Seattle Schools Community Forum

From the White House (partial): Today, the Obama Administration announced the President’s plan to create a national Science, Math, Technology, and Engineering (STEM) Master Teacher Corps . The STEM Master Teacher Corps will begin in 50 locations across the country, each with 50 exceptional STEM educators. Over the next four years the Corps will expand to include 10,000 of the best STEM teachers in the nation. In joining the STEM Master Teachers Corps, these educators will make a commitment to champion the cause of STEM education in their respective communities, and will receive additional resources to mentor math and science teachers, inspire students, and help their communities grow. In a roundtable today with a group of K-12 math and science teachers at the White House, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz, OSTP Director Dr. John Holdren, and PCAST Co-Chair Dr. Eric Lander announced the proposal, which the Administrat...

From the National PTSA: National PTA®, in partnership with the White House and U.S. Department of Education, announced at its 116th Annual Convention and Exhibition an unprecedented opportunity to recognize extraordinary PTA volunteers. Twelve PTA members working to improve the lives of children through involvement in PTA and education will be honored as White House Champions of Change at a special event and policy briefing with PTA leaders from across the country at the White House in August. Individuals can nominate exemplary PTA members who have dedicated time, talent and a powerful voice to improving educational equity and opportunity for every child.  To nominate someone, visit the White House Champions of Change website by July 10.  “As parents, both President Obama and I have so much respect for the work parents do as PTA leaders. In Washington, we aim to be a supportive partner with states, school districts and schools but we know that the rea...

Following up on the reports of President Obama's remarks about standardized test comes an article in the NY Times about what some bloggers wrote and the White House reaction.

So Hec Ed is starting to fill up. It's a much smaller venue than Key Arena so it feels more intimate. - saw someone go by in the hall with a UW jersey with OBAMA on the back - saw kids from Juanita High who said their school allowed them to miss school for the event with their parents permission - a LOT of young people (but you would expect that with it being at UW) - saw Suzan DelBene (running against Dave Reichert) 10:30 am - the crowd did the wave three times, fun - the White House was streaming the backyard meeting live - the always entertaining Total Experience Gospel Choir just sang "God Bless America", Lean on Me 11:05 -practice the Patty cheer - UW Student Body president tells the crowd that UW was recently ranked 23rd in the world Now we're getting somewhere, here's Dow Constantine. Followed by Suzan DelBene (okay speaker), Jay Inslee (great speaker but holy cow, you have to be a Husky to get elected in this state, lot of good things about UW - said h...

(Update on Bellevue schools below.) Shocking, I tell you, just shocking. Stay in school and listen to the grown-ups in your life. Realize that even if you have challenges, teachers are there to help you and you can achieve. That's what Obama is going to tell American school children tomorrow. Gosh, you should read it for yourself what terrible and abusive things Obama will be saying tomorrow at schools across the nation. From the LA Times story: "On Thursday, Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, accused the president of attempting to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda." According to Greer, "the idea that schoolchildren across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run healthcare, banks and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president, is not only infuriating but goes against the beliefs of the majority ...

So I watched Obama's speech and listened for what he might say on education. He had a fair amount to say. In his speech: He said there would be a $2500 college tuition tax credit. Great but here's this from MSN's Smart Money: "The Obamas -- who were still saddled with student loans well into their 30s -- are also likely to take a stab at whittling down college debt. Obama wants to more than double the $1,800-a-year tax credit for college tuition and fees, which would apply to families making up to about $115,000 a year. But "things are never as simple as they seem," notes Lauren Asher, the vice president of the Institute for College Access and Success . In the past, for-profit colleges have often either raised tuition or decreased their own student aid to offset such gains in federal aid. For now, most college funding advisers are assuming that strapped parents won't see much relief." Still, not everyone goes to a for-profit college so it may hel...