Wednesday Open Thread

Gee, Tuesday got away from me.  I wonder why.

Hoping to parse through the BEX IV vote and ask you to consider what happens now.  There is a lot of vagueness in this BEX so it's hard to gauge what will be done and when.  Also, probably a year back now, Director Carr said at a Work Session that there would have to be a heck of a good narrative to sell this to voters.

Okay, I'll ask you - what is the narrative that will sell this to Seattle voters?  Keep in mind, you are selling over $1B of levies. 

On another subject, Superintendent Banda.  I am still feeling good about him.   I find him quietly assured (but not in an Olchefske-type way).  But, what would make you feel assured?  What one thing, that's within the realm of possibility, could he do to make you feel like he's on the right track?  Or is there a signal you would look for that would make you believe he can't/won't be co-opted by the powers that be?

What's on your mind?

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's Thursday.

-Clock
mirmac1 said…
If Banda would quit parroting the BS I hear come out of DeBell's mouth, I'd feel better.

And when he relies less and less on his lieutenants to (not) answer questions or spin.

Finally, when his fuzzy form takes shape and I see less of the LEVites, A4E, and bySTANDers behind him.

I believe his heart's in the right place.
Anonymous said…
take the downtown school off the BEX (too late) and GET NEW MATH !!!!

-sps mom
Jamie said…
There is no way I am voting for BEX with the downtown school on it.
Jan said…
Love it, Clock. And had totally missed it in Melissa's post. It has been a long week.

What Banda can do: (1) new math (at LEAST for the grades where we were supposed to adopt new materials last year and didn't), with a procedure that isn't rigged. It doesn't have to be Singapore or Saxon for me to be happy. But it needs to be something that is highly rated by the math review groups out there. And preferably it is something that doesn't require boatloads of "teacher professional ed money" to teach it.
(2) Visible, concrete progress on a SPED director and some analysis of what other big changes he would make downtown to improve things (I am hoping for HR, based on what everyone has said -- but would love to hear that maybe that department is not so sick?)

In terms of selling the ops/BEX levy, doesn't the ops levy replace an expiring one. To the extent that it does, you need to "sell" the "no net gain" concept. For the rest, I think you just have to sell the need, the demographics, and the current school successes (there are many -- SAT scores, National Merit scholarship stuff, IB at Ingraham, math at Franklin, STEM successes.
When you are trying to figure out how to "get better," you focus on all the stuff that needs to be improved. That is what we do most of the time.
When you are trying to get jazzed up to commit (or recommit) resources to something, you focus on its value to you, what is working well, what successes exist from past efforts, etc. I wonder whether the District can count on any help at all from the Alliance, the DFERs, and all the other lobbying rabble?
Anonymous said…
Anyone else hear about a significant incident at Hamilton with a child being "hung" from something by two other kids and in an attempt to get himself down he broke his jaw? Any validity to this story? If true, does anyone have specifics? Did it happen during the school day, after school, in the gym, playground, etc. What was the school's response?

- Fact or fiction
Anonymous said…
If 1024 passes, why can't the charter commission writes its own statewide BEX levy just for charters. Charter supporters certainly have millions to help get things pass. 1024 is proof of that. For Seattle schools levies, make them for non-charter public schools only. Is that possible? Separate out the money as charters are operating independent of district's oversight anyway.

curious
seattle citizen said…
Here's today's Doonsebury strip, for Melissa and Charlie and the others who created this blog.
Anonymous said…
Does anybody know the District response to all the coverage of special education? What's changing? Has the Supt gotten the Legal Dpt under control? For that amount of coverage of special ed in the press it is surprising the District isn't saying anything about changes being made.

reader
seattle citizen said…
reader, I think I read a comment here somewhere that indicated that the Times had received the "report" before anybody else had (besides the district), and had jumped the gun because the district had until....Nov. 19th? something like that, to respond to the state report, to rebut.
Perhaps more information will come out when that rebuttal has been made?
Unknown said…
And Clock, you can see how tired I really am. I think I may just leave it.

Reader, a time-honored pattern in the district to bad news? Ignore it. They don't have to make a response and they aren't. The only thing I have heard said is that they are looking for a "seasoned" Special Ed Director.

SC, I laughed out loud. Thanks!
Unknown said…
One other thing. I said in a previous post what would trigger a recount. I was mistaken.

A recount is only for candidates and not ballot measures.
Unknown said…
Looks like NO on 1240 just pulled ahead.
Patrick said…
It did? The Times still saying it's passing by 40,000 votes.
Anonymous said…
On 11/08/2012 at 4:35 PM

I - 1240
51% YES
49% NO
Anonymous said…
-- Dan Dempsey above I-1240 posting
ArchStanton said…
@ Jack:
I suspect you're looking at the King County only results...
Anonymous said…
1240 is NOT passing state-wide (unfortunately):

http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/Initiative-Measure-No-1240-Concerns-creation-of-a-public-charter-school-system.html

It is closer, though, and there are still 244,000 votes uncounted in King County. So, it's a long-shot but maybe...

-hope it fails
Anonymous said…
Jack: I'm running the numbers, and the incoming statewide No vote is currently running at about 52.2% to a Yes vote's 47.8%. With about 750k votes still outstanding, and figuring 500k will have Y or N votes, there may not be enough NO votes to turn the tide. The gap is still 42.5k.

However, if the later-counted ballots creep up toward a 54% or thereabouts NO vote, then the NO votes could prevail. This one's going down to the wire. Each day the NO's are closing the gap by about 4-6k votes, but the gap currently sits at 42.5k. 50.98% to 49.02%, statewide, with King County widening the gap from 51.23% No yesterday, to 51.37% No today. WSDWG
WSDWG, that's all me. Just trying to make it exciting, that's all.

Thanks for the update.
Anonymous said…
Well MW, if only we had 10 million to get the truth out to people, we might have had a chance. I don't see Roosevelt flipping to a Charter, nor Garfield, so my kids and yours, and our neighbors, will not likely be affected. So, what is it that makes us care? Especially when it seems that for every person who recognizes the selflessness of your efforts by not having a direct interest at stake, there will be another saying "why don't you butt out, then?"

To those I can only say, "My kids have had excellent educations, in public schools, in a big city, by union teachers, and I simply want yours to have the same," while not being exploited for profit and as pawns and stepping stones for careerists masquerading as educators pretending to put the interests of children ahead of themselves.

If hedge-fund managers can't put the interests of their clients ahead of their own, who is so foolish to believe they will put children ahead of profit? Sorry, but although there are honest billionaires, it's generally not in their DNA to check their egos at the door, and not to profit anywhere they can, characterizing it as a "win-win." Wait for it; it's coming.

Who cannot see the "giant vampire squid" waiting to wrap itself around the State of Washington, sticking it's blood funnel into every school where it smells money? (Thank you Matt Taibbi, for calling it like it is, btw.) The methods are the same, as are the rationales. The most frightening part is how many people seem to have blind faith in charters, even when Al Shanker, Ken Libby, and so many others who originated the Charter idea, have long since reversed their positions, sounding the warnings about the insurgents who've co-opted the idea and bundled it into the Right-Wing version of Ed Reform.

Oh well, if people really want a state commission supplanting their local school boards, who are we to stand in the way.

Sour grapes? You bet. And I don't even have skin in the game. WSDWG

Jan said…
Anyone clicking on seattle citizen's link: to see the strip she meant, be sure to click back to the "previous" day (11/8) -- so you get the strip that was intended.

And Melissa (and all the others who worked hard to plug the dike against the tide of money pushing to pass 1240)-- if I somehow don't remember to say this again somewhere, a million thanks for all your hard work, advocacy, and outreach for No on 1240. You are terrific. Totally awesome!
Anonymous said…
Nathan Hale is not happy about the proposed changes of putting a separate school on the lower or upper field of Jane Addams. The fields are in high demand and used extensively by Jane Addams and by Nathan Hale athletics. In the summer, the fields are full of community sports programs.

HP
mirmac1 said…
When I asked for the oft-cited consultant projections on the need for a Downtown School (at the community meetings). This is what I got. DSA Feasibility Study and a random page from somewhere. I was told that there was no report from the enrollment consultant, that the info was conveyed in a phone call to Pegi McEvoy.

Yeah! That's good enough for me! Here's $5M smackers.

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