Tuesday Open Thread
From Seattle Spec Ed PTSA: first meeting of the year - Tuesday, September 27, 7:00-9:00 pm at the
John Stanford Center. There will be some time devoted to an open forum
to discuss member concerns/ideas, Parent Partners will be joining us,
our own Hannah Marzynski will present on the new SPS Spec Ed website and
Wyeth Jessee will be our featured speaker talking about all the recent
staff changes in special education. And there will be plenty of time for
some Q and A. Please join us!
From The Stranger on Mayor Murray's budget and public education:
He's also pledged to "triple public preschool classrooms by 2018 and undertake several education programs focused on racial inequities."
He proposes expanding “My Brother’s Keeper,” a mentoring program for African American male middle school students, increase slots in summer learning programs, and expanding efforts to improve attendance and behavior in schools.
No word on where he's going to put all those pre-K classrooms.
No word on his promise earlier this year at the Education Summit to end homelessness for Seattle children by the end of this year.
KUOW has a story on the SGP (student growth percentile) that appears on your child's state test score report.
Oh joy, a Minecraft game for public schools, from Engadget.
I'm adding this one in - one boy's guide to 3rd grade. Very cute.
What's on your mind?
From The Stranger on Mayor Murray's budget and public education:
He's also pledged to "triple public preschool classrooms by 2018 and undertake several education programs focused on racial inequities."
He proposes expanding “My Brother’s Keeper,” a mentoring program for African American male middle school students, increase slots in summer learning programs, and expanding efforts to improve attendance and behavior in schools.
No word on where he's going to put all those pre-K classrooms.
No word on his promise earlier this year at the Education Summit to end homelessness for Seattle children by the end of this year.
KUOW has a story on the SGP (student growth percentile) that appears on your child's state test score report.
"I hate to hear myself give you this advice, but my advice to parents is to ignore the student growth percentiles," Sireci said. Measurement error is much greater on standardized tests than on a doctor's office scale, he said.KUOW also had a good (early) story on the new SPS bell times.
"These growth percentiles are based on two or more tests administered over two or more years, and that measurement error actually compounds," Sireci said. "There is a need to come up with new and better ways to measure students' progress over time, but this is not the way."
Oh joy, a Minecraft game for public schools, from Engadget.
I'm adding this one in - one boy's guide to 3rd grade. Very cute.
What's on your mind?
Comments
NP
- curious
And Curious' query reminds me why I dislike that the district does not ask for some uniformity for school webpages. I couldn't easily find all the principals so I actually don't know who is the principal at RBHS.
One interesting thing - it appears RBHS has a larger staff than West Seattle even thought West Seattle has a much larger population.
-StepJ
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/Friday%20Memos/2016-17/Sept%2016/20160916_FridayMemo_SeattleCenterVisioningTalkingPoints.pdf
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/Friday%20Memos/2016-17/Sept%2016/20160916_FridayMemo.pdf
But then you have Center School where the website does not show Jon Greenberg Did he leave finally?
And RBHS should have had an announcement of a Principal given their problems with the IB funding this may mean that no one wants the gig and they still have an interim?
- Curious
So if anyone has insider info - or an opinion about the future viability of the Center School and/or the IB program at Beach, I'd love to hear it!
The district is so far behind on planning for the increased graduation requirements (which will affect next year's ninth grade students) that I had assumed there would be a sense of urgency on this issue. They are making just one recommendation now - that the policy that requires 21 credits for graduation be updated to reflect the new law. The presentation notes that staff will be reviewing additional policies but no other changes will go into effect in 2017.
To recap, next year's freshman cannot fail any classes, take less than six classes per semester or have a T.A. period on their schedule and graduate on time. Every one of them must pass two years of world language classes (or substitute personalized pathways classes - which are not yet defined). High schools will have to hire more world language teachers or limit the number of third and fourth year language classes offered. Students will have to pass three science classes. Schools will have to hire additional science teachers.
- I'm guessing that the whole discussion of Executive Directors rests on page 30 - where they show that other districts have lower ED to Principal supervised ratios, and thereby hangs a tale - "we need more EDs...our poor little EDs are overwhelmed...." aiyiyi
If ever there was a cost cutting measure that would truly help the classroom, it would be doing away with the Executive Director category entirely...everyone who believes that will happen, raise their hands...nope didn't think so ;o)
reader47
r
-sleeper