tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post5614112355134812627..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Before We Get Too Far Off Track and Wreck a Good ThingMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10292936208176857262009-08-07T17:22:40.542-07:002009-08-07T17:22:40.542-07:00I started reading this blog when the Jane Addams d...I started reading this blog when the Jane Addams debacle started up. As an affected parent, it turned out to be one of the only real sources of information. (Compared to, say, the school district.) I'm especially grateful for the writeups on the wonky issues. Otherwise I'd never hear about this stuff.<br /><br />Two thoughts:<br />1. Resources like this blog are usually sustained by the work of a few spark-plugs like Melissa and Charlie, and others. (They go to incredibly boring meetings so you don't have to.) That's just the way things seem to go. If you really don't like it, you could provide another voice.<br /><br />2. I would take any criticism from those aging yet sophomoric hipsters at The Stranger as a compliment.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11464853896829896814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21752166688564565942009-08-07T13:54:12.309-07:002009-08-07T13:54:12.309-07:00You guys (Beth, Melissa, Charlie, and all) simply ...You guys (Beth, Melissa, Charlie, and all) simply have the best blog out there for keeping up with Seattle Schools issues. Period.<br /><br />That pesky Stranger rag is just jealous. This blog rocks and we all know it!Isabel D'Ambrosiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425963902792586721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16505392473817686212009-08-07T11:35:47.494-07:002009-08-07T11:35:47.494-07:00I'm piping up to say how very much I've le...I'm piping up to say how very much I've learned from this site. I like the "administrative" focus (using Shannon's definition of administrative), because I see those issues as ones that influence all the children in SPS (and, by extension, all the children in Seattle, and then Seattle itself, and dare I keep going and say the world)? I am not particularly interested in the details of specific schools, and how parents try to figure out outcomes for their specific needs (except so far as they reflect general needs in the system). <br /><br />My eyes glaze over sometimes, too, when Melissa talks about capital issues, or Charlie to details of how the system is run. But, that doesn't prevent me from appreciating that someone takes the time to pay attention to those issues. I see their *volunteer* work as extremely valuable. I do think the issues they talk about influence everybody in Seattle. I would love to hear more perspectives, especially if others take the broad perspective that they do. <br /><br />I don't have a kid in SPS, now. I still care about the system, and about public education, and this blog is my main source of information for both.zbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205346985598789513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-36194938241547935852009-08-07T10:51:28.458-07:002009-08-07T10:51:28.458-07:00I think it's true that there is a lot of repet...I think it's true that there is a lot of repetition on the blog. Any mention of Spectrum or APP sets off a long train of comments. There are other recurring themes as well.<br /><br />That said, a lot of the discussiona are around timely issues. We discussed closures when they were in play. We discussed each stage of the unfolding student assignment plan as they were decided. Other timely topics have included trees at Ingraham, the Denny/Sealth co-location, the high school math textbook adoption, the APP split, principal moves, and any number of other news driven discussions.<br /><br />So, while it is true that I might write something about the Strategic Plan at almost any time, or Mel might write something about capital projects at any time, most of the topics are prompted by actions by the District. I don't know a better source for news about the District or reports from meetings.<br /><br />We are all certainly interested in making the blog as good as it can be, and so we seriously consider criticism and look for ways to improve. I'll be more mindful about mixing in different types of material in future.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13194218810858188252009-08-07T09:27:54.368-07:002009-08-07T09:27:54.368-07:00I would not agree with you RC.
I certainly do h...I would not agree with you RC. <br /><br />I certainly do have my pet issues (namely capital issues and lately, the Broad Foundation) but really, go back and look at my posts. I post meeting announcements, info from the district, national education news, etc. If you believe I'm a one-trick pony, fine but the blog topic listings don't support that. <br /><br />Second, if someone says, "Could you start a thread on X?" I generally do. <br /><br />Third, we have Open Threads regularly. Nothing stops anyone from posting there on any topic.<br /><br />Fourth, I'm sure it does seem like Charlie and I contribute a lot and that would be because we do. The other contributors either have less time to do so or less to say in any given week. <br /><br />Fifth, anyone who wants to ask Beth about being a contributor should e-mail me at <br /><br />melrhs@hotmail.com<br /><br />and I will pass your name onto Beth. It is her decision, not mine (although she is likely to ask the contributors what they think). <br /><br />(Note; this e-mail address will not be live beyond the end of September.)Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82700053019720139292009-08-06T20:53:05.056-07:002009-08-06T20:53:05.056-07:00This blog certainly has its downsides. Melissa an...This blog certainly has its downsides. Melissa and Charlie are both heavy researchers, but typically only on their favorite pet issues. As such, it is daunting for other parents or community members to step up to be contributing authors.<br /><br />With that in mind, the discussions become repetitive. Same stuff, different day. To the authors it probably feels like a new issue, but as a long-time reader, I read the same discussions over and over and over again.<br /><br />So when I read this post and it's basically saying, "you all be nice now; it's not good to rehash the same things over and over again", I think --- um... really... isn't that what you've done for the last years?<br /><br />I've been over The Melissa and Charlie Show™ for quite some time. If anything kills this blog, it won't be anonymous posters who get angry now and again.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12344651435302861422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41713322489459022732009-08-06T16:49:26.820-07:002009-08-06T16:49:26.820-07:00I'm not sure where the lack of civility was di...I'm not sure where the lack of civility was displayed. Maybe I missed it, just as well. <br /><br />Belated kudos to you, Melissa, for doing a great job of following the money trail. My comments were directed toward the viewing public and not yourself at that time (re: broad residents & who paid what for them, etc.). Sorry if I wasn't clear about that.<br /><br />And as you keep following the money trail and asking hard questions, I will continue to remind folks to keep their eye on that ball, as well as all the others. SPS has a huge budget, and you can't tell me that $$ don't have anything to do with who's agenda gets adopted and who's doesn't. <br /><br />In the meantime, this blog is the best source of info re: SPS there is at this time, and I'd hate to see anything that deters people from posting or degrades the quality of information posted here. <br /><br />Thanks to all who make this discourse possible and mind their manners.wseadawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08750439461734046035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13571090848087630662009-08-06T12:18:56.281-07:002009-08-06T12:18:56.281-07:00Melissa, I second Shannon's appreciation for y...Melissa, I second Shannon's appreciation for your gentle suggestions regarding this blog's purpose and some of its operating tenets. Well put.<br /><br />I believe that perhaps the blog tends more towards "administrative" discussion because this is where the overarching policies and decision-making resides. Each school has its own personality, created by its community, and we hope that that community is involved in what goes on there on a day-to-day basis. But each school is also connected to the District, to SPS, and since most school community members are already engaged at their schools, hopefully, this blog is a place for discussions about the bigger picture.<br /><br />Of course, that doesn't mean that individual school's actions and needs aren't recognized, it just means that discussion focuses more on how those needs and actions fit into the bigger puzzle, and this usually refers to the administrative end of things, rather than individual schools discussed in isolation from their surrounding matrix.<br /><br />Thanks again for the blog, Beth, Melissa and all others! Good job!seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-9782732385258061572009-08-05T18:12:00.995-07:002009-08-05T18:12:00.995-07:00Inasmuch as Melissa's post may apply to me and...Inasmuch as Melissa's post may apply to me and my recent postings, I apologize if I have contributed recently to an overly negative tone. I joined here in the middle of school closures last year and will admit that I got used to having a certain amount of freedom to "stir the pot" during that heated and emotional time.<br /><br />It did not occur to me that, in this dead time of summer break, we might be receiving more new visitors on the heels of Charlie's candidacy or subsequent endorsements. I hope that any new visitors will dig deeper than the most recent threads and see that this is both a place where impassioned arguments and dry, wonkish analysis thrive.<br /><br />---<br /><br /><b>Shannon</b> accurately describes the variety of discourse that occurs here. I for one appreciate the emphasis here on the bureaucratic and administrative because without this site I don't know what other resource I would use to gain an understanding of the byzantine inner workings of SPS (SPS would probably like it that way) and I still don't understand half of what's going on.ArchStantonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10746480698492983438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79104515935675122922009-08-05T15:31:37.969-07:002009-08-05T15:31:37.969-07:00Hi Melissa
Even the best discussions sometimes nee...Hi Melissa<br />Even the best discussions sometimes need a bit of moderation to stay on track so I appreciate your reminder about courtesy and constructive contribution.<br /><br />I am not an education 'insider' and am not versed in educational theory but I feel strongly about public education and will (this year) have a child in SPS. I find the blog interesting, informative and educational.<br /><br />My major problem with the blog is the level of discussion, or rather, the goal of our discussions. They seem to vary widely. In many, posts seem to deal with specific issues of district accountability requiring a great deal of history and understanding to feel the urgency. In others they meet more 'populist' concerns about our children's immediate education and our involvement in schools this year.<br /><br />Personally, I think the balance is slightly too much at the level of the administration (pardon my wording) which may earn the wonk title but since this is an important contribution of the blog, I value what is written.<br /><br />I have also appreciated all the past coverage of the new SAP stuff and would like more talk about the schools which could galvanize a broader base of SPS families into a more active involvement in school policy and politics.<br /><br />Anyway, thanks and keep up the good reporting and analysis.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865361028544783972noreply@blogger.com