tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post2597038046062119458..comments2024-03-28T23:38:22.511-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Superintendent Search: Yes or No?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25522801325203371842011-10-16T09:22:29.601-07:002011-10-16T09:22:29.601-07:00On Friday Oct 14 .... an official answer was deli...On Friday Oct 14 .... an official answer was delivered in regard to this question:<br /><br />- <b><i>What do you think the Board would need to see between now and January </i></b>(when the decision has to be made to conduct a search) from Dr. Enfield that would convince the Board they don't need to a search?<br /><br />The proposed School Board Action report, which claims to be delivering <b>an evaluation <i>instrument</i></b> lists only three items:<br /><br />10. (*) Convene a district/community task force to review discipline practices and reduce rates of long-term, out-of-school suspensions.<br /><br />11. (*) Develop an instructional materials waiver policy.<br /><br />12. (*) Develop and implement an intermediate capacity management plan and proposed long-term planning to manage increasing enrollment.<br /><br />..... It seems that this <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/school%20board/11-12%20agendas/101911agenda/20111019_SuperintendentEvaluationInstrument.pdf" rel="nofollow">goals document</a> was found to be an <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/school%20board/11-12%20agendas/101911agenda/20111019_Action_Report_suptevaluationinstrument.pdf" rel="nofollow">evaluation instrument</a> by the Executive committee.<br /><br />Tune in on Wednesday October 19 to see if the Board approves this one meeting (intro/action) item.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26696298364152016082011-10-15T19:13:38.340-07:002011-10-15T19:13:38.340-07:00"Their job is to be the eyes and ears of thei..."Their job is to be the eyes and ears of their community."<br /><br />True and Charlie consistently points this out. Sadly, the incumbents running don't seem to do that. I'm with Charlie; when was the last time you hear a Board member (outside of Kay) say, "My constituents tell me..."<br /><br />They listen but I have never received a firm answer about how they use input they receive. It's enough to sit at a table and listen and nod. <br /><br />Lori, the example I can think of when Kate changed her opinion (or said she was not fully informed and was wrong in her opinion) is her letter to the Times some years back about advanced learning. She admits now that she didn't have enough information and has gone out and sought to be better informed.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88391730106430864822011-10-15T10:45:57.307-07:002011-10-15T10:45:57.307-07:00Here's the rub mom and Lori. If you believe B...Here's the rub mom and Lori. If you believe Board members should represent the constituents of their community, then have our incumbents done a worthy job of that? It is a question that has bogged me down in this race between Ms. Martin and Ms. Carr. Ms. Carr has voted to support the district in almost all their endeavours. If you believe the district has done all the right thing, then yes, you should vote for Ms. Carr. If you have concerns about the district and its future and where it has been in the past 4 years, then the decision is not an easy one.<br /><br />Another momAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84992102215941368492011-10-15T09:39:30.454-07:002011-10-15T09:39:30.454-07:00Well said, Mom. I share your concerns.
SeattleCit...Well said, Mom. I share your concerns.<br /><br />SeattleCitizen, you wrote, <i>"[Kate] learns new things when she might not have all the information this way. Also a good thing." </i><br /><br />Can you or anyone give some specific examples of a time that Kate was swayed from her original position after learning new information? I just haven't seen evidence of this yet. She comes across as having very rigid opinions and not being concerned if she alienates people with those opinions. Someone wrote on another thread that she listens to people she respects, which I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I worry that she only respects people who agree with her. Not good when you need to represent a diverse constituency.<br /><br />Best I can tell, her main issue is the plight of the average student in SPS today, and perhaps we do need to have a conversation about this issue. I never got the sense at our neighborhood school that the majority of parents felt that their children weren't being educated or that outlier kids were dragging down the learning opportunities as Kate has asserted numerous times. <br /><br />Do most parents want ELL and SpEd kids removed from their "average" kids' classes? Is that who Kate suggests be put into the "remedial classes" she mentions in this thread? If not, what exactly is her solution? How does she propose raising the bar for "average" kids? Surely with such strong opinions, she should have some equally strong solutions to offer. What are they?Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07777580098975083499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28647153544815982142011-10-15T09:11:14.612-07:002011-10-15T09:11:14.612-07:00Kate isn't even on the board yet and she's...Kate isn't even on the board yet and she's attacking Dr. Enfield. Calling her an ed reformer, accusing her of surrounding herself with inadequate talent, making the achievement gap worse....<br /><br />She will not be able to get anything done with that type of attitude. Nobody will want to work with her and she will alienate herself and become ineffective.<br /><br />Not my cup of tea.<br /><br />momanonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81125630835041180412011-10-15T09:05:07.236-07:002011-10-15T09:05:07.236-07:00"Others on this thread have said that SE is p..."Others on this thread have said that SE is passionate about kids - It's okay for her but not Kate?"<br /><br />Yes, of course it is OK for the public to speak their opinion. <br />A board director on the other hand does not have the same freedom. Directors are elected not to forward their own agendas, but to represent their constituents. Their job is to be the eyes and ears of their community. Their job is to hear and consider what their constituents bring forward, no matter how diverse, and with an open mind. Clearly Kate doesn't do that. She has her own opinion, and she's sticking with it. She didn't even address the many posts in this thread that supported Dr. Enfield and didn't think a SI search was in our best interest. When you like her opinion, SC and WenD, that's great. But how will you like it when you are on an opposite side of an issue with Kate, and she doesn't want to hear what you, or others have to say. Think about that for a few minutes before you reply. Really, think about it. It is a directors job to put their own agendas aside and represent the people that elected them. If Kate wants to fulfill her your own agenda, she should go for it, but as an activist, not a board director.<br /><br />momanonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58457166195651661972011-10-15T08:49:42.941-07:002011-10-15T08:49:42.941-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53055377967870062212011-10-15T08:06:42.008-07:002011-10-15T08:06:42.008-07:00anon Mom, I'm with WenD - Kate speaks (writes)...anon Mom, I'm with WenD - Kate speaks (writes) passionately - A good thing. Others on this thread have said that SE is passionate about kids - It's okay for her but not Kate?<br /><br />I think it's a GOOD thing that Ms. Martin is willing to write passionately...in print...and put her honest beliefs out there, unlike some who merely say/write what they think people want to hear and then do something completely different, which seems to be a pattern with the incumbents....<br /><br />Additionally, Kate, like all of us, doesn't know it all, but is willing to voice what she believes and throw the ideas out there for discussion. She learns new things when she might not have all the information this way. Also a good thing.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46777402021450542072011-10-15T02:07:07.065-07:002011-10-15T02:07:07.065-07:00anonymous: Diverse opinions are diverse opinions. ...anonymous: Diverse opinions are diverse opinions. If you disagree with Kate Martin, or anyone else, isn't that diversity of opinion? She gave her reasons, backed up her opinion, while you have done nothing but attack. You're veering into troll country so please, start framing your argument.<br /><br />RE: the question, I'm with Citizen. Jury is out, primarily due to Enfield's collusion in supporting TFA even though there isn't a valid reason to support them. She might have other remarkable qualities but what do teachers think of her? I agree with the sentiment that SE presents a healthier persona than MGJ, but she's continuing the work MGJ started, and all the while this board, just like the last board, and the one before that one, go merrily along. Where did that money go? We don't know, but we'll give you a vote of confidence. <br /><br />Melissa and others have pointed out that it's impossible to address the biggest problems in a district when you're blundering from crisis to crisis, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. For those who say they're happy and describe critics as a minority, like there's something wrong with them, the rest of us are fine, I think it's fair to be asked define what "happy" means to you in the face of the crisis that never goes away.WenDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07754473793580185814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10463219552019732492011-10-15T02:01:20.588-07:002011-10-15T02:01:20.588-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.WenDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07754473793580185814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38732727728447226102011-10-15T01:34:29.498-07:002011-10-15T01:34:29.498-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.WenDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07754473793580185814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57486624912365505432011-10-14T22:57:16.960-07:002011-10-14T22:57:16.960-07:00Here we go again, Kate firing off at the mouth, im...Here we go again, Kate firing off at the mouth, impulsively lashing out.....in print. Sticking her owm foot in her mouth, unable to put her agenda aside for even a moment to consider the many diverse opinions expressed in this thread (opinions of the very constituents she would be representing). There is no way she should have a seat on any board, much less the SPS board.. She needs to stick to her activism.<br /><br />Momanonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34199956815390398052011-10-14T21:42:12.354-07:002011-10-14T21:42:12.354-07:00FWIW, it is the state that pays the district based...FWIW, it is the state that pays the district based on three year rolling average enrollment. Some are trying to change that, but it is a double edged sword, since it protects districts when enrollment declines.Dorothy Nevillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17108759281089768738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-70399537075168575572011-10-14T21:34:48.833-07:002011-10-14T21:34:48.833-07:00Susan Enfield is a soldier for the failed ed refor...Susan Enfield is a soldier for the failed ed reform agenda that robs high achievers down to lowest alike with the bubble test prep script. <br /><br />For goodness sakes, many classrooms don't even have books and teachers and parent volunteers have to break copyright to xerox pages by chapter which cost about 4x what actual books would cost. Meanwhile we're spending millions on bubble test prep and testing. <br /><br />We are adding 1000 students a year. We can't staff with 3 year formulas. <br /><br />She has surrounded herself with mediocre to inadequate talent in the way of regional executive directors, refuses to do a fact check of resumes of those folks she has hired and only holds principals "accountable" to bubble test bumping. <br /><br />She fails to correct the curriculum inadequacies in any perceivable way and will never close the achievement gap, but will actually make it worse, because she buys the drill 'em for bubble test agenda. <br /><br />We don't need bubble test bumpers. <br /><br />We have money for real teaching, real learning and real conversations with families about how to supplement and navigate public education. <br /><br />APP and Spectrum are not even the beginning of challenging students. <br /><br />We must stop punishing families who prepare their students for school and who cultivate them each and every day of each and every year.<br /><br />Remedial is one type of classroom. We don't need to dumb down every classroom with remedial. We can't shove all of our "average students" into that milieu. <br /><br />Susan Enfield does not have a vision for the best schools in the nation - which is what Seattle should be shooting for - but instead she has another tired story about the achievement gap. Yuk. <br /><br />I'm tired of students being held back by such programs that only deal with one segment of the student population. All students need attention and challenges. All student deserve inspiration. Many are bored out of their minds in these classrooms. <br /><br />I would like a superintendent who is willing to recognize the individual needs of students and who understand the difference between standards and standardization.Kate Martinhttp://www.katemartinforschoolboard.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74546663787264538212011-10-14T17:04:41.062-07:002011-10-14T17:04:41.062-07:00Kala wrote (quite passionately: My jury is still o...Kala wrote (quite passionately: My jury is still out about SE)<br />"If we do this expensive 'search,' we will no doubt come up with someone 'perfect' on paper, someone perfectly against TFA..."<br /><br />I like THAT part; SE was in league with TFA and Stritikus, those emails are highly damning...<br /><br />"...perfectly polished in the right political sense, perfectly credentialed. But will they lean down and hug the kindergartner?"<br /><br />Umm...probably?<br /><br />"...Will they call the family at home to express sympathy about something (I have heard where SE did)? Will they acknowledge the nuances of different viewpoints? Will they say, yes, parent, that was BS what your kid went through, and I'll help fix it?"<br /><br />Why wouldn't they? The first part of your comment was quite persuasive, but the parts above...well, lots of people love kids, hug them, call parents...<br /><br />There is much that SE has done well. The TFA charade is a big problem for me. As I said, my jury is still out...seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-24821778057594696472011-10-14T16:27:24.380-07:002011-10-14T16:27:24.380-07:00Totally agree with Kala. I think Dr. E is doing a ...Totally agree with Kala. I think Dr. E is doing a great job. She's not perfect, but then again no super would be. Plus has there ever been a superintendent that even came close to the approval of the chronic complainers on this blog? Um, no.<br /><br />Plus if we take a minute to review our last national search, it is pretty dismal. It brought us, drum roll please..... MGJ. And it brought us two other finalists, one of whom dropped out of the game at the very last minute, and the other who received a very generous offer from SPS and turned it down. National searches are not the be all end all. <br /><br />I'd skip it this time.<br /><br />Concerned momanonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716725891562757052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44354657981626486602011-10-14T15:17:40.778-07:002011-10-14T15:17:40.778-07:00I have had several conversations with Susan Enfiel...I have had several conversations with Susan Enfield after different community meetings. Here are my impressions, which form the basis for my belief that we should keep her and skip the (expensive) national search. Warning: these are not sscientific reasons, but they may be reasons lots of people can relate to:<br /><br />1. To one issue I brought up, she agreed, without censoring herself: "Oh, that is crap." I LOVE a person who isn't politicking every word, but is REAL. Oh, and then she acted on the concern, following up later, demonstrating she really sticks to her beliefs.<br /><br />2. She really, really cares about kids. I have seen her talk about teaching and about kids and she becomes impassioned. There is a lot of love there. LOVE for me is the single highest indicator of passion, which is way more important to me than credentials, or X number yrs. sup. in Y type of city. Notable: the week after MGJ left and SE was put in place, she released some report or document or other thing and she emblazoned it with her own new tagline. In place of MGJ's tagline "every student achieving, everyone accountable" (I think that's what it was), SE had replaced it with something like "every student known, challenged, cared for." What a breath of fresh air!! I think we might all look back on our years in school and realize that we succeeded when we felt cared for by our teachers (even if that care looked like strictness/high standards/however).<br /><br />3. This woman is sharp as SH*t. I think she's paring away bit by bit on the staff that are not contributing, or are blocks. Yes, she has a few more lemons to go, but I think she knows who they are and is biding her time. <br /><br />4. At a meeting last spring SE said, when asked about a certain district budget cut, that it might turn out to be a mistake, although she believed it wouldn't and that there was good reason to do it. She said of the whole budget cutting process "We're going to make mistakes. If we do I will be back to acknowledge that to you." I found this refreshing-- here was a person who was willing to agree that she does NOT know everything. I DO wast a SI that can stand to be corrected.<br /><br /><br />5. Be careful what we wish for: this uber-political city has a high set of standards. If we do this expensive "search," we will no doubt come up with someone "perfect" on paper, someone perfectly against TFA, perfectly polished in the right political sense, perfectly credentialed. But will they lean down and hug the kindergartner? Will they call the family at home to express sympathy about something (I have heard where SE did)? Will they acknowledge the nuances of different viewpoints? Will they say, yes, parent, that was BS what your kid went through, and I'll help fix it?<br /><br />We have a gem and no-one can be perfect and please everyone. I hope we can just keep Susan.kalanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40024629171186990882011-10-14T14:28:27.705-07:002011-10-14T14:28:27.705-07:00Some school districts find their Superintendent fr...Some school districts find their Superintendent from within. An example is Sue Walker, Shoreline school Super. She started off teaching in Shoreline District in the mid 1970's, became a principal, and eventually moved over to management. She has been in that district for 30+ years, and is now in her 5th year as a Super. Perhaps our search could start with local candidates who have established ties to the community as they may stick around longer than 3 years. <br /><br />Seattle momAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84821357682496022652011-10-14T12:47:53.000-07:002011-10-14T12:47:53.000-07:00I'm closer to "Been there done that' ...I'm closer to "Been there done that' then I am to Charlie in my assessment of Enfield's performance.<br /><br />I think at the very least a search should be undertaken in the hopes that we can find somebody who doesn't raise so many doubts, but it It could be that person doesn't exist.<br /><br />Here's what that person would look like to me:<br /><br />I think someone with local roots would be good, but a more important criteria for me is someone is who is not on this careerist trajectory. I'd like to find someone who would like to finish out his or her career here. I'd like someone older and wiser, someone with solid managerial experience, someone who understands how bureaucracies and budgets work, someone who has spent solid time in the classroom and as a principal. Someone who has good judgment about people and who can identify and promote leadership in the schools and competence in the JSCEE. And someone who gets that all this ed reform nonsense is just that--nonsense, something that has to be managed around until people come to their senses. <br /><br />The reality is that the working on the board is part time and working as superintendent is full time, and that puts the board in a reactive posture. Better we get somebody in this critical position that the board doesn't have to fight on stupid things like TFA and critical things curriculum waivers. Somebody, in other words, who "gets" it. Right now, neither the board nor the superintendent get it, which doesn't mean they don't do some good things now and then.<br /><br />I can live with Enfield, but I haven't given up hope that we can find somebody who does in fact "get it".Jack Whelannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48271616027987444102011-10-14T12:37:58.054-07:002011-10-14T12:37:58.054-07:00Good step to manage of School.School management in...Good step to manage of School.School management involves the need to manage the above, including the acquisition, control, accountability, responsibility, maintenance.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hoamanagement.com" rel="nofollow">Association Management</a>Baron parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10276576842128345980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30610768719125451682011-10-14T11:32:17.889-07:002011-10-14T11:32:17.889-07:00Add to Charlie's list: Susan Enfield needs to...Add to Charlie's list: Susan Enfield needs to clean out the "bad culture" people in special education. Hit-and-run special education directors have left the department with a bunch of do-nothing, know-nothing, care-nothing managers and cronies in the central office. Clear the deck.<br /><br />-sped parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14614609046430054102011-10-14T11:11:43.126-07:002011-10-14T11:11:43.126-07:00Actually, I think Susan Enfield WOULD stay. I thi...Actually, I think Susan Enfield WOULD stay. I think she wants to be a superintendent with roots. Sure, she may be ambitious and want a bigger playing field someday but I get the feeling she would be here at least 5 years.<br /><br />If you think that by not doing a national search, money is going back into our classrooms, I have a bridge in Brooklyn for you. I think if the January Board decides on a search, the Alliance or someone else will kick in the money because of course they will want to "guide" the process.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31135501335106845222011-10-14T11:06:20.165-07:002011-10-14T11:06:20.165-07:00Chris S, you made me laugh getting a mental image ...Chris S, you made me laugh getting a mental image of SE as Boris S. Wart, only the 2nd meanest man in the world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66012561874571920932011-10-14T10:44:45.510-07:002011-10-14T10:44:45.510-07:00I think we could skip the superintendent search an...I think we could skip the superintendent search and offer the position to Dr. Enfield if a few conditions are met.<br /><br />1) The Board has to start doing their job. I wouldn't want any superintendent to work without proper supervision.<br /><br />2) A really competent CFO needs to be hired. We need someone who will manage and control the money better than we have seen it done to date. We need someone who will clearly and honestly report.<br /><br />3) Dr. Enfield needs to show some interest in cleaning out some of the "bad culture" folks in Teaching and Learning.<br /><br />Dr. Enfield has done a lot of things that I really, really like... except in her own department.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9359529034329974742011-10-14T09:05:26.272-07:002011-10-14T09:05:26.272-07:00Thanks Rosiereader, you made my day. Apparently I...Thanks Rosiereader, you made my day. Apparently I'm only the second-most cynical person on earth.<br /><br />My $0.02 is that Dr. E's primary asset is that she is oh-so-much-better than the worst superintendent on earth (and perhaps the second- and third- worst too!)<br /><br />I don't see why a search has to be "national" and expensive.Chris S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17016898261120819596noreply@blogger.com