Tuesday Open Thread
There has been discussion of a "June" surprise over APP. I don't know about that one but I believe there will be some staffing shifts at headquarters.
I also hear the Alliance has been part of yet another "study" of SPS, this about HR.
Hey, the Governor of Mississippi has an answer for the supposedly poor state of American public education:
Bryant was participating in a Washington Post Live event focused on the importance of ensuring that children read well by the end of third grade. In response to a question about how America became "so mediocre" in regard to educational outcomes, he said: "I think both parents started working. The mom got in the work place."
So much I could say but let's just be candid - he's an idiot. Good luck with that, Mississippi.
Last full week of school - the kids must be very excited.
What's on your mind?
I also hear the Alliance has been part of yet another "study" of SPS, this about HR.
Hey, the Governor of Mississippi has an answer for the supposedly poor state of American public education:
Bryant was participating in a Washington Post Live event focused on the importance of ensuring that children read well by the end of third grade. In response to a question about how America became "so mediocre" in regard to educational outcomes, he said: "I think both parents started working. The mom got in the work place."
So much I could say but let's just be candid - he's an idiot. Good luck with that, Mississippi.
Last full week of school - the kids must be very excited.
What's on your mind?
Comments
Wallingford family
Wally
OSPI Special Education Program Review Report
According to this report, based on a subset of files reviewed, it appears some building staff were not a) completing evaluations and IEPs on time; b) not conscientiously calcing LRE minutes; nor c) providing SDI (some of this responsibility also falls on principals). District Legal did not care to enforce the law and corrective actions. A finding of no mechanisms in place to ensure student specific violations and systemic issues do not recur, means some staff at central were just phoning it in.
Despite this excoriating review, many parents are hopeful that things are on the upswing. Now, if only Ron English would retire...
HP
Often it takes a couple of years for a reputation to catch up with reality. I know that was the case at Nathan Hale.
HP
As of June 3, 9th grade wait-list:
Ballard 43
Chief Seattle 10
Cleveland 36
Franklin 88
Garfield 78
Ingraham 56
Nathan Hale 61
Roosevelt 91
The Center School 17
No wait-list for 9th grade at
Rainier Beach
West Seattle
Nova
HP
reader
This will blow your mind. Last year, OSPI ordered corrective action and written guidance for building administrators with respect to FERPA and personally-identifiable student information. Legal was required to train principals and asst principals on the FERPA law.
Advance one year's time. Now we have our General Counsel himself breaking the FERPA law to "out" a special education student and parent who prevailed in a dispute with the district.
I can't wait for the General Counsel's office having to train themselves on FERPA. THAT demonstrates that SPS legal are scofflaws!
HP
HP
Northern parent
HP
I agree that taxpayers should be informed about how this situation ("no mechanisms in place to ensure student specific violations and systemic issues do not recur") is going to be fixed.
another reader
http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2013/06/failing-math-curriculum-in-seattle.html
..cliff
I think they view it as a great success. The more families leave SPS, the better. Less capacity problems and more money for less students.
HIMS mom
Perhaps this should be the new tagline for SPS - doesn't it pretty much apply to nearly every department there? ;o)
-simple math
Yes, I can play this game too. But, seriously, "Simple Math", if you are right, maybe we should try to get everyone we can to leave for private school. In fact, we should means test public education and not provide public school to anyone who can afford private school. Better yet, let's dissolve the public system, as that is the natural consequence of excluding as many families as you can from public schools, and see how that works out for our children. We are already on that path due to people like you pushing families out, which increases support for charters.
Public schools exist to serve the public, as in everyone's children. If you push out the public, you might as well not have public schools.
I can't open the OSPI link. Any suggestions?
SM
Hmmmm, it works for me. Go to www.scribd.com/spsleaks and see it on the home page. Click on that link.
http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2021119423_bruce05reformmathseattleschoolsxml.html
The irony, of course, is the use of these discovery materials ensures an achievement gap. By dumbing down the materials, and using limited class time on discovery exercises, the accumulated deficit gets larger and larger for students. Students are left without enough time or practice to work towards proficiency. It's criminal.
Bring back real math, real language arts, and real science.
-for real
HP
CMP math reviews
...After a year of using this book, here's my opinion: I HATE THIS BOOK.
...Parents are not the only ones who are disgusted with these books. Teachers and administrations are also fed up with "Disconnected Math". The book's lobbyists are just too good, and school boards don't know any better, so we're forced to use these books...Parents, if you are loud enough, we CAN get these books dropped from math curricula. Your kids are depending on you.
I am a grad student. I have tackled many math books, but this one is ridiculous. There are no examples. The problems are complicated and poorly worded...
...I have to say, it is the worst book ever used since Everyday Mathematics in elementary school.
...My daughter's school use this textbook. this is the worst textbook I have ever seen. extremely useless.
...As a parent I find this book complete crap.
Old math gives you the recipe for a cake and new math allows you to make any kind of cake you want.
Does that at all sound plausible to describe - in the most basic of terms - what is happening?
HP
CMP is not balanced. It is not comprehensive. It has been described as C#@P.
We homeschooled our kid in Algebra 1 this year because I am just sick of the discovery math junk in the school. We used a decent math curriculum and went over pre-algebra before started Alg 1 and found our kid had not been taught some of the pre-algebra material.
I know my child got a far superior Alg 1 education because we homeschooled them using a real math curriculum.
-pickle
So, not sure where the statement "avoided like the plague" is anywhere near accurate. My son may do some IB, but not the full program. Don't know about other kids from the neighborhood, but I can't imagine all the kids going are expecting to do IB. Have only heard great things about the teachers at Ingraham.
Maybe a different experience on the other side of town.
Good teachers who are stuck with the discovery math books supplement heavily with lectures and worksheets.
Jamie said - That is exactly the reaction I have seen from people north of 85th. It is good to know that that reaction is becoming the minority.
HP
Cliff Mass has helped us out by writing a blog, MJ McDermott made a youtube video on CMP, and Bruce Ramsey wrote an awesome editorial about dumping bad math. Now we just need parents to sign the petition and forward to as many friends and families. My daughter got over 45 signatures from juniors and seniors at Ingraham. Thanks!
http://seattlemathcoalition.org/k-8-textbook-adoption-petition/
Quality, comprehensive, balanced curriculum. That's my mantra.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B28S9zwOPW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ez_Ma7Hn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8iUlLbFX9I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53zIqRjeRIQ
-how not to do math
k5 parent
http://westseattleblog.com/2013/06/west-seattle-schools-principal-change-for-madison-middle-school
Any thoughts on Dr. Gary?
Yumpears
Wondering
yeah, I got real concerns after learning about this 2008 incident during his term at RBHS:
Outcry after two Seattle teens were accused of sexually assaulting a developmentally disabled female classmate in a Rainier Beach High School restroom -- an incident that school officials never reported to police.
http://tinyurl.com/m2gvofz
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/5/crowd-stunned-after-valedictorian-rips-speech-reci/