Neighbor to Neighbor Program
This is something that seemed to just spring up on the SPS website (and I have heard that they seem to be scrambling for facilitators).
From SPS:
School Family Partnerships is launching its newly created Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) program, starting with the issue of school bell times. The N2N program gives members of the SPS community (families, staff, community members and community organizations) the opportunity to weigh in and be heard on important district initiatives. Feedback from these discussions fuel change, positively affect decision making and influence district policy decisions.
The N2N discussions for March and April will focus on the district’s decision making process on school bell times. Currently, the district has identified three potential options regarding bell times:
The N2N discussions for March and April will focus on the district’s decision making process on school bell times. Currently, the district has identified three potential options regarding bell times:
- Change it to a modified flip of elementary and high school bell times
- Extend the high school day by adding an optional seventh period then offer students the option of late arrival
- Keep things as they are
| When | Where |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, March 11, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | JSCEE Room 2776 2445 3rd Ave. S. |
| Monday, March 16, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | Ingraham High School library 1819 N. 135th St. |
| Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | West Seattle High School library 3000 California Ave. SW |
| Monday, March 23, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | South Shore K-8 library 4800 S. Henderson St. |
| Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. | Bailey Gatzert Elementary Library 1301 E Yesler Way |
To learn more about on Neighbor to Neighbor, the bell time debate, or dates/times/locations for facilitator trainings please visitneighbortoneighbor.www.seattleschools.org or see the flier HERE
Comments
SPS needs to stop spending money on this stuff and redirect the funds to the schools.
Focus
And then, despite the fact that I live basically next to North Seattle College, they told me to go to the planning sessions in the south -- because by the time they asked, the Ingraham one had already gone by. Not QUITE well-planned, but I give them props for trying.
If the past is any guide, much more likely is that the feedback will be ignored (or creatively framed) if it doesn't support whatever decision the District staff wants on bell times.
The problem is with this IMHO that people already showed their opinion in this question and clearly requested bell time change for a long time (on Board meetings, e-mail groups, etc).
Why do we need to start the whole process all over again instead of working out the solution?
- JS
They want to control this entire process to present their "findings" to the Board.
Let's guess how that comes out.
And I agree: didn't we all kind of discuss this ad nauseum last year and come to the conclusion, along with tons of research, that showed that teens need later start times? How much more talking do we need?
Roosevelt Mom
suspicious motives
No change plus two other options were presented- Modified flip and Extended high School Day.
The times were shown for the Modified Flip option- it seemed pretty straightforward, but the presenter couldn't answer any questions about the Extended High School Day, such as:
1) What time would after school sports begin- at 2:20 when school is done for the early kids, or 3:10 when it's out for everyone?
2) How would transportation work? Our high schools currently are currently served by 83 buses, almost all for HCC and SPED- would these kids have a choice of time to start school like the metro riding kids? (Equal access laws would assure this- so we could have a lot of buses running twice)
3) How much does each option cost? This information was not provided; the task force has yet to see it either; it's an utterly critical point.
4) If kids can pick their start time, what about teachers? What happens if the balance is off?
5) If there is one librarian, does he/she have to stay for 7 periods? Or does the library close for one period?
6) Can a student take 7 classes? and how would that be funded, since the state only covered about 5 at present?
7) Have any high school principals been consulted on this? It seems like the ultimate master schedule nightmare.
And then the survey questions are all open-ended. What kind of data will they get from those?
The N2N program (apparently "approved" by the Exec Comm last week? Since when does a committee greenlight anything unilaterally?) appears to be an adjunct of the Family Connectors U. As the Supt mentioned at tonight's board meeting, a recent trip to Montgomery County Maryland (one of two districts to flip bell times) used an N2N network.
I must say I do not see myself as an "ambassador" of the district on this or anything. At the same time, the idea as presented by an ingenuous staffer is that N2N is somehow a means to enhance public input into the decisionmaking process. That I'll have to see to believe.
The survey that SPS would like "neighbors" to collect from neighbors is truly difficult to quantify, asking very open-ended questions worded in bureaucratese that may be hard for some communities within our district. In fact, I found the questions so stultifying that, after work and previous meetings, I didn't even WANT to begin filling out.
As it was explained to the 7 neighbors that attended, the survey will actually be processed via a review committee (like an admissions review committee, according to staff) that will actually review every single open-ended question and somehow record it into some kind of comprehensible metric. Hmmm.
When the question of costs for implementation of the three options came up, it was made clear that, um, that was unknowable at this time and won't be known until right before a decision has to be made. Given my experience with how JSCEE and the board make decisions, I found this unacceptable. EVERY decision in this district is based on dollars, even those that involve basic civil rights protections of the most vulnerable among us; that is unless it has to do with something favored by Wright, Clover Codd and the Strategic Plan squad.
I'm not sure I want to invite people to my house to talk bell times and have a ravenous group of K-5 parents demand I make sure their kids get start their school at 9:30(?!) But I can say the majority of those present at tonight's meetings felt strongly that secondary must start later.
HF
And I'm another north-end parent who received an email inviting me to participate in training - but only after the training at the Ingraham location was done. I also have no idea why I received a neighbor to neighbor invite - the whole effort seems totally half-assed.
Jane
I live in the Lake City area. I was invited to train as a facilitator for West Seattle and South Seattle.
Maybe they are having a particularly-hard time finding facilitators for South and West Seattle?
- North-end Mom
I'm not up on this issue, but it would seem like the block schedule used at schools like Cleveland (8 classes within our current bells- and kids have credits to graduate early which could help with capacity) would be a better solution to the 24 credit problem.
It also help with the 1080 requirement as it reduces the passing time everyday.
The extended day does very little to improve bell times. It's only improves things for the high school students who pick it; middle schools are still too early by the AAP standards, and half our elementary schools are still too late.
Chatted with Dr Nyland today. He said that the district is having a hard time getting families to attend the community meetings. Figures that no matter how much time or effort they spend to inform and solicit input, there will be one group or another that will be very upset with the final decision.
In any case, there is a live link:
N2N and Bell Times
Did he bother to consider why that is?
How about:
- pro forma meetings controlled by staff with very little opportunity for real input by parents/community
- late notice of meetings. Usually two weeks or less.
- refusal by staff to consider any other kind of meeting formats
Of course, there will be people upset with decisions. But many times that is about the process, not the actual decision. The Superintendent should not mistake poor planning and organization for lack of interest.
I will say that I've seen more attempts at communication with Nyland than his past four predecessors. More informative Friday memos, more (lame) community meetings, SpEd newsletters (meh),... More quantity.
Now they need to up the quality. SpEd engagement is stumbling. What the heck is planned for facilities next year (>1,200 more kids). Just what does the Parent Advisory Council talk about? etc etc