Friday Open Thread
I first want to congratulate parents and staff (and students) for their hard work this school year.
I did see my second son graduate from college in May. Yesterday I went back to his elementary school to thank two special teachers, Marianne Crawford and Gillian Gordon-Smith, at Whittier. I believe as his first and fifth grade teachers, they bookended his time at Whittier and gave him a great start. (I would also single out Ian Malcolm at Roosevelt - a superlative teacher who I think helped my son greatly.) My son is going onto graduate school because of great teachers like these three.
I hope that as your years go by in SPS that you take the time to remember teachers who made a difference in your child's life. It means the world to them to know (1) that they did make a difference and (2) what happened to your child in the years after a teacher had them in his/her class.
Seattle Children's Theatre has the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab. If you know a great artist, let them know about this opportunity.
Community meeting tomorrow - Director Peters from 11 am - 12:30 pm at Magnolia Library.
I would end by saying have a great summer - let your kid play, stay up late, read under a tree, and have some fun. The public libraries have great summer programs so check them out.
The blog will be on a bit of a hiatus (although the recent superintendent change may change that) throughout the summer although we will try to maintain the Open Threads. I am going to write about one major issue next week so look for that.
I am half-smiling when I ask, "What's on your mind?"
I did see my second son graduate from college in May. Yesterday I went back to his elementary school to thank two special teachers, Marianne Crawford and Gillian Gordon-Smith, at Whittier. I believe as his first and fifth grade teachers, they bookended his time at Whittier and gave him a great start. (I would also single out Ian Malcolm at Roosevelt - a superlative teacher who I think helped my son greatly.) My son is going onto graduate school because of great teachers like these three.
I hope that as your years go by in SPS that you take the time to remember teachers who made a difference in your child's life. It means the world to them to know (1) that they did make a difference and (2) what happened to your child in the years after a teacher had them in his/her class.
Seattle Children's Theatre has the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab. If you know a great artist, let them know about this opportunity.
Community meeting tomorrow - Director Peters from 11 am - 12:30 pm at Magnolia Library.
I would end by saying have a great summer - let your kid play, stay up late, read under a tree, and have some fun. The public libraries have great summer programs so check them out.
The blog will be on a bit of a hiatus (although the recent superintendent change may change that) throughout the summer although we will try to maintain the Open Threads. I am going to write about one major issue next week so look for that.
I am half-smiling when I ask, "What's on your mind?"
Comments
A&F Agenda with hyperlinks
Extensive SPS Corrective Action Plan. I've asked for the OSPI review and findings.
S parent
Over the past 6 months while under the watchful eyes of OSPI there has been a continual stream of IDEA violations by the district in fact in our case the most egregious violations in 7 years!
Can we really afford to wait and see for another school year? Will Mr. Gill accept the BS laid out in the letter asking for another extension?
Really how can the district possibly perform what is laid out in the McWilliams letter?
We have emails between gen ed teachers exposing what they really think of students with IEPs. This is an institutional cultural problem that will take 10-15 years to change at the rate SPS works. My guess is the union is going to put the breaks on any changes because the LRE mentioned means gen ed class rooms and no one has to guts to oppose the union.
We need to write to all our state and federal representatives demanding leadership change. The corrective action monitoring should be supplied free of charge by the Federal dept of education not the TIERS group! If you look at the details the district is going to spend up 1.5 million for consultants, that's 1.5 million form the SPED budget.
That's 15 teachers ! or NPA placement for 83 students.
Aren't we all tired of getting jerked around? I can tell you this partnership thing isn't
working for us.
So what's the plan?
--Michael
Why?
With Banda gone, can we cull the herd?
No comment on job performance, purely right-sizing of the unwieldy glass palace top-heavy ranks.
WASTE NOT
I think it is so great that you went back to Whittier to thank Maryann and Gillian! They and countless other teachers work so hard, and I am sure your gesture meant a lot to them!
Jon Greenberg is at Hamilton, and I thank him for taking my son out of his comfort zone. Often.
grateful mom
Joby, Mrs B, Leslie N, Carla, Mr J, Katie, Joe, Mrs Spurr, Elizabeth, Jason, Nina, Marianne, Mr Lawrence, Mr Ellis, Mr Bloedel, Ms Eich, Mr O'C, Mr Swarner, Don, Eric, Cynthia and Luzita.
Thank you!
Universal Pre-K emails
But HOW exactly is SPS involved here? What is the commitment? Is there an MOU?
WHY are we giving school building space to the City's preschool plan, when we just kicked out the NWC?
--curioserandcuriouser
Check out page 209.
Holly Miller "you need to let the school board know SPS (staff leadership) is in charge." "Please communicate with the city regarding 'upcoming lease contracts we're considering to terminate. Let the city know of these possible terminations before you notify the tenant of termination.'"
I read 50 pages of the preschool emails. It was confusing.
What made me most glad: how ALL Thurgood Marshall parents (that's right, APP with General Ed) fought to keep their SpEd preschool with clear points that were all about kids, families, and teacher collaboration to create excellence to, wait for it, meet the needs of kids.
What made me most sad: the TM principal, Julie B., quit that school 2/3rds into the school year to helm another school, and the then interim TM principal reached out to her for help and support to try and save TM's SpEd preschool, and Julie B.'s response was she didn't have a problem with it. Made me think: Et tu, Brut?
Best email: from the Leschi teacher explaining preschool is preschool. Sad that someone has to explain to grown-ups that the "work" of childhood (and we are talking early childhood) is play. That when they are painting at easels, or exploring the playground, or all the other normal things 3 or 4 year olds do, they are learning. What exactly does Tim Burgess expect them to be doing? Preping for the WA Kids 'test'? What, so they can ace their first MAP tests as 5 year olds? What is the point?
Perspective
I've not read the e-mails, but this is very concerning.
As the parent of a disabled child, I absolutely had no sympathy for the NWC's heavy-handed tactics. But, hey, that's Holly Miller's bread and butter.
Thank god we elect a school board to keep the unelected city workers in check.
SPS can consult, rent building space etc. and charge the city accordingly.
We are looking at an enormous bureaucratic nightmare which is funded with federal, state and local dollars.
Why isn't Blanford, Wright and Blanford advocating for the city to provide space?
Why? Because he's dumb. That's not name calling, that's an assessment. Have you heard him speak at board meetings? Yeah. That's why.
#3years5monthsLeft
Will Blanford let the city steer this project at the risk of present space limitations and needs of K-12 students. Or, will Blanford work to assure proper implementation and assure needs of present K-12 students are met??
Why haven't school board members heard about this initiative in committee meetings?
reader47