Seattle Schools This Week

Basically, not much.

No meetings scheduled for the district except on Saturday, August 31st, Director Patu has her Community Meeting from 10 am to noon at Caffe Vita. 

I have no new updates from the teacher contract talks but I assume there will be a vote on the newest (and, according to the district, last) offer either tomorrow or Tuesday.  I feel confident both sides will find agreement before the start of school on September 4th. 

Upcoming threads:
- more unraveling of ed reform
- FERPA and protecting your student's data

Comments

Anonymous said…
There will be a vote today. Recommendation is to vote NO. The phony concessions the district has made (e.g. not increase class sizes) were never going to happen anyway. They threw the SEA a bone on that one. As for the ESAs, increasing the number of staff is NOT a concession either. There are still no caseload limits which means some ESAs will have up to 60 IEP'd students to serve. Any parent with a student on an IEP knows that's just not right. Any wonder there are always so many ESA positions open at the start of each school year? Any wonder why so many corrective actions from OSPI?

I will be voting NO on the proposed contract. However, I will also vote to start school on time (work without a contract) if that is an option. Students and their families should not bear the brunt of the districts bad behavior.

Sped Staffer
8/26/13, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said…
Thanks Sped Staffer, but what's the point? If you aren't willing to go on strike, then you will get what you get. If you're going to make a point, you need to back it up with something. And we parents will support you. As to ridiculously high caseloads. If corners need to be cut, then that is a fine place to cut them. Really? School psych's? Do you EVER use anything they put out? Even once? Do you say, "Wow, that's a suggestion I wouldn't have thought of!" Yes you need their recommendation to qualify students for special ed as a formality but they've got little else to offer. That would be true if their caseloads were limited. And therapists. Well, I guess it's good they have them, but money is much better spent on actual teachers. Maybe you're talking about counselors. Mileage varies A LOT there. Great ones are truly great. But mostly there is no accountability.

Sped Parent
8/26/13, 7:28 PM
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