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?
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
-Clock
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.
-sps mom
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?
- Fact or fiction
curious
reader
Perhaps more information will come out when that rebuttal has been made?
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!
A recount is only for candidates and not ballot measures.
I - 1240
51% YES
49% NO
I suspect you're looking at the King County only results...
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
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
Thanks for the update.
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
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!
HP
Yeah! That's good enough for me! Here's $5M smackers.