Seattle Schools Community Forum

As Scarlett O'Hara said, "What I wouldn't say if I wasn't a lady?" Their latest editorial - full of tiresome terms, innuendo and flat-out hectoring - was printed today.   And boy, are their knickers in a twist. First, the ever-popular cry of "don't micromanage."  No one is but they keep saying it whenever people they don't like get elected. Then they treat McLaren and Peaslee like little children. Then they call out Smith-Blum and Patu that they should read the policy 1620 as a reminder. Do they call out Martin-Morris or Carr?  Of course not. They also say this: One board member reportedly ordered Enfield to fire some employees. To which I said: You know, for a fact, that a Board member ordered Enfield to fire employees? Where is your evidence or proof? Because if you truth-challenged people HAD any, there would be a story by Brian Rosenthal and not an editorial.  Then they said: At a recent retreat, another raised the ...

The Board had a half-day retreat last Saturday with all the directors in attendance.   Others in the room included Noel Treat, head legal counsel, Holly Ferguson, director of policy and governance, Susan Enfield, superintendent, Karen Reed, consultant, Theresa Hale, School Board office administrator.  (There was to be someone from the Alliance but she didn't show.  This was somewhat disturbing to me because even though the Alliance states they now want to guide SPS policy, I have no idea why the Board thinks this should be so.) Michael DeBell and Sherry Carr have been the lead directors around this work.  This work is slated to be finished and voted on by the Board by May./June 2011.   Karen Reed led and guided the discussion. This retreat was around revisions/additions to core policies around the Governance and Oversight Policy .  Basically, what is the work that the Board does?  Namely: Board Oversight of Management - purpose, oversigh...