tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post8323357085644466421..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Alternative Schools Coalition of Seattle prepares for the Alternative School AuditMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48166773891722574892009-03-24T20:05:00.000-07:002009-03-24T20:05:00.000-07:00I posted this on Harium's blog:I still don't see t...I posted this on Harium's blog:<BR/><BR/>I still don't see the problem with calling them choice schools. This would apply equally to alternatives, language immersion, montessori, or any other "special program". Everyone who is there choses to be there - as apposed to a safety net school where someone can be assigned. It seems to me that you would have a separate assignment process for opt-in schools than you would for a safety net school since there are way more conditions on a safety net assignment. <BR/><BR/>How insecure is it that the district is afraid of naming these programs "choice" because it would imply that the traditional schools were sub standard? God forbid they actually promote these gems and try to draw in some of the 20% of SPS kids who attend their optional private school.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-43040115008099754642009-03-24T19:35:00.000-07:002009-03-24T19:35:00.000-07:00How about "Opt-in schools" Positive without degra...How about "Opt-in schools" Positive without degrading the traditional schools. I would prefer Choice schools, but I can understand why they don't like it.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00199045752800199947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-87164740049749807432009-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:002009-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:00So, we had the meeting tonight (Monday); how'd it ...So, we had the meeting tonight (Monday); how'd it go? Anyone want to weigh in, or does this merit its own thread?<BR/><BR/>(WC: Speaking "hyprolly", as usual)Josh Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242600011474990770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-44291200827014558622009-03-22T18:11:00.000-07:002009-03-22T18:11:00.000-07:00I don't care for 'optional' at all but 'option' co...I don't care for 'optional' at all but 'option' could be ok (TOPS is "The Option Program at Seward," maybe that's where they got the idea.<BR/><BR/>I prefer "Choice." Though the positive connotations may work better for omnivores than for vegetarians!<BR/><BR/>'Re-entry' sounds good for the relevant schools (as long as that truly describes what they are.)<BR/><BR/>I am concerned that the Council of the Great City Schools seems to have a reason to misperceive our alternative schools. Maybe we should start talking about them as "magnet" schools (not that I think they are.)<BR/><BR/>I am disappointed that the international schools are treated as neighborhood schools under the proposed assignment plan. Are there people out there who purposely did not choose JSIS (or recently, Beacon) even though it was their reference school? I don't understand how they can expect kids to learn math and science in a foreign language as a default--it seems to me that you should have to actively choose an emmersion program.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38828994245332571682009-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:002009-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00I wonder if it's possible to "reclaim" the term al...I wonder if it's possible to "reclaim" the term alternative...Add a word, maybe...maybe from the checklist:<BR/><BR/>"Alternative Community School"<BR/> or sumthin'<BR/><BR/>Yes, Charlie, I agree that "re-entry" might be a good term for...re-entry schools. That is the function they serve (whether to suspended students, students who dropped out, students who are floating around the edge, teen mothers to come back to after childbirth...<BR/><BR/>It's not a glamorous title, but matter-of-fact and rather positive, if you think about it.<BR/><BR/>Safety Net conjures images of falling students, and while this might be true in some instances, its kinda negativeseattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46323594178003377772009-03-22T08:34:00.000-07:002009-03-22T08:34:00.000-07:00The District didn't like "choice schools"; I think...The District didn't like "choice schools"; I think they feared confusion between the expressions "choice schools" and "school choice".<BR/><BR/>They are in a tight spot because they don't want to call the alternative schools anything negative or negatively defined "non-traditional, non-reference" but they don't want to call them anything too positive either such as "innovative schools" because it makes it sound like the reference area schools are not innovative.<BR/><BR/>Another challenge is developing a new name for the safety-net schools. They are looking for something more positive than "safety-net".<BR/><BR/>What do y'all think about "opportunity schools" or "option schools" for the alternatives? Do "experimental" or "exploration" sound too uncertain?<BR/><BR/>I don't know why we can't call the safety net schools "re-entry schools", which is what they are without any judgements on it, good or bad. The kids will see right through a fake positive label. If we need a positive euphemism - and I don't think we do - then there's "opportunity schools", "foundation schools", and "advance schools".<BR/><BR/>What do other Districts around the country call their alternative and safety-net schools?Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56927961530323753162009-03-21T21:14:00.000-07:002009-03-21T21:14:00.000-07:00Beansa,The letter on the original post is Lara's. ...Beansa,<BR/><BR/>The letter on the original post is Lara's. I asked her if I could post it on the blog since she doesn't have the authorization to create threads.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39273559715152337172009-03-21T21:12:00.000-07:002009-03-21T21:12:00.000-07:00Thanks for posting the Milwaukee report, Eric. One...Thanks for posting the Milwaukee report, Eric. One of the things that stuck out for me was the finding that:<BR/>Student suspension-rate data and multiple interviews indicate that implementation of the<BR/>district’s suspension policies varies across schools (Appendix C). This evidence suggests<BR/>that the district operates as a system of schools, rather than as a school system.<BR/><BR/>I certainly hope they expect Seattle's alternative schools to work as a system of schools rather than a school system. <BR/><BR/>At the last meeting we spoke about the importance of educating the board on what "alternative" means in Seattle and how it is different then how "alternative" is perceived outside of Seattle.Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73914998206757250132009-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:002009-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00I do not know if the audit will be similar, howeve...I do not know if the audit will be similar, however CGCS did an audit of Alternative Schools in Milwaukee in Spring 2008. It seems that their Alternative schools are more of what would be called "Safety-Net" schools here. <A HREF="http://www.cgcs.org/Pubs/Milwaukee_AlternativeEducation.pdf" REL="nofollow">Report on Milwaukee Alt Ed audit</A>Eric Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18189880929481854088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34654169985205135612009-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:002009-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00I hope that the audit makes liberal use of the rec...I hope that the audit makes liberal use of the recent Board Policy (C54.00)and the more recent Alternative Education Report.<BR/><BR/>In addition, I might suggest that the auditing group spend a day down at The Evergreen State College whilst they're visiting our Great Northwest. A short tour and explanation of what makes THAT nationally recognized public school tick and why they succeed so in educating knowledgable, thoughtful, inquiring citizens would do the audit team good. It would give them a taste of what we mean around here when we say "choice."<BR/><BR/>(yes, word verifier, it's true...many at Evergreen SWANG around down there back when it was first established in the seventies...But they've matured, I swear!)<BR/><BR/>Omnia extares!<BR/>Go, Geoducs, go!seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48867312052907848492009-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:002009-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:00As a member of the Alternative Coalition, the citi...As a member of the Alternative Coalition, the citizen group that drafted the proposal that became the District's Alternative Education Policy C54.00, and a member of the District Alternative Education Committee, coauthoring (with a wide range of wonderful and wise parents, staff and student representation) the Alternative Education Report of June, 2007 (an excellent synthesis of anchor concepts that support alternative education - the product of hundreds of combined hours of effort, eyesight lost poring over the literature on alts, pounds gained eating pretzels and nuts...)<BR/><BR/>I vote for "Choice Schools."<BR/>It has the aspect of the district assignment plan embedded in it, and it also happens to name one of the most freeing agencies known to humankind.seattle citizenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16724175257161649500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39696724108868903552009-03-21T15:02:00.000-07:002009-03-21T15:02:00.000-07:00All-lottery schoolsCluster-schoolsAll-city schools...All-lottery schools<BR/><BR/>Cluster-schools<BR/><BR/>All-city schools<BR/><BR/>All-Draw Schools<BR/><BR/>As opposed to reference-neighborhood schoolsKand4momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12030036164323526706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78097108435636344402009-03-21T14:14:00.000-07:002009-03-21T14:14:00.000-07:00I'm going to write a thread about the district mee...I'm going to write a thread about the district meeting I attended this morning about assignment/high school math but there were a few things that pertain to this discussion.<BR/><BR/>They are looking for another name for alternative/non-traditional schools rather than "optional". Help them out if you can. There was a thought to call them "choice" schools because under the new draft assignment plan, you will have to apply to these schools (as opposed to doing nothing and being assigned to your assignment school). <BR/><BR/>Also, they said that the Council of Great City Schools would be doing an audit of alternative schools so you could look them up and see what that organization is about. I thought the Alternative Schools document was a pretty good one but obviously, the district wants to do it their way.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89290545295976716222009-03-21T14:02:00.000-07:002009-03-21T14:02:00.000-07:00Great letter Megan. Can I use yours as a template ...Great letter Megan. Can I use yours as a template for my letter?<BR/><BR/>I wonder at the lack of support for alternatives in SPS. Maybe we've had these great alt schools for so long that people just take them for granted now? Another thing that rubs me the wrong way about the "optional schools" terminology is that "optional" sounds a lot like "unnecessary" to me. And the alts are absolutely necessary, especially with the district's apparent move toward greater standardization.<BR/><BR/>When I first heard about the proposed alt audit, I thought it would be a good thing. But I've read a few things lately that suggest otherwise. Does anyone know anything about the organization that will be doing the audit. I will go do some google myself as well.beansahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05273094728921760335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-67014366116022152009-03-21T12:56:00.000-07:002009-03-21T12:56:00.000-07:00I wonder whether the "optional schools" should hav...I wonder whether the "optional schools" should have their own school director that would be responsive to each school's unique and varied needs and goals. I don't think that the alt schools (and K-8's especially) are well served by school directors whose experience and philosophy are aligned with traditional schools or a specific grade span (ie Ruth Medsker is a middle school specialist but she is in charge of K-8's).Megan Mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526624057081098551noreply@blogger.com