Seattle Schools This Week

Looks like it's an all-Audit&Finance week which is probably a good way for the new Board to get up-to-speed.
Committee Assignments for the Board (partial as the Committee page only reflects certain changes)

Audit&Finance - not known
Curriculum&Instruction - not known
Operations - not known
Executive Committee - Betty Patu (Chair), Sue Peters, Leslie Harris

Monday, December 8th
The Charter Commission was to have a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday the 10th but it has suddenly gotten cancelled and replaced by a call-in meeting on Monday the 8th from 4-5 pm.

This is troubling because now there is no public comment allowed and it's a much shorter meeting.  It may mean that they have early warning of when their funding is cut off and it may be before their previously-scheduled December 10th meeting. 

Tuesday, December 8th
Audit&Finance Committee, Quarterly Audit Meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm  Agenda
(To note, after the Silas Potter financial scandal, this committee got split into two parts - Audit and Finance - with each topic having a quarterly meeting.  This is in addition to the regular A&F Committee meetings each month.)

Meeting Highlights (partial)
  • closeout IRS guidance (sounds interesting but I don't know what this is about)
  • Middle College Enrollment review (the rubber may meet the road here in explaining what is happening for this program)
What is more interesting are the minutes from the previous meeting where the Horace Mann project costs got an careful examination. Once again, so many questions about why the district doesn't have certain oversight management practices in place.

I'll have a separate thread on this one. 

Wednesday, December 9th
Executive Committee Oversight Work Session: Finance, 4:30-7pm.  Agenda not available.

Thursday, December 10th
Audit&Finance Committee Meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm.  No agenda available

Friday, December 11th
BEX Oversight Committee Meeting, from 8:30-10:30 am. No agenda available.
Here's one committee I would like to see the new Board overhaul.  They need to define "oversight" and how much this brings to the BEX process.  This is in no way a slight to the committee volunteers who are bright and hard-working.  It's the set-up of the work the does that I question.

There are no Board directors community meetings for Saturday, the 12th.


Comments

Anonymous said…
Curious if anyone went to the Board retreat? What was the mood etc?

reader47
12/7/15, 8:00 AM
mirmac1 said…
Retreat was great. A breath of fresh air. It was decided first names would be used, not Director this or Asst Supt that. The meeting began with each director talking about their hopes and aspirations. Elementary/MS math adoption was mentioned, as was civil rights, transparency and more info on the website, time for the public to vet initiatives and motions. Only one director seemed to want to return to the recent bad ole days. Too bad he never seemed to want to let go of the microphone.

Betty coulnd't make it because of a previous engagement, so Sue ran the meeting. Thankfully the board ditched the Carr/Peaslee agenda of going through the Section 1000 policies ad nauseaum, endless powerpoint etc. Went through the Supt smart goals and what each committee and liaison roles entailed.

A number of parents brought really yummy goodies like croissants, homemade jam, fresh fruit, juice, cookies. Sue invited everyone to partake. It was less rigid, less us vs them.
12/7/15, 1:39 PM
ConcernedSPSParent said…
Let me guess,Blandford misses Carr and Harium?. Oh what will he do now...
12/7/15, 3:33 PM
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