tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post4205053085310971339..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: So I Said, "Lady Di, Why Bother?"Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50676094613006342712011-10-29T10:19:32.445-07:002011-10-29T10:19:32.445-07:00@Charlie - 2:43pm
On the show they are certainly ...@Charlie - 2:43pm<br /><br />On the show they are certainly pundits, but as far as journalism goes, I wouldn't lump Eli Sanders in with the other two. He does fine and nuanced reporting for the Stranger, e.g. the South Park murders.<br /><br />In the past I have found that KUOW segment useful: Whatever Joni advocates, I'm sure to know that the opposite must be true. Oy, and such arrogance...Johnny Calcagnohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12198948404356096884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62952568054521212832011-10-28T21:41:30.909-07:002011-10-28T21:41:30.909-07:00BTW--I'd like to see a thread about "teac...BTW--I'd like to see a thread about "teacher accountability and the CBA". I was quite frankly appalled at the attitude of Knapp and Addae at the MDC forum on Wednesday. I know they are doing their well-intentioned, but one of the attendee's suggestion that they become "thought leaders" is, I fear, beyond their scope, for they seem to be infected with a cliche-sodden, bureaucratic torpor. The limitations of fora like that prevent any real hashing out issues, so perhaps we could do it here if people are interested in the subject. I bet teachers are.jack Whelannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15509265654953382762011-10-28T20:54:06.972-07:002011-10-28T20:54:06.972-07:00CM said: "This myth that the current Board ar...CM said: "This myth that the current Board are "professional" has no meaning and makes no sense. Professional what? What does that even mean?"<br /><br />"Professional" is code for people the downtown establishment feels comfortable with. It has nothing to do with their performance on the board; it has everything to do with the incumbents' sharing the downtown establishment's values framework. They are "professional" because they are all "establishment" business types. <br /><br />They are not comfortable with a retired teacher, a neighborhood activist, or a free lance writer/filmmaker. Michelle is the only one who comes close, and she's the only one that got even a begrudging nod from the Seattle Times before the primary. (And it's why she's the only challenger The Stranger didn't endorse.) I really don't think it gets more complicated than that for these people.<br /><br />This, of course, has nothing to do with the challengers' capabilities but whether they fit the template of what Joni Balter and her set think any director should fit.Jack Whelanhttp://afterthefuture.typepad.com/afterthefuture/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35049897043137052732011-10-28T17:07:12.707-07:002011-10-28T17:07:12.707-07:00Charlie, I think Joni meant that they were profess...Charlie, I think Joni meant that they were professional professionals: They profess.<br /><br />Profess: To make a pretense of; pretendseattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-45154236613117337302011-10-28T15:54:28.673-07:002011-10-28T15:54:28.673-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84428084912203996792011-10-28T15:29:17.616-07:002011-10-28T15:29:17.616-07:00Charlie writes:
Knute Berger, Joni Balter, and El...Charlie writes:<br /><br /><i>Knute Berger, Joni Balter, and Eli Sanders are not journalists; they are pundits.<br /><br />They offer their opinions. They don't do any research. They don't do interviews. They don't seek out the truth.</i><br />-----<br /><br />As long as too many voters choose to:<br />cast their votes founded in opinions formed by myths and half-truths, rather than the facts,<br />we will continue to have legislative bodies filled with purveyors of half-truths.<br /><br />--- Do not take any School Board candidate election recommendations seriously from the Times.... unless your wish is for a continuation of a legislative body filled with purveyors of half-truths.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-5588791107645622162011-10-28T14:43:02.427-07:002011-10-28T14:43:02.427-07:00Knute Berger, Joni Balter, and Eli Sanders are not...Knute Berger, Joni Balter, and Eli Sanders are not journalists; they are pundits.<br /><br />They offer their opinions. They don't do any research. They don't do interviews. They don't seek out the truth.<br /><br />They are basically bloviating bloggers who didn't have to gather their own audience - their employers gathered the audience for them.<br /><br />Seriously, there is no difference between what Joni Balter does and what I do except that I work harder than she does to gather first-hand information and she gets paid a lot more than me for writing a lot less.<br /><br />Oh, and I respond to people who comment on what I write. She does not.<br /><br />This myth that the current Board are "professional" has no meaning and makes no sense. Professional what? What does that even mean?<br /><br />If there is anyone who can explain the meaning of this, please do so.<br /><br />They may be professional managers, but the Board job is not a management job. The superintendent manages the District, not the Board. The Board job is a watchdog job and a community representative job. It is a job for an activist, not a manager.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28551154918167059302011-10-28T14:26:29.517-07:002011-10-28T14:26:29.517-07:00About Ms. Joni Balter... I first had a face to fa...About Ms. Joni Balter... I first had a face to face discussion with her about four years ago in an aisle at Costco on 4th Ave S.<br /><br />She bought all the Reform Math drivel and was really believing that IMP used at Garfield and elsewhere was very effective.<br /><br />Subsequent correspondence failed to convince her otherwise. Apparently like most of the <b><i>"Media Experts"</i></b> she gets her <b><i>knowledge from SPS press releases</i></b>.<br /><br />In Spring 2008 MGJ attempted to have Rosalind Wise move IMP forward as the High School math adoption .. that failed.<br /><br />IMP was the text used for three years ( fall 2006 - Spring 2009 ) in the great unmonitored math experiment that produced Cleveland's school wide math fiasco.<br /><br />Recently Key Curriculum Press attempted to get out of the math book business by selling products to Kendall-Hunt :: "Discovering" was in this sale..<br /><br />KCP has yet to find a buyer for Interactive math Program materials.<br /><br />These "media experts" are experts because they say so. There is scant evidence to support any claim that they are experts.<br /><br />The "Media Experts" believe the SPS Press releases that Math is improving. (It is at the middle schools)<br /><br />An analysis of End of Course Algebra results for students who took Algebra in the Seattle Public Schools in 2010-2011 shows Discovering Algebra is a failure ... and especially so for 9th grade low-income students and 9th grade Black students ...<br /><br />For 9th graders taking Algebra in the SPS ..<br />subgroup <b>all =><br />49%</b> (53.7) passed the EoC#1 with <b>30%</b> (23.2) well below standard<br /><br />subgroup <b>low-income =><br />38.5%</b> (43.8) passed the EoC#1 with <b>36.7% </b> (30.8) well below standard<br /><br />subgroup <b>Black =><br />26.5% </b> (35.9) passed the EoC#1 with <b>45.2%</b> (37.9) well below standard<br /><br />subgroup <b>Limited English =><br />33.1%</b> (22.8) passed the EoC#1 with <b>44.5%</b> (54.2) well below standard<br /><br />subgroup <b>American Indian =><br />25.0%</b> (38.1) passed the EoC#1 with <b>52.5%</b> (37.1) well below standard<br /><br />subgroup <b>Hispanic =><br />39.8% </b> (39.2) passed the EoC#1 with <b>37.2%</b> (34.7) well below standard<br /><br />State 9th grade averages for students taking Algebra in 2010-2011 ... for each subgroup above are in the (xx)<br /><br />----- So went the $800,000 spent on Discovering and $400,000 on Professional Development --- if a kid cannot learn Algebra ... all those other books above algebra are not really going to do the job.<br /><br />... and the Seattle Times writes that math is improving ... oh gee I guess math performance is not an issue because the Times experts say so.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.com