Friday Open Thread
There's a teenaged-boy with autism missing in our are. Please take a look at this photo in case you see him.In one big difference between Seattle and Spokane school districts (in addition to Spokane being a charter authorizer), apparently they don't feel the need to expand at the administrative level nor give raises. From The Spokesman-Review:
As Redinger (Spokane's superintendent) said in Friday’s Spokesman-Review article, “It used to be you moved to the district office for the pay increases. We’ve shifted that. We have changed how the principals operate within the district; they move in and out of the district office to do work.”
Principals now have input on curriculum decisions. And their pay is increasing 1.5 percent without setting off a chain reaction of increases at the central office.
When she was hired, Redinger was touted as an energetic change agent, and she’s followed through. She’s thinned the bureaucratic layers, even though a state audit showed the district spent less on administration than comparable districts in the state.
Lines from The Princess Bride that teachers could use when grading high school/college freshman student essays.
Only community meeting tomorrow is with Director Blanford from 10 am to noon at the Douglass-Truth library.
Comments
HP
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/dec/04/spokane-public-schools-looks-to-adopt-new-math/
This type of process is nothing I'd want to import to our district.
GMG
I'm POSITIVE there are many APP middle school kids who will not be filling their guaranteed spots at Garfield and would bet that at least some of their parents have filled out the form indicating this, and yet my son hasn't moved on the list from his original spot(still 15th).
If anyone from SPS is reading this, when you do you start updating the list? The earlier the better as far as getting kids mentally prepared for a change.
-SPS parent
I don't think your chances are good. There are 476 freshman projected at Garfield next year. As the school's capacity is just under 1,600, they need to keep each class near 400. Last year only 7 of Garfield's 382 freshman received open choice assignments to the school.
If it makes you feel any better, I think the days of APP's guaranteed assignment to Garfield are almost over. There are just too many students enrolling in the program in the north end. APP enrollment for next year is projected to be 307 in 8th grade, 320 in 7th grade and 452 in 6th grade.
#BlanfordWTF
(tongue firmly in cheek - God bless anyone who wants to try and invest their energy educating him, truly; I just see it as a fool's errand)
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/educationlab/2014/07/14/computer-scientist-hopes-to-customize-teaching-and-learning/
ST Reader
Blanford was backed and funded by those wishing to carry-out the agenda of Seattle's business community.
I wouldn't waste my time going to his meetings. Your comments and concerns will fall on deaf ears.
Michelle Rhee’s minions meet their match: New anti-charter group declares war
High-profile Democrats -- from Donna Brazile to Jennifer Granholm -- are saying enough is enough re: charter-mania