Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Alliance For Education released their own strategic plan today.  On the plus side, not so much ed jargon.  Good job.  On the down side, well, there's a lot. - Their foundational beliefs statement doesn't include teachers.  Seems like something of a "whoops."  (Unless they are calling teachers "leadership" which is not exactly where most people's thoughts would go when you were talking about district/school leadership.) - The work they did on their planning process didn't include teachers or parents.  Seems like if your "singular purpose" is "promoting excellence in public education" those might be some people to ask.  (Oh wait, Alliance head Sara Morris is an SPS parent so maybe that input was enough.) - The Alliance is taking credit for "gains" in academic progress over the last five years.  I'd like to see the data on that one. - Still using that disrespectful "human capital" phrase.  W...

Here's a link to the SE Chamber of Commerce event in early October.  Note: the lighting was harsh and does not flatter either candidate.  The video is also a little low. The first question seems to have gotten cut off - it was something to the effect of how many SE schools each candidate has visited. Also, the City Inside/Out show had a panel interview about Seattle schools and the races.  The panel included Lynne Varner of the Times, President Kay Smith-Blum, Tre Maxie of Powerful Schools and Phil Gore, the head of Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA). Notable quotes from the City Inside/Out show: - Smith-Blum noted that the Board evaluation NEVER said that the Board called itself "dysfunctional."  She said there were some trust issues but that they had voted 98% in unison or near unison. - Mr. Gore chimed in that 4-3 votes can be a sign of problems but that the Seattle School Board's voting record doesn't show that happening much. -...

The Alliance recently had an press "event" during a national urban school board directors convention held here in Seattle in late July.  The theme of the convention was "Building Educational Communities to Close the Achievement Gap" but that was not what this event was about at all. I had hoped this would be a press conference but no, it was really a dog-and-pony show to somehow drive home this point of what Seattle's School Board should be.  There was a smattering of press with Directors Peaslee and Smith-Blum in attendance as well.   I was confused as to who was in the room until I realized that some attendees from the convention had joined us as well. The speakers on the panel  - billed as "experts in the area of school board research and effectiveness" - were: Roger Eskine - on the Alliance's "School Board Task Force" and former Executive Director of the SEA Thomas L. Aisbury - Ed professor at Seattle Pacific University - ce...

Honestly, they have some of the most entertaining posts over at the WPC.  Omit details, pump up (to the point of near explosion) any point they feel they must - it's all good fun. So they have one post about how a Highline School Board director, Susan Goding,  wrote - on her education blog how she thinks charter schools will hurt districts.  I can only say that she is entitled to her own professional opinion (indeed the state directors association came out against 1240).   She also explains how Highline has many of the programs that Spokane addresses in their application (and so does Seattle).  Almost seems like Spokane is too lazy to do any of this development of programs on their own. But the WPC?  Not buying it. This article is a clear attempt to discourage implementation of the new charter school law. This statement shows an elected school board director actively campaigning to influence school districts to deny their students access to char...

Will wonders never cease! The Seattle Times printed a guest editorial in opposition to I-1240 and it is a pretty good one. Op-ed: Reject Initiative 1240 and sending public money to charter schools by Mari Taylor, Vice President of the Washington State School Directors’ Association and a current member of the Lake Stevens School District Board of Directors.

I got it wrong on who is opposing 1240.  It's not WSSDA - the Washington State School Directors Association, it's WASA - the Washington Association of School Administrators.   I erred because the link was at the WSSDA site and I read the press release believing it was from WSSDA.  I am trying to find out their stand.  I believe they will also say no to 1240 based on their stance against charters when the issue was in the Legislature.  About WASA: The Washington Association of School Administrators is a professional association representing education administrators in Washington State. We are a not-for-profit organization, funded by membership dues and association events. WASA's membership includes nearly 1,100 members and is open to all educational administrators in central office, building management, and educational agency positions.

Braving the snow day, the president of WSSDA (Washington State School Directors' Association), Mary Fertakis , testified today before the Senate committee hearing testimony about SB 6202, the charter schools bill. Here's a link to the story at the Seattle Education blog .  It is clear from her testimony that she has read this bill thoroughly and spotted several of the issues I saw as well.  From the SE blog story: In her testimony, Fertakis pointed out the association’s concerns that the bill may fall short of its stated objective to serve students who struggle to achieve due to poverty, racial and ethnic diversity, and special needs. She referenced Section 105 of the bill, which allows charter schools to be set up for educationally disadvantaged students, but noted that the bill also allows charter schools to be set up around a special emphasis, theme, or concept that do not have to serve educationally disadvantaged students, which is the stated purpose of the bi...