tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post4489109549969735175..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Budget and Transition Plan (Part 1)Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-69670970242520137742009-12-29T11:56:12.785-08:002009-12-29T11:56:12.785-08:00How can the HUGE subject of educating special educ...How can the HUGE subject of educating special education get such short shrift? Patu at least has an excuse to be ingenuous, but the others? Enfield's "oh, we have supports for that" is taken as gospel?<br /><br />People, 1:93 children may have some form of autism spectrum disorder. That's alot of supports - that we don't have. And it appears from the District budget, their "inclusion" training and success is a low priority.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85238678946618430512009-12-17T19:31:53.986-08:002009-12-17T19:31:53.986-08:00It says that it will save 2.3 million over two yea...<i> It says that it will save 2.3 million over two years. Start times would change from 9:10 to 8:20.</i><br /><br />This is the problem when the administration and staff use the same math books they're foisting on the kids . . . I would LOVE to see some sort of breakdown as to how this will save 2.3 million! (I would also love to see some specifics as to how many buses are running how many routes for how many kids this year and if it's translated into the projected savings from last year's proposals. Meg?)<br /><br />stuStuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769983958729170219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40381745640836903092009-12-17T14:16:28.724-08:002009-12-17T14:16:28.724-08:00Follow that dog, my notes just reflect no discussi...Follow that dog, my notes just reflect no discussion over the standardizing of full-day K charges, just the suggestion of some savings there. You might ask Steve or Sherry about that one.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66088601733466599742009-12-17T13:49:44.277-08:002009-12-17T13:49:44.277-08:00Just received an email from the principal of Salmo...Just received an email from the principal of Salmon Bay forwarding a letter from Don Kennedy about changing the start times. It says that it will save 2.3 million over two years. Start times would change from 9:10 to 8:20.<br /><br />Personally, I would love it. Right now my kid gets home after 4:00 and when she has large homework projects that extra hour would be great - would give her a little down time before bed. But she's in 7th grade - I'm sure parents of the younger kids would not be thrilled to have them waiting for the bus at 7:20.h2o girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12512408535354009657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-65226415820888594572009-12-17T12:58:28.352-08:002009-12-17T12:58:28.352-08:00I'd be interested in hearing more about the bu...I'd be interested in hearing more about the budget cut discussion topic of "standardizing of costs for Full day k" Is there somewhere I can find what that is in a more detailed way?followthatdoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02073521142861511678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11197685335438621812009-12-17T10:36:52.125-08:002009-12-17T10:36:52.125-08:00The superintendent was asked by the board about th...The superintendent was asked by the board about the plan for public engagement around the budget. The answer from MGJ is that there is ZERO plan at the central level. No special input meetings. No plan for extra online info. The reason given is that the scope of budget cuts will be too large for that kind of engagement. The plan is to inform principals who will then work with their communities.<br /><br />I am glad they are looking to individual school communities to make decisions that work for their communities. But overall, this is NOT a good plan. There are principals without communications skills. There is trouble w/ central staff communicating clearly to all principals at the same time. There is the nagging suspicion that principals are going to be left to hung out to dry as the communicators of district bad news.<br /><br />Either handle this publicly at the central level or stop paying the people on central staff who are supposed to be handling what could be one of the biggest issues the District has faced in a decade. <br /><br />In short, "no public engagement plan" is completely unacceptable.Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15321191182697520582009-12-17T09:56:10.108-08:002009-12-17T09:56:10.108-08:00Wow Melissa, excellent notes!
I have a few smal...Wow Melissa, excellent notes! <br /><br />I have a few small things to add. Throughout the night, deBell was consistent in having Don Kennedy clarify when a 'teaching' or 'instructional support' budget category contained coaches and when it did not. (Meg's legacy I would think).<br /><br />Increased revenue of $2Million is part of the proposed solution, DK attributed it to :food service P increases, Pay for Play and maximizing state and Fed reimbursements (it sounds like they have done a terrible job with this in the past--all that money foregone!). It wasn't attributed to enrollment increases.<br /><br />"WSS Cuts" ($6M on slide 17 "Proposed Solutions") ARE basically teacher cuts--these are the decisions that the principals will have to make, so as Melissa says, make sure your PTSA or Site Council asks about the building budget by January.<br /><br />The TOPS/Salmon Bay start time thing was oddly misplaced here--it belonged in the Transition discussion, when it appeared there it made a lot more sense.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47402582553455231112009-12-17T08:34:13.069-08:002009-12-17T08:34:13.069-08:00I hate to see them drop elementary counselors. Our...I hate to see them drop elementary counselors. Ours at Graham Hill was critical in helping all of the students deal with conflict both on the playground and in the classroom. And his work with kids with more serious issues was so valuable.SolvayGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12709893209963350066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89119246828308845032009-12-17T08:31:01.616-08:002009-12-17T08:31:01.616-08:00Thanks Melissa. No comments 'cause I still nee...Thanks Melissa. No comments 'cause I still need to process it all. Scary times. As others have said, part of the hope is that detailed discussions of where budgets are spent and where they will need to be cut will help people decide if they want to support increased revenues.zbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205346985598789513noreply@blogger.com