tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post7359105165291055114..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Community MeetingsMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25918334662086260822010-05-20T22:38:50.343-07:002010-05-20T22:38:50.343-07:00Megan and Spedvocate, now THAT's the way to ha...Megan and Spedvocate, now THAT's the way to handle a difference of opinion. No sneering, no namecalling, just "I know this about these schools" and "I know this about these schools because I went there".<br /><br />I appreciate the maturity and calmness in this interchange. Thanks.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75950403985081105862010-05-20T21:18:25.463-07:002010-05-20T21:18:25.463-07:00thanks fot the update speducate and you are right ...thanks fot the update speducate and you are right that the best way to really know a school is to go and visit.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23399705445998349742010-05-20T21:11:27.589-07:002010-05-20T21:11:27.589-07:00Hey Megan, my kids have been to and attended these...Hey Megan, my kids have been to and attended these schools. I assure you I haven't spoken of any school without firsthand, direct knowledge. I do know what I'm talking about. In particular, Morningside. They don't do severe, or even modereate, they don't like autism, they say so point blank, no behaviors, no cognitive problems. Well, that cuts out a lot... especially considering it is a school for the disabled. I'd say they're fairly snooty with their disabilities at this point, and would rather not even be known as taking students with disabilities at all. And that's really weird. If you didn't have a disability... you surely wouldn't want to attend Morningside. It's like they don't want to belong to a club that would have them. Sure, I can believe it might have been different at one point, I couldn't speak to that. But, these schools do provide service for some kids who aren't well served elsewhere and I give them full credit for it. <br /><br />But, I'd go further than recommending a vist to their websites, people should go to the school... or better yet, apply and/or attend. Then you'll really know.spedvocatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856421602337448025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-29471879630907078452010-05-20T18:49:09.785-07:002010-05-20T18:49:09.785-07:00Speducate, you are wrong about Morningside. The sc...Speducate, you are wrong about Morningside. The schoolis world famous for their work with autistic children. While that is no longer the area of focus for the school I would say a big portion of their population is on the autism spectrum. When I taught there I had students with profound learning and behavior issue (neurological disorders, brain injury, hard of hearing, odd, adhd, sensory processing issues, apraxia, autism (almost nonverbal)<br /> <br />As for SAAS 20% of the total population is part of the learning support program and the admissions process encourages families to identify as learningb differences are scene as an important part of diveristy. That said SAAS is a college prep academy so students who apply are looking to prepare for that and the school provides accommodations and support to help them. The school typically does not accept students with severe developmental delays or cognitive impairments. The school does accommodate a wide range of learning and attentional differences.<br /><br />I reccommend visiting the websites of some of these schools before you opine about what services they offer. You have made similar inaccurate statements with the alternative schools. I get that there is a lot of discrimination of sped students and especially for the severely disabled but you have to be careful about making broad statements about individual schools without first hand experience.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88889829550677807842010-05-19T17:12:17.717-07:002010-05-19T17:12:17.717-07:00SPS doesn't really have programs for any speci...SPS doesn't really have programs for any specific disability, as it is bad practice. It is also illegal under IDEA. (of course that has never bothered SPS) Programs most specifically are supposed to follow need, not label. So, there's no reason for it to have a specific Down Syndrome or Dyslexic program. They are dismantling the 1 disability labelled set of programs they do have, those for autism. As to those other schools:<br /><br />CHILD - a maximally restricted school. Basically a dump for all the surrounding districts. Those surrounding districts dump the severely disabled students they don't want at this school on Mercer Island. You wouldnt' want your kid there, believe me. And no, it doesn't do an especially wonderful job.. you just don't get kicked out.<br /><br />Morningside - a bit like all the other private schools. They don't take most disabilities, no autism, Down Syndrom, EBD, Prader Willi Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, William Syndrome, nor any other cognitive difference. They're more for students who can't hack public schools for whatever reason.<br /><br />Hard to say what would have happened to Alex in your excerpt, and it is commendable that SAAS took him on... but unfortunately, not too common either. My guess is his parents knew somebody. SPS doesn't do a lot for kids with many disabilities, but it does have to let them in the door.spedvocatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856421602337448025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-4031920945097512932010-05-19T10:55:01.491-07:002010-05-19T10:55:01.491-07:00OK Emerald Kity, you must not really know many typ...<i>OK Emerald Kity, you must not really know many types of disabilities</i><br /><br />I realize that disability is an enormous spectrum- my family participated in studies @ CDMRC/CHDD for over 16 years.<br /><br />The percentage of people in SPS/general population that have aspergers/ADD or other differences/syndromes that do not prevent them from getting an education or even advanced degree or having a professional career, is much larger than the numbers of people who have a chromosomal malformation such as Down's.<br /><br />Do we even have a Down's syndrome program in Seattle Public Schools?<br />How about for ADD or apraxia?<br /><br />Dyslexia?<br /><br />Given that all public schools do not attempt to insure that all students all well served- can we fault privately funded schools for limiting their focus?<br /><br />CHILD , Hamlin Robinson, Morningside are just some of the schools that serve students with disabilties better than what some families have found in SPS.<br /><br />In fact my daughters SPED teacher advocated for a private school where she would have more resources- <br /><br /><br />This is from last Saturdays Times.<br /><br /><i>When their infant son's condition was diagnosed, the doctor cautioned Tom Leavitt and Darcy Goodman against exploring the condition because it would "scare the hell out" of them.<br />They investigated anyway and learned their son, Alex, might never speak or walk. But, 24 years later, Alex Leavitt is graduating from the University of Puget Sound.<br /><br />His father, Tom, who's on the board of trustees, will hand Alex a diploma Sunday, capping a five-year journey leading to a degree in history.<br />"The kid who was never supposed to walk or talk, he's about to graduate from one of the fine liberal-arts colleges in the country," Tom Leavitt said last week. "I keep telling everybody it's going to be a two-handkerchief day."<br /><br />During his last university class, Alex sat at the front of the room with his pen in hand as other students scribbled notes.<br />Alex's pen never touched paper. It's not that he doesn't need to take notes.<br />He can't write.<br />Alex said he's had a lot of help on his path toward graduation.<br />He attended the private Seattle Academy, worked with private tutors and used school-provided note-takers.<br />Alex's motor skills did not develop fully. His father remembers teaching Alex how to pour a soft drink from a can into a glass and how to hold a toothbrush.<br />He might not be able to pronounce a word or he might drop seven pencils in a row, but he did it all with a sense of humor, said Wanda Elder, a Seattle Academy learning specialist who knows Alex from high school.<br />Over time, Alex realized he might have a shot at graduating from high school. When he did, he imagined going to college.</i><br /><br />What would have been his lot if he had stayed in SPS.<br />Most likely he would have a series of substitutes- given lots of dot to dot pages to pass the time- as other friend's kids have been given- would he have been identified as being able to graduate with a regular diploma let alone graduate from college?Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7970733722062596322010-05-19T10:02:38.867-07:002010-05-19T10:02:38.867-07:00OK Emerald Kity, you must not really know many ty...OK Emerald Kity, you must not really know many types of disabilities. FYI. Lakeside also now claims to take students with disabilities. So does Bush, look a their website, it claims not to discriminate based on disabilities. Lakeside has a "brain-lab" for learning problems. Yeah right. And UCDS, another... yeah right. Does SAAS or UCSD have any students with Down Syndrome? Do they have any non-verbal students? I know for a fact that UCDS would never even consider a student with Down Syndrome. They look kinda funny, and the other parents might think it would screw up their kid's reputations.<br /><br />The question for those school is... do they accept students who are fundamentally different and may not be able to produce the standard/expected results? Do they accept that students really do gain different things from exposure to standard curriculum and membership in school? Do they understand that success means different things for different people? No, No, and more No.<br /><br />Fundamentally, they might deal with a challenging student... that they picked up because they couldn't figure it out ahead of time. Or maybe they need the enrollment. Eg, wouldn't places like SAAS rather admit a student without a challenge, than one with a challenge? AND, if there were enough students without challneges, they'd surely dump the few slight problems they do have.<br /><br />Sure, there might be a private school out there that has accepts some more significant disabilites. Maybe Matheia has done this. Good for them.spedvocatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856421602337448025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68851451888190031442010-05-19T09:12:10.902-07:002010-05-19T09:12:10.902-07:00Matheia which is now in Ballard has students with ...Matheia which is now in Ballard has students with learning differences.<br />( When my daughter was there, they had students who were deaf ( and they have teachers who know ASL), students who had ADD/OCD/& similar issues and students with more extreme challenges)<br /><br />UCDS & SAAS also take kids with challenges. <br />( but if you stick to the big names like Bush & Lakeside- probably only if you are known in the larger community)<br /><br />There are others- and it depends on the learning differences-for example while my daughter needed OT therapy, ( as diagnosed by school district professional), it was not " severe" enough to be provided by the district.<br /><br />The OT attempted to teach me how to do the therapy myself- as we didn't have the money for outside provider ( ins doesn't cover it as it is considered " educational"), which didn't work so well- but her teachers at her private school were able to work a bit into her regular day- because the class sizes were so small.<br /><br />It makes me want to bang my head against the wall when I hear people say that because IEP's are a legal document that kids are getting what they need in SPS.<br />There are people who care in SPS. The OT was great- she didn't have to take time to educate me on what might help- but her hands were tied- she couldnt' say it was more severe than the district cuttoff.<br />Even though the difficulties impacted her ability to function- they weren't at a crisis point.<br /><br />Kinda like how we run maintenance on the buildings.Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21358982151671082002010-05-19T08:14:28.040-07:002010-05-19T08:14:28.040-07:00EmeraldKity, I'm glad you had that experience ...EmeraldKity, I'm glad you had that experience with what I would think is 1 private school. My experience is that private schools didn't want my son who has a special ed challenge. It was very disappointing and frustrating. Overall, most private schools do not offer special ed services.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-65793060524351777002010-05-19T06:11:58.737-07:002010-05-19T06:11:58.737-07:00There should be a Chinese/Spanish immersion path i...There should be a Chinese/Spanish immersion path in all parts of the city, and it should be an option program with strong tie breaker preference for siblings to provide a truly predictable and convenient path for families from elementary all the way through MS and HS. As so many have said, the district's approach is baffling, and - unbelievably - the NSAP made it worse! In West Seattle we have a somewhat fledgling attempt at an international elementary, but the district put it in the most inaccessible place possible - then after elementary, it would be a random lottery for access to the "International" MS and HS, unless you lived in that area. It would have been the perfect way to turn High Point (WSE) around, but nooooooo....wsnorthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03795943009142572757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66048046478850164672010-05-18T21:01:18.053-07:002010-05-18T21:01:18.053-07:00I agree that the language immersion/international ...I agree that the language immersion/international schools should be option schools because they are unique and have limited availability within the district. I don't know much about Beacon Hill or Concord, but I've been a parent at JSIS for 10 years, and I wouldn't describe JSIS as an alternative school in philosophy or pedagogy. Teaching in another language is not alternative the way AS1, Thornton Creek, Nova or Center school are alternative. <br /><br />JSIS is linked to BF Day, so if you live in the JSIS attendance area and don't want immersion, you are guaranteed a spot in BF Day. <br /><br />While native speakers unquestionably add to the classroom, and in the past JSIS has had seats for ESL students, we've never had a class with half native speakers. Nonetheless, I'd say the program is successful.<br /><br />I'm interested Lori's story about the Spanish/English bilingual family that was concerned about placement in the Chinese class. It is true that you are still unable to apply to "JSIS Spanish Kindergarten" of "JSIS Japanese Kindergarten" and my understanding it was an enrollment/VAX glitch. However, at the JSIS language lottery, the teachers interview any children who are bilingual (to be sure that they are bilingual, not just a parent claiming it) and if so, they are put in the appropriate class and are exempted from the lottery. I thought that the same system existed at Beacon Hill and Concord.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07629694033837924371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-2732367060122428412010-05-18T20:36:08.727-07:002010-05-18T20:36:08.727-07:00oops, here's the link:
http://newschools.org/p...oops, here's the link:<br />http://newschools.org/portfolio/ventures<br /><br />Here's there "investors":<br />The Annie E. Casey Foundation<br />The Aspen Institute<br />The Broad Foundation<br />CityBridge Foundation<br />Doris and Donald Fisher Fund<br />Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation<br />The Goldman Sachs Foundation<br />The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation<br />The James Irvine Foundation<br />myCFO Foundation<br />Noyce Foundation<br />Perkins Malo Hunter Foundation<br />Robertson Foundation<br />U.S. Department of Education<br />The Walton Family Foundation<br />Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosatiseattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57879284740908287362010-05-18T20:34:15.529-07:002010-05-18T20:34:15.529-07:00Been poking around New Schools Venture Fund, the b...Been poking around New Schools Venture Fund, the big players behind this "Manhattan-based" (ha!) NLNS group...they evidently provide funding for "entrepreneurs" who run charters etc.<br /><br />Here's a link to the "portfolio," some profit "ventures," some non-profit (but I'm sure paying a decent, non-union wage to their CEOs and others), some "real-estate management" companies (maybe cashing in on those tax credits)...overall, a bunch of entrepreneurs hoping to turn public education into an "enterprise."<br />Whow funds them?<br />Well, let's see, there's Gates, Broad....etc etc etc<br /><br />This ain't about making schools better, it's about attacking the teachers and their union. Plain and simple.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41484370052153906112010-05-18T20:24:56.809-07:002010-05-18T20:24:56.809-07:00Re Central Mom's OT post on the upcoming NY TG...Re Central Mom's OT post on the upcoming NY TGimes Magazine article on the "Teacher's Last Stand":<br /><br />Got a few lines in, first anti-union person cited is "Jon Schnur smile. Schnur, who runs a Manhattan-based school-reform group called New Leaders for New Schools"<br /><br />Went to NLNS website, fodun board, and, oooh, was I ever surprised! Their "Manhattan-based" board is:<br /><br />Board of Directors<br /><br />Josh Bekenstein, Managing Director, Bain Capital, LLC <br /><br />Christopher M. Chadwick, President, Boeing Military Aircraft Integrated Defense System <br /><br />John E. Deasy, Deputy Director, US Program, Education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation <br /><br />Domenic Ferrante, Managing Director, Bain Capital, LLC <br /><br />Barbara Hyde, President, J.R. Hyde III Family Foundation <br /><br />Vanessa Kirsch, President and Founder, New Profit Inc. <br /><br />S. Joshua Lewis (Board Chair), Founder & Managing Partner, Salmon River Capital <br /><br />Julie Mikuta, Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund <br /><br />Ted Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, NewSchools Venture Fund <br /><br />Jonathan Schnur, CEO & Co-Founder, New Leaders for New Schools <br /><br />Naomi O. Seligman, Senior Partner, Ostriker von Simson, Inc. <br /><br />LaVerne Srinivasan, President, New Leaders for New Schools <br /><br />Here's some info on Bain Capital, which NLNS Managing Director is affiliated with:<br />"About Us<br />Established in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world's leading private investment firms managing approximately $67 billion in assets under management. Our affiliated advisors make private equity, public equity, leveraged debt asset, venture capital, and absolute return investments across multiple sectors, industries, and asset classes. Since our inception, our competitive advantage has been grounded in a people-intensive, value-added investment approach that has enabled the firm to deliver industry-leading returns for our investors."<br /><br />The President of NLNS is of Boeing (hey, didn't they give a ton of money to the Alliance?)<br /><br />The Deputy Dirctor is from the Gates Foundation.<br /><br />Then the board has reps from New Profit, another Bain guy, Salmon River Capital, a bunch of people from New School Ventures...<br /><br />Sounds like the investors and the corporations have allied pretty will with the ed-reformers over there at NLNS.<br /><br />I'm soooo surprised.<br /><br />I'm also glad, because you KNOW how groups like these are reaching out to the poor and the minority communities for support...I know that the poor and the minority communities will really connect to these rich white people, and understand their message of hope.<br /><br />I doubt that venture capital in search of public dollars has anything to do with the "Last Stand for Teachers Unions," it just wouldn't make sense for corporate America to go after the unions...that's just crazy talk!seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85541820055310538802010-05-18T20:22:13.588-07:002010-05-18T20:22:13.588-07:00As a parent of two children with learning/processi...As a parent of two children with learning/processing and gross/fine motor differences I have to say loudly that my kids were well served in private schools and given generous financial scholarships as well.<br /><br />When my younger daughter wanted to attend public school with her friends , I had to quit my job just to deal with the hoops the schools and the district set up for her to even be partially served.<br /><br />I am frustrated when private schools are repeatedly held up as places that only serve the wealthiest as well as the " best"- when it was private schools that treated my kids like individuals first, and not as a problem to be dealt with as little as they could get away with.Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-76851728345568065862010-05-18T19:56:33.555-07:002010-05-18T19:56:33.555-07:00Harium's comment about Ms. Campbell's &quo...Harium's comment about Ms. Campbell's "frank and serious" nature sounds a bit patronizing. But then, that's what they hand special education families all the time.<br /><br />I wonder if staff thinks he let the cat outa the bag now. There's going to be parents and groups lining up to get their voices heard. But let's not out-PowerPoint the PP gurus. Our stories are compelling, and should play better than staff's talking points.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23090571974833114482010-05-18T17:48:35.923-07:002010-05-18T17:48:35.923-07:00Maureen, I would characterize what I heard at the ...Maureen, I would characterize what I heard at the meeting about STEM academy assignments as the typical "magical thinking" seen in preschoolers: Students get to choose. But it will be "balanced." it will happen it will happen it will happenChris S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17016898261120819596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-12977944531422917762010-05-18T15:20:30.902-07:002010-05-18T15:20:30.902-07:00I'm glad people brought this up because it'...I'm glad people brought this up because it's yet another peculiarity of our system. I have friends that are English/Spanish bilingual with a child at Beacon Hill. However, there was no guarantee for their child to be put in the Spanish-language program back when they first enrolled. They spent much of last spring hoping for Spanish but living with the possibility that their bilingual child would end up in the Chinese-language cohort. I remember thinking surely they were misunderstanding; why in the world would they put this child in Chinese instead of Spanish? Yet, apparently, there was no guarantee based on what languages you already speak upon admission. Hard to believe.Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07777580098975083499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74716704611938682452010-05-18T15:15:48.302-07:002010-05-18T15:15:48.302-07:00At the Curriculum Meeting they said that kids will...At the Curriculum Meeting they said that kids will be assigned to STEM academies in the same way they get a language at JSIS (and BioTech at Ballard). Get into the school first and then make a request. You aren't guaranteed your first choice. That seems so backwards. Why can't you choose an academy (or a language) and then go to a different school if you don't get your choice? <br /><br /><br />I've heard of families with strong Spanish skills (not native) being assigned to Japanese at JSIS. Not knowing if he would get into BioTech until after it was too late to pick a different HS made our kid skip Ballard altogether.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72597703076391603562010-05-18T15:09:19.132-07:002010-05-18T15:09:19.132-07:00I think that JSIS is linked to BFDay so that if yo...I think that JSIS is linked to BFDay so that if you don't want immersion you can treat Day as your assignment school (and have guaranteed spots for sibs). I think the other immersion schools are designed to have English language classes as well.<br /><br />That said, I completely agree with zb. I could have sent my 2nd kid to JSIS, but given the 50% chance of getting Japanese and her personality at the time I sent her to TOPS with her brother instead. She probably would have spent the first two years sitting under a desk crying in frustration. AND I didn't want all of her science and math to be in a foreign language.<br /><br />I know that TOPS is one of those schools that people say isn't 'really' alternative, but what it IS is a community of people who all chose to be there. When we joined up it had the feel of a co-op school. The academics were very strong but didn't feel rigid. Over time, the community has put more focus on social justice issues and less on the old 'city school' concept. Now it feels like those two are coming back together through a focus on compassionate citizenship K-8. But part of what makes us alternative is that the choice of focus is driven by the community and we all choose to be there.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31438558554795857562010-05-18T14:23:28.054-07:002010-05-18T14:23:28.054-07:00"I'll go out on a limb here, because I..."I'll go out on a limb here, because I've never seen anyone else say this, but I personally don't have any interest in sending my child to an immersion school."<br /><br />You are certainly not alone. I love the idea of a good immersion school (and agree that it requires the presence of a native-speaking cohort) to work. But, I've certainly talked to a number of parents who would not want to send their children to immersion programs. That was less of an issue when the "choice" + sibling preference meant that you could reasonably choose an alternative school to JSIS. But now, the lack of sibling preference makes that choice option much less tenable. You could, now, get into one of the other nearby schools, which aren't terribly over-subscribed, but then, you couldn't guarantee that a sibling could go to that school. <br /><br />The immersion schools really need to be Option schools.<br /><br />And, to respond to the "alternative" debate -- my take is that I don't care how an alternative school is defined. It's fine with me to call those "option" schools, which means that people canot be assigned to them, and that people can choose them. Then the schools can describe themselves. And, we could well have a perfectly ordinary regular school that happens to be an option school. <br /><br />I do think that mandatory assignment schools need to have a certain set of commonalities of offerings and staffing and populations.zbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205346985598789513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58703762131487338542010-05-18T14:14:36.598-07:002010-05-18T14:14:36.598-07:00Chris, I pass the Board notes at Work Sessions and...Chris, I pass the Board notes at Work Sessions and Committee meetings which they generally don't reference in specific but I sometimes hear them ask for a clarification based on what I have written. <br /><br />I know staff doesn't like this but again, it's the Board's meetings, not staff's. <br /><br />Also, I share your frustration over knowing something that staff doesn't - this happened to me at the BEX Oversight Committee meeting when they were asking if Hamilton would be filled when it reopened.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33500753059584334692010-05-18T14:11:40.763-07:002010-05-18T14:11:40.763-07:00Two words folks: Public Engagement. Keep pushing e...Two words folks: Public Engagement. Keep pushing every board member on the idea that it needs to get better. And supply them with key reasons why, as Chris is showing. Parents who know more about policies than board members, and often staff, need to have a bigger voice in this district.<br /><br />Now, OT: Just posted minutes ago, the NYT Magazine's main article this weekend will be on Race to the Top. Title: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/magazine/23Race-t.html?hp" rel="nofollow">The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand</a>. Nine pages online. Read it before staff and board does. Be prepared to discuss as you know they will be. Perhaps another thread should be started?Central Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05411595538958030193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50314053466453105432010-05-18T14:03:52.986-07:002010-05-18T14:03:52.986-07:00That idea got axed by MGJ earlier this year.
Who ...<i>That idea got axed by MGJ earlier this year.</i><br /><br />Who owns these meetings? The board or MGJ? I would have thought the board would own the rules for their own meetings.Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16540428343439198125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-58884823425270893332010-05-18T13:57:38.744-07:002010-05-18T13:57:38.744-07:00Charlie, we alt people would love to present. We&...Charlie, we alt people would love to present. We'd love to have a work session. That idea got axed by MGJ earlier this year. And what of our message is being filtered thru Enfield? I was a little surprised at the district ignorance in the room. At least Aleta managed to come up with our name. <br /><br />This was my second committee meeting - the first being a finance one -where I don't know very much. I was surprised and the small number of allowed-to-speak people in the room (7, and Aleta didn't really talk.) It was also striking that district staff could not provide information that I'm sure others sitting in the room could - if allowed to talk. Is this the usual situation? (pretty effed up, if you ask me) If so, I should share that one time Harium said we could <i>pass them notes</i>.Chris S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17016898261120819596noreply@blogger.com