BOTH Levies Passing
According to KC Elections, both Props 1 and 2 are passing about 75% to 25%.
Thank you, Seattle voters!
Thank you, Seattle voters!
Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
State superintendent of schools pushes lawmakers to change initiative
Of course my first thought is it's about TIME!
BTW Dan, yeah, how convenient for Varner to cover her bases. On her point that these mega-elementaries mean more space for special education. If you believe that then I have some swampland in Florida that's a steal. Those 650-kid K-5 will simply lead to more disruptive closures of small, neighborhood schools as long as the uber-micromanager minority coalition on the school board has its way.
I'll say that, although Mr Banda's last school district may have had schools that size, he is in Seattle, a city that is very generous with its support of public education. Don't allow the shuttering of smaller schools to save on a 1.0 FTE admin and 0.5 custodial position. We're not stupid. We know that downtown will drop a few $M at the drop of a hat for the Alliance's latest pipe dream.
“I felt that you had to try to force the issue into the legislature,” Dorn explained. “My issue is still, going forward, I’m responsible for overseeing all public schools.”
So he is talking about charter schools....
YEAH BUT ....
Let's take that statement and consider Common Core State Standards... looks like Randy is abdicating his responsibility to Arne D and friends when it comes to assessments which will likely drive instruction.... Randy is the water boy passing out the drinks but who controls the pipeline? Not us. ... Talk about an abdication of responsibility.
The Seattle voters are a lot smarter than some people give them credit for. Cheers!
SO glad 37 schools will be retrofitted.
An educated society is a better society. So proud our city values education. Now it is time for the state to do the same.
My kids' schools have benefited in the past and I'm happy to pay it forward!
I have to say -- I am so relieved, as now we can return to our usual crowded basket of district problems -- without adding huge additional ones. Here is what I hope for (my wish list):
1. That Banda and others speaking for the schools start NOW to educate the general public about what Kellie has been saying so elequantly
-- that we have applied a $700MM bandaid to a $2 billion dollar capital problem;
--that we structured it this way to accommodate the realities of tight financial times for taxpayers and a sense that many voters justifiably might not have wanted to give the District a HUGE blank check, given recent financial "issues."
--that while the District cannot solve a 2 billion dollar problem with 700 million -- it is committed to good stewardship of these funds going forward (starting with its recent decision to delay JAMS for a year, rather than create massive turmoil in the north end to LOOK like they were doing something immediately, while actually accomplishing very little for a few kids, at huge cost to another group.
I would like to see a huge recommitment to the Pinehurst community (in terms of finding them another school -- right now, I am wishing we had the old MLK building back -- it was not a huge school, but they are not a huge community, and perhaps they could have gone there, rather than see the District give it away for a fraction of its value, to a group that (last I heard) has done very little with it.
And I hope that, after the punches and jabs that have been thrown over NE middle schools, the north end can come together to work for solutions that enhance the futures of Eckstein, Hamilton, the new WP school(s), JAMS, Pinehurst, and ultimately, the new school at Lincoln. North and Northeast families have a long history of being involved passionate advocates for Seattle schools. When the dust settles in 5 years or so, I hope that relationship will be stronger than ever. Our kids need ALL our city neighborhoods to work together on their behalf.
I'm on the Strategic Plan Stakeholder's Taskforce which met for the first time last week.
Melissa and Charlie -- would you be willing to start a new thread to discuss the SPS community's 'wish list' for the next strategic plan?
I'd love to hear everyone's ideas, thoughts and concerns and bring them into the task force discussions.
Thanks.
Sue
Most of it, sure. Every last dollar, probably not, and I'd be interested in any human activity involving hundreds of millions of dollars in which it could be proved that every dollar was spent on absolutely the right thing.