Seattle Schools, Week of January 15-20, 2018
Monday, January 15th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Admission to all state parks is free in honor of the day. Note: The free days do not apply to Sno-Parks.
Tuesday, January 16th
Special Education: Southeast Regional Meeting
South Shore K-8 from 6-7:30 pm.
The Special Education Department is hosting Regional Meetings for families and the community to learn about changes that are happening in Special Education in Seattle Public Schools. We want to listen to you and hear your questions. Please join Wyeth Jessee, Chief of Student Supports; Trish Campbell, Beth Mills, and Nicole Fitch, Directors of Special Education; the Regional Supervisor and Program Specialists for your area; the Special Education Ombudsperson, Special Education Parent Partners, and more Special Education staff. Supervised children’s activities, light snack, and interpreters will be provided.
Questions? Contact: Margo Siegenthaler at 206-252-0794, masiegenthaler@seattleschools.org
Wednesday, January 17th
Regular Board Meeting, starting at 4:15 pm. Agenda
Highlights:
- on the Consent agenda, there is a boundary adjustment for Genesee Hill Elementary because of their explosion of growth from 584 in 2013 to 718 this year. The building's capacity is 660. Genesee Hill is now the largest elementary in the district (I think Bryant may be second.)
Action
- The Naviance contract for "College and Career Readiness" for about $620K over three years. Wait, the BAR has been amended to $594,066.63. There is no explanation for the drop in price.
From the Timeline, it would appear this project is behind.
It is also unclear to me if Naviance provides 24/7 help to report crisis problems. They operate from 7 am-7 pm EST, Monday-Friday.
One bit of interesting data is from page 50 of this BAR. It lists the numbers of 8th graders in both middle schools and K-8s. It's striking how low the enrollments are for most K-8. It ranges from a high of 115 at Salmon Bay to a low at Licton Springs, 11. Naturally, that could be about space. But I also note these figures are from last year so why are they in a contract for this school year?
Let me be crystal clear, even if the district isn't - this is NOT just a way to help students with "career and college readiness and planning." It's about collecting a lot of data on a lot of students. Even when the contract ends, "...we do retain non-personal information, including aggregated, de-identified data." So when the district pays Naviance for this contract, they are also giving away data.
I am still against this expenditure.
I also note that there is now discussion of bringing back College/Career Counselors at our high schools at the last C&I meeting during a discussion about CTE.
- the Board will also be approving the Disciplinary Appeal Council for 2018-2021. One new notation is this "Disciplinary Appeal Council Procedure 3201BP specifies that staff, not including teacher and principals, are considered community members on the council." I don't know if this means school staff and JSCEE staff.
- the BAR for buying portables says that the Board approved up $4.51M to be used "to meet the short-term facility demands of projected increased enrollment..."
Introduction
- approval of the calendar for school year 2018-2019
- New England Center for Children Contract Modification. I include this item with no judgment because clearly, if a single child needs to be enrolled in residential facility in Massachusetts and the contract goes from $95,559.30 up to $391,900.21, then the needs of that child must be severe.
But it's important for parents and taxpayers to understand that educating all children, means all children. And, these are the costs.
- Changing the charge of the BEX Oversight Committee to include BTA (Buildings, Technology and Academics).
I think this is ridiculous. The committee make-up does not support those with technology backgrounds, nor academic backgrounds. They are increasing the number of the committee and maybe will include those with the necessary backgrounds but it's not in the BAR.
- Resolution by Directors DeWolf and Geary about HCC. I will have a separate thread on this issue. I believe the resolution needs some changes.
- Approval of the 2019-2020 High School Growth Boundaries Plan and HCC Pathways for 2020-2021.
Thursday, January 18th
Town Hall on the Superintendent Search
Link to survey which is open until Friday, January 19th
Nova High School from 6:30-8:30 pm
K-12 Education Funding and the Effects on SPS
Ballard High School from 7-9 pm
Saturday, January 20th
Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators Annual Summit in partnership with SPS (free)
Aki Kurose Middle School from 8 am - 3 pm.
Option School Choice Fair
Mercer International Middle School from 10 am to 2 pm
Community Meeting with Director Pinkham
Lake City Library from 10:30- noon
Community Meeting with Director Harris
West Seattle Library from 3-5 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Admission to all state parks is free in honor of the day. Note: The free days do not apply to Sno-Parks.
Tuesday, January 16th
Special Education: Southeast Regional Meeting
South Shore K-8 from 6-7:30 pm.
The Special Education Department is hosting Regional Meetings for families and the community to learn about changes that are happening in Special Education in Seattle Public Schools. We want to listen to you and hear your questions. Please join Wyeth Jessee, Chief of Student Supports; Trish Campbell, Beth Mills, and Nicole Fitch, Directors of Special Education; the Regional Supervisor and Program Specialists for your area; the Special Education Ombudsperson, Special Education Parent Partners, and more Special Education staff. Supervised children’s activities, light snack, and interpreters will be provided.
Questions? Contact: Margo Siegenthaler at 206-252-0794, masiegenthaler@seattleschools.org
Wednesday, January 17th
Regular Board Meeting, starting at 4:15 pm. Agenda
Highlights:
- on the Consent agenda, there is a boundary adjustment for Genesee Hill Elementary because of their explosion of growth from 584 in 2013 to 718 this year. The building's capacity is 660. Genesee Hill is now the largest elementary in the district (I think Bryant may be second.)
Action
- The Naviance contract for "College and Career Readiness" for about $620K over three years. Wait, the BAR has been amended to $594,066.63. There is no explanation for the drop in price.
From the Timeline, it would appear this project is behind.
It is also unclear to me if Naviance provides 24/7 help to report crisis problems. They operate from 7 am-7 pm EST, Monday-Friday.
One bit of interesting data is from page 50 of this BAR. It lists the numbers of 8th graders in both middle schools and K-8s. It's striking how low the enrollments are for most K-8. It ranges from a high of 115 at Salmon Bay to a low at Licton Springs, 11. Naturally, that could be about space. But I also note these figures are from last year so why are they in a contract for this school year?
Let me be crystal clear, even if the district isn't - this is NOT just a way to help students with "career and college readiness and planning." It's about collecting a lot of data on a lot of students. Even when the contract ends, "...we do retain non-personal information, including aggregated, de-identified data." So when the district pays Naviance for this contract, they are also giving away data.
I am still against this expenditure.
I also note that there is now discussion of bringing back College/Career Counselors at our high schools at the last C&I meeting during a discussion about CTE.
- the Board will also be approving the Disciplinary Appeal Council for 2018-2021. One new notation is this "Disciplinary Appeal Council Procedure 3201BP specifies that staff, not including teacher and principals, are considered community members on the council." I don't know if this means school staff and JSCEE staff.
- the BAR for buying portables says that the Board approved up $4.51M to be used "to meet the short-term facility demands of projected increased enrollment..."
Introduction
- approval of the calendar for school year 2018-2019
- New England Center for Children Contract Modification. I include this item with no judgment because clearly, if a single child needs to be enrolled in residential facility in Massachusetts and the contract goes from $95,559.30 up to $391,900.21, then the needs of that child must be severe.
But it's important for parents and taxpayers to understand that educating all children, means all children. And, these are the costs.
- Changing the charge of the BEX Oversight Committee to include BTA (Buildings, Technology and Academics).
I think this is ridiculous. The committee make-up does not support those with technology backgrounds, nor academic backgrounds. They are increasing the number of the committee and maybe will include those with the necessary backgrounds but it's not in the BAR.
- Resolution by Directors DeWolf and Geary about HCC. I will have a separate thread on this issue. I believe the resolution needs some changes.
- Approval of the 2019-2020 High School Growth Boundaries Plan and HCC Pathways for 2020-2021.
Thursday, January 18th
Town Hall on the Superintendent Search
Link to survey which is open until Friday, January 19th
Nova High School from 6:30-8:30 pm
K-12 Education Funding and the Effects on SPS
Ballard High School from 7-9 pm
Saturday, January 20th
Seattle Alliance of Black School Educators Annual Summit in partnership with SPS (free)
Aki Kurose Middle School from 8 am - 3 pm.
Option School Choice Fair
Mercer International Middle School from 10 am to 2 pm
Community Meeting with Director Pinkham
Lake City Library from 10:30- noon
Community Meeting with Director Harris
West Seattle Library from 3-5 pm
Comments
The district can not guarantee advanced learning opportunities at every school.
We may see attempts to increase student: teacher ratios to 1:180.
High schools are gravitating towards general education classes for all.
We need designated HCC pathways.
# of FTE Running Start equivalents:
Garfield 189.32
Ingraham 112.09
Ballard 105.79
Sealth 104.11
Franklin 103.59
West Seattle 97.48
Hale 89.34
Roosevelt 74.84
Cleveland 71.27
Rainier Beach 57.29
Center 28.89
NOVA 6.76
It's going to be much "worse" (for students who don't want to go to college at age 15) than this without HC pathways, isn't it?
Really? This raises no eyebrows? A quick google of this institute reveals that this is just a plain old school for kids with Autism. Seattle Public Schools can’t do Autism now? The staff at this is mostly first year practicioners. Nothing special. Explain to me, once again, why other districts and institutions, 1000s of miles away are somehow more able to teach Seattle students????
This smacks of ongoing SPS abuse, restraint, etc. I’m guessing this is yet another expensive settlement stemming from the ongoing and systemic neglect of all of Seattle’s special ed students.
Speddie
I see many references to Running Start as an economic drain in the district, but I don't fully get it. Why does the district "lose money" if students do RS? Is it because schools still need to play a small administrative/counseling role for these students, even though they don't get funding ( or full funding, p/t RS)?
Does that really mean an overall loss? If the state doesn't fully fund high school, couldn't you argue that KEEPING students costs more money? And if schools are overcrowded already, wouldn't keeping them mean signigicant additional costs, such as more portables, more busses, etc? And if students are taking RS because their schools can't provide certain advanced or specialized or less popular classes, wouldn't keeping them mean additional costs due to more inefficiencies in the master schedule, more less-than full classrooms, more specialized teachers, expanded curricula/materials costs, etc?
Unclear
Happy Sun
Nobody “needs” residential services in order to receive FAPE. But, residential services must indeed be provided when the school is out of state. And very true. The district is not known for its special ed generosity. But it is well known, famous, for caving in when it has committed a serious infraction for which it could be sued. If you think the district would present that at a board meeting... just to be all transparent and everything, well you are very gullible.
Sending kids 1000s of miles from home to an out of state institution to receive a free and appropriate education.... is clearly a failure on many levels. Hold the high 5s.
Speddie
I agree it is a failure by SPS. We should have better systems and supports here for a lot of students, but we know that we do not. I agree that this was probably either a settlement or the threat of a lawsuit that led to this action, but bravo to the advocates for this student for making it happen.
What is the best scenario here? These funds don't get approved, so this student returns to Seattle to a district that won't meet his or her needs?
Another Perspective
FNH
Fiscal Mismanagement
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/12/15/texas-education-agency-no-bid-contract/
https://static.texastribune.org/media/documents/171205.Jt_TCASE_DRTx_ltr_to_Commissioner_IEP_Analysis_Project_signed.pdf?_ga=2.96217308.1949063869.1516129049-277700303.1495972703
FNH
During extensive community outreach, families consistently requested that students who are (or could be) eligible for highly capable services be able to receive those services in their neighborhood schools.
Didn't the survey only reference "advanced learning" with some generally worded questions? Where did it ask specifically about highly capable services?
While the District recognizes that it does not have the capability to meet the statutory requirements for students designated as highly capable in all neighborhood schools immediately, it can implement such a model effectively with several years of planning.
And there's the problem (beyond the more obvious capacity issues it will create). Who believes the district can implement "such a model" effectively?
highly skeptical
Mom of 4
More than $1,000 per day. That’s what WE are actually paying for this 1 student. And that’s all year long. If the school is more like 9 months, then it’s more like $1,600 per day. No way we should all just cough up that ridiculous amount without scrutiny. Accountability. What type of “Autism “ is so severe that the district can’t handle it? We aren’t talking about an exotic disability here. What have they tried so far? Why hasn’t it worked? Does the district need to improve at some practice?
Yes, I get it. Some students are expensive. Some need residential settings. But this is absurd. You could pay for specialists glued to the student 24/7 at those rates. And , there’s no guarantee that these residential schools are better in any way than what we’ve got here. Further we have an explosion in these ridiculously expensive private schools... millions of dollars. This is not the only contract, nor the most expensive. Why is there no board oversight?
Speddie
Speddie
SPED Parent
cut it out
parent
Would the loss of immersion students have any impact on the advanced IB language classes?
How many levels of language would Lincoln offer, if some immersion students are ready for 4th yr in 9th grade?
Kitty
Access to Dual language immersion is very restricted, specially north of the ship canal. But somehow, no one shouts racial injustice and white privilege. They save that for those HCC kids.
Double standard
no caps
Your line of argument is known as
Whataboutism
Dear Directors,
Unless some new funding comes to SPS that we are unaware of, I am afraid that SPS will not be able to serve HCC kids in all high schools in 2021. It is a noble goal, to think they might be able to offer BC calculus to 7 students who need it, but is that really going to happen? I have heard that SPS cannot not run a class if it is under enrolled due to cost/staffing. If some schools have too few students needing a class to support multiple sections on a master schedule, it will push these kids out of SPS and into Running Start. This seems like SPS is shirking its duty to educate the HCC kids.
It also seems like it does not follow the value of equity, as Lincoln, Roosevelt, Ballard, Ingraham schools will continue to have enough students and sections to support the North end schools, but the South end will not (other than Garfield).
What will happen in schools like Nathan Hale? They will have to change their philosophy of teaching and add traditional AP classes? Same for Ingraham, for those who do not want IB?
Having kids go back to neighborhood schools will also likely require readdressing the borders again as some North end neighborhood schools will see a large influx if HCC students return. Why go through this painful process again in 3 years?
You will also disrupt all of the students friendships that have developed since these kids have gone through the elementary and middle school HCC pathways. Unlike all the other students who will follow a large group of friends from their middle schools to their neighborhood high schools, the HCC kids will all be sent back to neighborhood schools from an HCC middle school. They may only know a couple of kids going to their high schools that are also in HCC. This will create a disadvantage for these kids socially entering high school.
I encourage you to vote AGAINST the amendment to move HCC kids back to neighborhood high schools. PLEASE vote to keep the pathways, for at least the next 5+ years, then readdress it, as you give time for SPS staff to build up advanced classes every high school. Make SPS prove that it can fund advanced classed in every high school over the next 5 years. Ask for yearly progress reports by looking at the number of AP sections on the master schedules. Once a broad array of diverse advanced learning is available in every high school to serve ALL students, then you could safely vote to eliminate the high school pathways. Please don’t put the cart before the horse.
Concerned
for sure
Bellevue and Northshore are doing so much better than we are at the hicap thing. We can improve.
In order to have real discussions about what courses would be considered baseline for a comprehensive high school and what additional courses are needed to provide HC level options, you'd need to start with a matrix indicating every single AP or IB course offered this year, by school, along with number of sections offered, plus the percent of students taking each course who are HC identified. This doesn't even begin to address Running Start, but it would provide a baseline for comparison. One wonders how the district is estimating costs of disbanding HC if they haven't done such a comparison (let's be realistic, the money won't be there).
(yeah, I'm copying from another thread)
skeptic
"I support the district's proposed contract with Naviance. Private schools use it to help their students with the college application process, in addition to the extensive counseling they provide. Kids in public high school get neither, as the counselors are over-worked already. Students in public school deserve some assistance with this porcess, especially those whose parents cannot afford to hire private "college application consultants." Applying to college is stressful and complicated and expenseive, and any help the public schools can provide is welcome."
I also support helping students with the college application process. But as Melissa said above, that is not what most of this contract is about. Look at the list of vendors:
- Hobsons (Naviance)
- Gallup Strengths Explorer
- Roadtrip Nation
- Sallie Mae
- TeenLife Media
- Career Key
- Naviance eDocs (Common Application and Parchment)
- Human eSources
- National Student Clearinghouse
- BenchPrep
- X2Vol
The only vendor that's actually helping with the application process is eDocs. The other vendors are primarily gathering intimate personality profiles of students, much like companies such as facebook do behind the scenes.
Please folks, do a little digging on this and tell your school board directors that most of this contract is NOT something we need or want for our kids. They are potentially voting on this TONIGHT!
Realistically
Thanks,
Looking at RS
RS Mom
Pros:
-Not tied to current HS bell schedule
-Less busywork and wasted class time as classes are 10 weeks long, material needs to get covered, and professors know many students work
-No need to take AP exams. You take the final exam and you're done.
-Science lab seems better equipped than HS lab
-Taking 3 classes a quarter allows for 9 classes a year. A student could potentially take Calc 1 and 2 in the same year, whereas it would take two years in HS.
Cons:
-loss of social network (since most RS classes are scheduled for morning and evening, it may be possible to still see HS friends at lunch, or participate in sports and afterschool clubs)
-more time spent getting back and forth to school (thankful for Orca card)
-cost of books and fees can add up
-limited class options (not much in the way of upper level world language or 200 level humanities...probably varies by CC)
-you choose classes knowing little about some of the professors (some are not assigned until after class registration)
-planning courses for the year isn't as straightforward since you can only register quarter by quarter
-some classes are just too easy (varies by course...the upper level math and science seemed to be just right level of challenge)
Could not agree more with the comment about direct instruction in writing - it's sorely lacking in SPS!
another RS
Helen
Major con is that different campuses offer different classes - so while he's currently registered at Central, there might be a more interesting class offered at North or South. We'll see next year when he's a senior. Other con is vacation scheduling, but that's minor compared to how much happier my kid is these days.
GHS parent
Reader