tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post749057307953182775..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-11025730008231577442018-06-15T09:24:53.459-07:002018-06-15T09:24:53.459-07:00For students going to Lincoln. Ask for a course ca...For students going to Lincoln. Ask for a course catalog. I hear the school will be offering ONE AP class.Oh MYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19103644543904019582018-06-14T22:29:09.213-07:002018-06-14T22:29:09.213-07:00@anyone, do you mean you're hearing that every...@anyone, do you mean you're hearing that everyone will be scheduled into the same class but that the AP students will do the "extra" AP part during the zero period, or did you mean they'll be separate classes but offered at the same time, and you either select the regular or AP version, but if you do the AP version you might need to take a zero period for all/part (?) of the year in order to prepare for the AP exam? <br /><br />Does any other high school require students to take a zero period in order to take AP LA? If not, how is that equitable? If most schools can manage to teach AP classes during a regular day, LHS should be able to, too.<br /><br />Also, what does that mean for other AP classes? If you take an AP science class, do you also need an extra prep period for that one, too? AP math? AP social studies? AP foreign language? There are only so many zero periods during the regular school day. (Actually there are ZERO during the regular school day, but you get my point.) How would that work for kids who want/need take 3 or 4 AP classes to get the right level of challenge? <br /><br />And why are there no Lincoln planning meeting minutes posted since about a year ago? These are our BEX dollars at work--aren't they supposed to make the minutes (and agendas?) available? <br /><br />Zero ConfidenceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87451064458020633162018-06-14T17:09:34.318-07:002018-06-14T17:09:34.318-07:00What???? Why would they do that? Does this have to...What???? Why would they do that? Does this have to do with HCC being placed there at the last second? My kid is not HCC and is being moved from Ballard. We just want a regular, comprehensive high school, where they can take a few AP classes and some interesting regular classes. Now they are just all going to be both AP and regular, so realistically not very good versions of both??? Come on, district. These kids are being jerked around enough already. I wish we could stay at Ballard. It seems like a really well run school.<br /><br />Ducking DistrictAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27225050280523025042018-06-14T16:09:41.426-07:002018-06-14T16:09:41.426-07:00Can someone expand on the Lincoln HS info on AP co...Can someone expand on the Lincoln HS info on AP coursework? There is talk of AP and non-AP LA classes being scheduled at the same time (will classes follow the same general curriculum?) and AP students using a zero period for AP prep. Is this a means of serving students while classes ramp up to full 9-12 scheduling, or is this the model they're proposing as a means of fitting AP classes into a 7 period + advisory schedule??<br /><br />anyone?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72129628232251118692018-06-14T15:11:09.694-07:002018-06-14T15:11:09.694-07:00Former Souper, I'd like to ask you a question ...Former Souper, I'd like to ask you a question off-line. Could you write to me at sss.westbrook@gmail.com? Thanks.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40385796472835427342018-06-14T14:35:52.637-07:002018-06-14T14:35:52.637-07:00I suspect that most teachers and citizens are unaw...I suspect that most teachers and citizens are unaware of the state's not wanting to provide greater than 3% raise, and many are being told that the state just poured $1B into teacher salaries.<br /><br />Olympia will be watching Seattle and contract negotiations with great interest through out the state.<br /><br />Olympia must address the following issues during the next legislative session: Special education, levy cap, equity (some parts of the state don't have the ability to raise funds), and nurses.<br /><br />I don't think that Olympia will be kind to any district that does not work in tandem with the state. <br />Former Soupernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49529693205537780892018-06-14T13:10:34.225-07:002018-06-14T13:10:34.225-07:00How big was the raise Seattle educators received i...How big was the raise Seattle educators received in the last contract?<br />Albert, how much has a Seattle educator's salary risen over the last ten years or so?<br /><br />It sounds like you have some data on this - could you share?<br />Thanks.Seattle Citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13832728366881584295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60406679004501616832018-06-13T23:03:05.493-07:002018-06-13T23:03:05.493-07:00Albert, are you telling me you opposed the levy sw...Albert, are you telling me you opposed the levy swap? That we should have instead made the big corporations pay the cost of additional K-12 public school funds though closing tax loopholes and capital gains taxes? Because if so it will represent a very welcome change of heart.<br /><br />Admiral HalseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33765842046867457562018-06-13T16:02:46.741-07:002018-06-13T16:02:46.741-07:00for once I agree with delete me.
no capsfor once I agree with delete me. <br /><br />no capsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60835721656374960822018-06-13T15:26:27.658-07:002018-06-13T15:26:27.658-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25002663922281490552018-06-13T15:22:34.867-07:002018-06-13T15:22:34.867-07:00And you're right, Delete Me, I'm not a tea...And you're right, Delete Me, I'm not a teacher in Seattle struggling to pay the rent and student loans. I'm a taxpayer in Seattle struggling to pay the mortgage and student loans, PLUS property tax increases to PAY for these teachers' salaries.<br /><br />And when I have to pay for my kids' classroom supplies because the teachers grab up the MSOC money and the local enrichment levy money for their own salaries, I get a little testy.<br /><br />And don't start in on the "well the state should have paid for it so we didn't have to" bit. WE ARE THE STATE. We pay for this stuff. All of it. Whether the state's charging the property tax or the district is charging the property tax, we pay no matter what.<br /><br />AlbertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-5366093878245651782018-06-13T15:16:37.034-07:002018-06-13T15:16:37.034-07:00It is disgusting to witness one of the district...It is disgusting to witness one of the district's best and most dedicated teachers lectured by a shrill troll. Pick someone else to kick Albert - maybe a baby bird or a puppy. Go back to your country club. The teachers are the last thread holding this district together. "Enrichment activities"?? Give me a break. <br /><br />-CynicAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39221353748304041062018-06-13T15:09:08.431-07:002018-06-13T15:09:08.431-07:00Delete Me, the legislature addressed the higher co...Delete Me, the legislature addressed the higher cost of living regions like Seattle by creating the "regionalization factor." Teachers in the highest cost districts receive up to 24% increases above the new base salary amounts to account for those costs.<br /><br />So, there was an effort to "get real" about salaries in high cost areas like Seattle.<br /><br />AlbertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38282315985653787272018-06-13T15:05:25.476-07:002018-06-13T15:05:25.476-07:00The court has determined that the legislature met ...The court has determined that the legislature met their duty to fund education. Funding teacher salaries was the last part of the equation.<br /><br />"The 2017 law boosted the starting salary for new teachers and set average salaries for teachers, staff and administrators to be paid for with state funds. And the law capped wage hikes for the upcoming 2018-19 school year — which is the period covered in most contracts getting negotiated — to no more than the percentage increase in the Seattle consumer price index.<br />This year’s law preserved the starting pay and average salary targets, and the one-time cap on increases, which turns out to be 3.1 percent."<br /><br />Senator Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and chief budget writer was an advocate for additional funding. Here is what she has to say:<br /><br />“We didn’t come out of the session saying everybody gets a raise,” said Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, the lead Senate budget writer and one of those negotiating education policy bills. “We said every district will get more state money.” and “2018 is not supposed to be a raucous year for bargaining,” Rolfes said. “But it may turn out to be.”<br /><br />Washington state legislature understands that special education funding needs to be addressed.<br /><br />During the last strike, SPS board and district were criticized for providing raises under the premise that the legislature would fulfill McCleary. I highly doubt the legislature would show compassion for negotiating high increases.<br /><br />The district has yet to face a budget that deals with a lower levy lid. SEA must consider this fact.<br /><br /><br />SEA and the district have plenty of time to negotiate. I will not support another strike.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Former Soupernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71575320840024599942018-06-13T15:01:35.878-07:002018-06-13T15:01:35.878-07:00"They have determined that attending IEP meet..."They have determined that attending IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and grading papers are NOT basic education and that they should receive additional pay from local enrichment levies to pay their time to attend these meetings and to grade their papers. So instead of these dollars being spent on students for enrichment activities, teachers are planning to grab this money for salaries too."<br /><br />This is why I haven't missed Albert in the least. All those things take time. I would think grading papers is part of a teacher's day already. But if teachers want to get paid for the time they put in, then they should be. I'm not sure how to dispute that except to get into a quarrel about what is basic education.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79772516707305945872018-06-13T14:53:54.042-07:002018-06-13T14:53:54.042-07:00Mercermom, I'm talking about the closed FB gro...Mercermom, I'm talking about the closed FB group for Garfield High School Families, to which you can send a membership request. There was a post and discussion about the attendance policy initiated on April 30.<br /><br />Completely agree about the charade and everything else, those exact same points have been raised in our house. It's disappointing because otherwise our Garfield experience has been excellent. And it's true that for us the change has had no impact, but your experience validates my uneasiness that the policy be selectively enforced by teachers caught in the middle. I'd like the policy to codify that students who notify teachers in advance, and who make necessary arrangements to make up missed work, be allowed to do so. After all isn't the goal an education, not attendance? That your child sat for a make-up exam only to have the score zeroed out for an absence marked U vs E is beyond absurd.<br /><br />FNHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66023075090746382582018-06-13T14:43:55.814-07:002018-06-13T14:43:55.814-07:00@Albert
How much has housing increased in Seattle...@Albert<br /><br />How much has housing increased in Seattle since the last teacher contract? More than 15%? Thought so.<br /><br />Teachers are being priced out of where they teach. This has long been an issue in places like San Francisco, where public servants like firefighters, police and teachers can't afford to live.<br /><br />Your points to dispute Mr. M's inaccurate information were needed.<br /><br />Your portrayal of teachers in Seattle as money-grubbers ("teachers are planning to grab this money", for one) is disgraceful.<br /><br />Do you have an agenda or what? Sure sounds like it. You definitely aren't a teacher in Seattle who is struggling to pay the rent and student loans.<br /><br />Get real.<br /><br />Delete MeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82727987553963731752018-06-13T14:18:16.847-07:002018-06-13T14:18:16.847-07:00Mr. Moriarty, the state Supreme Court DID NOT &quo...Mr. Moriarty, the state Supreme Court DID NOT "factually state that [teachers] are well underpaid even with TRI and that increased compensation is required" nor did they declare "compensation must significantly increase."<br /><br />The SC never made any such rulings.<br /><br />AlbertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-71477148778073751832018-06-13T13:58:11.219-07:002018-06-13T13:58:11.219-07:00FNH: Would you mind telling me how to join the GH...FNH: Would you mind telling me how to join the GHS parents group you mentioned? <br /><br />We were also offered the option of turning athletic absences into supposed college visits, but my student did not want to go through that charade. And why should we all participate in pretending to abide by a policy for which the school administration has explained no legitimate educational rationale? Yes, attendance at school is important. But if the school will excuse absences for any and all GHS activities -- including watching the basketball teams play in the state tournament, is it really serving an educational goal to have a blanket rule that an absence will never be excused for a non-GHS activity? Especially when some activities -- e.g., rowing -- are not offered at school and may be important to a student's future educational opportunities.Mercermomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11820981090303152934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10730709523565130672018-06-13T13:44:40.143-07:002018-06-13T13:44:40.143-07:00@Albert
I'm stating my perspective and gen...@Albert<br /><br /> I'm stating my perspective and generally what we want. There is no way to be wrong there. The Supremes did factually state that we are well underpaid even with TRI and that increased compensation is required. So compensation must significantly increase in order to meet the Supreme Courts definition for our work. <br /><br /> Workload that results from being overworked (and yes we put in about 13 months of work in 10) needs to be addressed as well. More staff need to be hired in order to take back work we've been doing for decades based on the inadequate funding. <br /><br /> I hope your day goes better but I for one am not taking one iota more work or responsibility for the failures of the legislature. <br /><br />Mr. Theo MoriartyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47903988531901733672018-06-13T13:11:33.060-07:002018-06-13T13:11:33.060-07:00Nearly everything that Mr. Moriarty stated above i...Nearly everything that Mr. Moriarty stated above is patently false.<br /><br />The legislature did not designate nor did the court approve/affirm an appropriate amount of pay for teachers. Under the McCleary funding plan, the legislature set minimum, average, and maximum salary amounts. They also specifically eliminated the salary allocation model, the salary grid, and the staff mix factor. Within the boundaries of minimum and maximum salaries, the legislature did not require an salary requirements nor determine a set salary increase. Thus, McCleary DID NOT require a 15% salary increase for teachers.<br /><br />And the court had no role whatsoever in this policy setting nor did they specifically affirm salary policy beyond requiring the legislature to pay the full cost of salaries and for salaries to be at a market-rate and enough to attract and retain high-quality teachers. The court had no role in setting the policy to achieve these mandates.<br /><br />Where Mr. Moriarty came up with 15% is the amount of increase to salaries the legislature adopted in the McCleary plan. However, that percentage relates to the increase in the state's contribution to salaries. One major issue in the lawsuit was that local levies were covering the costs of teacher salaries and that was found to be unconstitutional. What the legislature essentially did was increase state funding for salaries, thus covering the full cost of those salaries. Meaning that local levy funds would no longer be needed for salaries, thus freeing those funds up for enrichment activities rather than basic education.<br /><br />That 15% increase was not earmarked for salary increases at the local level but rather to substitute state funds for local funds. In other words, the color of the money changed, not the overall amount contributed to salaries (besides the increase to the minimum salaries and the average salary amount). Mr. Moriarty and SEA and WEA want you all to believe the $1 billion the legislature allocated during the 2018 session was intended for salary increases --- that is false. The truth is that the legislature simply moved up its timeline for covering the full cost of teacher salaries one year and that move to the timeline cost $1 billion.<br /><br />Most people here remember the teacher strike a few years ago and the salary increase SPS teachers received as a result of that strike. SPS needed local levy funds to cover a portion of that increase until the legislature covered the full cost. Well, that time has come. The teachers ALREADY received their raises and now the legislature is paying for them. What Mr. Moriarty and SEA are essentially proposing is that they receive their base salaries, raises, and TRI pay (which portions of were covered by local dollars) agreed to following the last strike AND get a 15% increase on top of all that, including TRI increases. That's quite the windfall. How many of you received a 3% COLA a few years ago and believe you're now entitled to another 15% pay raise?<br /><br />Lastly, one thing Mr. Moriarty isn't telling you is that SEA/WEA are looking for additional pay beyond their proposed 15% increase. They have determined that attending IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and grading papers are NOT basic education and that they should receive additional pay from local enrichment levies to pay their time to attend these meetings and to grade their papers. So instead of these dollars being spent on students for enrichment activities, teachers are planning to grab this money for salaries too.<br /><br />As the SEA plans to re-negotiate their contracts --- which will continue to occur under the cover of darkness before the school board rubber stamps the collective bargaining agreement --- we should all be paying attention to the details and making sure they're not really striking so that don't have to attend IEP meetings without additional pay...<br /><br />AlbertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77456691954792504182018-06-13T13:07:55.105-07:002018-06-13T13:07:55.105-07:00Mercermom, have you joined the private Garfield pa...Mercermom, have you joined the private Garfield parent page? A couple of parents offered to spearhead a coordinated effort to address this issue, but then nothing more really came of it that I'm aware. I'm willing to get involved myself.<br /><br />In the meantime, the solution unfortunately is to simply LIE and say your child is/was ill. I went ahead and turned in the absence forms knowing they would be unexcused - since I was informed each time - but my child assured me our teachers were accommodating. The Desert School trip added a stop at Wenatchee College to "excuse" one day for the kids, but I wrote on our form that we'd rather take the unexcused absence instead. I do not want to "spend" an allotted college visit absence on a college my child will never attend, when my understanding (perhaps incorrect) is that there are only seven "excused" college visit days in total.<br /><br />FNHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56629409956765143902018-06-13T13:06:36.899-07:002018-06-13T13:06:36.899-07:00"It is true Mercermom, the SPS abdicates all ..."It is true Mercermom, the SPS abdicates all responsibility for coherent policies in favor of allowing Principals to establish policy on a case by case basis."<br /><br />Absolutely true. Every single principal has discretion over what gets excused and what doesn't. 99 schools and 99 different polices. It's madness. <br /><br />I have my own list of top 5 things I'd like incoming Super Juneau to addressed and principals is one of them.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-68835327397950849042018-06-13T13:03:59.452-07:002018-06-13T13:03:59.452-07:00So no children can participate in high level gymna...So no children can participate in high level gymnastics or dance that involves competitions. Please Mr. Howard - STATE THAT IN LARGE FONT ON THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE FRONT PAGE - so that parents and children will know ahead of time that extra-curricular activities will not be tolerated. <br /><br />Look, the district administration is a house of liars. Just lie and tell them your child is ill. That is what we do. They don't deserve the courtesy of good intentions. <br /><br />BTW, I also will use my vote to screw the district out of further funding every chance I get - just because of the way families and teachers have been treated. <br /><br />YouAllLie<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37668421322453245762018-06-13T12:23:38.443-07:002018-06-13T12:23:38.443-07:00Oh, we're furious. We felt compelled to withd...Oh, we're furious. We felt compelled to withdraw our student from GHS because we are unwilling to force a compromise in either academic or athletic aspirations in service of a seemingly arbitrary policy that the principal won't even explain. I appreciate that individual principals need flexibility to deal with their own school communities. If there is a compelling reason, then explain it to the families and students. <br /><br />In case anyone else wants to push back on this GHS policy choice as a community, this is from the SPS Deputy General Counsel:<br /><br />From: Cerqui, John [mailto:JCERQUI@seattleschools.org] <br />[deletions to maintain anonymity]<br /><br />. . . . I met with Mr. Howard, Mr. Starosky, and Ms. Pritchett yesterday to talk about the attendance rules. The school wants to stay with its current rule of only excusing absences for Garfield High School approved and related activities. Mr. Howard is allowed to make this decision under WAC 392-400-325, which is a different application from what other schools in SPS allow and different from what Garfield previously allowed.Mercermomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11820981090303152934noreply@blogger.com