Friday Open Thread

Your Friday laugh - Trump says that someday his speeches could be as revered as President Lincoln's.  Actually, the "failing" NY Times - in November 20,1863 - said good things about the Gettysburg Address.

On the strike front, Tacoma, Tukwila and Puyallup teachers are on strike.  FYI, there are laws against strikes but they involve no penalties.  However,  From the News Tribune:

Puyallup Education Association members haven’t gone on strike in its 72 year-history, and Tukwila teachers haven’t found evidence of a strike for the past 80 years. Tacoma teachers last went on strike in 2011 for eight days and ended the strike after they reached a tentative agreement. 

However, school districts can bring unions to court and if a judge orders that the strike ends and school employees don’t comply, then employees could face fines or possibly jail time, according to the Yakima Herald.

Puyallup and Tukwila school districts passed resolutions that would allow the school districts to take legal action against individual striking teachers and the Centralia School District will also vote on this issue on Wednesday, the Seattle Times reported.
And apparently, teachers in the huge LA Unified School District are considering a strike.  SEA teachers are to vote on their contract tomorrow.

Latest message from Superintendent Reykdal on public school funding.
Transforming education funding in our state is a complicated and long-term process, and we will all have to exercise patience and understanding through this transition period. Please thank an educator, local superintendent, and a school board member when you see them. They are grappling firsthand with the complex challenge of trying to localize sweeping legislative policy changes. Each one of them cares deeply about our students, and with hard work and compassion, every school district will get to a mutual place of understanding, salary improvements, and sustainable long-term budgets.
From ProPublica:
Do you teach high school journalism? Would you like to help me test out a 10-week investigative journalism curriculum (for use in class or for after school clubs!) that you could get *for free*? EMAIL ME! jessica.huseman@propublica.org.

Women and talking - I agree with most of this but I do not like uptalking.  I think it makes girls and women sound less confident in their speech.

From the NEA via Twitter:

Newly leaked email confirms that Kavanaugh agrees with Betsy DeVos that certain private schools are entitled to public funds.

Great op-ed from a member of the San Francisco School Board on philanthropy and public schools.
Therefore, I respectfully suggest to investors who are going outside our public school system that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We, in the Bay Area, are very creative about improving public schools, driving change and closing the opportunity gap. We are asking you, local philanthropists, interested in changing our schools to work with us to improve outcomes for our most marginalized students. You can accelerate the work we already doing, rather than competing with it.

The I Promise School in Akron is a perfect example of this win-win collaboration.
Also a great post from the Chalkboard blog about the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The organizations receiving money from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative illustrate the scope of CZI’s efforts to personalize learning, the central focus of its known education giving. Shelton of CZI has suggested that the approach can produce massive gains in student learning; research hasn’t backed that up so far, but some programs have shown promise.

CZI has built a unique relationship with Summit Public Schools, a charter network in California, which created a tool known as the Summit Learning Platform. Now being used in hundreds of schools across the country, the platform got early engineering help from Facebook and gets ongoing support from CZI.
To note, there are a couple of Summit charter high schools in Seattle (and probably more to come).

Apply for the Spanish Instructional Materials Adoption CommitteeApplications are due by Fri., Sept. 14, 2018, 9 a.m.
There are no director community meetings this weekend.
What's on your mind?

Comments

GLP said…
Melissa, did you (or any other readers out there) attend the Operations Committee meeting yesterday? If so, was there anything of note related to boundaries, capacity, and student assignment?

-GLP
Insider said…
Don't be surprised if the legislature funds teacher salaries by swiping K-3 class size reduction dollars.
GLP, I plan on a long thread because yes, I attended the meeting AND there is information on BEX, boundaries, etc. to put out. Probably by Sunday night is the earliest I can get it done.
Anonymous said…
Thank you, Melissa, for attending the Operations Meeting. I look forward to your post -- particularly, any news related to Queen Anne/ Magnolia area.

QAMom AlsoAGardener
Anonymous said…
I'm also interested in any Magnolia news! I've been looking at houses all over the area and that would be one of them.

-Pragmatic Xennial
GLP said…
Thank you Melissa!
Anonymous said…
Just curious if other schools across the district are implementing any new safety regulations as the school year begins. Ours has basically implemented a lock out mode this year - parents are essentially no longer allowed inside the school.

NW
Anonymous said…
Agree on the uptalking.

It makes it sound like you have no confidence? or are being overly deferential? as if maybe you grew up in? or are living in? an abusive household?

You'll never convince me it's not an inherently (if sometimes unconsciously) antifeminist mode of speech.

Scrawney Kayaker
Anonymous said…
@ Insider. I agree with you. I worry about that. We finally got small classroom sizes, but I'm worried they won't last beyond this year.
K Teacerh
Jet City mom said…

Is there a list of public schools that allow children on the playground after hours?
The ones in my neighborhood have locked gates.
With increased density, and yards a luxury, it is important for children to have access to recreation.
Jet City Mom, really? I thought that playgrounds were accessible after school. Tell what schools you are referencing.

Perhaps it's an issue of district property?
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