Seattle Schools This Week

Monday is the last day of Hanukkah - we hope all our Jewish readers had a happy and hopeful holiday.
Monday, December 14th

Curriculum&Instruction meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm at JSCEE.  Agenda.

Highlights:
- Special Education MOU.  Wonder if EEU decision will come up?
- Board policy on Advanced Learning
- Board policy on program evaluation and assessment

The documentation on this starts at about page 19 as you scroll thru (Christmas wish: staff would number pages of their presentations.) Page 24 has a list of possible programs to be reviewed and again they say, "Criteria for selecting programs is still being developed."  I've seen that notation several times and have to wonder what is taking so long.

I also note on the chart that lists the work for this committee for this school year that the City preschool program has several mentions and you have to wonder about the focus for this program over many others.  It certainly lends credence to the thought that staff seem to care more about this program than many others (or, at the least, are giving it more attention.)

Pages 30 and 31 are interesting.  It's a document created by former Director McClaren and Associate Superitendent Tolley on the C&I Committee's focus items.  The first page:
  1. Copied below is the list of possible new and additional initiatives for C&I, brainstormed by Director McLaren and Assistant Superintendent Tolley.
    To be determined:
    • Policy 2195, Academic Acceleration (new policy)
    • Policy 2405, Credit
    • Policy 2024, Online Learning
    • Policy 2015, Text Adoptions
    • Policy 2161, Special Education 
Page 2 is then a lengthy list of attention needed to EXISTING programs.  The listing of Sped and text adoptions with no explanation of what adjustments need to made is not useful.  

I have said this for years and I'll say it at this juncture.  Unless it's a program to close the achievement gap. I don't think this district truly has any business with new initiatives.  Look at that list of programs - IB, dual-language/world schools, 24-credits, curriculum issues - and you'd think, "Boy, they have their hands full."  

The district needs to get done what it starts - and done well - before looking for the next shiny object.

Wednesday, December 16th
Work Session on the Strategic Plan and Governance Priorities from 4:30-8:30 pm at JSCEE- Agenda
The agenda gives no more explanation nor are there any documents attached.  The Board will adjourn at 7:30 to go into Executive Session.

Thursday, December 17th
Operations Committee meeting from 4:30-6:30 at JSCEE, Board conference room.  No agenda yet available.

Saturday, December 19th
Director Community Meetings
Director Patu from 10-11:30 am at Cafe Vita
Director Geary from 11:00 am-12:45 pm at Montlake Library 

Comments

Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
12/14/15, 1:00 PM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
12/14/15, 1:02 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I didn't delete anything but I have also made it clear I do not like long lists posted. Either explain it or it will be deleted.
12/14/15, 4:21 PM
Charlie Mas said…
Again, it is exciting that the district staff are finally signalling their intention to comply with Board policy 2090. Of course it would be better if they just did it.
12/15/15, 11:16 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more