Seattle Schools, Week of April 30th-May 5, 2018

Monday, April 30th
Equity and Race Advisory Committee Meeting from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., JSCEE Auditorium

City of Seattle Departure meeting for Webster School, at Adams Elementary from
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

City of Seattle departures meeting regarding the modernization and construction of a gymnasium for Webster School.

I have heard district activist Chris Jackins reference this issue in his remarks to the Board.  I'm not sure I understand it totally but it appears that the district wants to construct a full-sized gym in an elementary school.


Tuesday, May 1st
Board Work Session on Enrollment and Capacity, 4:30-6:30 pm 

Highly Capable Services Advisory Committee, 6:30-7:30, JSCEE, Room 2700

Special Education PTSA Meeting, 7-9 PM, JSCEE 

 Wednesday, May 2nd
Board Work Session on SMART Goals, 4:30-6:00pm, JSCEE
Board Work Session on Budget, 6:00-7:30 pm, JSCEE

 Saturday, May 5th
Director Community Meeting with Director Burke, Fremont Branch Library from 3:30-5:30 pm

Of Interest

 Thoughts on the upcoming district levies?

For BEX V (capital levy for facilities)
capitallevy2019@seattleschools.org

For the Operations levy (now called Enhancement since new changes came from the Legislature)
budget@seattleschools.org

Levies 2019 Planning: www.seattleschools.org/levies

Also:

The district is looking for members for its inaugural Technology Advisory Committee.  

*Accepting Applications Now, Deadline to submit is May 11, 2018

Do you have opinions about technology in Seattle Public Schools?  If so, we want to hear from you!

Most funding for information technology (IT), whether for the classroom education technology (EdTech), for enterprise applications and data systems, or for infrastructure, comes from capital levies that need engagement and input. The purpose of (ITAC) will be to serve as an advisory committee in planning for future funding as well as to provide expertise and community input on an ongoing basis.

ITAC will receive periodic briefings and be asked to comment, to make recommendations, and/or to give input. The committee will be asked to advise on the strategic alignment, planning, prioritization and implementation of current and future information and education technology projects. Key projects for possible consideration by the committee include (but are not limited to):
  • Identification, scope, and priority of projects for future levies
  • Best practices for use of technology in the classroom
  • Adaptive technology and accessibility for our differently abled students and community
  • Student data privacy/security
  • Online and blended learning models
  • Cloud and technology-based curriculum
  • Best practices for enterprise IT systems
ITAC is scheduled to meet monthly, the third Monday of the Month starting May 21st from 4:30pm-6:00pm at the John Stanford Center.

Please note that living or working within Seattle Public School boundaries, or having a student in SPS is not a requirement for participation in the ITAC.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Just heard a complaint from a parent that one science class at Whitman has spent the past three months on an on-line learning unit. That the teacher has not taught a single class in three months. Is this the new normal? The kids do not like it.

-NW Mom
4/30/18, 11:36 AM
Getting Tired. said…
Whitman is "piloting" Amplify. The pilot is a mechanism to get around the board. I hear the science program is terrible.

How will this help the new science alignment. ;)
4/30/18, 11:44 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Write to the Board or better yet, have your child write.

Schoolboard@seattleschools.org

4/30/18, 12:46 PM
Anonymous said…
Amplify science is BORING.

open ears
4/30/18, 5:57 PM
Anonymous said…
We toured Eagle Staff and the science teacher said all the science was done online. I asked at Hazel Wolf how much science is hands on and the teacher shifted and said "We all agree it needs to be more." I have a bit of a feeling of doom about science at the middle school level. The only place we toured that displayed hands on science was Eckstein. The teacher had strong feelings in favor of it (I do too).
--Elem. Mom
4/30/18, 9:24 PM
Anonymous said…
Kids don't learn online. Science has to be done hands-on. The JSCEE has snuck this in without board approval and we have to resist the encroachment of online learning replacing teaching. If teachers want to use it as a supplement that's one thing, but this sounds like it's being used as a replacement and that's not ok.

Oppenheimer
4/30/18, 10:13 PM
SPS Mom said…
I just spoke with my Hazel Wolf 7th grader and she says that there’s very little online unless they need to watch a simulation of something. That they have active experimentation or data collection at least every other week and at least once/week they are writing up evidence, reasoning and conclusion paragraphs. Lots of science writing. She did say there were more lectures than she would like, but it doesn’t sound like all online learning.
4/30/18, 10:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Hazelwolf is piloting Amplify in 6th grade. It is100% online. No need for science qualified teachers or lab materials if the classes are online.

reader
5/1/18, 4:33 AM
SPS Mom said…
That is very disappointing. I’ll follow up.
5/1/18, 4:41 AM
Anonymous said…
I received a note from Dir. Burke who was concerned about my description of the Amplify curriculum. He says he has heard some positive things about the program and was surprised to hear my assessment. It sounds like admin is feeding him only the positive aspects of the program. As opposed to the student assessment I heard of 20 minutes of online work and 35 minutes of free time, none of which the student enjoyed or felt like she was learning anything.

If we want the board to hear of what the actual students think of this program, please make sure your student writes the board. They need to hear this.

-NW Mom
5/1/18, 6:38 AM
Anonymous said…
Based on this discussion I took a look at the Amplify curricula. Frankly, it looks terrible. Lots of pipe cleaners and students asking and testing very uninteresting questions. The simulations are unrealistic and bewildering.

Science over the last century has so many great stories of discovery that students can learn quickly and efficiently. These milestones can then be supplemented by hands on inquiry. It is a mistake to ignore the history of science while teaching basic concepts and material. And the good news? Real science can be taught by a teacher - no need for expensive online resources and buckets of pipe cleaners and "refill kits".

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of these curricula are developed so that a scientifically untrained individual located out in the boonies or in an underserved district can "teach" the material simply by following the prepackaged instructions. Whenever I see these types of approaches my first reaction is: "GREAT! I can use this material and not prepare my own." Then I look at the questions and they are inevitably superficial 'make work'. Sigh. Amplify looks the same. Seattle can do better.

The reality is that great teachers make learning effective. SPS wants to subvert this but there is no need to - Seattle has great teachers. Use them.

RealScientist

5/1/18, 7:27 AM
NW Shuffle said…
Anyone look at the agenda for today's capacity meeting? Can't believe so many students were shifted out of Whitman to REMS so they wouldn't have to be in portables at Whitman...now they'll be in portables at REMS the 2nd year of opening! How is this the best use of space, time, money?! Anyone know why Ingraham's enrollment listed as way over capacity but no added portables scheduled?
5/1/18, 11:55 AM
Anonymous said…
Elem Mom - my 7th grader is at Eagle Staff and has definitely done some hands on experiments. His science teacher is amazing (this is the first year he has ever liked science). I'll ask my son about the online work - but I've never heard him talk about spending time online for science class.

Eagle Staff mom

p.s. I'm also wondering why SPS is adding portables to Eagle Staff since my impression was that Whitman was under-enrolled. Is Whitman also at capacity?
5/1/18, 12:18 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
NW Shuffle, I will be attending that Work Session so I'll let you know what is said.

I find staff's assessment of capacity ever shifting and not entirely plausible.
5/1/18, 1:12 PM
Anonymous said…
SPS Mom and Eagle Staff mom, thanks for the glimmers of hope that there is still some hands on science. I am glad to hear it.
Elem. mom
5/1/18, 4:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Science Instructional Materials Adoption Committees

Science Instructional Materials Adoption Committees comprised of teachers, family and community members will be formed and begin evaluating instructional materials for K-8 science. This work is to replace elementary instructional materials adopted in 1995 and middle school instructional materials adopted in 2003. Work will begin in June. If approved by the Seattle School Board, the new instructional materials will be ready for implementation by the 2019-20 school year. You may join the K-5 committee or the Grades 6-8 committees by filling out an application. Application deadline: May 29 by 9 a.m. More information and application at https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=41952699
5/29/18, 3:30 PM
DOingScience said…
Interesting that schools with HCC programs can avoid the monotony of Amplify science while everyone is forced to sit at a computer day after day to do what SPS is calling "science" where everyone gets the same answer and takes the same quiz 5 times- BORING. What happened to learning by doing? I am so happy my student goes to Eckstein where they do hands-on science. I hear about dissections, work with microscopes, field studies outside in the garden, and great work with kids supporting their claims with real evidence that was collected by students. As a scientist myself, I hope ALL students get the opportunity to get back to the real work of scientists: learning by doing!
5/29/18, 3:38 PM
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