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Seattle Times section dedicated to Education
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The Seattle Times online edition has a whole section dedicated to education issues called the Greater Good Campaign.
This is a good effort; I can see that even the Times is getting frustrated because you can't keep blaming everyone else when the funding isn't there.
I asked at their Facebook page if Gates is funding this effort as well.
Watching said…
In my mind, the Seattle Times is similar to the League of Education Voters. Too much edu-babble for my taste, but I do appreciate acknowledgement that education needs funding.
I've noted that Chad Magendanz had a press release.
“House Bill 2965 helps define our paramount duty by clarifying what school district expenses are the state’s responsibility to pay. The independent consultants collecting information on school district compensation spending throughout the state this summer would then have clear guidance to determine the state’s overall spending commitment to satisfy the 2012 McCleary ruling," said Magendanz, R-Issaquah.
If the state were a study funding for wrap around services such as counselors and nurses, they would fall short of the mark, too.
Polly Anna said…
The Greater Good Campaign began in 2011. At the time, they were funded by Microsoft, The Bellevue Collection, Safeco Insurance, Davis Wright Tremaine and Rowley Properties.
This group needs to register with the PDC.
Polly Anna said…
As well, The Greater Good Campaign's web page does not list a single person, which always gives me pause.
I asked at the Greater Good Facebook page about funding. The Times is currently funding this effort but said they may take on "partners" at some point as they do for other projects.
Polly Anna, you hit the nail on the head. I am ALWAYS suspicious when I cannot find a single name attached to a website or program.
It’s ironic that the Seattle Times dedicated a full page in it’s Sunday [Jan. 31] paper to chastise the state legislature for failing to fulfill the state’s paramount duty to provide ample funding for our children’s education, considering that the Times Editorial Board helped to defeat Initiative 1098, which could have allowed our state to raise revenues in a fair and equitable manner, through an income tax on the wealthy.
You can't have funding without revenue. But the Times doesn't ask for more revenue, just more funding. The Seattle Times is like a race horse owner who starves his horse nearly to death, and then blames the jockey for his horse’s defeat. "Why didn't you kick the horse harder? It's all your fault," says the Times.
If the Times were serious about amply funding education, then the Times would support measures to increase revenue. Until the Times is willing to do that, its claims of being a champion of education will continue to ring hollow.
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.)
Why You Should Care Mr. Crabill has found quite the acolyte in Director Chandra Hampson. In the course of discussions over SOFG, she says his name over and over, "A.J .says we...." Now that's not too surprising given the direction the district is heading and that it is Mr. Crabill's work with the Council of Great City Schools is how we got here. But it appears that Mr. Crabill is working very closely with Hampson and we know she wields some amount of power over the majority of the Board. Mr. Crabill is going to continue to work with the Board as SOFG is instituted in SPS. In fact, his role may become more public as it did at one SPS Board meeting in the spring where he was on the phone during the meeting and suggested the Board stop the meeting to "self-reflect." I also noticed that in a district in South Carolina, when things weren't going to plan, he blamed the Board for not following SOFG to the letter. Look for that to happen here if Board members w
This may only be a partial list of reasons; please, add anything else in the comments. The deadline to file to run for the Board is May 19th. Entire Board Majority NOT vetting the Superintendent in any way, shape or form. Even the Seattle Times thought that was wrong. It was just absolute hubris and it was wrong. For the second time in just over a year , board members voted to negotiate a superintendent contract during a special meeting with no opportunity for public comment. This time, they showed an even deeper disregard for their responsibilities as public servants: Aborting a national search for a new superintendent and denying Interim Superintendent Brent Jones a chance to show students, parents and taxpayers that, indeed, he is the best person for the job. Government bodies can’t fast-forward through transparent processes just because they think they know the right answer. One other odd thing about the hiring of Brent Jones - most permanent SPS superintendent contracts ar
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I asked at their Facebook page if Gates is funding this effort as well.
I've noted that Chad Magendanz had a press release.
“House Bill 2965 helps define our paramount duty by clarifying what school district expenses are the state’s responsibility to pay. The independent consultants collecting information on school district compensation spending throughout the state this summer would then have clear guidance to determine the state’s overall spending commitment to satisfy the 2012 McCleary ruling," said Magendanz, R-Issaquah.
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/news/magendanz-introduces-proposal-to-help-end-dependency-on-local-school-levies/
If the state were a study funding for wrap around services such as counselors and nurses, they would fall short of the mark, too.
The Greater Good Campaign began in 2011. At the time, they were funded by Microsoft, The Bellevue Collection, Safeco Insurance, Davis Wright Tremaine and Rowley Properties.
This group needs to register with the PDC.
Polly Anna, you hit the nail on the head. I am ALWAYS suspicious when I cannot find a single name attached to a website or program.
You can't have funding without revenue. But the Times doesn't ask for more revenue, just more funding. The Seattle Times is like a race horse owner who starves his horse nearly to death, and then blames the jockey for his horse’s defeat. "Why didn't you kick the horse harder? It's all your fault," says the Times.
If the Times were serious about amply funding education, then the Times would support measures to increase revenue. Until the Times is willing to do that, its claims of being a champion of education will continue to ring hollow.