Updates

From the district:
The board action for the Student Assignment Plan scheduled on Nov. 4, 2015 is being postponeduntil Nov. 18 to allow for additional understanding and feedback from our many stakeholders.

Good decision but if there is confusion, it is at the hands of district staff.

School Board election results: First returns:

Director District No. 1 
Michael Christophersen  33.65% - 24825 votes

Scott S. Pinkham  65.87% - 48597 votes

Director District No. 2
Laura Obara Gramer  20.72% - 15480 votes

Rick Burke  78.96% - 58982 votes

Director District No. 3
Jill Geary
59.43% - 44392 votes

Lauren McGuire
40.22% - 30041 votes

Director District No. 6
Leslie Harris  74.51% - 55538 votes

Marty McLaren  25.15% - 18744 votes


I would say that clearly voters made clear choices.  The two Establishment candidates did not win.  

Now the hard work towards accountability and transparency starts.  Parents, it will take the backing of parents and teachers to allow the Board to hold staff to Board policy and timely and clear accounting of district spending.  Outside voices will clamor that this is "micromanaging" but it is not such thing. 

I personally think this a win for our district.S

Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree!

-flibber
Anonymous said…
I think it is strange that the number of voters and the number of write in votes are are fairly tightly grouped across all districts. (I wondered about the effect of the write in campaign in D1 which seems to have been nothing).

Good job Seattle.

-Do it
Linh-Co said…
Melissa,

Did you catch my comment about the extension of Nyland's contract until 2018 with a 5% raise? It's going up for approval Wednesday.
Anonymous said…
I thought he only wanted to stay 3 years?? What has he done to make him worth that kind of money? I know Director McLaren has a school girl crush but wowza.

reader47
Anonymous said…
Tonight was a Grand Slam for parents. LEV will call it "Silly Seattle," or something equally infantile.

Lest we forget, our opponents don't give up easily, because ideologues can never be convinced they're wrong.

Get ready for the barbarians to line up at the gates and try to usurp the new board's authority.

Whatever we do, don't let your guards down. Money never sleeps.

WSDWG
Anonymous said…
Raise for Nyland after a strike and staff cuts at schools = a slap in the face to parents!

North by NW
Linh-Co said…
That's about $14,000 a year. Almost 1/3 of a new teacher's salary.
Linh-Co said…
Thanks Melissa. Yours and the Stranger endorsement are a winning combination.
Anonymous said…
Marty McLaren's loss in the polls is a referendum on the superintendent's job performance. Her complete and utter failure to recognize the public's deep dissatisfaction with the superintendent cost her the election which was hers for the taking.

Seriously. Nyland made teachers strike, (and disrupted thousands of students' lives)... over recess! That pretty much says it all.

Michael Christopherson's loss at the polls is the result of his total lack of advocacy for anyone other than himself. He couldn't even garner support from special education parents, his natural allies, because of his open disdain for many students with disabilities. Guess what? Their parents did vote. So did their friends. So do lots of people who think about special education for more than 5 minutes.

Reader
mirmac1 said…
Here come the "insurgents ". I can't be happier! Hard to believe that citizens are taking back our district right in the BMGF's burg. Alliance shown the door. Wright and friends spinning in the wind. City kept at bay. A board that will kick a$$ and take names (nicely ). Hallelujah!
Anonymous said…
I'm wondering if those of us on the speakers list should still try to go give testimony on SAP. I would have to prepare a speech and leave work early. But I'm afraid they're going to try to pull a similar stunt again the Friday before the next Board meeting.

--JvA
SPS Mom said…
JvA - I would try to go if you can but try to work in something in your testimony about all references to Nyland's evaluation being done before voting on the raise being removed from the BAR from the intro item? Seems like the eval should be done before the raise...
Anonymous said…
I had wanted Lauren McGuire, but I have to say I am still happy because at least Michael Christopherson didn't win. He is kind of terrifyingly crazy, and I was very worried about him on the board. Hope Pinkham impresses more now that he's on the board (seems very possible with his credentials).

I really hope this board works on reining in central admin spending.

-sleeper
mirmac1 said…
JvA, I may have lost my spot. I was going to try to speak on behalf of the 7,400 students in special education and the district's latest hostile move to deny them equitable access and IEP services. Would love to take your spot if I could. thx
Anonymous said…
I believe that Christoperson is rightfully angry about special education services for students with learning disabilities in SPS. These students are truly neglected and cognitively capable students fall behind all the time due to the neglect and apathy and incompetence of the schools to serve them. I just wish he would use his justifiable outrage in a more reasonable way. He has made some strange xenophobic comments and comments that seem to pit some types of disabilities against others. That is why I did not vote for Christoperson. I hope he learns something from this loss because he has a lot to contribute. He can be an important voice.

reader
Anonymous said…
Mirnac1 -- ok I will go. I've been thinking of some things I would like to say, but if I don't get it together in time, I'll cede my time to someone else. I assume you're going regardless and already have a statement prepared?

I'm probably going to speak, though, because SE parents hardly ever speak, and they held meetings in all areas of the city except SE Seattle. They need to conduct real engagement in all regions, including the poorest region, before overhauling the plan and relegating our children to procedural detail.

--JvA
Anonymous said…
JvA - If you are in the SE, maybe you could talk about Rainier Beach and the need for Orca cards? Soup for Teachers is helping with this issue. Trying to keep the city wide solidarity gooing.

HP
JvA, I am pondering my place on the speakers list. If they didn't have the raise for Nyland on there, I might have ceded my time. But given they want to bring the Superintendent's review AND the SAP back in two weeks, I may speak to both. But please, if you are from the SE, DO speak - the Board needs to hear from your region.
Does anyone know the organizers for the RBHS transportation issue? I'm trying to get an idea of numbers and the district is being very slow to give them to me.
Anonymous said…
Re: SAP - It's not yet on the proposed Nov 18 Agenda that was just added for consideration at the special session this week (near bottom of the PDF)

http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/committees/Exec/2015-16/20151105_Agenda_Exec_Packet.pdf

- B
Anonymous said…
Election Update:

Kentucky often hailed by Gates Foundation for its very early adoption and complete implementation of CCSS. Just elected a strongly anti-Common Core governor.

Thinking about Common Core, will Tolley/Heath/Box ever come clean on what they are doing with SPS Math?

Larry Nyland are you supervised by the board and do you supervise your employees?

Outgoing Board are you going to extend Mr. Nyland's contract?

-- Dan Dempsey
Anonymous said…
Tolley/Heath/Box should all be looking for employment elsewhere. They are poison. I would make their continued employment the litmus test on whether Nyland should be retained or not. WSDWG
Anonymous said…
@ B
I think the Board has to approve the superintendent's recommendation for postponing the SAP vote (at tonight's meeting) before it can be placed on the Nov 18th agenda.

-North-end Mom
Anonymous said…
If the action is postponed "for additional understanding and feedback from our many stakeholders," what is the method for garnering feedback?


tami
Anonymous said…
"...... to allow for additional understanding and feedback from our many stakeholders." That doesn't even make sense.
"To allow for feedback from our many stakeholders" - yes, makes sense.
But "allow for additional understanding .... from our stakeholders"?" Nope - back to grammar 101 for who ever wrote this. Unless they want understanding from us (" there, there, district admin, are you having a rough time, parents not buying it these days? oh, poor dears"- that was me being 'understanding').
I'm assuming they actually mean they want the stakeholders to better understand what is being proposed.

How are they going to ensure that we better understand the proposed changes and implications of these and provide an avenue for feedback?

Grammar cop
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Watching said…
It is difficult to run for office and elections provide a wonderful opportunity for a wide variety of voices to be heard.

I would like to thank Laura Gramer and Michael Christophersen. Laura brought attention to the needs of hearing impaired and Michael brought attention to those with dyslexia.
Anonymous said…
MC never rests. Too bad we aren't going to get that grant now. ;-(

The Board only needs to do this because they want to. No other reason. Nyland deserves the curb and the newly elected board members need the respect of defining the future. I hope Patu and Peters fights this move behind closed doors and with their votes. I also hope the winners come out and speak to their right to decide this important decision as they will be working with him. Most of these Directors were worked by MGJ, Banda and now Nyland. Good riddance. But your inept ability shouldn't marry us to your false choices.

You have time.
You don't have the respect of your constituents.
And you don't have the right to saddle the new board with your mistakes for another year.

-Do it
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Watching, you are absolutely right. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to put your hand up to run and then follow-thru. Mr. Christophersen and Ms. Gramer deserve kudos for both running and drawing attention to specific Sped issues.

On a different note, we are not going to have a running fight between parties. If you have an issue with someone, go somewhere else. If it involves a SPS issue, then write to me with the evidence. Don't make veiled threats or accusations.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Could all the people who don't like this blog and only have unpleasant things to say go away? Truly. You add nothing.

Also, don't threaten this blog. It is community forum and you will hurt others more than me. In closing, I do know how to protect it.

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