Seattle Schools This Week

It's a fairly busy week in the district.

Monday, Jan. 11th
Curriculum&Instruction meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm, JSCEE.  Agenda

Start of the Washington State legislative session.

Special Education PTSA meeting, 7-9 pm, JSCEE
Update on EEU situation among topics. District staff will be on hand to give updates and answer questions.

Tuesday, Jan. 12th
Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council Meeting, 5:30-7:30 pm, JSCEE 2765
Highlights of agenda include discussion of Sped issues(including restraint and isolation), CTE, annual report on Equitable Access and Instructional Philosphy.  They will also be discussing what the committee's workplan and goals are for the year.

Thursday, Jan. 14th
Audit&Finance Committee, 4:30-6:30 pm, JSCEE.  Agenda not yet available.

Transition Workshop for Sped Parents, 6-8 pm at Old Van Asselt building, 7201 Beacon Ave. S.
This workshop will focus on helping families of children who receive Special Education Services to understand the Transition Process in developing vocational, social, and independent living skills so that they may transition to adult life as productive community members. We are providing this workshop in partnership with Open Doors for Multicultural Families.
Saturday, Jan. 16th - Director Community meetings
Director Geary - Montlake Library from 11 am-1 pm
Director Harris - SW Library from 3:00-4:30 pm

Comments

Anonymous said…
I believe that there is a meeting of the Special Education PTSA tomorrow, MOnday, Jan 11th at 7:00 PM at JSCEE. Risers will be discussed, which should be interesting in light of the EEU Kindergarten upheaval. Can someone official confirm this - I might have the date wrong.....?


Thanks for posting the SEAAC (advisory council) information. I had assumed that this committee was either defunct or holding closed meetings for the past few years. Glad to hear the public can attend!!

curious
1/10/16, 5:06 PM
NO 1240 said…
The hearing on the two charter school fix bills will be in Olympia on Tuesday January 12th at 1:30 pm in the Senate Cherberg Building.
1/10/16, 6:18 PM
Charlie Mas said…
Regarding the agenda for the C & I Committee meeting:

* Committee calendar - Doesn't have a space for the annual report required by policy 2090, Program Evaluation and Assessment

* 2190SP (Advanced Learning) - The discussion is all about who gets the services when it should be about what services they get. This is particularly true when it comes to Spectrum/ALO in which the District has ceded authority over eligibility to the schools. The District needs to retain a role in quality control and accountability. The concern, and it is a legitimate one, is that the students in the program are served no differently than the students who are not in the program.

* MTSS - Aren't we in the fifth year of a three-year implementation plan with six years to go? What is the timetable?

* Program Evaluation - Where is the program evaluation of Spectrum that Shauna Heath promised to the Board and the public three years ago?

* Policy 2200 Equitable Access annual report - Why doesn't this report ever include what it is supposed to include: the rationale for program placement decisions. Why isn't the Middle College decision on here?

* Policy A01.00 Instructional Philosophy - Who cares? Is this policy enforceable? Why all of the talk about preparing students for life when there is no effort along those lines. All of the effort is around college and career readiness, which this policy defines as synonymous. Really? No difference between college and career readiness, and college readiness is also synonymous with life readiness?
1/11/16, 6:47 AM
Lori Hiltz, Spec Ed PTSA VP said…
To clarify - the Special Ed PTSA meeting tonight is focused on the riser process and program placement - there will be a brief update on the EEU situation, but that is not the bulk of the meeting.
1/11/16, 8:31 AM
Anonymous said…
Charlie, I'm curious as to why your comments are not equally applicable to HCC:

The discussion is all about who gets the services when it should be about what services they get. This is particularly true when it comes to Spectrum/ALO in which the District has ceded authority over eligibility to the schools. The District needs to retain a role in quality control and accountability.

Hasn't the district ceded just as much power to HCC schools? Aren't QC and accountability just as lacking in HCC?

DisAPPointed


1/11/16, 9:34 AM
Charlie Mas said…
@DisAPPointed,
You're on track. While the District has retained authority to determine who is in the Highly Capable Cohort, they have ceded the authority to determine curriculum to the schools. And, as with Spectrum/ALO, the District has failed to fulfill any kind of quality control or accountability function.

I wrote about Spectrum/ALO because the procedure is all about who is in the program, but the District no longer determines that, so in the case of this program the procedure is about nothing at all.

With HCC there is another concern, which the District's absurd commitment to provide HC services in attendance area schools. Again, this is purportedly done without any curriculum, process, quality control, or accountability. They make the same claim for Spectrum/ALO students in attendance area schools, but given the fact that Spectrum is no different from non-Spectrum, that claim is more credible.
1/11/16, 10:46 AM
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