Seattle Public Schools This Week
The district is still doing its website survey so weigh in if you, like many of us, find it less-than-useful.
I gave Roosevelt my younger son's graduation gown so that another student could use it. But I do have a black gown and a navy blue gown if anyone wants them or knows a kid who can't afford one. (sss.westbrook@gmail.com.)
Wednesday, June 8th
Board Work Session on 24 Credits for high school graduation, Budget and Communications at JSCEE from 4:30-7:45 pm. Agenda (24 Credits comes first in the document, from pages 2-89, Communications starts at page 90 -(and I go by the Word numbering, not the different section numbering.) There is no documentation yet for the Budget portion of the Work Session. This seems like a lot to cram into one single Work Session.
Let's start with the 24 Credits section which is at the start of the agenda and has the recommendations from the Taskforce.
I see something that sends off warning bells to me. That the "use of an online high school and beyond platform that allows for robust and comprehensive career and college planning."
Why don't I like this? Well, for one it explains away why there are no career and college counselors - that know our region/state and what is offered here. What's pretty funny is that on page 13 it says "in high school, HSBP should be overseen by counselors, through an advisory period." That's great but how to do it? Reading on I see the "advisory" period would be "credit-bearing."
As well, there are generally four academic counselors in any given high school. How can four people take this on? Most of the big high schools find their counselors spending a lot of time on scheduling. They say "reduce the ratio from 1:400 to 1:250." Sounds good; is SPS hiring new counselors? (And, where in our overcrowded buildings to put them and this work?" The documentation says, "teachers and counselors should be supported to effectively lead advisory." Yes, of course, they should but will they be? Is this in the CBA?
Two, I am going to be writing up an extensive thread on "personalized learning" and see this as SPS' first toe in the water.
Another rec is "adopting a five-period day, trimester schedules, otherwise known as a 3x5 schedule." They do say the next step should be a feasibility study.
One more toe into online learning - Extended Learning. "run digital credit-retrieval courses during the school day, supported by a classroom teacher." And, create a committee to look into more of this. Also, "systematize the earning of high school credit at the middle school level so that middle school students across the district have the same opportunity to earn high school credit." I wasn't aware of two things - that "systematize" was a word and that the idea here wasn't already in place.
Hey, look at that more CTE. Good idea. I hope they have the money for all they want to do.
Communications (starting on page 90)
Really glad to see Carri Campbell at the top of the org chart; she's smart and knows the district.
Of interest on Wednesday night is a Town Hall event - Protecting Yourself and Your Privacy in the Digital Age - A Call to Action
Come early for a community resource fair (starting at 5:00pm) for networking, learning more about the issues at hand, and contributing to the conversation via an interactive discussion board.
After the mainstage forum, at 7:30pm, producer Scilla Andreen will hold a discussion in the Town Hall Pub about her documentary, Screenagers.
Panelists:
Thursday, June 9th
Board Audit&Finance Committee meeting at Board conference room from 4:30-6:30 pm. Agenda not yet available.
Saturday, June 11th
Community meeting with Director Sue Peters at the Queen Anne Library from 11 am to 12:45 pm.
Community meeting with Director Leslie Harris at High Point Library from 3-4:30 pm
I gave Roosevelt my younger son's graduation gown so that another student could use it. But I do have a black gown and a navy blue gown if anyone wants them or knows a kid who can't afford one. (sss.westbrook@gmail.com.)
Wednesday, June 8th
Board Work Session on 24 Credits for high school graduation, Budget and Communications at JSCEE from 4:30-7:45 pm. Agenda (24 Credits comes first in the document, from pages 2-89, Communications starts at page 90 -(and I go by the Word numbering, not the different section numbering.) There is no documentation yet for the Budget portion of the Work Session. This seems like a lot to cram into one single Work Session.
Let's start with the 24 Credits section which is at the start of the agenda and has the recommendations from the Taskforce.
I see something that sends off warning bells to me. That the "use of an online high school and beyond platform that allows for robust and comprehensive career and college planning."
Why don't I like this? Well, for one it explains away why there are no career and college counselors - that know our region/state and what is offered here. What's pretty funny is that on page 13 it says "in high school, HSBP should be overseen by counselors, through an advisory period." That's great but how to do it? Reading on I see the "advisory" period would be "credit-bearing."
As well, there are generally four academic counselors in any given high school. How can four people take this on? Most of the big high schools find their counselors spending a lot of time on scheduling. They say "reduce the ratio from 1:400 to 1:250." Sounds good; is SPS hiring new counselors? (And, where in our overcrowded buildings to put them and this work?" The documentation says, "teachers and counselors should be supported to effectively lead advisory." Yes, of course, they should but will they be? Is this in the CBA?
Two, I am going to be writing up an extensive thread on "personalized learning" and see this as SPS' first toe in the water.
Another rec is "adopting a five-period day, trimester schedules, otherwise known as a 3x5 schedule." They do say the next step should be a feasibility study.
One more toe into online learning - Extended Learning. "run digital credit-retrieval courses during the school day, supported by a classroom teacher." And, create a committee to look into more of this. Also, "systematize the earning of high school credit at the middle school level so that middle school students across the district have the same opportunity to earn high school credit." I wasn't aware of two things - that "systematize" was a word and that the idea here wasn't already in place.
Hey, look at that more CTE. Good idea. I hope they have the money for all they want to do.
Communications (starting on page 90)
Really glad to see Carri Campbell at the top of the org chart; she's smart and knows the district.
Of interest on Wednesday night is a Town Hall event - Protecting Yourself and Your Privacy in the Digital Age - A Call to Action
Come early for a community resource fair (starting at 5:00pm) for networking, learning more about the issues at hand, and contributing to the conversation via an interactive discussion board.
After the mainstage forum, at 7:30pm, producer Scilla Andreen will hold a discussion in the Town Hall Pub about her documentary, Screenagers.
Panelists:
- Bob Ferguson, Washington State Attorney General, Keynote Speaker
- Pramila Jayapal, Washington State Senator
- Scilla Andreen
- Dr. Hilarie Cash
- Trish Millines Dziko
- Drew Atkins
- Tarek Dawoud
- Beryl Fernandes, Ph.D., Moderator, Presenter, Project Organizer
Thursday, June 9th
Board Audit&Finance Committee meeting at Board conference room from 4:30-6:30 pm. Agenda not yet available.
Saturday, June 11th
Community meeting with Director Sue Peters at the Queen Anne Library from 11 am to 12:45 pm.
Community meeting with Director Leslie Harris at High Point Library from 3-4:30 pm
Comments
HP
My older son proposed to his high school that students be given the option of wearing dress clothes to graduation and donating the cost of their gown to the school's scholarship fund. He was told it would detract from the solemnity of the day.
Pity we can't find a way to make graduation a low cost event for families.
Nearly Done with SPS
I imagine that if students graduate in dress clothes, the expense could be higher for students who have to buy a suit or dress.
HS Parent
I don't know if other schools do this like Roosevelt but I was certainly glad to help some other students. I agree; the cost is pretty high and I'm sure for a low-income family it is worse.
I know Garfield is having an issue over the colors being used this year versus what was tradition but I don't know if that got settled.
Collecting gowns would be a great service project for a junior at each school.
GHSmom
There was some conflict about the change. Shedrick Johnson, president of the Black Student Union was quoted in the student paper saying “People made it seem like we should have catered to the minority. That’s not fair because others are the majority.”
So, ok, how about this? They already give midsemester grades. So, switch to a 6x4, with each class worth (I think) 0.75. The class schedule remains exactly the same, but kids can get half credit if they only fail half the class. It would be a pain for teachers because midsemester grades would have to be more meaningful, but would have to be easier than reworking every single work plan for all of their classes. (I would add a zero period for kids who are struggling, but SPS doesn't seem to be willing to spend any money on anything that practical.)
One school offers an Advisory Period. It is intended to help students with social issues. Recently, a charter school boasted the fact that they offered an Advisory Period. They acted as if they were offering something unheard-of in public school.
Highly Capable Services Advisory Committee meeting, 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Garfield High School Library.
NOTE: The agenda will include Flip Herndon talking capacity issues and the Highly Capable Cohort. I wonder if this is a long-term vision type discussion, or immediate crisis management...
HF
HCC advisory meeting
Perhaps if teachers don't like Hale's or Cleveland's setup, each school could figure out how they want to meet the 24 credit threshold instead of forcing the trimesters on all schools. I am very thankful that we will be out of SPS before this hits.
HP