Seattle Schools Community Forum

Update 2: it appears someone has either tried to hide the Holland donation to Jones or sent it back (AFTER this thread was posted) because it's no longer posted at the PDC.  Hmm. As well, look who else joined the party...Vulcan just kicked in $2,000. End of update  Update: A few interesting developments. 1) Remember those donors to Jones' campaign, Clyde and Rena Holland,who also gave money to Tim Eyman? Know who else they gave money to? Donald J. Trump for president (via the Puget Sound Business Journal.)  Now, Chris Reykdal got rounded criticized for mentioned Trump in a donor letter but apparently, he wasn't too far off the mark. 2) Once again, I am getting heat for reporting what a candidate said.  There are even a couple of people who think Senator Carlyle is not telling the truth.  You have to ask yourself, "Why would he lie?"  That Jones remains silent on this issue should tell you something.  I also note that I would have to wonder...

Rep. Reuven Carlyle on the ongoing budget issues during the Legislative Special Session: I have been unrelentingly  critical of the 2015 Senate budget that is predicated on an extraordinary level of marijuana revenues. Unfortunately, thanks in part to a quirk of timing, the non partisan Economic & Revenue Forecast Council is projecting marijuana tax collections that are astronomical and, in my view, based on faulty assumptions. This, in effect, implies that the state Senate’s heavy reliance on marijuana taxes is reasonable. Regardless of the past, marijuana revenues are too new, too uncertain and too unpredictable to be a responsible basis of an education budget. I find it ironic that on the issue of marijuana taxation it is Democrats–who generally supported I-502– who are more cautious and fiscally conservative and  Republicans –who generally opposed I-502– who are acting more like big sp...

This issue of homes for Cascade and NW Center Kids is  but one of the first capital dominoes to fall.   The new 2014-2015 budget reflects that the growth isn't quite what the district expected.  At this point, that doesn't matter. The district simply does not have the capacity for the students who continue to pour in.  There will be more dominoes and the number and speed at which they fall will only get faster.   There are huge mistakes being made in our capital building and thinking.   Someone needs to have the political courage to do something but what is it going to take? I have heard from a number of different people on the front lines of the issue of housing both  Cascade Parent Partnership and NW Center Kids.   There has been an astonishing amount of "haven't heard from them", "didn't know" and "they offered no options."  Somewhere in there is the truth.   It's like in Cool Hand Luke - "What we've g...

Here's the latest on this story: From My Northwest : So far, the only response from the school district came in an email saying they'll let Northwest Center know the next step after enrollment numbers are in on March 7 . By that time, Northwest Center will have just three months left to figure out a plan.  From The Stranger Slog , now we have a Seattle legislator involved: The Northwest Center understands that they may have to move, but is asking for more time to find a suitable location for their developmentally and physically disabled students, many of whom require a facility that will accommodate their specific needs. SPS spokesperson Teresa Wippel told me that the old Van Asselt school has been offered to the Northwest Center, but Northwest Center President and CEO Tom Everill says, "There is no offer of Van Asselt on the table—no planning or site analysis has been done, and there are no applications for construction permits or licensing."  I...

Two good political reads today. First, from Publicola , the explanation of how we don't have enough money for McCleary but boy, do our legislators have enough money to continue tax breaks.  It's just ridiculous and wrong.  From their story(bold mine): Following up on a legislative session in which lawmakers fell $420 million short on funding specific line items to meet the Washington State Supreme Court's McCleary mandate to fund basic K-12 education, the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee (JLARC), a bipartisan task force of legislators that evaluates the worthiness of tax breaks, signed off on more than $500 million in expenses that are vague and unclear. Why spend the full court-mandated $141.6 million on school buses, $597.1 million on materials, supplies, and operating costs, and $219.2 million on reduced class sizes, I guess, when you can give money away for ambiguous policy goals? (The most recent budget spends about $1 billion on K-12 rath...

From SPS: Seattle Public Schools will host three community meetings on September 20, 24 and 27 to share information and ask for comments about building construction projects to be included in the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy package.  Once approved by the School Board, the BEX IV Capital Levy resolution will be submitted to Seattle voters in February 2013. The community meeting dates are: Thursday, September 20, 6:30-8:00pm at Whitman Middle School Monday, September 24, 6:30-8:00pm at Madison Middle School Thursday, September 27, 6:30-8:00pm at McClure Middle School For more information on BEX IV, please visit: www.bit.ly/SPSBEX On this topic, Rep. Reuven Carlyle weighed in on it at his blog .  McClure Middle School is in his neighborhood and he feels that people don't attend it (despite the elementaries around it being full) and that's because of the building.  He could be partially right but m...

After Reuven Carlyle's pro-charter blog post over at his blog , Charlie posted to it, asking why Reuven wasn't engaging since it was he who opened the conversation and from his thread, a lively conversation ensued. Here was his answer: Charlie: I’ve been reflecting on the issues and ideas. I’d like to ask you and everyone for genuine and sincere suggestions: What legislation would you like to see introduced and supported in Olympia? Seriously, if you could introduce a real piece of legislation–in addition to all of the McClearly work we have going–what would it be that would unite folks? I value your insight, judgement(sic) and counsel. So there you have it.  What would you like to see the Legislature do?  I'll throw out some ideas (not necessarily mine nor do they have my endorsement): 1) income tax just for K-12 education (iron-clad) to fund at least to the level of the national average 2) legislation to support counselors/career specialists in all hig...

Rep. Reuven Carlyle has come out on his blog with a post that firmly aligns him in the ed reform camp.  This is his choice to make but it is not what I have heard from him in the past.   He also says some very unfair things and uses straight-out-of-the-book ed reform jargon.  (Seems he's starting getting the daily faxes from Stand on talking points.) I predict this divide is going to really be sharply felt next legislative session.  I think it is going to make for some really hard feelings (and hard choices) for many Democrats, both voters and elected officials.  But frankly, so be it.  I just wish that the ed reform side had the courage and courtesy to make some real acknowledgments about the other side - the "there are plenty of other things we can do" side. But I just want to go through Carlyle's piece and point out a few things: He completely echoes Nick Haneur on many points and I suspect these are the new talking points that are being passed ar...

I wanted to follow-up on Charlie's thread about negativism(so skip this if you are not interested but please don't bother to comment that...you're not interested). I've heard this rap before about me or Charlie or the blog.  As you can see, we are not likely to change much.  We are guided by our own experiences, both as parents in the district and as activists.  We are just a lot more clear-eyed and maybe jaded than most of you.  That's important to understand.  We've been through the seven stages of this district and yes, we're a little jaded. But we have no agenda.  We certainly believe what we think would help, starting with a well-run and well-managed district.  If that were the case, our critics could undercut many of our arguments.  But it hasn't been despite the many "professionals" both as superintendents and on the Board.  (That the powers that be never seem to get this is mystifying.  Don't they want a well-run district?...

Ballots drop this week so look for yours in the mail.  What can you do?  Get out that e-mail list and bravely ask your friends, family and anyone else to give due consideration for the candidates of your choice for School Board.  I find that, like Port Commission, most people are lost on School Board candidates.  Tell your e-mail list who you are voting for and why and ask for their consideration for a vote.  Also to note, the Vote the Moms Facebook page .  Good place for updates on the School Board challengers. I receive the Washington State PTSA Council listservr and found quite a lively (and somewhat tense) back-and-forth over the PTSA support of charter legislation . Here's what the actual wording is (which surprised me): The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policiesthat drive innovation and accountability in public education by allowing the operationof public charter schools in the state of Washington. The PT...

Rep. Reuven Carlyle often speaks about education at his blog . When school started, he wrote a thoughtful thread about his concerns and hopes for education (and gave a shout-out to this blog). He has a real vested interest: My eldest daughter enters Ballard High School as a freshman, my second daughter enters seventh grade at Salmon Bay, my son enters fifth grade at the new Queen Anne Elementary School, and my five year old daughter–the boss of the house– might as well be a freshman at Stanford University. He expresses worry over the state economic forecast and what it might mean for education spending. More than 41% of all state government spending is on public education at the K-12 level. The pressure to make further cuts to education–an area we generally managed to spare relative to other categories of spending–will be insurmountable. The likelihood of a special session is growing. The inability to substantively explore almost any revenue options–including simply c...

Michael DeBell wrote a guest post on Reuven Carlyle's blog in which he says that students need to be threatened with the loss of their diploma if we expect them to take math and science education seriously. This is the same man who will vote this week for a new promotion/retention policy that will remove all requirements on promoting students from grade to grade.

I checked Rep. Reuven Carlyle's b log as (1) he actually keeps it up, (2) he actually answers comments and (3) he cares about public education. Do I agree with all he likes/puts forth? Nope, but I have found him to be someone who listens to input. Here's his latest on the school district. He graciously gives a shout-out to the bloggers, parents and others who have been diligent on this story. He is suggesting an education summit. The responses seem lukewarm and who can blame them? These summits, blue-ribbon committees and reports never seem to go anywhere. My suggestion was for parents (maybe via PTA or any other group), teachers (via SEA), principals (via PASS) and any other groups convene in their groups and have three tasks. what, for your group, would do the most to restore your trust in the leadership at headquarters? what actions does your group believe would do the most to help our schools, short-term and long-term? besides lack of trust, what actions/programs/...

( Update: one important part of the issue that I failed to note in my first post is that the Legislature rarely cuts funding in mid-year . This will happen in Feb. for districts and it leaves them struggling mightily. They will have to dip into reserves - and in SPS's case, possibly the just-passed supplemental levy - to get through the year. Next school year, that's going to be where we see the axe fall.) I am sorry, truly, for the parents who have students in SPS. Not because we don't have some good things happening, we do, but because between the continuing district mismanagement AND the poor economy AND more budget cuts from the Legislature, it is going to likely be a terrible couple of years. I have some links here to recapping what did and didn't happen in the Legislature. One thing that didn't happen is that the state did not take levy equalization away from poorer districts. From the Horsesass blog (a very profane and funny take from a liberal who a...