruitful this wasn't, since most of what they said is completely unenforceable, in fact, unable to be measured.
Linh-Co said…
Stritikus is uncharming at best and does not even pretend to be cordial with the little people.
gavroche said…
Doesn't Stritikus have an Ed. Department to run?
mirmac1 said…
Thank you Linh-Co, I'm not going crazy.
Jet City mom said…
Personally, unless I had confirmed with my audience that they would all be more comfortable with a language other than what is the primary language in the schools and city, I would be extremely rude to assume that because some of the audience had "ethnic" names, that meant they preferred something other than the primary language.
Unknown said…
Stritikus told the audience that those who didn't speak/understand Spanish better find someone who speaks the language quick! Not sure if he thought he was being "cool", funny or culturally-sensitive, but I found him extremely offensive.
mirmac1 said…
Where's that upside down question mark on this keyboard...?
Unknown said…
The agenda for the 7/3/12 school board meeting:

http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/school%20board/11-12%20agendas/070312agenda/20120703_Agenda.pdf?sessionid=52d15e0276a8343143ae99e5539f0832
Anonymous said…
mirmac

On a Mac keyboard it is shift/option/? — have no clue where it is on a PC.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

Solvay Girl
Steveroo said…
¿

Try the HTML iquest character. That should work with any keyboard.
Anonymous said…
"Stritikus told the audience that those who didn't speak/understand Spanish better find someone who speaks the language quick!"

I'm offended and I wasn't there. For years people have ASSumed I speak Spanish based on appearance. Once they know me they understand that brown has it's variations thanks, but I speak English fluently. Tagalog and Spanglish came later.

Never ASSume a language based on color or appearance. I think most folks understand this. DeBell and Stritikus? Mr Banda knows all he needs to know about these two. They're a joke.

Mr White
Anonymous said…
To add that in the greater scheme of things color is irrelevant. While you can't deny racism will always exist somewhere, we're educating everyone. That's where true ed reform happens. You cultivate a mind. You admit it's money. Money matters. Income matters. Stop pandering. Give students what they need and stop pretending you're for reform when you're really seeking profits from schools.

Stritikus and DeBell? You're not my homies.

Mr White
Jan said…
Very true, Mr White, very true.
Po3 said…
How embarrassing for both Stritikus and DeBell. I actually feel sorry for them, that level of cultural ignorance in this day and age is pretty astounding.
mirmac1 said…
The rich white dudes who don't get why we don't prostrate ourselves before them, chanting "we're not worthy!" are the definition of culturally ignorant. WTH, it worked in the fifties. Why wouldn't it work now? No wonder DeBell is so gosh darn frustrated!
Anonymous said…
¿ While holding down the Alt-key type in the number 168... at least what I've done since HS on PC's.

gringo

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