Seattle Schools Community Forum

  In what is the biggest story for our district (and all districts in this state) is the likely reality of the Legislature going into a Special Session to complete the budget.    The impacts of this delay to our school districts is big and those impacts should have been considered at the start of the session.

Both the Operations and Audit&Finance Committees have meetings tomorrow, Thursday the 13th.  In addition, there is also a Work Session.  Audit&Finance and Operations both start at 4:30 p.m. and the Work Session on Technology starts at 6:30 pm. I call this out because Operations and A&F did not have their agendas out until yesterday.  Again, I have to smile and wonder.  These are very lengthy agendas.  There is truly no possible way to cover everything in them except as a brief update.  The Board is supposed to use these committee meetings to go over - in detail - issues.  I realize a lot needs to get done but I wonder why these agendas are so lengthy for such a short period of time. Operations agenda .  Items to cover: - wireless network deployment - various upgrades/renovations/repairs at several schools - one item that caught my eye is Olympic Hills where there is a "resolution" about the new construction but also a "resolu...

As previously noted, there is an Executive Committee meeting tomorrow morning.  Here is the agenda.    These agenda seem to be quite terse with topics like "government relations", "community engagement" and you have no idea what the specifics of that discussion might be. They are going to be talking about audience participation at Board meetings so if you don't like either the new Board meeting start time and/or 2-minute limit, you might want to let Board members know this. (schoolboard@seattleschools.org) There is to be an Executive Session of the Committee at the end of the meeting on "real estate matters". The Operations Committee also has their agenda available.  Looks like they will be looking at: - some capital issues including Genesee Hill.  - Tracy Libros from Enrollment will be speaking on enrollment, child custody and district attendance area transfers as well as the student assignment plan for 2013-14.  - short-term and intermedia...

As summer is slowly winding down (but not temperature-wise - yay!), the number of District meetings is slowly ramping up. Monday, August 13th Curriculum&Instruction Meeting from 4-6 p.m.  This is quite the folksy agenda as practically everyone is IDed by their first name.  I'm thinking this isn't a final agenda as there are number of scratch-outs.   There are a number of policies to be discussed including  Ensuring Educational Equity, Advanced Learning, Definition of a High School Credit, Copyright Compliance, and Equitable Access Status Review. They were to discuss the Creative Approach Schools Board oversight process but sadly, that is scratched out.  I'll have to ask why as I think this is a big deal to those who were hoping the process would move forward quickly.  It isn't even in the "parking lot" list.  Wednesday, August 15th Board Meeting at 4:15 p.m.  Agenda (it's a huge one).

I have just a few questions about the Transportation Plan that are bugging me.

Monday Curriculum and Instruction meeting from 4-6 p.m.  All the agenda says is " Board policies C and D."   "C" is Curriculum & Instruction and covers the following: curriculum (world languages, adoption of instructional materials, approval of supplementary instructional materials), instructional resources, instructional programs (online learning), Special Education and Staff Development. "D" is Students and covers the following: student assignement, student rights and responsibilities and discipline. I don't know what the meeting will cover but one reader said it may be about online learning. Wednesday Work Session: Distribution Services from 4-5:30 p.m.   Should be educational because I know almost nothing about this area. Public Hearing about the Debt Service Fund ( which services our bond debts like BEX and the debt on the Stanford Headquarters).  This is from 5:30-5:45 p.m. and it's short because it's likely to be only me an...

From the Stranger comes reporter Riya Bhattacharjee's look into Peter Maier and red flags that he either didn't follow-thru on or didn't wave in the faces of his colleagues.   The key one? As chair of the school board's Operations Committee, Maier acknowledges that he read warnings in a document called the Sutor report, commissioned by the district, about irregularities with a small-works contracting program, originally a component of the regional small-business development program. Peter had The Sutor Group report (given to him at an Ops Committee meeting by Stephens).  I have never heard Peter say why Stephens gave it to him (and only him) but that seems to be the case. At a March 6 school board meeting, right before the board unanimously voted to fire superintendent Goodloe-Johnson for her role in the scandal, Maier said he had been alerted to the problems and didn't tell the board. Bhattacharjee was looking for evidence that it might have made a d...

Tuesday Joint Town Hall with the Superintendent and Mayor at South Shore K-8, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  (it's a two-hour event; I wonder how much of it will be Q&A.) Wednesday Public Hearing on the Budget from 4-5:00 p.m. at  headquarters.  You know folks, it IS worth your while to speak out and go on record.  Whatever your concern or unhappiness with the public, register it.  (I believe you can also send e-mails which will go into the record but I will check.) Thursday Operations Committee meeting from 4-6 p.m.  No agenda released yet. You'll note that I didn't put in the Last Day of School times.  That's because the district website reflects something different from what information I received directly from Communications.   Also, reviewing the information from Communications, it is unclear to me which day middle school is releasing on.  They have it listed on both June 21 and June 23rd. I'll check but the word in the "labels" is how I ...

(Update on Wednesday Work Session: Spoke to Joan in the Board office. The Work Session is to be about the Strategic plan as it had been previously bumped by the Integrated planning work. This is a quarterly update on the SP.) Monday afternoon is the Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting from 4-6:30 p.m. in the Board conference room. The agenda reflects the following topics: alternative schools with Thornton Creek principal John Miner presenting professional development waiver/parent/teacher conference waiver - I believe this is about not making up the days missed due to snow Board policy on school attendance schools of innovation (Susan Enfield) textual materials adoption update course of study discussion newly enrolled students school assignment's (sic) The previously canceled NW Regional meeting on Student Assignment is tomorrow night, Monday, Dec. 13th at Ingraham High from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Tuesday , December 14th is last informal drop-in session on the Tra...

(Update: sorry, I had put SE, not Central. This is the Central Region meeting.) The third of the regional meetings will be tonight at Garfield High School from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Garfield is located at 400 23rd Ave South. I would love to go to this one but I have a neighborhood meeting to attend. I hope someone attends and lets us know what the discussion was. (I did e-mail Tracy and the Board about shortening the district presentation so that more detailed questions and answers/discussion can take place.) There is also an Operations Committee meeting tomorrow from 4-6 p.m. in the Board conference room. On the agenda: - various BEX and BTA projects - NSAP transition plan (interesting and what's that about?) -capital monthly report - 2010-2013 Technology plan

Monday is the Curriculm and Instruction Policy Committee meeting from 4:30-6:00 (this is in the Board conference room). Charlie posted the agenda in a different thread but there are 5 items on the agenda and I have to wonder if they will get to them all. One thing that is of interest is that one item is the Alternative Schools Evaluation/Review (who/when) and also under the STEM update "alternative learning experience process". It is interesting that the alternative schools audit was done and nothing done with it and now they are talking more about it because of STEM. Then there is the School Board meeting on Wednesday, the 19th at 6:00 p.m . To sign up to speak, call (252-0040 )or e-mail (boardagenda@seattleschools.org) the Board office starting Monday morning. There is an Operations Committee meeting on Thursday from 4-6 p.m . in the Board conference room. That agenda is not yet posted.