Seattle Schools Community Forum

Remember Kids,Not Cuts?  I think they may be back in business soon because I'm hearing of schools fighting staff cuts already.  Here's the latest.

Kyle Stokes ‏ @ kystokes 1h 1 hour ago “It’s a balancing act,” says @ seapubschools ’ Jacque Coe — says there are schools that beat enrollment projections and in need of teacher. Kyle Stokes ‏ @ kystokes 1h 1 hour ago “These are not cuts. No one is losing their job,” said @ seapubschools spox Jacque Coe of impending teacher shuffle. # waedu Kyle Stokes ‏ @ kystokes 1h 1 hour ago Why not allocate teachers conservatively to avoid cuts? @ seapubschools says that's logistically tough. Adding teachers also disruptive. West Seattle Blog reporting:

The Board has now smushed today's Executive Committee of the Whole together with the Work Session.  Agenda here . Kids Not Cuts is planning to listen in, hoping the Board may talk about the current staffing issues.  The meeting starts at 4:30 pm so be there by 4:15 pm if you want to sit with the group.  To the meeting topics: - P reschool - there is some delusion out there that City's pre-K program is both going to expand in SPS as well as trump before-after school program space.  Given the two classrooms that are City-enrolled and way under capacity, I find it hard to understand how the district could choose to take on more. - Alliance for Education.   This should be interesting, given how bad the relationship has been for the past year.

 The Seattle Times has two stories on the staff cuts at more than 25 Seattle Schools. One is Danny Westneat's column whose headline made me smile, "Outraged Seattle Public Schools parents, pace yourselves."  Sigh. He's right.  (BUT I do believe we ARE hitting a tipping point and it is to the parent side. Sadly, there will be more pain before healing but I believe the day of reckoning is coming and parents are going to (mostly) win this one.

Sent to the Board this morning: Dear Directors, You have an Executive Ctm Meeting of the Whole on Wednesday.  I am asking you to please consider 10 minutes to discuss hitting the pause button on the extensive cuts that affect schools in every single region that the Board covers.  You have it within your power - having an advertised public meeting of the whole - to ask the Superintendent to not make these cuts until they have been clearly and transparently explained to parents.  I just sent Ken Gotsch these questions at the end of this e-mail. Do you know the answers to all of these?  If not, hit the pause button. At the very least, you need to commit to a policy to end October surprise staff cuts like these.   Senior staff have pointed out that these happen in other districts as well.  But other districts ALSO now have policies against doing this.  SPS should as well. Sincerely, Melissa Westbrook Seattle Schools Community Forum blog