Alki Gets Money to Retain Staff (from a complete stranger)
Update: Kids Not Cuts leader, Chandra Hampson, had an interview on KIRO radio this morning. (It's brief and starts at about minute 23:00. But, the reporter said that the district said "nothing is final." So I'm hoping that is true. More to come.
end of update
From the West Seattle blog:
The West Seattle school that was crowdfunding to try to save a teacher from being cut has apparently met its goal. After receiving e-mail announcing that the Alki Elementary fundraising drive had reached its goal thanks to a $70,000+ donation, we checked the crowdfunding page, and the donation is listed there.
The donor is Brian Jones who does not have kids in Alki. Here's part of what he has to say:
Bless Mr. Jones for his kindness. But, I gently but firmly say - this is wrong to do. It's enabling the district to continue to nearly blackmail school communities into paying up for support for kids. It's like buying drinks for an alcoholic who says he needs them to continue working at his job to support his family.
Parents, this movement is growing and it's not just about the 25+schools seeing staffing cuts. It's about the fight for transparency in the dollars that the district has and how they spend them.
On Tuesday, please come to either the Half-Baked Bake Sale from 11 am-1pm at JSCEE OR the rally at 4 pm.
Or, on Wednesday, come to the Executive Committee Meeting of the Whole at 4:30 pm and stand with parents to ask the Board to please take a vote to direct the Superintendent to hit the pause button until the clarity on spending is fully explained.
#kidsnotcuts
end of update
From the West Seattle blog:
The West Seattle school that was crowdfunding to try to save a teacher from being cut has apparently met its goal. After receiving e-mail announcing that the Alki Elementary fundraising drive had reached its goal thanks to a $70,000+ donation, we checked the crowdfunding page, and the donation is listed there.
The donor is Brian Jones who does not have kids in Alki. Here's part of what he has to say:
I have two daughters, age 3 and 6. I live in Ballard and have no children that attend school in West Seattle. When my daughter entered Kindergarten this year at Loyal Heights, I learned I had to pay over $2000 to cover the second part of the day. I found that ridiculous and didn’t know why until I learned more about the McCleary decision and the basis of that lawsuit.
The legislature and Governor seem to be taking forever, (and my state rep and senator never even email me back). So when I heard about the lack of funding and teacher pulls, I talked with my wife and we decided that enough was enough and that we would do what we could to help, because our elected officials are failing our children. I don’t know anything about politics, but I do know a child’s education and a loving family is a recipe for success.
The first step that anyone can do is come to the rally this Tuesday at SPS headquarters and learn how our children are taking a back seat to this absolute ridiculous inaction by our elected officials.
After that I plan on galvanizing others to pressure our legislature to move fast and swift regarding this issue or face a movement of parents who will vote them out of office. … I’m not a politician or even “political,” I just can’t stand by and see our education system run like this.The rally he mentions has also just been mentioned to us by Schmitz Park Elementary parent Rachel Lazar, who’s been a leader in advocacy at that school since this all started circulating on Thursday. It’s set for 4 pm this Tuesday (October 13th) outside district headquarters, 3rd and Lander in SODO.
Bless Mr. Jones for his kindness. But, I gently but firmly say - this is wrong to do. It's enabling the district to continue to nearly blackmail school communities into paying up for support for kids. It's like buying drinks for an alcoholic who says he needs them to continue working at his job to support his family.
Parents, this movement is growing and it's not just about the 25+schools seeing staffing cuts. It's about the fight for transparency in the dollars that the district has and how they spend them.
On Tuesday, please come to either the Half-Baked Bake Sale from 11 am-1pm at JSCEE OR the rally at 4 pm.
Or, on Wednesday, come to the Executive Committee Meeting of the Whole at 4:30 pm and stand with parents to ask the Board to please take a vote to direct the Superintendent to hit the pause button until the clarity on spending is fully explained.
#kidsnotcuts
Comments
What about my kids at a NE school also slated to lose teachers? Or my other friend at a SE school that will also lose teachers? Who will pay for those staff to remain? Any donor willing to step up? We, as parent groups can't possibly raise the funds to pay for all of them, nor should we--that is the State's role.
I don't like discussions of wiping out PTA reserve funds to pay for staff cuts for one year when this will happen again next year--then what? This is all just bad precedence.
--Sick to my stomach
--GL
- reality check
Thank you for putting your money where your heart is: the students. You have set an example for the downtown staff. Maybe they'll step up to doing their jobs now and do the same for the other schools. I cannot write my own check but I can be
"Grateful"
I have watched class sizes at my high school increase well above the contractual limit of 150 students per teacher in many core classes. I have 157 students in my 5 periods and I know that my numbers are rather low by comparison with other teachers in my building. 1.3 FTE has been taken from the SPED department in my building, which puts class sizes in some SPED classes over the staffing ratios that are specified in the new contract. Over the last 2 years,FTE has been cut in my building with each Spring budget, even though there has not been a reduction in student enrollment when September rolls around. These cuts have instead, been imposed as a result of changing the formula for staffing ratios as well as lowballing projected enrollments.
Roosevelt SEA
Westside
I don't understand your comment. Are you assuming Alki's donor works for the district? (He does not.)
While impact fees do nothing for operational costs, they do pay for building capacity, and would spread further or lower the levy asks.
Yes, an example that money will continue to flow in to enable them to NOT fund schools.
According to the Budget Book Laurelhurst got $210,000 from "outside sources" (Laurelhurst fundraising). View Ridge got $394,000, fundraising. Go Brian! His motives-- and impact-- are far more pure.
You'll have to explain what you mean. Laurelhurst and View Ridge parents raised those dollars. How is Mr. Jones' money any more "pure?" Because he gave it to a school not his own? And how many of you know that other schools don't give money to support those who don't have PTAs? Do not cast stones if you don't have all the facts.
And there's that "divide and conquer" mentality that they love downtown. Do not fall for it.
I'll have a thread on City Council and School Board races which are absolutely vital to get right.
Working Together
Westside
But everyone - from PTAs to Mr. Jones - are enabling the district to spend money in other areas rather than putting the money in schools. That PTA "grants" appear as a regular feature on district documents should tell you something. That some principals will not allow staff buying at their schools should tell you something.
I do appreciate as much attention on the issue as possible. But it has made things kind of uncomfortable for Alki Elementary. But the big issue is where is the money being spent in this district and when is McCleary going to be fulfilled?
Let the shaming begin.