Seattle School Board Announces Superintendent Finalists

And so far, I'm pretty impressed.

They are (in no particular order):

- Jeanice Kerr Swift, superintendent of Ann Arbor SD in Michigan
- Andre Spencer, superintendent of Colorado Springs SD, in Colorado
- Denise Juneau, State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2017 in Montana


I'll be doing a separate thread on each and hoping to post all three tonight.

First up, Dr. Swift.

Candidate Denise Juneau https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/supe_candidateA

Candidate Andre Spencer https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/supe_candidateB

Candidate Jeanice Swift https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/supe_candidateC

Please submit any comments by 9:00pm on Thursday, March 29 to allow the Board time to review the feedback. The Board intends to vote at its meeting on April 4 to begin negotiations with a single finalist.

Comments

Liking 2 of the 3 said…
Dr. Spencer has strong connections to the Broad Academy, which raises red flags for me, and his PhD is from an online/for-profit institution, another red flag for me. Dr. Swift and Ms. Juneau have more impressive backgrounds to me. I like Ms. Juneau the best on paper, but I'm strongly drawn to Dr. Swift's strong commitment to the arts (something Seattle is relatively weak in).
3/26/18, 6:58 PM
Anonymous said…
Yes - as stated above, Spencer is a Broadie.
https://www.broadcenter.org/alumni/directory/profile/andre-spencer/

I'd steer clear there.

CT
3/26/18, 8:01 PM
alex said…
Can someone pls explain the Broad Academy. I have a background in education & have never heard of them. He’s seems like a highly qualified African American candidate to me. How bad is this Broad Academy?
3/26/18, 10:04 PM
Liking 2 of the 3 said…
Here is some background from a reputable source: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/06/08/33broad_ep.h30.html

“People know basically what your reform line is: hard on the unions, pro-charter, pushing for a certain kind of accountability,” said Mr. Klonsky, a chronicler of what he believes are Broad Foundation shortcomings in his blog Small Talk. “It’s not just a coincidence they all have the same position, more or less.”
3/26/18, 10:31 PM
Cheryl said…
For me MS Juneau sounds like the better candidate. She seems to be strong on putting the breaks on Charter schools and she does not seem to be a fan of standardized testing. All pluses for me. I am not that impressed with the other two.
3/26/18, 11:24 PM
Anonymous said…
Broad Foundation primer
https://seattleducation.com/2012/06/23/a-parent-guide-to-the-broad-foundations-training-programs-and-education-policies/

http://progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/funding-education-reform-big-three/

https://capitalandmain.com/eli-broad-and-the-end-of-public-education-as-we-know-it-1007

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/broad-foundationsplan-to-expand-influence-in-school-reform/2012/08/20/c118e134-eb0a-11e1-b811-09036bcb182b_blog.html?utm_term=.c05cd4e3c754

CT
3/27/18, 6:14 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Alex, Eli Briad is yet another billionaire trying to shape public education. The Broad Academy is sort of a superintendent charm school that tries to shape the work to one narrative and teaches its students a communication style that’s very Orwellian.

We tried one of their grads in Maria Goodloe-Johnson. She was so driven to HER vision that she ignored teachers AND operations and we ended up in crisis.

No thanks. I’m willing to listen to Spencer but I already have my doubts.
3/27/18, 6:48 AM
alex said…
Very helpful, thanks Melissa & others. Sounds like quite an agenda. I am surprised that the board would have allowed a candidate with an agenda along those lines to get this far especially since SPS went down this road already, unsuccessfully, with Goodloe-Johnson (before my time in Seattle). Odd.
3/27/18, 8:40 AM
Anonymous said…
Let's hope the public Q/A sessions give us a glimpse beyond the predictable platitudes. What is their familiarity with WA and pressing issues in SPS - things like capacity, long range facility planning, budget challenges, changing demographics, 24 credit, etc.?

widget
3/27/18, 2:27 PM
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