tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post728798525811678737..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: New Game: If I Were Superintendent of Seattle Public SchoolsMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-67572610084470993522014-06-23T22:54:24.055-07:002014-06-23T22:54:24.055-07:00New mission statement: To help each child discover...New mission statement: To help each child discover and develop to full potential his or her unique talents, abilities and interests.TechyMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04650916001250022778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41768002529901107802014-06-23T20:48:27.315-07:002014-06-23T20:48:27.315-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27351592733019349742014-06-23T19:44:40.205-07:002014-06-23T19:44:40.205-07:00One thing I would do is focus on IT-related distri...One thing I would do is focus on IT-related district-level issues.<br /><br />First, get the waitlist software to work properly, which it does not do -- all waitlisted kids should be thrown into a pool and efficient swaps made. Right now, if 40 kids in the Roosevelt catchment want to go to Nathan Hale, and 40 kids from Hale want to go to Roosevelt, NONE OF THEM GET TO GO WHERE THEY WANT, when it is idiotically easy to make that swap. Instead, they gaze longingly at the school where they wish they were. Geesh.<br /><br />I also would implement an actual search function on the district web site. What we have now is pathetic.Josh Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242600011474990770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-86926791775841213512014-06-22T11:19:03.541-07:002014-06-22T11:19:03.541-07:00Just remembering back . . . was it John Stanford?...Just remembering back . . . was it John Stanford? nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35385409751668011722014-06-22T11:17:35.025-07:002014-06-22T11:17:35.025-07:00@signed K=12:
re: principal salaries:
The abs...@signed K=12: <br /><br />re: principal salaries:<br /><br />The absorption rate of other districts is limited. That would require moving for many people <br /><br />Are other districts paying more than Seattle?<br /><br />In so many words you said it: we have the great, the good, the bad and the ugly. So, are you for merit pay with principals? With teachers? <br /><br />Pay in administration is out of control and pay for principals is also out of control. Esp. when a reasonably sized school (450? 460?) earns an asst principal. My school just reached that point and our principal who can't understand why teachers are at school so late just can't do without her AP because the job is too big and she'd have to spend some building time after school too. <br /><br />Sorry. I don't buy it.<br /><br />BTW, which super raised principal salaries? Wasn't it part of the early 2000s when the polarity between workers and managers widened? I'd like to know what the gap was in the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. Where would I look that up?nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79555724372664629022014-06-22T10:19:38.367-07:002014-06-22T10:19:38.367-07:00If I were superintendent:
- I would tell the Boar...If I were superintendent:<br /><br />- I would tell the Board that I need their guidance with good policies about all the needs of the district. The Board, via Erin Bennett, has been systematically overhauling policies and yet Advanced Learning and others languish. <br /><br />I would cut a staff person at Central and then hire someone to work full-time FOR the Board (not for the district as Ms. Bennett does) to help the Board with this work.<br /><br />As superintendent, the procedures that staff and I create are ONLY as good as the policies we are given by the Board.<br /><br />- I would ask for a very detailed and clear accounting of ALL capital dollars. <br /><br />- I would ask Facilities and enrollment to give me a detailed and clear assessment of our capacity issues today and project out five years. I might ask the City about management of facilities if it looked like it would save dollars.<br /><br />- I concur with those who said it is the City's job to create Pre-K with SPS as consultants. SPS cannot in any specific way commit to space for Pre-K. As others have said, the core mission (and the state funding) is for K-12. Period.<br /><br />- My top priority would be to streamline and scale back the Strategic Plan and its initiatives.<br /><br />There are several reasons for this.<br /><br />1) it is bloated and unwieldy.<br />2) too much work for an over-worked staff<br />3) not enough of these initiatives directly impact the classroom and we have neither the time nor the resources to wait for some trickle-down effect<br /> <br />- I would meet with Randy Dorn at OSPI to discuss Common Core options. <br /><br />- I would talk to teachers and principals about what kinds of assessments they already do - via the district and their own in-class work - and tell me what they need to track the progress of students. Then do that. <br /><br />- I would ask principals two questions and give one directive. The questions would be:<br />- what do you need more help with?<br />- what does Central do to hinder your work?<br /><br />My directive would be that we will try an old Olchefske idea; loose, tight.<br /><br />Use your dollars wisely, have fewer suspensions/discipline issues, serve all the students in your building, be partners with parents and work on measurable outcomes and Central will give you the latitude to do what you want without looking over your shoulder.<br /><br />If we see that your school continues to struggle, then we tighten up on our oversight of your school.<br /><br />Additionally, I would ask principals with the highest F/RL populations what IS working for their students (and that they need more of) and what they don't need.<br /><br />- Other top projects would include Native American program, advanced learning, and Special Education. I would not take on anything else until those items have a clear path.<br /><br />- I would move on items like later start times for secondary in order to maximize known research on better academic outcomes.<br /><br />- I would meet with the Alliance and ask them if their core mission is to aid the district and its students following the direction of the Board and myself. If not, then we would have to redo the MOU.<br /><br />- I would meet with arts groups, tell them we already have a well-thought out arts program but no dollars to enact it and how could they help us to do so.<br /><br />- I would meet with technology experts - both companies and at UW - about what we could do better for the running of our district and academics for our students. <br /><br />- I would cut two more Central staff in order to hire two people to find grant dollars to support our work. <br /><br />That's to start. Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60199594609169542292014-06-22T08:18:57.667-07:002014-06-22T08:18:57.667-07:00FYI re dropping principal's salaries:
The goo...FYI re dropping principal's salaries:<br /><br />The good ones will go to other districts. <br /><br />Lower principal salaries -= far worse set of principals and more churn. We do have a lot of good principals, and keeping them is important. <br /><br />I've been in schools where a great and inspired principal changed the entire place, and I've been in schools where the principal was sort of a mannequin but the parents ran it, and ones with a so-so principal (thankfully, not with a bad principal). It is abundantly clear that a good principal, even just a competent principal, is vital. So we do have to pay to keep them IN SchOOLS. I think they should take a 10% or more pay cut to go to central (obviously it's less work ...!). Bonus pay for being in a school. <br /><br />Signed: K-12Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27346161879118995212014-06-22T00:43:04.058-07:002014-06-22T00:43:04.058-07:00Signed: K-12 is absolutely correct. The city need...Signed: K-12 is absolutely correct. The city needs to promote Pre K, not with SPS's limited space, but with city property, AND fund SPS as consultants.<br /><br />Where is Banda, Charles Wright and Stephan Blanford on this issue, besides sitting on their hands at press conferences? <br /><br />The city will vote on this issue on Monday. It is time for Banda, Wright and Blanford to get off of their collective hands and start advocating for the needs of SPS.<br /><br />In the meantime, city e-mails (thanks mirimac) indicate that there is an attempt to dislocate special ed. kids from developed programs, continued space availability is a problem etc.#Getoffyourhands!noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78780562298690679732014-06-21T23:47:59.273-07:002014-06-21T23:47:59.273-07:00Agree to let the city manage Pre K ... or we'l...Agree to let the city manage Pre K ... or we'll do it for money AND land. Give us Ft. Lawton for a HS, we'll do a Pre K at the tiny empty Magnolia school, whatever its name is. <br /><br />Give SPS space in the NE - maybe the Parks maintenance bldg. at 82d near I-5 ... and we'll do some pre-K over there too. <br /><br />Give SPS a football field on top of a reservoir, so we can put portables on the football field next to Roosevelt HS, and we'll do some preK at Roosevelt - heck, it can even be a training class like they used to have in Ballard until they ran out of space (or did MGJ close that preschool that was in Ballard HS?). <br /><br />But do preschool when we don't have seats for all the K-12? NO. I want a super who understands this and knows we can't do everything - we have to do our core mission well first. <br /><br />Signed: k-12Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89742173772025567282014-06-21T22:32:19.323-07:002014-06-21T22:32:19.323-07:00Have the city manage their own Universal Pre K pro...Have the city manage their own Universal Pre K program. SPS will consult and charge accordingly.<br /><br />We don't need over-lapping bureaucracies that use federal, state and local dollars.#lawsuitinthemakingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55708968601059986802014-06-21T22:06:19.238-07:002014-06-21T22:06:19.238-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26307203424129205712014-06-21T21:08:22.387-07:002014-06-21T21:08:22.387-07:00That was for @A Techie, acutally. WSDWGThat was for @A Techie, acutally. WSDWGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-2153176185478777032014-06-21T21:06:59.701-07:002014-06-21T21:06:59.701-07:00"Also, tech is important but also a black bot..."Also, tech is important but also a black bottomless hole that simply eats up money and time. Until government appreciates the need for good tech and supports it with tax dollars, schools will be forever at the mercy of ever-changing profiteering tech companies."<br /><br />@Patrick: Truer words have rarely been spoken and it's true world wide in many different sectors. But we in the land of MS and Amazon have a serious blind-spot and shortage of critical thinking in assessing our actual tech needs that deliver efficiency and savings of time and money. <br /><br />Take a look at the IT department's organizational chart sometime. You'll fall out of your chair. <br /><br />WSDWG Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58490334234389512112014-06-21T20:57:43.248-07:002014-06-21T20:57:43.248-07:00Kelly Aramaki for Superintendent: highly skilled, ...Kelly Aramaki for Superintendent: highly skilled, knowledgeable, multiculturalism, capable, efficient, fair, compassionate, brave, greatly respected, work and play well with others, an Educator & NOT a POLITICIAN DRONE.<br /><br />CCAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90535908887023822492014-06-21T20:24:55.030-07:002014-06-21T20:24:55.030-07:00And his current teaching partner following him the...And his current teaching partner following him there.<br /><br />open earsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61344698920308651012014-06-21T17:02:19.145-07:002014-06-21T17:02:19.145-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8995058644900979712014-06-21T16:05:13.822-07:002014-06-21T16:05:13.822-07:00Patrick: There are a lot of suggestions that are ...Patrick: There are a lot of suggestions that are cost-neutral or would save money on this thread. Someone needs to sort them and prioritize and what a contribution that would be if anybody at the District level cared.<br /><br />Also, tech is important but also a black bottomless hole that simply eats up money and time. Until government appreciates the need for good tech and supports it with tax dollars, schools will be forever at the mercy of ever-changing profiteering tech companies. I know tech is always evolving. But sometimes changes are made for nothing more than profit - to keep customers coming back for the next new thing because what they have is no longer supported. Europe operates on a much-less monopolized system and from what I read they are doing it much better.<br /><br />We really need more government support rather than more charters and privatization.<br /><br />A techieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-70770882922026754152014-06-21T15:49:42.256-07:002014-06-21T15:49:42.256-07:00Lots of people have put up wish lists, but the rul...Lots of people have put up wish lists, but the rules of the game were we had to run the schools with the budget we've got. No assuming we'd get more money from Olympia or Washington or Gates funding something useful for a change or additional levies.<br /><br />So how about a couple of items that shouldn't cost anything:<br /><br />Fire the Alliance for Education. Hire an accounting firm to account for the donations, a firm that doesn't think they have a license to be the board behind the board. No hosting retreats, no coaches, no meetings with their staff at all. If they want input, let them talk and be ignored at board meetings for 2 minutes just like anybody else.<br /><br />Cut down on standardized testing. Do what the state requires, but is there some reason that isn't enough to place students in appropriate level classes? The MAP is supposed to be rapid feedback, but it's a month before we see results on the Source. Student placement for the year is done in August based on results of the May-June tests, so even the MSPs should be ready by then. We lose so much instruction time to them; I don't know if it's just the way it's done at my child's school but it seems like a 2-week holiday three times each school year during which no other work can take place.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03535393644973542540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-8123486116053155162014-06-21T15:47:31.077-07:002014-06-21T15:47:31.077-07:00End the Central Administration catastrophe that it...End the Central Administration catastrophe that it has been for a quarter of a century or more.<br />Spending way more per pupil on Central Admin. than any other District in the state and raises for this lousy group this summer.<br />I would put more money into the schools themselves and close the Glass Palace that is a Shrine to the one whom said principals were CEO'S.KGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14120359550438503094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59179454049069601982014-06-21T15:10:36.939-07:002014-06-21T15:10:36.939-07:00Carole Simmons. New SPS Superintendent. Period.Carole Simmons. New SPS Superintendent. Period.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82974841818608499932014-06-21T15:02:33.440-07:002014-06-21T15:02:33.440-07:00Wow! Some really neat ideas!
You folks are great!...Wow! Some really neat ideas!<br /><br />You folks are great!Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73161012065432472692014-06-21T14:42:44.534-07:002014-06-21T14:42:44.534-07:00Lowering the ceiling (principal pay) does nothing ...Lowering the ceiling (principal pay) does nothing to raise the floor, which is the real problem. We need to have a teacher salary that is appealing to the top 10% of the graduating college students.<br /><br />I would also stop working on the assumption that having two or more programs in one school works. It pits parents and children against each other. Graham Hill should be all Montessori. Stop moving the APP students around so that it can appear that a majority of students are being served, when what is really happening is the APP kids came in scoring 99% and continue to do so no matter what happens to them while at the same time the needs of kids who need more help to succeed are hidden in the statistics. It just does not work. <br /><br />Test all the kids for APP. Make that the test everyone takes. This would mean the whip smart kid in my son's class whose parents do not speak English would be identified as APP. His family had no idea there is a testing program.<br /><br />Overhaul the school lunch program. SPS keeps touting how great the new programs are, and each time I go in to see the new menu items it looks exactly the same - cardboard food! Plus - I would like to see healthy snacks offered throughout the day. A table with fresh veg and fruit available all the time in every K-5 classroom.<br /><br />Lower class sizes. Period.<br /><br />More computers. Sorry. I know lots of people do not agree with me here. Basic coding skills are just that - basic. They will all need them. <br /><br />No football.<br /><br />Full-time librarians. <br /><br />Coaching for college entrance - how-to, essay help, grants for applying, statistics on what it takes to get kids into the school of their dreams - all the stuff the private schools have for this. In other words, more counselors.<br /><br />A private/public partnerships for programs serving kids after school until 5:00. I would prioritize middle school, but I think all kids would benefit. <br /><br />Seek private funding for new buildings. I don't like industrial education that seeks to find lower costs through economies f scale. I hate warehousing 600 to 1000 kids in a building. We need, more smaller buildings. And they need to be beautiful. The way we tell children that education is important is to focus on environment in the same way we do when we build a beautiful office or public building or a lovely home. Make it pleasant to be there. We are never going to get this kind of funding from the state, or are we???sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10969442768323513432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1376730562768283002014-06-21T12:57:47.418-07:002014-06-21T12:57:47.418-07:00Yes. Phonics and grammar training! Readers and wr...Yes. Phonics and grammar training! Readers and writers after grammar is complete. Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582496831103641547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-55442020129393839222014-06-21T12:27:13.977-07:002014-06-21T12:27:13.977-07:00And everything Carol Simmons listed! Esp. the noti...And everything Carol Simmons listed! Esp. the notion of "grade levels." nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-6150173254463635712014-06-21T12:22:10.716-07:002014-06-21T12:22:10.716-07:00I would lower principal pay because it is out of l...I would lower principal pay because it is out of line with teacher salaries. I would try to add more primary-experienced principals to our system. There is an abundance of sp. ed. and intermediate-oriented principals and a dearth of primary-oriented people. We need better principals!<br /><br />I would eliminate all student councils at elementary and institute a peer advocacy program instead. <br /><br />I would lower class size to max 18 in K and max 20 in first and max 22 on up. <br /><br />In at-risk schools, I would make class sizes even smaller. Our needs are not all equal.<br /><br />Return Jon Greenberg to his position and support him in expanding his program to other schools.nnoreply@blogger.com