Friday Open Thread
Good morning (on a gray one). Tell me, what is your kid going to be for Halloween? Probably a good idea to bring an umbrella, according to the weather forecasts. A last-minute (truly) School Board candidate forum has sprung up. It's Monday, November 2nd from 7:30-9:00 pm at the Queen Anne Community Center (gym.) It's being organized by the QAE community. It's fairly late to have one of these but, then again, there are a pitiful number of ballots that have been returned. Out of 419,578 registered voters in Seattle, only 58,428 ballots have been returned with 56,948 waiting to be counted for school board races. That's under 15%.
Speaking of school board campaigns, Director McLaren's e-mails to supporters say:
With lots of anger erupting towards the Board and district leadership, your encouragement has helped me to stay grounded and to remember why I’m running again.
We have reliable, progressive leadership in Seattle Schools, and we are moving towards more positive outcomes for all students, more equitable allocation of resources, more involvement of principals in district decision-making, continued strong fiscal responsibility, and meeting our capacity challenges aggressively.
I wish she could show the proof for these statements in her second paragraph (or why she believes them to be true). As well, if there is "anger erupting" towards Board/senior staff, isn't she concerned about why parents might be upset?
Teacher blog, Organizing Educators, has a list of sign-waving times for the last days of campaigns for school board candidates.
UW study confirms what many parents already knew - Seattle Schools is not giving kids enough time for lunch.
New survey from the City on walking in Seattle. It was mostly okay but at one point they called sidewalks "paths" which confused me. I'm all for lower-cost ways to make it safe to walk because walking is just as much transportation for some as bikes and cars.
As well, the City has a new plan, Safe Streets, Healthy Schools and Communities, with walk and bike routes to schools. Let me know if you have tried to use this plan for your child.
From the office of the Washington Secretary of State:
To help mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Washington students in grades 8 through 11 are invited to take part in an essay and letter-writing contest.
The contest deadline is Nov. 20. Essays/letters can’t be more than 500 words. Students turning in entries should include their teacher’s name, teacher’s score, student name, school name, grade and school district. For more information about the contest, please go here or contact Legacy Washington’s Laura Mott at laura.mott@sos.wa.gov or (360) 902-4171.
Their
children on average sat down for fewer than 13 minutes to eat lunch –
far fewer than the 20 minutes called for in local and federal
guidelines.
The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
Their
children on average sat down for fewer than 13 minutes to eat lunch –
far fewer than the 20 minutes called for in local and federal
guidelines.
The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
Their
children on average sat down for fewer than 13 minutes to eat lunch –
far fewer than the 20 minutes called for in local and federal
guidelines.
The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
Interesting article from Nonprofit Quarterly on Obama's announcement of less/fewer testing/tests. They are looking for input.The UW graduate students found that travel time from the classroom to the cafeteria as well as time standing in line for a hot lunch cut into actual “seated time.”
- See more at: http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=5370#sthash.C0Lb13BG.dpuf
In the 2014-5 academic year, students in the 66 largest school districts in the country took 401 “unique” tests.
President Obama is not calling for the alteration or elimination of the federal requirement to test students in third through eighth grades annually (and again between the 10th and 12th grades). Additionally, Obama’s call to limit the amount of time students spend being tested will not help school administrators decipher which ones to continue using.
NPQ would love to hear from organizers working in the field of education regarding their approaches to the limiting of overtesting and their positions on that issue. editorinchief@npqmag.org
The Seattle Public Library Board has backed off the idea of "rebranding" the library (for now.) Here's an interesting op-ed from the Seattle Review of Books (before the decision) that is pretty troubling about the direction the library is following. They point out the survey used was only available online and only in English.
Seattle Times is reporting that up to four districts, including Seattle, are considering later start times for teens.
What's on your mind?
Comments
Some might call that public service. Some might call that complain(ing).
I haven't seen the whole survey yet, but "path" has some specific meanings in ADA requirements, so that may be why it's included in discussion of sidewalks.
Public education has lots of room for improvement and conversations here can point the way.
S parent
Hobbit
Nothing but a Troll.
HP
Melissa is a much needed advocate. I appreciate her service.
OK Tom I see you as correct. Melissa is not a journalist.
Now go away Tom.
-- Dan Dempsey
In more important news, power out at RHS, Laurelhurst and Sand Point (and my house). Been about 30 minutes.
I'm trying to get my kid to go out trick or treating as Edward Snowden. Blue shirt, NSA ID badge, external hard drive, English-Russian language phrasebook, PGP fingerprint. "Give me a treat, and I'll tell you what the NSA has on you, or I'll give you a short list on privacy tools in exchange for a full-size chocolate bar. Give me your PGP public key and I'll give you a larger web of trust."
"We have reliable, progressive leadership in Seattle Schools, and we are moving towards more positive outcomes for all students, more equitable allocation of resources,"
But not a more positive outcome in the allocation of time for lunch.
UW study confirms what many parents already knew - Seattle Schools is not giving kids enough time for lunch.
Reliable and Progressive leadership but .... Not doing well on transparency with the non-disclosure of "Elementary Mathematics Scope and Sequence".
I am with Melissa, the non-journalist advocate, Marty needs to include some examples of what many of us fail to see.
-- Dan Dempsey
Melissa, the 10:13 post should really be deleted, and in fact I'd be happy if you deleted all the trolling and responses, including this comment of mine. But hey, your call.
West Seattle
I smile to see a chink in the armor of Moscowitz's often-shouted claim that Success Academies do a better job of educating the same students failed by public education. The fact that Success schools shunt some of the hardest to educate students back into the public system brings down that house of cards.
What makes the article especially thought-provoking, though, are the 1000+ reader comments. Well worth spending 20 minutes. One consistent point - these kids, whether or not they have an identified behavioral disability, return to a public school system that accepts them but does not necessarily do a better job of educating them. The question of how society handles, with equity and effectiveness, students with behavioral issues, while also helping the rest of the students in any given class effectively learn, remains a difficult problem and I can't point to many examples of where public schools get it right. Certainly not in Seattle Schools. And certainly not without an influx of funding our state and most others seem loathe to provide. But again, at least Seattle and all public schools are both legally and morally are obligated to try, which is more than I can say for Success and its ilk.
EdVoter
The District leadership fails to provide a logical coherent approach in the form of an actual researched plan for closing gaps.
Why not just copy some place that is producing "the results" that SPS leadership has continually failed to deliver?
BIG Suggestion => Miami-Dade County
Why not investigate what those who get positive results are doing?
Is it really necessary to continue failing to walk the talk?
Guess I just do not understand how the "reliable, progressive leadership in Seattle Schools" operates.
-- Dan Dempsey
reader47
We have Captain America and Cher from Clueless at our house.
HP
Mom of 4
We have Catwoman here, it seems like yesterday that she was a little pink princess! I hope you parents of little ones are better at taking pictures than I was! They grow up fast....
Arne Duncan says: Ask John King.
John King's NY State ed department recommended the 2% cap and it is based on ZERO research.
King eventually had to resign as NY State Ed System Head .... but like all good Edu-Biz reform pushers was rewarded with a new job, his as next US Secretary of Ed.
The ZERO research part sounds very similar to many SPS actions over the last decade.
In business I do not expect the disgraced head of Volkswagen will be hired to lead General Motors so why is education so much different? John King next US Secretary of Education - where is the justification for that? - Apparently stockholders are needed to bring about somewhat rational decisions and US ED has no stockholders.
-- Dan Dempsey
http://www.king5.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/10/27/wiaa-fall-academic-state-champions/74703686/
Catherine
By the way, why is Halloween the best holiday?
No cooking, no presents, no relatives - candy and you get to dress however you like.
This made little sense to me - so I requested a list of students who received waivers to attend schools in other districts last year and this year. The 2014/15 schedule showed a total of 337 students and the 2015/16 schedule showed a total of 1,089. I believe this is where he got his information. The 2014/15 schedule though is clearly not complete. For example, according to the 2014/15 schedule, zero SPS students attended Aviation High School and only two SPS students attended Vashon schools. In comparison, in 2015/16 117 students attended Vashon schools and 65 attended Aviation.
I would like the superintendent to acknowledge that blaming the poor enrollment projections and staffing changes on the strike was incorrect. Any suggestions?
It took the next school the better part of a year to glue this kid back together -- at which point it was then back to no one EVER having discipline problems with the child -- ever again.
In my opinion, the practices described in the article are a form of child abuse -- plain and simple. And despite the pink frosting of language they spread over this stinking pile of execrable behavior -- they know darn well what they are doing, and they don't seem to care. In my opinion, if this is system wide behavior, every single Success Academy ought to be shut down for institutionally authorized child abuse.
Grr
--JvA
Personally, I'd be inclined to write the Supt, pointing out the differences in reporting, and asking him to clarify the potential misinformation he gave out. With a cc to the Board of course ;o)
reader47
At a forum, McLaren accuses Harris of carrying water for political powers. McLaren fails to acknowledge that these same individuals supported her candidacy four years ago.
McLaren claims stability, but Harris is a long term district watcher and has the capacity to hit the ground running.
http://www.kplu.org/post/amid-clamor-change-seattle-school-board-incumbent-calls-stability
McLaren failed to stand=up for homeless students at Middle College. Teachers, of these students, put these students in hotels because shelters aren't safe. The board could have and should have created a policy that mandates board approval for program closure. McLaren, in a W. Seattle piece, saw little reason to keep this school open.
McLaren voted to allow the superintendent to file an injunction against the teachers. Why didn't Nyland reach an agreement with SEA before the strike?
IMO, we're seeing increased amounts of protests.
I'm glad we have elections every four years and I'm voting Harris.
did the waivers have a date on them which would verify the waiver was requested prior to talk about a strike and thus illustrate Superintendent Nyland's flawed reasoning?
Martin Carnoy
October 30, 2015
Press Release →
Stanford education professor Martin Carnoy examines four main critiques of how international tests results are used in policymaking. Of particular interest are critiques of the policy analyses published by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
-- Dan Dempsey
Spacehound
Well the other part of the equation would be to compare the enrollment numbers from Oct 2014 with Oct 2015 to see if there's really a big difference in this, as he stated
"so see our enrollment pattern in our schools near the boundaries lost students during the strike "
Did the schools near boundaries really change that much? Just a thought..
reader47
That's a good question. 152 of the accepted transfers were requested between September 5th (the Friday before school was scheduled to start) and October 7th (the date the superintendent made his comment.) Only 54 of those students had previously attended Seattle Public Schools. Another 7 did not state which school they had previously attended and the rest were kindergarten students or had waivers in the past. Of the 54 who left Seattle Public Schools during this time period, 25 transferred to online public school programs, 23 transferred to high school completion programs (for students between 16 and 21 who have dropped out of school or are not expected to graduate by the age of 21) and 8 transferred to traditional (not online) schools in other districts.
Why is she running again, just to take up space? Her unquestioning support for whatever Banda and now Nyland's put forth is not 'collaborative', it is shirking fiduciary duty. She is suppose to represent us to them, not the other way around.
Director McLaren's e-mail:
With lots of anger erupting towards the Board and district leadership, your encouragement has helped me to stay grounded and to remember why I’m running again.
We have reliable, progressive leadership in Seattle Schools, and we are moving towards more positive outcomes for all students, more equitable allocation of resources, more involvement of principals in district decision-making, continued strong fiscal responsibility, and meeting our capacity challenges aggressively.
We have reliable leadership in Seattle Schools? Is this a joke? Define 'reliable'? Does she mean, people who show up to the glass palace, is that all it takes to be reliable?
What positive outcomes are there to speak of?
What allocation was inequitable that she has seen 'fixed'? Is she talking about SpEd, or, ELL, or Title 1 schools being treated 'less equitably' and now they get 'more resources'? Financial responsibility? Is that how she portrays her role in pushing preschool into our K-12 schools when an MOU wasn't done with any clarity? Meeting capacity challenging aggressively? Huh? Does that mean her acquience to agreeing to high school in shifts (which she did at one meeting)?
Can anyone decipher her message into practical accomplishments? This is the type of inspecific, nonsensical spin that voters see right through. Seems like she is so utterly conflict-averse, she just blanket agrees with 'her betters', making her a dream board member for Flip, Tolley, and the crew.
We need board members who not only understand the budget, but will question it. Board members who will see issues, and hold staff accountable. Board members who think policy is not a suggestion, but a requirement.
Vote Leslie
At Last a major paper calls Bu**Sh** on the STEM education push.
The more likely reason for pushing the notion that the U.S. is short on STEM talent is that U.S. high tech companies want greater leeway in bringing in STEM workers from abroad (primarily India) or keeping foreign students with U.S. earned PhDs here on H-1 visas. Such H-1 visa workers tend to be locked into jobs at lower salaries.
STEM education is mostly about pushing schools to buy more tech stuff. There is no tech worker shortage, for if there was average (inflation adjusted) salaries for tech workers would have risen over the last 18 years and they have not.
You too could become a Microserf, study hard.
-- Dan Dempsey
That does not foster a sense of partnership with parents.
10/30/15, 4:53 PM
So you would prefer 4 more years of Marty McLaren's leadership because you perceive that Harris spews anti-North End rhetoric.
Do I understand your position correctly?
-- Dan Dempsey
Martha McLaren has lost her north-end support. Endorsements have been handed over to Harris.
That's rather disingenuous of the Supt to imply all 1000+ were due to that. Quells surprise 😏
reader47
Uglydoll
PTB
Was on the fence but really can't stand VNESS.
Uglydoll
And promptly deleted it, or what? Because no such hashtag shows up on Twitter.
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/110415agenda/20151104_Action_Report_Student_Assign_Plan_Packet.pdf
This final straw of the '09 NSAP seems to eliminate the APP/HCC pathways to Garfield if the "needed services" are available in the local HS. Going back to Charlie's thoughts about the MTSS and what Heath & Tolley were up to last year, this all makes sense if we're trying to do away with HCC/APP cohorts entirely, by couching HCC as "services" and not a "program."
Either way, gotta love the transparency of slipping this in late Friday, misrepresenting it's timing, and giving the public and board only 2 days to consider it before an up or down vote. Trying to ram it through before the upcoming Board Elections, perhaps?
Wouldn't put anything past the JSCEE folks. WSDWG
P.S. Probably needs its own thread, MW. But brace yourself for the ugliness of yet another AL thread.
That document is completely different than what was presented and discussed in the public meetings they held, isn't?
I'm confused.
Here is a recipe for casserole that SPS held 4 public meetings to discuss. But what SPS is served is chopped liver.
OMG SPS!
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/110415agenda/20151104_Action_Report_Student_Assign_Plan_Packet.pdf
This final straw of the '09 NSAP seems to eliminate the APP/HCC pathways to Garfield if the "needed services" are available in the local HS. Going back to Charlie's thoughts about the MTSS and what Heath & Tolley were up to last year, this all makes sense if we're trying to do away with HCC/APP cohorts entirely, by couching HCC as "services" and not a "program."
Either way, gotta love the transparency of slipping this in late Friday, misrepresenting it's timing, and giving the public and board only 2 days to consider it before an up or down vote. Trying to ram it through before the upcoming Board Elections, perhaps?
Wouldn't put anything past the JSCEE folks. WSDWG
P.S. Probably needs its own thread, MW. But brace yourself for the ugliness of yet another AL thread.
surprise scope and sequence>
reader47
Too funny
October 14, 2015 — Thaddeus Pope
Common Core’s Leviathan: Bill Gates and (Mis)Adventures within American Public Education
The debate over the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is not politics as usual. .... It behooves anyone interested in liberal education to join in stopping the CCSSI.
Advocates claim the CCSSI is state-led, internationally benchmarked, and based on the latest research, yet it is none of those things. In addition to manifest pedagogical shortcomings, Common Core is dangerously close to an army of crony capitalists, anxious to cash in on the bonanza of federal, state, and local contracts. Critics charge the CCSSI with doing for education what the military-industrial complex has done for defense – spawning expensive and wasteful boondoggles overseen by burgeoning bureaucracies that harm the very people the system purports to help. ....
Really,just a mistake? It must be nice to have an extra $17,000 lying around to error with...Hey Harris, I think we have found your rich white Northerner!
Maybe she can donate the $17K to your SPED PTSA.
What is Geary really up to? Big media...big plan?
Freak show
WSDWG links to a document related to enormous changes to the Student Assignment Plan and I am feeling very concerned. The board is expected to vote on this issue within a few days.
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/110415agenda/20151104_Action_Report_Student_Assign_Plan_Packet.pdf
Changes to the plan will impact schools and services for special ed, Montessori, International Schools, special ed, schools for those with behavorial issues, APP and spectrum.
Frankly, there are so many changes, it is difficult to predict the impact to the community. At a minimum, this item needs to be removed from the agenda and placed back into committee.
I am in the midst of creating a timeline, but it appears the board did not receive a red-lined version until yesterday.
PDC rules are very complicated, especially for those that have no experience. Issues can be resolved and I'm not worried.
Please consider a thread linking to proposed changes to the Student Assignment Plan.
To me, it is important to inform communities of proposed changes and provide 9 months to determine community impact.
These groups need to learn if you are going to get muddy, don't turn around and ask your target to give you a nice hot bubble bath after they win.
Good luck to the VNESS group, they have basically said, "FU" to their own district candidates and every other progressive candidate.
They also need to realize, the PDC will not do anything to Geary, nothing. I can't wait to see if VNESS will try and recall any of our elected board members.
Put that! on your FB page VNESS!
Sour Grapes
reader47
Hey they had a great model for slipping in.. The State Legislature with CCSS in summer 2010.
HERE
(A)
The requirement
... By January 1, 2011, the superintendent of public instruction shall submit to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate: a detailed report of CCSS impacts
(B)
... He did not do it
(C)
... The Superior Court and the Legislative education committees do not care
(D)
... Open Government is a shame
(E)
... The Laws passed apply to some but not the favored.
And Tom is correct Dempsey filed another losing legal action.
Moral of the Story ... the Big Boys slip stuff in all the time. Get over it, its a common best practice.
-- Dan Dempsey
These unproven standards will sink as they fail us. Gates, Duncan and their well paid cronies need to find something else to do.
S parent
This availability is evidently based upon available capacity at the student's current school for supporting that student's enrollment through the highest grade offered at the school. The plan doesn't state how these decisions will be made, or when students/families will know if they are being moved to another school. Will they keep existing portables after boundaries are changed? Will there be any incentive to add portables to accommodate kids in their established schools?
Geo-splits are being written into the SAP to be used at Enrollment Planning's discretion.
I wasn't able to attend the boundaries/assignment plan community meetings. Was this change mentioned at all?
- North-end Mom
Personally I have had concerns about Geary for some time, mostly stemming from the fact that I've not seen her advocate for local ed issues at the many public meetings I've been to over the years. I also think there are valid concerns with the comparatively large amount of $ she has raised, and the high number of power broker names I recognize on that list. The PDC website shows $17,000 loaned to her campaign by her if I read it right (and I may not be, this is not my area). Even without that she outstrips McGuire and has a lot more large donations than McGuire. But reading the PDC rules it's pretty clear Geary's late self-infusion of $ seems to violate those rules. And if she were just a mom in tennis shoes I might be more inclined to think it's a mistake, but she's been very clear that she's running as a lawyer, and lawyers are supposed to uphold and know rules when they put their feet in financial waters like this. If Geary is elected I have the sneaking suspicion that it won't be long before bloggers here are asking some deep questions about her decision-making and loyalties, based on indicators to date.
The updated Student Assignment Plan also eliminates information on programs and services, which change frequently, and refers the community to the respective program offices for the most accurate and up to date information
Plan deletes: Students who are eligible for certain intensive special education services are assigned to their attendance area or linked school (for middle and high school students), and may also apply for assignment to another school that offers those services through school choice. The linked schools for these service models are posted online prior to Open Enrollment, along with linked schools for other programs and services, and provide greater assignment predictability.
How will SpEd families know what is where? Is this proposal the reason we've no clue what Distinct, Focus, etc means? No more "linked" schools or pathways? The District has no intention of providing the necessary information for parents to know what schools offer what services. Sounds like ICS all over again, we can serve you everywhere.
There's been NO community input on this proposal. I encourage parents to raise strong concerns with the school board immediately.
It is difficult for candidates to balance campaign contributions/ expenditures and one doesn't need to look beyond Suzanne Dale Estey. She over-spent by at least $10K and, at the last minute, she was frantically trying to raise funds.
I would also like to add that campaign finances are easy for candidates with a $0.00 dollars in their accounts......;)
McGuire's ethics are in question surrounding her presence on a non-profit board set up by the Alliance to "train" school board "leaders of tomorrow". She was on the speed dial when Strat 360 and Jon Bridge were touting Enfield's ascension into the (interim) superintendent role. Her donors include Michael DeBell ($1,000 and Chris Larson & spouse ($1,800), plus Sherry Carr ($500), Martin-Morris, and Suzanne Dale-Estey. It's very clear where her affinities lie. Apparently with yours.
It's not what I would consider advocating when it's your job and your paid very well for doing it!
If it walks and talks like a duck, it's a duck.
Waiting deletion
I don't care about Geary and her fat wallet, so what! But, you must have been under a rock for the last two months not to have heard Harris's anti north-end rhetoric.
On too many occasions, Harris has pulled out the race card and proclaimed how racist it was for RHS to have so much money donated and how schools in the north-end were somehow getting preferential treatment. Has Harris even bothered to take look at the demographics of North Seattle.
We don't need her distasteful comments, perhaps she is part of the group looking to split the district? Is she going to bring this type of mindset to an already fragile district?
Why is Harris pitting the South against the North?
North End
Why didn't she show up at QAE with her blow-horn? So, let me get this straight, all the problems at SPS are due to the board, but not Sue Peters. Really.
Irrelevant Peters!
Melissa has had huge concerns about data collection. A good deal of waking up on that issue has occurred but a lot more is needed. This is serious business.
Try looking at this on the uses of Data.
Teachers imprisoned by Data.
Meanwhile consider the orchestrated undercover "MiF" rebellion by Tolley/Heath/Box, which fits so well with what Mr Gates and the Oligarchs desire. Conformity with all things Gates.
-- Dan Dempsey
Link to Redlined Student Assignment Plan Scheduled for Board Vote on Nov. 4, 2015
WSDWG
You're sometimes beyond contempt.
Too funny
Enough with this mud slinging. It helps neither candidate in any way shape or form.
reader47
Ever heard of James Carville and Mary Matalin? Odds are you love him and hate her, going by your political statement above, but you wouldn't DQ him from a job because of his wife's politics.
Trying to take Geary down because her spouse might be Republican is thoughtless as going after Obama because of Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright. Bush league.
WSDWG
McGuire's letter has a copy right and I have NO idea what that means. Here is just one line of McGuire's letter:
"If her desperate tactic works, she could be elected even though she violated state law!"
I certainly don't want McGuire on the board.
Wonder all you want (and slime attorneys while you're at it), but without facts supporting that completely fabricated scenario you just posted, you're as guilty and hypocritical as those you condemn, TooFunny.
So, in your world, generic sliming of attorneys is A-OK, but candidates and supporters are supposed to stay above it all.
Now that's funny.
WSDWG
I wouldn't care if McGuire loaned herself money because, for one thing, I didn't know that was a violation. Did you know or did someone tell you? Yeah, thought so.
I judge candidates by the company they keep. Any one supported by the Walton's, Ailes, Gates, or Goldman Sachs is pretty much on my NO list. Except these unethical people often pay both sides to gain influence, ergo their moral bankruptcy.
But I will wager the majority of this blog's readers support Geary and Harris. So you are not convincing anyone. I stated facts in my rebuke of Tresanos. Where are your facts? Oh, yeah, those who try to assassinate someone's character have little to no facts. If your fact is all lawyers are bad - well - that's just ludicrous. Given you have none I won't bother humoring you any further.
Shouldn't you be out eating children? No wait, it's still light out.
SPED Monster
Many people like McGuire. I thought she would probably be ok on the board- until now.
I'm afraid if McGuire makes it onto the board, we'll have another Michael Debell. Oh yea, Debell has endorsed McGuire and is supporting her campaign.
Anyway, related to the Geary-haters posts, I received this in my in box:
From: Lauren McGuire
Subject: Anything to win
Date: October 30, 2015 at 5:02:59 PM PDT
To: Rob and Kris
Reply-To: Lauren McGuire
Hi everyone,
I have unfortunate news from the campaign trail – my opponent just poured in $15,000 of her own money in a last ditch attempt to win this election.
Not only is it disappointing to see, but it is also a clear violation of campaign finance laws. All the harder to believe considering my opponent is an attorney! Washington State Law forbids candidates from contributing/loaning more than $5,000 to their own campaign within 21 days of the election. Jill loaned herself the $15,000 on Monday October 26th.
An official complaint has been filed, but the Public Disclosure Committee, the state agency that oversees campaign finance, will likely not take any action before Election Day.
If her desperate tactic works, she could be elected even though she violated state law!
Our kids deserve better. They deserve School Board Directors who hold themselves
to the highest standard and who require that of others. I need your help TODAY to do just that.
Please contribute $20 today to help us raise awareness about this dirty campaigning and help ensure it isn’t rewarded. You can do this by visiting https://laurenmcguire.fastercampaigns.com/.
And please be sure to tell your family, friends, and neighbors across Seattle to
demand better. Voters are sitting down to fill out their ballots this weekend – make sure they hear from you that we deserve better than Jill Geary.
Thank you,
Lauren McGuire
Desperate times call for desperate tactics. I wonder if McGuire will tell her followers that Geary withdrew the loan once her campaign learned of the error. Yeah, don't think so.
School Board candidate gives campaign contribution past legal deadline
Jill Geary contributed $15,000 to her campaign Monday when state law says candidates cannot make a donation of the kind 21 days before an election.
I can't vote for a cheater.
Sorry Geary
That redlined version of the Student Assignment Plan very clearly illustrates a real issue of concern.
The Assignment Plan that has been under review and discussed at community meetings this past month clearly described pathways and program locations for ELL, Advanced Learning, Special Education, International Schools and Montessori. Community review is over, and now those pathways and terms are completely gone. Every single mention of ELL, Advanced Learning, Special Education, International Schools and Montessori has been removed from this document, replaced with:
"Please refer to the Superintendent’s Procedures for Student Assignment or other supplemental documents for additional information about program and service offerings and locations."
That document is here: http://stanfordes.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_11771/File/About%20Us/Superintendent%20Procedures_2014-15.pdf
That document uses the outdated terms APP & AHG, and lists Hamilton as the pathway middle school for all of the north end. So obviously this document is going to need to be updated soon as well. To what, it is unclear, and I find it very concerning that it could be updated without board input.
concerned
WSDWG
"Lawyers are supposed to uphold and know rules when they put their feet in financial waters like this."
Really? All lawyers know all laws? All doctors are specialists in everything? No.
Now should she have not done this? Of course, but it's an error, not something nefarious.
I've also been vocal in saying Board members should be paid. So have most of those ON the Board as well as Rep. Reuven Carlyle. He and I have had several conversations on this subject. For a Board that controls over $1B worth of spending, it might be worth spending some money so Board members could work full time. Just a thought.
North End, I know Leslie Harris and I've gone to nearly every single forum. I never heard her talk about any kind of dislike to the north end. I have no idea what you heard but you need to say what she said and where/when. This "I heard" stuff won't fly.
Now, onto that Student Assignment plan thread.
WSDWG, thanks for the link to the redlined document. This is what I still am confused about: what if (after 5/31) when wait lists ate dissolved school A is really overenrolled and school B is underenrolled. Is there any way that under the new SAP a family with a kid in a class of 30 3rd graders can seek to switch to a nearby underenroled school that really wants them, to keep staff, for example? Am I missing something?
Also does anyone from South Shore know anything about elimination of their Pre-K path?
Does anyone care to make a comment that could convince an impartial but undecided voter to vote for a candidate? or is this more about killing boredom on a rainy Saturday?
Meanwhile to believe that either Peters or the Board are responsible for any of the SPS chaos is naive.
The chaos of the last 10 years+ was produced by the SPS Administration. The Board just failed to direct the district administration. New board members always receive training, which basically is about being a team player. It entails how to be as ineffective as possible on important issues because presenting a solid front with the administration is important. Most Board members can do this.
Peters failed to take the above lessons to heart. She really failed to get it about Math.
What is the district supposed to do about academics?
The district should be providing each child with the opportunity to maximize his or her learning. The district fails to do this. This failure involves a lot more than the flimsy excuse of inadequate resources. It involves lousy leadership, starting at the top with Superintendents. Superintendents got to where they are by playing politics NOT by making intelligent decisions to enhance student learning.
I do not know about General Sanford but it has been a string of far far less than optimal superintendents since.
Where is the SPS going in regard to student learning? Ask the Gates Foundation as they have been lining up the future of education for 10 years+. Are you thinking the elected Board and current Legislators will confront and nullify the inertia of the Edu-Biz big high rollers rolling Gates machine? Dream on. It is all about the money.
I still endorse Burke, Geary, Harris, and Pinkham. None of the spat masters have influenced my position.
-- Dan Dempsey
October 25 I asked via email a candidate questions about the proportion of FTE cuts at schools and what s/he perceived as Superintendent's vital work that should be continued. I asked in a positive, friendly phrasing and have not received an answer. Good thing we don't expect our School Board directors to be responsive eh?
(Actually I am sad about responsiveness not being a trait shared among all candidates. I miss Kay Smith-Blum, she was very responsive. )
Unfortunately, the aggressive and snarky comments here are a reflection of our current political discourse. Watch MSNBC and Fox News for evidence. The blogosphere is simply a microcosm of the downward spiral of our social discourse. There is hate there and there is hate here.
And this situation has ramifications. For instance, it's pretty disconcerting that the current SPED PTSA president is so ugly to people on this blog. I can't believe that this person is a voice for parents. The open distain she displays for those with whom she disagrees has got to concern any parent of a child with disabilities in this district. How does that behavior keep lines of communication between the schools and parents open?
Sad Affairs
This means the board approving the personnel report (http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/110415agenda/20151104_Action_Report_Personnel_Report.pdf), including the removal of David Elliott as principal - is before public testimony.
That's removing the ability for the public to provide their views on this report. There's clearly a demand for public testimony on this matter as well as a full accounting to the parents and community on how the items in this personnel report are in the best interest of our children's education.
I will be writing the board immediately asking them to reject the personnel report.
I know some board members feel it is inappropriate to chime in on personnel. But that's exactly what the superintendent is asking them to do - by approving the personnel report the board is approving the Superintendent's recommendations. It is 100% appropriate for the board to reject this report if they disagree with the items within it.
- Dad
CT
Sure, for the impartial but undecided voters within the subset of Seattle Schools community observers and schools & their teachers' supporters, I submit a link to Seattle Education Association's completed, collected questionnaire surveys from Seattle City Council and Seattle School Board candidates.
For those who wait on serendipity and are lazy enough to let others' recommendations guide them but not too lazy to pop their ballots in a ballot box on a grey, wet day:
Seattle Education Association
Geov Parrish's Endorsements
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-spring-valley_56379082e4b0c66bae5d13ec
Brian in Ballard