Advanced Learning Taskforce(s)
This is an e-mail I sent to Al Interim Director, Steven Martin. I cc'd the Board, Shauna Heath and Michael Tolley.
Dear Mr. Martin,
As a former member of the Advanced Learning Taskforce - who served for a year and was asked to stay on for the next year (which never materialized and with no explanation) - you can imagine my surprise to learn there are TWO AL Taskforces already in place. I am very disappointed to not even be asked to serve when my knowledge of the subject and the programs in this district is quite deep.
My questions to you are the following:
- how were members chosen?
- are the committees now full? If not, how may one apply?
- why was there no public process or even notice?
- who are the members and what is their connection to AL?
- how many meetings have there been?
- where are the minutes of the meetings available?
- when are the meetings for both taskforces? Where is that info available to the public?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, please feel free to pass this on to whoever DOES know.
I note that you are not responsible for how these taskforces get formed. That responsibility is with the Superintendent and upper staff . Forming groups secretly that formerly were open to public application would almost look like someone was shaping the taskforce to get a pre-ordained outcome. Some might see it that way.
Dear Mr. Martin,
As a former member of the Advanced Learning Taskforce - who served for a year and was asked to stay on for the next year (which never materialized and with no explanation) - you can imagine my surprise to learn there are TWO AL Taskforces already in place. I am very disappointed to not even be asked to serve when my knowledge of the subject and the programs in this district is quite deep.
My questions to you are the following:
- how were members chosen?
- are the committees now full? If not, how may one apply?
- why was there no public process or even notice?
- who are the members and what is their connection to AL?
- how many meetings have there been?
- where are the minutes of the meetings available?
- when are the meetings for both taskforces? Where is that info available to the public?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, please feel free to pass this on to whoever DOES know.
I note that you are not responsible for how these taskforces get formed. That responsibility is with the Superintendent and upper staff . Forming groups secretly that formerly were open to public application would almost look like someone was shaping the taskforce to get a pre-ordained outcome. Some might see it that way.
Comments
Sorry but you and Charlie have assumed the role of blogger and have enough insight and bully pulpit in that role. Your days of task force participation are most likely finished. View it as a success.
As for the formation of the APP task force, consider this: The threads about Peters and APP below this one are all the evidence the district needs that handpicking APP taskforce participants is key. FACMAC is Evidence Point B - endrunning around the district and going to the press was very bad etiquette.
This is no surprise. Banda indicated he was going to reconsider all taskforces at the beginning of the year. Collaborative voices and voices that don't have other opportunities to speak look to be key. There's also the need to put members on the APP committee that are not the same faces trying to drive APP, FACMAC, and the NE.
Could the district have done a better job letting the public know about the taskforce? Yes. But any veteran of SPS knows taskforces have never been the district's strong managment suit.
Had Enough
- North-end Mom
Why no public solicitation of volunteers as they did for the Strategic Task Force, Math Curriculum committee etc? And are they APP-only in their focus? (Speaking as the parent of a kid who is eligible for APP, but enrolled in Spectrum, for a variety of reasons.)
-flibbertigibbet
The AL Taskforce mostly kept its mouth shut (as compared to FACMAC). No comparison there.
North-end Mom, I wanted to be on the original Taskforce for exactly that reason - Spectrum and ALOs. I knew APP would have plenty of company.
Watching
It sounds like you think we are identifying students now who do not need APP services. What changes would you like to see to the qualification process?
The district has stated many times that their primary concern related to APP is the under-representation of poor children and children of color. I expect that is the issue they're working on now.
There is not a different method of qualifying in the north end - but you seem particularly concerned about that. Is there a reason for that?
Are you on the task force? I ask because Shauna Heath is hoping to "grow the program" in West Seattle - by getting more families to test their kids. Given that, I think your predictions are off base.
Really? When did anyone from the District say this? What is your source?
Sorry - no comments yet on distinguishing between well-prepared and gifted children.
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