tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post387825380684806634..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: What is broken and how will Dr. Nyland fix it?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66961789467790233372014-12-13T23:27:42.396-08:002014-12-13T23:27:42.396-08:00Money, money,money down the drain. First the Sourc...Money, money,money down the drain. First the Source, then Fusion and it appears something else. Apparently Fusion is on its way out . . . Can anybody keep up with it all? This district does nothing except find places to put money except into classrooms and programs for kids. <br /><br />more boondogglesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60264327164781207942014-12-13T09:49:52.731-08:002014-12-13T09:49:52.731-08:00I know that I harp on these two issues all the tim...I know that I harp on these two issues all the time, but it's largely because I think they are keystone problems.<br /><br />1. The utter lack of program evaluation means that no one in Seattle Public Schools is asking the most fundamental question: does this work? What is management if it doesn't have an eye on how well they are accomplishing the mission? If they are not asking and answering that question, the what the hell are they doing in the JSCEE?<br /><br />2. Program placement speaks to how the District thinks about capacity, students, communities, programs, and services. When placing the Interagency Recovery Program at Queen Anne Gym, they actually said that they chose the location because that's where they could fit the program. Nothing about putting the program close to where the students live or in an accessible location. It was exclusively about finding unused square footage. Shameful.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30490989657403378712014-12-13T07:03:44.602-08:002014-12-13T07:03:44.602-08:00The district seems incapable of cost-benefit analy...The district seems incapable of cost-benefit analysis. They need staff with backbone who can ask the right questions; add, subtract, multiply and divide; *and* impart meaning to their findings.<br /> If they didn't spend so much time fighting against providing appropriate SPED services, they could mitigate problems for much less when kids are younger. Or not pay 4x the cost of providing programming when they lose a suit or pay out a settlement. Been Therenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31016667291250227512014-12-12T17:33:15.757-08:002014-12-12T17:33:15.757-08:00added to wrong post, feel free to delete and i'...added to wrong post, feel free to delete and i'll repost<br /><br />View Ridge ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39658148007662862142014-12-12T17:24:14.092-08:002014-12-12T17:24:14.092-08:00What does it take for a teacher or administrator t...What does it take for a teacher or administrator to be put on leave, and how long does the investigation typically take? <br /><br />A teacher and Vice Principal have been placed on leave at View Ridge Elementary. Principal went on medical leave a week prior. <br /><br />Parents are in the dark. I'm sure there's a fine line between what is private/public in an HR or legal investigation. The principal sent out a note before leaving (for an undisclosed amount of time) and Kim Whitworth sent a note home with all students regarding the VP ("has been put on leave") but no additional details. Would love to see acknowledgment that 3 staff are now missing - is this related or not - and tips for talking to our kids about this? <br /><br />And if there were an actual criminal investigation, parents would be alerted, correct?<br /><br />View Ridge ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-69508471272293215932014-12-12T16:22:58.896-08:002014-12-12T16:22:58.896-08:00The solution framework is simple for many Sped stu...The solution framework is simple for many Sped students:<br /><br />1. Get a diagnosis that qualifies for IEP.<br />2. Get a performance baseline for each service area.<br />3. Develop SDI around proven effective methodologies.<br />4. Report progress , show your SDI works to parents and the district. <br />5. Adjust SDI when needed, don't wait for failures, be proactive.<br />6. Share your success with others so they don't waste time and money using ineffective approaches. <br /><br />If I where responsible for a students IEP I would make sure the SDI chosen had a good chance at being effective, and I would be able to clearly communicate what I did to parents to provide SDI. Not all tools work for every situation, but SPS can not show any connection between its delivery models and academic success. <br /><br />Maybe I should get the $421K SPS is wasting on Seneca Family of Agencies.<br /><br />Does anyone know exactly what Seneca Family of Agencies is doing for the $421K. by that I mean on a day to day basis.<br /><br />--Michael <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80529352112546655852014-12-12T16:05:20.243-08:002014-12-12T16:05:20.243-08:00The limited experience I have with special ed (ane...The limited experience I have with special ed (anecdotes /= data) is that the SpEd teachers are absolutely not the problem. The problems I have seen are regular ed teachers not following the IEP for SpEd students in regular classrooms and central/school management not playing fair when developing the IEPs. <br /><br />That experience has also been widely varied between schools, so it is absolutely not an indictment of all schools and general ed teachers. Eric Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59388135675715364182014-12-12T15:31:35.854-08:002014-12-12T15:31:35.854-08:00And yes, anon saved by Patrick, there are other cl...And yes, anon saved by Patrick, there are other classes than SpEd that start the year with nothing. Just ask HCC middle school LA and SS teachers--no curriculum, no materials. <br /><br />Having appropriate curricula in place for each program/service seems like a pretty low bar, but so far SPS hasn't been able to reach it.<br /><br />Half FullAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15644470351700696002014-12-12T14:37:04.527-08:002014-12-12T14:37:04.527-08:00Thank you SpEd teacher. Some of us keep the focus...Thank you SpEd teacher. Some of us keep the focus on how Legal and despotic principals think their job is gate-keeping and pinching Lincoln, and completely ignore the needs of their special education students. It is a CRIME. And I won't stop blowing that horn.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77315309747201025182014-12-12T13:34:54.147-08:002014-12-12T13:34:54.147-08:00Normally I'm supportive of everything you guys...<i>Normally I'm supportive of everything you guys write, but as a special education teacher, I'm feeling bashed based on comments made in the Times, and this post. I work incredibly hard to provide the best education I can for my students and am in constant communication with my families. I'm sure there are individual teachers who might need more support, but the vast majority do the best that they can with what they have . We are not failures. The problems I see are that there are no protocols or materials or handbooks, no supplies, no curriculum, conflicting or misinformation, or no, communication from the district, a revolving door of supervisors, sudden changes with the way things are done but is not communicated to the people who are supposed to do it, programs that are supposed to exist, but don't. Then we are told there isn't money for one to one aides, or for classroom curriculum or any kind of supplies at all for new programs, so that there are classrooms of students with absolutely nothing in them for the kids to do . You tell me if a 4th grade classroom, a 7th or 10th grade LA classroom would be allowed to start the new school year with absolutely nothing, but it is happening to special education classrooms. I have worked in a few districts and this is the most dysfunctional one yet. And none of the dysfunction I have seen is at the building level, it is all district level. So be careful before you vilify teachers and their buildings. </i><br /><br />Quoted because it's likely to be deleted as it has no signature. Using a one- or two- word penname will make it easier to follow a thread of comments.<br /><br />Teachers in general do a great job, almost all the complaints have been about district non-support or specific practices in a few schools.<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260807460417787614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37633445844649013722014-12-12T12:51:06.955-08:002014-12-12T12:51:06.955-08:00Ah, darn it.
I just had to delete a really good c...Ah, darn it.<br /><br />I just had to delete a really good comment because it was anonymous and unsigned. That's the rule and I have to apply it fairly.<br /><br />Anonymous commenter, please come back, repeat your comment, and sign it this time.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23938330663543542572014-12-12T12:28:12.034-08:002014-12-12T12:28:12.034-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57201932449611011892014-12-12T09:07:30.545-08:002014-12-12T09:07:30.545-08:00Yes, reinvest the boondoggle money into maybe adop...Yes, reinvest the boondoggle money into maybe adopting a science curriculum. 1997 is kind of stale.<br /><br />Curriculum. Isn't that part their &%@$* mission?!mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59865570431662249462014-12-12T08:33:56.522-08:002014-12-12T08:33:56.522-08:00Carr commented: Under steady leadership, progress ...Carr commented: Under steady leadership, progress is made.<br /><br />Nyland was put in place to RAM through the city's prek program whether or not SPS has space.<br /><br />Has anyone noticed Adam's Elementary school? The playground is disappearing because there are so many portables.<br /><br />When will district staff begin talking about SPS, Highline, White Center and prek in relation to the Gates grant.<br /><br />"What did you know and when did you know it?"Richard Nixonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21827556121774921552014-12-12T08:29:45.085-08:002014-12-12T08:29:45.085-08:00How about a leader that is transparent and follow ...How about a leader that is transparent and follow board policy?<br /><br />Will Nyland continue to allow staff to BS the board?<br /><br />"What did you know and when did you know it?"Richard Nixonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28588906930917555832014-12-12T08:19:27.247-08:002014-12-12T08:19:27.247-08:00Charlie is right.
If you do not change the cultur...Charlie is right.<br /><br />If you do not change the culture of a bureaucracy, you change nothing.<br /><br />This district and its leadership - both hired and elected - either refuse to believe this, don't believe it or can't figure out how to do it.<br /><br />Something needs to change. (And it ain't the Mayor taking over.)Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-17690043180332942212014-12-12T08:17:06.460-08:002014-12-12T08:17:06.460-08:00Ah if only....
I would love to see any endeavor th...Ah if only....<br />I would love to see any endeavor that does not directly impact the K-12 classroom be tabled. That includes this whole pre-k boondoggle. Get the kids to school at a workable hour, let them have adequate time (and food) for recess and lunch, both of which are essential, give SPED the support it needs and clearly defined/enforce policies - ditto for HCC.<br /><br />Any other extraneous thing is off the table and unfunded. If the basics of education were done right on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, then you could add in a few bells and whistles. But I remain unconvinced the basics will ever happen - just the whistles.<br /><br />reader47Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41829073587971130862014-12-12T07:54:33.482-08:002014-12-12T07:54:33.482-08:00The Seattle Times is asking the same question.The Seattle Times is asking <a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/educationlab/2014/12/12/tell-us-what-should-top-nylands-to-do-list-for-seattle-schools/" rel="nofollow">the same question</a>.Whaddayaknownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58922882341675307732014-12-12T07:54:20.333-08:002014-12-12T07:54:20.333-08:00Excellent post and agree with most of it.
On the ...Excellent post and agree with most of it.<br /><br />On the not easy part, it's true that change of large organizations is never easy, but this is a situation where it is easy to make incremental progress. If the Board or Superintendent or both started cutting extraneous things from the budget one at a time, if they halted a few things that did not conform to policy and insisted they be done according to policy, it would start the culture of this large organization moving in the right direction.<br /><br />It isn't easy to fix, yes, but it is easy to get started on fixing it and make progress toward fixing it.Gregnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11348376834160957342014-12-12T06:42:43.442-08:002014-12-12T06:42:43.442-08:00Bravo!
It's amazing how a principle could st...Bravo! <br /><br />It's amazing how a principle could stay in that position when their school has received repeated OSPI corrective action for 3 years in a row especially when it's for the same type of violations. They take no responsibility or try to correct the issues then they turn into full blown law suits costing the district more cash. <br /><br />I know public shaming usually is a bad practice, but in the case of violations around SpEd I think the district should have to post the violation history of each school so parents know whats going on. <br /><br />ance atosedp Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com