Friday Open Thread
Two Director Community meetings tomorrow:
Director Carr from 8:30-10:30 am at Bethany Community Church
Director Smith-Blum from 10 am to 11:30 am at Douglass Truth Library
Remember that commercial about pollution from the '70s with the Native American man surveying what pollution had done to the land? The one that ends with the tear down his cheek?
Here's an inspiring video that I believe all children - toddlers to teens - should see. It's about a middle school football team and a fellow student who is developmentally disabled. You've seen stories with this storyline but not the ending. The last 30 seconds are so vital; it's the journey of a boy who learns that everyone matters. This is mindset is what we need to see in our schools to cut down on bullying - everyone matters.
Director Carr from 8:30-10:30 am at Bethany Community Church
Director Smith-Blum from 10 am to 11:30 am at Douglass Truth Library
Remember that commercial about pollution from the '70s with the Native American man surveying what pollution had done to the land? The one that ends with the tear down his cheek?
Here's an inspiring video that I believe all children - toddlers to teens - should see. It's about a middle school football team and a fellow student who is developmentally disabled. You've seen stories with this storyline but not the ending. The last 30 seconds are so vital; it's the journey of a boy who learns that everyone matters. This is mindset is what we need to see in our schools to cut down on bullying - everyone matters.
Comments
~GarfieldMom
None of the teachers and parents who we know applied were chosen. This list includes Craig Parsley of Boren STEM, and Ted Nutting a high school math teacher of Ballard High School. Ted has the best record in the district for students passing the AP Calculus exam and Craig Parsley is one of the best 5th grade math and science teacher in the district. His students continually have one of the highest passing rates for both math and science. These are not APP students.
Obviously track records and expertise were not considered for these two applicants.
I'm also concern about some of the people leading the process. Marleen Boone, a district math coach will be one the district's advisors to the curriculum adoption committee. I took a DMI training (Developing Mathematical Ideas) a few years ago with her as facilitator. A question came up about scientific notation. She thought that 7 x 10^3 = 2100. She did not know enough math to do a simple 6th grade problem and yet will be advising the committee.
I sure do hope we have a better process than the last round, but am not optimistic.
Our last adoption was botched miserably. Whatever anybody's opinion of EDM, it aligned poorly with the state math standards. EDM received a poor ranking from OSPI and yet we ordered it anyway.
OSPI will not release anything offical about this until the appeal time has elapsed.
curious
It seems right for OSPI to get drastic, I just don't understand how cutting off the money helps. It would make more sense to me for them to take control, to administer the program. Obviously, the district doesn't know what to do with Special Ed. What are the odds that they will suddenly get wise when funding is removed?
curious
@Mary Griffin - the reason for the level 4 determination is not known so far, but it is far more likely going to be connected to ongoing problems that OSPI has been pointing out for a long time like the over-identification of students from racial and ethnic groups in sped
curious-er
curious-er
Ann D.
HIMSmom
You are guaranteed a place in the Spectrum program, but not in the Spectrum classes. If students at HIMS are placed in classes based on ability vs. classification that might be a good option for certainty.
Just apply during Open Enrollment.
-StepJ
HIMSmom
HIMS, in elementary you can test into Spectrum but are not guaranteed a seat (yes, that crazy). But again, I thought that had changed for middle school.
reposting for someone who selected the Anonymous function but did not sign with a pseudonym
Any Spectrum-eligible student who chooses the Spectrum program at their attendance area middle school is assured of placement in that program at that school.
How each school chooses to serve their Spectrum students is up to the school. There is no prescribed Spectrum delivery model.
Math placement at all middle schools is done without regard to program.
Middle school Spectrum consists, at most, of a self-contained class for the Language Arts/Social Studies block. That's it. Since Spectrum students do not come in convenient thirty-packs, all schools have had to find their own way to respond to the District mandate.
For example, here is last year's data on Spectrum enrollment.
You'll see that there were seven Spectrum students in the seventh grade from the Mercer service area. This doesn't necessarily mean that these students are enrolled at Mercer, or that other Spectrum students are not, but Mercer has to find a way to offer Spectrum services to the students they have and a self-contained classroom is not going to be their answer.
Notice to Vacate
-skeptical-
BAM!
Potter will be sentenced next week. It will be good to get closure on that episode.
EdVoter
Henry Rosoff
@SEACityLight workers getting turned away by #HoraceMann occupiers @SeattlePD not here right now
And this from supporter
@PurpleReels
If you're available NOW come down to Horace Mann #Africatown 24th & Cherry across the street from Garfield
and this
Workers arrived at #AfricaTown to cut the power, and have left without doing so. Little victories.
CCA
I've been away from electronics and the interwebs for a stretch.
The not classes part is very dependent on the MS and how they offer their advanced classes. Some offer integrated classes based on ability and some have stand-alone Spectrum classes.
There might be an LA class available to Spectrum only, but if more kids want to have it in their schedule than space available you are not guaranteed a spot in that class even though you are Spectrum. That is the not guaranteed a spot in Spectrum classes bit. Hope that makes better sense.
But yes, you are guaranteed a spot in Spectrum for MS if qualified. As it is your Attendance Area MS you can apply and switch from APP to Spectrum during Open Enrollment.
-StepJ
Directors are now touring buildings and talking to principals in order to 'engineer' a solution. Talk about micro-managing! Frightening to contemplate how badly this is devolving and how much damage Mr. Banda and the Board are about to do.
-scared & scarred