Seattle Schools Community Forum

Tuesday, November 1st Board Work Session from 4:30-6:30 pm at JSCEE.  Agenda There is one topic  - Annual Evaluation of 2015-2016 Board Governance Priorities and Superintendent SMART Goals, Part 2. This particular topic has - no kidding - 164 pages for the Board to review.   Most of it is around Cedar Park and its enrollment.  I do not understand sticking this topic in with SMART Goals. Then there will be an Executive Session to "Evaluate the performance of a public employee" (likely the Superintendent as it is time for his annual evaluation.) I am hoping that the Board will soon take control of their own Work Sessions and not allow staff to eat up time with endless reviews and/or documentation delivered before whatever the topic at hand gets actual discussion. Wednesday, November 2nd  School Board meeting , starting at 4:15 pm.  Agenda

Update:   a couple of corrections. Sue Peters is, of course, the Chair of the Audit&Finance Committee (which I attributed to Director Harris.)  Director Peters had asked Harris to chair the meeting since Peters was unable to be physically present. As well, I attributed a statement to Peters that was Geary's about how Director Blanford felt the $11M should be spent. end of update As I previously reported, the Board was having an Audit&Finance Committee Meeting of the Whole and then had an Executive Committee Meeting of the Whole and then a Work Session on the 2016-2017 Budget to figure out to do with this $11M underspend that was found.

I had heard that Emerson Elementary was losing a large number of teachers (somewhere between 10-12) and I asked the district about this. Here is their reply:

Sadly, I was unable to attend the Work Session today. I hadn't realized that the topic was adjustment of the Superintendent's SMART goals and what the focus of the district should be for 2016-2017. I know - how to decide?

It's an interesting week at SPS. Monday, January 25th  Understanding the School Budget - presented by the finance team at SPS.  It's at JSCEE from 6-8 pm.  I hope people go to this event because the district is trying to help further understanding of this important subject.  They’ll share helpful information such as: When the 2016-17 school planning dates occur An overview of the budgeting process How funding is determined and schools are staffed, including understanding information around class sizes and the process for parent involvement Also, Elliott Bay Book Company is having an event about becoming an activist for any topic.  It's at 7 pm. Now in When We Fight, We Win : Twenty-First-Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World (The New Press), longtime social activist Greg Jobin-Leeds joins forces with AgitArte—a collective of artists and organizers—to capture the stories, philosophies, tactics, and art...

Tonight's Board meeting is the last for this particular make-up of the Board.  They certainly are leaving with major issues that will be decided tonight. Items of note for tonight's meeting:

Monday, Nov. 16th Community Meeting on Assignment Plan at Rainier Beach High School, starting at 6:30 pm.  This is the last of the meetings on this topic.  I still maintain this was window-dressing and not about staff getting and receiving real input on this topic.  I'll have a separate thread on what readers have said but it seems clear that the waitlist is still an issue. Wednesday, Nov. 18th Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm.  Something of an end of an era for this particular make-up for the Seattle School Board. Agenda . I do want to publicly say thank you to each of the Board members who are leaving - Harium Martin-Morris, Sherry Carr, Sharon Peaslee and Marty McLaren.  I walked Fremont with Sherry Carr to help her get elected.  I worked on the campaigns of both Sharon Peaslee and Marty McLaren (her first one.)  It takes courage to even stand up and run for office and even more courage and energy to serve.  I certainly have disagreed...

Here's the agenda item from the upcoming Wednesday Board meeting.  I have not had the opportunity to compare the red-line with the green printed (clean) versions of the SAP.    (And actually, it would be interesting to compare the last red-line version with the current one and see what differences there are.) Here's the agenda for the entire meeting. I note one interesting thing on the agenda.  The Board is to vote on the SMART Goals that guide the Superintendent's work. There are two amendments to this BAR; one from Director McLaren and one from Director Peaslee and Director Patu.  It involves wording over who are the groups in "students of color."

Tuesday, Dec. 16th  Audit&Finance Quarterly Meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.  UPDATE: agenda.   A rather interesting document , Consolidated Program Review , is included in the agenda.   (Charlie, don't get too excited; no, not all programs are reviewed.) Items of interest from minutes from last month's meeting: 1.      Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) Program Audit update (Technow) Ms. Technow spoke about the work being done in the ALE audit.   Because of deficiencies in required documentation at Interagency, the auditors will now review whether those students qualify as basic education.   Directors noted that Alternative Learning Experience schools and programs like Nova High School may be in a similar situation and Ms. Technow spoke about independent courses that students take outside of the classroom.   Michael Tolley spoke about the flexibility in scheduling that ALE allows for Interagency Aca...

Quite a week to come. Monday, Dec. 8th Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.   Agenda It would appear to be a two-hour meeting but the agenda is quite slim as well as the time allotted for each item. Of interest: an update on Special Ed work and "pre-K work" from Early Education head, Cashel Toner.  Perhaps this is where she will explain how the new preschool classroom room at Bailey Gatzert likely won't be just for BG area students. Tuesday, Dec. 9th Audit & Finance Committee meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm.   Agenda UPDATE :   Agenda now attached.  Looks like several updates including an issue with the SEC, the WSS (with adjusted Guiding Principles which I have some concerns about), MOA with Africatown (NOT attached as usual, still concerns there), Transportation standards for next year and Title IX and grants updates.  Wondering if there will be any mention of the Gates Foundation preschool grant. End of update. Community...

I attended the Executive Committee meeting of the Whole this week.   It was actually a pleasure to be at the meeting and I hope to see more of what I heard and saw. It's kind of sad, really, that it was just me, the Board and staff.  (Long-time watchdog Chris Jackins came in briefly but left.)  Because I wish more people could have been there.  And, especially critics like the Times, Crosscut and Joel Connelly, who you virtually never see at any district meeting but they do like to go on at their outlets as if they really seeing the Board and staff in action firsthand. What did I like? - I liked how the meeting ran smoothly. - I liked how the mood seemed relaxed and easy-going. - I really liked how staff and the Board interacted with respect and kindness. Maybe this is the influence of Superintendent Nyland or maybe they have all decided the way forward is thru cooperation and honesty.  What were they discussing?  The agenda was the Superin...