tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post6116550231107045246..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open ThreadMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87249821969206655022019-05-07T07:08:43.655-07:002019-05-07T07:08:43.655-07:00Article about Rainier Beach in the Seattle Times t...Article about Rainier Beach in the Seattle Times today:<br /><br />https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/seattles-rainier-beach-high-earns-national-spotlight-in-hbo-show-wyatt-cenacs-problem-areas/<br /><br />HPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86856072009388824792019-05-06T10:46:28.494-07:002019-05-06T10:46:28.494-07:00Yes, thank you Melissa. Hamilton MS and Garfield H...Yes, thank you Melissa. Hamilton MS and Garfield HS bands actually won at the Reno Jazz Festival each in two categories (https://www.unr.edu/rjf/winners.html):<br />Middle School Combo - Hamilton Middle School Combo [Director Paul Harshman ]<br />Middle School Band - Hamilton Middle School Band [Director Paul Harshman ]<br />AA High School Combo - Garfield High School III [Director Clarence Acox ]<br />A High School Band - Garfield High School I [Director Clarence Acox ]<br />Not sure whether that was mentioned yet. Pretty cool.<br /><br />North Seattle MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74442176585014190512019-05-05T10:31:51.736-07:002019-05-05T10:31:51.736-07:00Thank you, Appreciate It; that was nice to hear. ...Thank you, Appreciate It; that was nice to hear. <br /><br />As I say, my readers help me out by alerting me to all kinds of news and that's a help to all.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53742516265166159952019-05-05T09:58:34.854-07:002019-05-05T09:58:34.854-07:00Regarding the student and school awards, Melissa s...Regarding the student and school awards, Melissa said in her post "I just want to note that a reader alerted me to this and I had to cull together the information. SPS had no notice of this at all." <br /><br />We have a very large district so I understand why it would be challenging to hear this information. The superintendent newsletter does not list most of these kind of achievements it seems, even the national awards.<br /><br />This blog is not only a wonderful resource for news, I want to thank Melissa for offering perhaps the only resource where members from outside the community can learn more about school and student achievements. <br /><br />Our high school, as well as multiple other SPS high schools students and programs, have earned numerous prestigious national awards and honors in recent years. They would go completely unrecognized unless Melissa writes about it, or someone happens to mention it on a thread on this blog. Our PTSA newsletter (Ballard) does a great job, but even they cannot always catch all the information happening within our (large) school. <br /><br />Some of our programs and clubs have their own websites and sometimes I check them as almost always they are the best source for information, news, honors and awards. <br /><br />Appreciate it Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49990723131797539902019-05-05T09:29:39.496-07:002019-05-05T09:29:39.496-07:00The more I look at this, the more It seems a truly...The more I look at this, the more It seems a truly fatal flaw in this "process" is that the end result is little more that a truly terrible rental agreement, where SPS is assuming the majority of the costs and risks and the vendor stands to make a very healthy profit with a lifetime customer. <br /><br />You can't even really call this a lease agreement. The basis of lease agreement is that the future value of the item leased is calculated into the price. When you lease a car, the payments are less than the direct purchase of a car because the car dealership still owns the car and has calculated the future value of that car at the end of the lease, into the lease price.<br /><br />But there is truly Nothing at the end of this rent-a-curriculum. <br /><br />We are locked into a fixed nine year term, where we pay upfront for the rental. Any "consumables" are over and above the rental agreement. Per the estimates in the vendor quote, the consumables costs could easily exceed the entire value of the contract. And we are on the hook for providing and maintaining the technology platform to support the rental, as well as all the costs for required PD. <br /><br />That is truly the business that Amplify is really in. This is not some sweet little non-profit looking to save science education. This is a for-profit company, that has adopted the pricing model of the for-profit software industry. <br /><br />Nobody really owns a copy of Microsoft office, even if you are as old as I am, and purchased this software back in the dark ages. Instead you pay an annual subscription fee and when you stop paying, you stop your access to the product. That is the business model. <br /><br />Who in legal approved this? It is potentially possible that the proposed contract hasn't even been to legal yet, because why would legal review a purchase order for curriculum. It is truly ironic that this most likely should have been presented to Audit and Finance, not Curriculum and Instruction, because rental agreements have an entirely different approval structure.<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51663481911372584642019-05-05T07:43:23.533-07:002019-05-05T07:43:23.533-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16317573106723544652019-05-05T06:47:42.055-07:002019-05-05T06:47:42.055-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48153241310147994732019-05-04T16:31:25.755-07:002019-05-04T16:31:25.755-07:00Imagine that! Some families actually want books! G...Imagine that! Some families actually want books! Good for them, and for the teacher.<br /><br />Books RockAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-65671872147140380782019-05-04T11:50:39.314-07:002019-05-04T11:50:39.314-07:00Teresa Alsept,
"There's no Place like...Teresa Alsept,<br /><br /> "There's no Place like Home. There's no Place like Home".<br /><br /> Thank you for giving your struggling ELL Student, and her Mother, a well-worn Science Texbook, to learn Science from. But don't let MMW and her staff know that you did this. You might be subjected to some more of the HIB that they dish out, whenever someone diverges from their EdTech GroupThink.<br /><br /> They might say: Giving a ELL Student, and their Parent, an old, "outdated" Science Textbook?? <br />That's so RetroTech, and wrong. Such a bad example for other teachers.<br /><br /> Thank you for speaking out, and doing right for the struggling students in your School. <br /><br />Clear Skies<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21333896447023134322019-05-04T09:42:06.174-07:002019-05-04T09:42:06.174-07:00Clear Skies
Yes the district could do something l...Clear Skies<br /><br />Yes the district could do something like that. I would love to have an up to date textbook that I could check out to students who want or need extra support. The other night at our school science fair night I had a parent of an ELL student ask if there anything I could suggest to help her daughter with background information. I let her take one of the very old books I had in my room.But I had to warn her that it was in pretty bad shape. <br />Our last adoption wasn’t just one curriculum. Instead of letting the company dictate to us, we looked at which companies coveted the content in the best way for the grade level. <br />TeresaAlsept Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11535554754700688071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-17402322935412767022019-05-04T09:34:30.210-07:002019-05-04T09:34:30.210-07:00MS, Ms. Sanchez gave you that quote? Where did yo...MS, Ms. Sanchez gave you that quote? Where did you get it? Because I want to get it right when I tell the Board about it. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52589354207542606282019-05-04T09:31:56.106-07:002019-05-04T09:31:56.106-07:00Because of the recent policy change of NOT posting...Because of the recent policy change of NOT posting board committee documents, very few eyeballs have been on the actual contract documents. The attachments to the C&I meeting were 800 pages. Recently, all public documents were posted with the board meetings but SPS cites that practice as not ADA compliant so these documents must be requested. <br /><br />I have reviewed most of the documentation and the contractual aspects of this "adoption" are sincerely troubling, independent of the quality or lack thereof with the curriculum, itself.<br /><br />A huge problem that has not been addressed is "what's next?" A nine year contract has an "end certain" date upon which, the rental agreement is over and SPS has to do something else. When you have an end certain data, a part of the adoption process must include a "what's next" step and that has not been addressed at all. This a major process failure. <br /><br />Do you review at year 5 and start the next multi year adoption process for the replacement curriculum? If the board were to approve this contract, they are spending a tremendous amount of money for the purpose of gift wrapping another science curriculum review and adoption in a just a few years. <br /><br />If Amplify turns out to be the next EDM, how does SPS make a course correction. The unfortunate answer is that it is nearly impossible to make a change once Amplify is underway, because SPS will be 100% dependent on renting science based services from a sole vendor, Amplify. IMHO, I suspect that is why the pro-Amplify folks are pushing so hard on the Amplify or Nothing meme, because once adopted, we will actually be living in an Amplify or nothing science world. <br /><br />If Amplify were to go out of business and stop renting their material to us, we would have nothing. Once this adoption is complete, SPS is truly locked into a one-way arrangement with lots of high fixed costs and zero flexibility. <br /><br />kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89895452951688468792019-05-04T09:27:30.325-07:002019-05-04T09:27:30.325-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-62378457782289443102019-05-04T09:26:30.923-07:002019-05-04T09:26:30.923-07:00Thank you Theresa!
Institutional memory and on th...Thank you Theresa!<br /><br />Institutional memory and on the ground information is critical to good decision making. I remember my kid having a good science experience in your class. (my kid who is now in grad school in STEM) <br /><br />I also remember the same argument about teachers needing to all be teaching the same thing each day in every classroom when EDM was adopted. EDs & principals were making surprise visits to classrooms to enforce the pacing guides and fidelity of implementation. It just ensured that any shortcomings in the curriculum could not be overcome by experienced teachers. I think the problem is that you loose more by hamstringing strong teachers than you gain by forcing weak teachers into a structure. To me the real answer is to give targeted supervision, mentoring, training, support to weak teachers. old salthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971380233996439817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38449296504093019472019-05-04T09:21:38.406-07:002019-05-04T09:21:38.406-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3835789222582518902019-05-04T09:06:07.977-07:002019-05-04T09:06:07.977-07:00Pretty interesting article here about a school in ...Pretty interesting article here about a school in the Bay Area<br />https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53331/how-do-we-get-middle-school-students-excited-about-science-make-it-hands-on?fbclid=IwAR3a-X72Ve5y6Cha77KScEZ5jcWqyIGUX_hi-NmcE2vNjOjU8MbBNfN5Q9U<br /><br />“I was really excited because the first thing we did was experiments and hands-on stuff, which is my favorite part,” Liam said. At ASMS the teaching philosophy centers around giving students experiences that pique their interest to know more. Their science curriculum is based on a program called Full Option Science System (FOSS), but has changed over time as teachers bring new ideas to the curriculum and focus on meeting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).<br /><br />“It’s really based on the idea that students learn science by doing science,” said Kim Frock, co-founder of ASMS. Kids ask questions, make observations, manipulate data, analyze, “and really through that process develop deep conceptual understanding of what they’re doing.”<br /><br />Adapting FOSS to NGSS; what a concept.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80348265287710645862019-05-04T08:41:38.921-07:002019-05-04T08:41:38.921-07:00Everyone here, please sign up to testify at the bo...Everyone here, please sign up to testify at the board mtg next week. Students especially, and teachers if you can without consequences, please!!<br /><br />NwAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21132510609369582722019-05-04T08:27:55.134-07:002019-05-04T08:27:55.134-07:00Amplify is an IQ test for children. Plus an achiev...Amplify is an IQ test for children. Plus an achievement test. Doesn't the district need parental permission before they do IQ testing? Do the district or the parents even get to find out the results? Can the district use the info to save on special ed and advanced learning testing costs?Standardized Generationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86467753370341095562019-05-04T08:08:24.197-07:002019-05-04T08:08:24.197-07:00I completely agree with POC contra Amplify's c...I completely agree with POC contra Amplify's comment. <br /><br /><i>We've degraded to a situation where people who are anti-standardized testing for racial equity reasons are unironically advocating for Amplify, even though the entire reason it exists as a curriculum is solely to support standardized testing and to put considerable cash from us into the licensor's pocket.</i><br /><br />I want to add to this comment, that we are not really "purchasing" anything. I just read the full Amplify "Vendor Proposal" as attached to the C&I meeting materials and the contract really amounts to "rent-a-curriculum." <br /><br />We really aren't buying anything, not even the science kits. The science kits that support amplify has a per-year, per-kit licensing fee. What happens at the end of the contract. We have Nothing. Not even the rights to use the very expensive kits that need to be purchased as part of this "curriculum." <br /><br />And how is the "contract extension" process going to work when the corporate entity has all the power in the negotiation, as we have literally nothing, no books, no kits and they can turn off the software at any time.kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42538923707767279172019-05-04T07:10:49.444-07:002019-05-04T07:10:49.444-07:00Teresa,
Could SPS put some serious money into buy...Teresa,<br /><br />Could SPS put some serious money into buying Science Kits from one or more Vendor? Then pay experienced SPS teachers to network and train new teachers on how to use these kits? Choose a couple of good textbooks for individual schools to choose from. Then stop paying outside consultants, and Ed Coaches, to control Science pedagogy from above. <br /><br />Stop using word-salad terms like "3D-Learning" to justify kids sitting in front of computers, and being analyzed by software products. Stop using NGSS Standards to justify the purchase of Computer-based/Cloud-based Curricula. <br />NGSS are unfunded standards, not mandates. <br /><br />News Flash!!: <br /><br />The WA Legislature has just removed the requirement to pass the OSPI Science Test to Graduate!! This means there is no reason to "teach to the test". No one in SPS has be bullied any more into adopting a Cloud-based Curriculum that is "Aligned to NGSS". No need to employ word-salad terms like "3D-Learning" any more. No reason to buy a curriculum product, like Amplify, because it is the "best-aligned" to NGSS Standards.<br /><br />Because DIng-Dong, the Graduation Test Requirement is Gone.<br /><br />https://www.washingtonea.org/ourvoice/post/house-passes-bill-to-remove-testing-as-graduation-requirement/%E2%80%AC/<br /><br />Support Locally-Grown Science Teachers with Sustainable Best Practices.<br /><br />Clear SkiesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50670339018528050872019-05-03T22:19:44.760-07:002019-05-03T22:19:44.760-07:00“If Amplify is rejected we will return to the FOSS...“If Amplify is rejected we will return to the FOSS kits that we have been using for over a decade…” It’s interesting that there is no mention of the Carolina curriculum which the district primarily uses. It’s also interesting that no mention is made of TCI. I was told that the adoption committee had a secret vote and no one knew what the outcome was, but it SURE sounds like the “pro-Amplify” group know the results. I find that interesting.<br /><br />“These kits have not changed to be aligned with the standards and are not equitable curriculum materials…”<br />That is simply not true. Up until a few year ago middle school teachers were meeting regularly, across the district, to adapt and modify the curriculum. Most teachers, who actually use the materials, instead of just letting the kits sit in their buildings unopened, have aligned their lessons to the standards years ago.<br /><br />“This means that schools that have large budgets and PTA’s that can provide large amounts of supplemental funds. High needs, diverse schools are left with kits that have been used and depleted…”<br />Again, this is simply not true. The kits are refurbished every year. Do I think more money could be spent on materials? Yes, of course. However, for the price of all the laptops that were purchased for Amplify, we could have easily afforded more science materials for hands-on labs. <br /><br /> “Not approving the proposed curriculum also means that teachers can teach whatever they want impacting students that move schools…”<br />I know for a fact that many of the teachers teaching Amplify this year added lessons to the curriculum. Isn’t that teachers teaching whatever they want?<br /><br />“…rather than running around searching for materials for labs that are part of an outdated way of teaching science…”<br />If you think that having middle school students learn science through hands-on labs instead of looking at some computer simulation is an “outdated way of teaching science”, well I’m proud to say that I’m outdated. <br /><br />I've listened to some people use this silly, middle school bullying language for the last couple of years and it just makes me laugh out loud. I have no problem at all with words like "traditional" or "old school" or "outdated" and I know what I think of people who try and intimidate others in that way.<br /><br />Teresa<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55102094668865349732019-05-03T19:56:50.709-07:002019-05-03T19:56:50.709-07:00"Not approving this curriculum would most lik..."Not approving this curriculum would most likely result in postponing a decision indefinitely and I doubt the extensive process that cost lots would happen again with such efficacy."<br /><br />Let's apply some science to this statement. We have an assertion that has no basis in fact at all (that not approving Amplify means indefinite postponement) that is presented as a factual conclusion. And we have some specious claims about what would happen if the adoption process went another year. Not very scientific, really.<br /><br />"This is the long and short of the situation. No curriculum is perfect but Amplify has the backbone and components that allow for equitable pedagogy to be implemented. People worry that Amplify makes students sit in front of computers the whole time but that could be said of teachers that stuck textbooks in front of students, that is just bad teaching."<br /><br />This statement shows no understanding *at all* that there is any difference at all between learning from a screen or learning from a book - and that there is extensive evidence, from scientific research, proving students do worse when presented with a screen than with a printed book. <br /><br />And we worry that "Amplify makes students sit in front of computers the whole time" because that is *precisely what is going on in SPS classrooms right now* with Amplify. We oppose Amplify precisely because we've seen it in action and we know for a fact that it's terrible and students hate it.<br /><br />"Amplify does not require teachers to have students just sit in front of computers, it is adaptable and the district will adapt it to model more of what we are doing at Denny if approved."<br /><br />If this was true, then we'd be seeing it happen right now. Instead kids are sitting in front of screens, hating science, doing really poorly on assessments, not learning anything, and losing precious years of learning. And it's the kids of color who are hurt the most.<br /><br />So no, there's no case for Amplify Science, and a strong case to be made against it.<br /><br />(post 2 of 2)<br /><br />Amplify ThisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88708207786249894742019-05-03T19:56:22.755-07:002019-05-03T19:56:22.755-07:00Sure is a lot of misinformation to unpack here:
&...Sure is a lot of misinformation to unpack here:<br /><br />"If Amplify is rejected we will return to the FOSS kits that we have been using for over a decade. These kits have not changed to be aligned with the standards and are not equitable curriculum materials. This means that schools that have large budgets and PTA’s that can provide large amounts of supplemental funds. High needs, diverse schools are left with kits that have been used and depleted."<br /><br />Says who? 1) There are other curricula proposed, it's not "Amplify or nothing." 2) My understanding is the kits are distributed from the district and not by PTA funds. 3) If there is an issue providing kits equitably, let's solve that - the cost will be far cheaper than Amplify and will not come with the equity concerns that are rife with Amplify.<br /><br />"Not approving the proposed curriculum also means that teachers can teach whatever they want impacting students that move schools." <br /><br />Funny, the defenders of Amplify tell us that teachers can just supplement it. So which is it? Teachers can do what they want without Amplify or can do what they want with Amplify? Here again, we also see the false choice of "Amplify or nothing."<br /><br />"It means that schools from affluent communities can afford better resources such as laptops. As a partner Amplify has provided laptops to the schools most in need and provides learning materials that are replenished equally through Amplify. This levels the playing field so to speak for schools like Denny." <br /><br />As happens all over the country with this sort of thing, Amplify will stop donating this stuff as soon as the curriculum is adopted (though see a comment below questioning whether Amplify donated anything at all). And what will happen is teachers, mostly teachers of color, will lose their jobs as district spending goes to implement Amplify. In every flock there are some sheep who will take the side of the wolves.<br /><br />"This allows me to focus on curriculum adaptation, instructional practices and alignment for the whole department rather than running around searching for materials for labs that are part of an outdated way of teaching science which contributes to the achievement and opportunity gap."<br /><br />Again, this assumes it's "Amplify or nothing," ignoring the fact that several other curricula were proposed and can be adopted.<br /><br />"In regards to the adoption committee process, we were tasked with finding a curriculum that was scientifically sound and current. A rigorous evaluation tool was developed (I assisted with this) to vet curriculum requiring committee members to consider inclusivity, bias and cultural competence. The parents, admin, and teachers took this task to heart and was at the very center of EVERY conversation we had regarding our curriculum. Which one would make ALL students feel like scientists? This was not an easy conversation to have, nor an easy decision to make. It took countless hours, outside research, and an extreme sense of mindfulness from all parties involved in the discussion."<br /><br />So let's be about as clear as we can be here: You're not a scientist if all you do is stare at a screen all day. There was no mindfulness here, no discussion with actual scientists who do research for a living, no reflection on the universally negative experience kids have had with Amplify replacing hands-on learning with a screen. If this was the goal of the adoption committee process, it failed, dramatically.<br /><br />(post 1 of 2)<br /><br />Amplify ThisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47100863474598902922019-05-03T19:11:00.149-07:002019-05-03T19:11:00.149-07:00Amplify did not provide laptops. If they had it wo...Amplify did not provide laptops. If they had it would have been huge violation of the "gift" policy. <br /><br />SPS spent over $1M on laptops in support of the Amplify "pilot" for 20 schools. Much, much more will need to be spent to roll out Amplify to the remaining schools. <br /><br />The propaganda supporting Amplify is pretty thick. kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66226846741370340832019-05-03T19:00:32.440-07:002019-05-03T19:00:32.440-07:00@ Fairmount Parent and -concerning
God forbids ANY...@ Fairmount Parent and -concerning<br />God forbids ANYTHING extra is given to students living in poverty.<br />MSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com