Tuesday Open Thread
Thread to come: the Washington Middle School meeting on Spectrum. Pretty interesting stuff but again, what does it all mean?From the Washington Post, doing some building work on an Oklahoma high school, contractors uncovered chalkboards - intact with lessons - from almost 100 years ago. What is truly fascinating is one board has a technique to teach multiplication tables that was new to the principal (it's some kind of circle table).
From King5, Renton High votes transgendered teen as their prom queen. There was also a good story on KUOW on the issue of transgendered children.
Legislative News:
- word is sooner rather than later for this latest Special Session of the Legislature. Might be helpful if our legislators got this done so our districts can plan their budgets.
- Class Size Counts has new polling that shows that not only do voters support smaller class sizes but they support them across all grades. (And voters don't have faith Olympia will be delivering enough education dollars to K-12.)
- the state Supreme Court said yesterday they would have no comment on whether the McCleary decision requirements that they set forth are being met by the Legislature until after this latest session is over. Still no word on the lawsuit challenge on the charter school law.
Lastly, the ridiculous situation with the cop and the girl in a swimsuit at the brouhaha in Texas. Where to start? Why didn't the cops speak first with the woman who called for help? (She says she and family members put on the party and a woman - an adult - got in a fight with her.) Why didn't the cops just tell everyone to go home? And, hasn't that cop ever dealt with teenagers? Yelling doesn't generally work (and his over-the-top behavior was really scary).
Comments
Please consider attending Harris's Kick-off campaign, which will be located at Camp Long- a jewel in the middle of the city.
KICK OFF THIS CAMPAIGN
Weds., June 17th - 6 P.M.
5200 35th Avenue S.W. Seattle, WA 98126
McLaren fails to ask the tough questions and has become a rubber stamp for the John Stanford Center.
The EOCs are based on the old math standards, but use items from SBAC? That's interesting. What standards are covered in the Discovering texts? My guess is the texts don't completely cover either CCSS or the old WA State learning standards. Last year, my child's class didn't even complete the text before the end of the year.
-jp
Apparently the EOC exams have been better aligned to the CCSS, as well as the SBA. According to someone I spoke with at OSPI, they also think they did a pretty good job of communicating that info to high school teachers, although maybe not such a good job of getting the message out to families... Given what a poor job they did on SBA-related communication, I'd say the latter is a safe bet! And re: the former, I guess we'll see soon. From what Rainier said above, it sounds like not all teachers got the message and adjusted their courses and EOC prep accordingly. If some teachers adjusted to the revised tests and others didn't, the results may be a bit skewed, which is very unfortunate. While there's a good chance EOC score thresholds will be adjusted downward (like SBA graduation cut point scores) so that similar proportions pass EOC exams this year as in prior years, students of teachers who didn't make the adjustment will clearly be at a disadvantage.
A little more info re: the EOC alignment to CCSS and SBA is here:
http://www.k12.wa.us/Mathematics/pubdocs/Algebra1Combined.pdf
HIMSmom
Dear Seattle Public Schools family,
The timing of the state assessment score reports has changed from June to September. These are the score sheets from your student’s spring Smarter Balanced tests in reading, writing and math. Last month, the district told families that the score reports would likely be sent home with final report cards in June. Due to unanticipated delays at the state level, the district will now send score reports home in September. Scores also will be posted online to the Source in the fall. September is the typical timing for state assessment score reports, but the district this year had initially anticipated they would be ready earlier. To learn more about the assessments, please see our Smarter Balanced web page: http://www.seattleschools.org/students/assessments.
Thank you for your patience as we work with this new state assessment system.
West Seattle Dad
We've learned that only 35%-45% of students passed Amplify. Only 50 schools are using Amplify and the district is asking the board to expand Amplify into all schools. Eric Anderson told the board that Amplify scores are not linked to teacher evaluations. MAP scores go into the Academic Warehouse. Are Amplify test scores going into the Academic Warehouse? I would have a hard time believing that Amplify scores aren't being dumped into the Academic Warehouse.
The district has failed to fully fund the WSS. $11M in WSS funding, and vital supports, are not included in the budget i.e. elementary school counselors and supports for high risk kids.
What are the costs of keeping the Academic Warehouse operating? Goofy times.
Now he is after several SB teachers!
MMM
What IS clear is that principals really believe their schools are their fiefdoms. I can't even count how many times this issue - principals harassing staff over union activities at school - has been found in FAVOR of the union employees. But usually, not before the person has been made to worry about his/her job.
It's wrong.
And the district wonders why its costs are out of control?
northwesterner
Not the biggest but the most irritating in a way because it is so stupid: Custodians dump garbage (2 maximum) but won't dump recycle which sits right next to the garbage can. So teachers have to do it. Really?
- SPS teacher
Doesn't the Collective Bargaining Agreement set hard caps, for example, 28 students in a 4th or 5th grade classroom? Yes, the District can exceed that number, but, only by paying more or putting in an IA? Doesn't the teacher have the right to file a grievance at 29 or more?
Teachers, please, for the sake of your students, reject taking on 'extra' kids so that the ones you do have get the ability to connect with you everyday and learn.
Teacher Fan
Staffer
West parent
Section D Class Size and Staffing Ratios
1...However, any application of a rigid numerical limitation on class size within schools restricts the staff and the building principal/program manager in their flexibility in seeking an ideal learning environment.
2. The SPS will maintain an average SPS building ratio of students to full-time equivalent teachers at no more than 26:1 for grades K-3, 28:1 for grades 4-5, and 150-1 for grades 6-12 (when grade 6 is conducted using a secondary model), exclusive of Special Education and Bilingual...
3. Elementary/Secondary Regular Programs:
...Take actions to limit class size to thirty-two (32) students for core classes in grades 6-12 (28 for grade 6 when the site uses an elementary model for grade...The individual teacher will be compensated for any days after October 1 during which he/she has an overload.
http://www.seattlewea.org/static_content/cbacert13-15.pdf
just fyi
HP
So ALL the students will, likely, suffer a corresponding 11% drop in effective commentary and analysis of their written work. A teacher with 32 students who assigns a three-page paper (to choose a crappy example) will spend five minutes x 32 = 160 minutes reviewing this ONE class. A teacher with 36 students might spend five minutes x 36 = 180 minutes, OR they might just cut the time on each to four and half minutes = 162 minutes....
For a teacher with a family and a, you know, life outside of school, we can expect half a minute less on each essay critique, a ten percent loss of individual student attention.
They should pay STUDENTS for class overloads: They are the ones that really suffer.
HP
-parent
HP
What I got from the meeting where I heard the info, is that currently pay for play stays with the school. The school uses it for buses and then what is left over is used for equipment, uniforms, etc. So far, Hale has only been told that they will get money for buses so this leaves the rest of the stuff up in the air. How is it paid for if there is no fee?
Now I am wondering if the district is planning on only paying for buses and keeping the rest of the money at JSCEE.
HP
Luminaries included Supt. Nyland and Sharon Peaslee. I was a bit surprised to see Nyland there after IHS posted a roughly 80% opt-out rate on SBAC.
Amazing Common Core has become Cancer Core as it infects everything nearby. Apparently infecting the brains of Nyland and Codd. Hopefully not a continued larger contamination of the legislature.
#1 The sample size of students tested is not large enough to guarantee statistical significance.
#2 The teacher has very little say in selection of materials and in many cases pedagogy pushed in SPS.
Value Added Measures have repeatedly been shown to be bogus.
OH I forget its Education Politics so it does not need to make any sense. Carry on Larry.
----
A better view of the reality of Common Core progress from Ze’ev Wurman former senior policy adviser with the U.S. Department of Education under President George W. Bush. =>
Why Common Core is a goner
-- Dan Dempsey
I do NOT think schools should pick what to use it for re: sports NOR should the district keep any of it.
HP
NE Parent
Common Core and SBAC will be a big issue in the next governor's race. Stay tuned. You will see a familiar face.
Middle College is at risk of closing and Nyland threatens teachers with loss of teaching certification. How is he doing?