Seattle Schools Community Forum

The agenda for the 8/11 Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting has already been posted. There's a lot there for folks interested in Special Education along with a couple of tasty items for those interested in high school graduation requirements, creative approach schools, Native American education, and discipline.

The Board Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee met yesterday (Monday, April 7). The agenda included an update on Creative Approach Schools, information on the application for a SIG grant by Rainier Beach High School, an update on Special Education program placement, and an update and further discussion on potential changes to the High School Graduation Requirements and High School Grade Marking.

Monday, March 10th Curriculum&Instruction Policy Meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm, Agenda Of interest: - an ask for a waiver for one school day for Lawton - update on Creative Approach schools - Math Adoption Progress report This week has two of the five Community Meetings for the Strategic Plan for each region.  I would take this opportunity to ask ANY question you want because the Strategic Plan covers it all.   Community Meeting; Southeast - 5-Year Strategic Plan South Shore K-8 from 6:30-8:30 pm Wednesday, March 12th Executive Committee Meeting , 8:30-10:00 am, Agenda Oversight Work Session: Human Resources , 4:00-5:30 pm, no presentation yet available Work Session: Data Access & Sharing , 5:30-7:00 pm, Presentation This is basically a lot of what was said at the committee meeting that they presented it at last year.  It is not good and I'm a little surprised at what got left out. First, they did NOT fully explain FERPA.  Like the HUGE change i...

From SPS Communications: Superintendent Banda made several principal appointments Feb. 7 , including: • George Breland, Cleveland High School ; • Maria Breuder, McGilvra Elementary School ; • Dedy Fauntleroy, John Stanford International School ; • Robert Gary, Madison Middle School ; • Jo Lute-Ervin, Kimball Elementary School ; • Mary McDaniels, Madrona K-8 ; and • Dan Sanger, Bryant Elementary School . I see a couple of principals who seem to rotate every couple of years.  I'll note in reading through the bios that some note that parents and teachers at some schools were part of the selection committee but not at others.  The district seems to be depending on "surveys" but don't say what the survey was specifically about in the first place.  Again, why is that? From Superintendent Banda: I am pleased to announce that Carmen Rahm has been appointed Executive Director of Technology. For the past 10 years, Mr. Rahm has been Assistant Vice President for I...

It's a fairly quiet week around SPS this week.  Tuesday, January 22nd Call into the Board office (or e-mail) if you want to sign up for the Speakers list for the Board meeting on Wednesday.  Frankly, you will not be changing anyone's mind if you choose to speak BUT if you want to make a point, out loud and in public, now's the time to go on record. 252-0040 or boardagenda@seattleschools.org Wednesday, January 23rd   Rally to support teachers against MAP at 4:00 p.m.  This one is organized by the SEA and I sure hope there is a lot of teacher, parent and student presence.  School Board meeting at 4:15 pm .  Agenda

Monday,  January 14th Opening day for the Washington State Legislature.   Here's where the rubber meets the road on education. For those legislators who don't want to raise taxes, tell us what you would cut elsewhere.  For those legislators who say we don't need more money for public education, tell us how you would spend the current dollars better.  What would you cut and/or what would you add?   (I'm pretty sure the "private sector could do it better and cheaper" will come into play at some point.) Curriculum&Instruction Meeting from 4-5:30 p.m. Agenda includes Creative Approach Schools update, professional development waivers and parent-teacher conferences and alternative learning experience schools or program revisions. Wednesday, January 16th Committee of the Whole: Strategic Plan from 4-5:30 p.m. College Goal Sunday from 6-8 p.m. at Roosevelt High School Thursday, January 17th Operations Committee meeting of the Whole from 3:30-...

Very busy week. Monday, December 10th Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m.  Agenda Some interesting issues but there is not enough detail to know what they are specifically going to cover.  Work Session on Weighted Staffing Standards from 6-7:30 p.m.  Agenda Tuesday, December 11th  Work Session on Creative Approach Schools from 5-6:30 p.m.  Agenda Special Ed Advocacy & Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m., Room 2700 (2nd floor), JSCEE Community Meeting on Capacity and BEX IV from 7-8:30 p.m. pm at JSCEE. Wednesday, December 12th Executive Committee Meeting from 8-10 am.  No agenda available. School Board meeting at 4:30 p.m.  Agenda Of note: - Native American Education update - election of new President, Vice-President and Member-at-Large for the Board (nominations to be posted on Monday).  I suspect the president will either be Smith-Blum, Martin-Morris, Carr or Patu as they h...

So, some high drama tonight at the Board meeting.  From the speakers list (with a long wait list), we see most of it is over the resolution for a No on 1240 from the Board.  Judging from the names I recognize that would seem to be in agreement with this resolution, the Board will get lots of encouragement (although I do see a few that will disagree and I'll be interested to hear their argument). Unfortunately, there are 4 TFA people on the list apparently to endorse the latest hiring of one TFAer (which no one else is protesting).  It sure would be nice if they gave up those spots to parents with BEX concerns.  If I hear enough good words in support of the No on1240 resolution, I will give up my spot. I am actually hoping the Board, while discussing the resolution, does make some statement about groups that try to stifle their right to speak out on election issues that directly affect our district and the Board's work overseeing our district.  Neither Stan...

The School Board will be meeting on Wednesday, October 3. The agenda is posted online and is full of pretty normal stuff. The Board will vote on three action items : to update a fairly non-controversial policy about fair use and copyright, the change order for Fairmount Park, and the approval of the revised Creative Approach School MOU. Yes, this is the same Creative Approach School MOU that we were told could not possibly be revised this quickly and easily when the need for the revision was first raised. Funny, huh? The introduction items are equally routine: a policy revision for actually tracking the District's assets, a contract for the new enterprise software for student information and gradebook, an administrative requirement for the E & O levy, a conditional certificate for one Teach for America corps member (only the second one this year), and final acceptance on three capital projects: Hawthorne's new roof, Rainier Beach's athletic fields, and the whole...

Monday Another of Superintendent Banda's Community meetings , this time at Bryant Elementary 3311 NE 60th Street from 6-7:30 p.m. Director Peaslee Community meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Lake City Library, 12501 128th Ave NE Tuesday Superintendent Banda Community meeting , this time at Concord International,  723 South Concord Street from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday School Board meeting at 4:15 p.m.  Could I put in a plug here?  Please write to the Board and tell them that this time is not conducive to real public engagement - schoolboard@seattleschools.org.  Agenda. One key item here is the Creative Approach Amendment that is supposed to put in School Board oversight to this process.   I need to read it line for line but my quick read is...not so much.   I feel the Board should have some kind of final input on any change.  The issue to me is that this Amendment only says the Board has to approve a waiver request and not the overall change to a...

The Executive Committee meetings are usually pretty boring and uneventful. They are generally about scheduling and such. The meeting this week, however, has a couple of intriguing items on the agenda . 1. Call to Order 8:00am - Approval of agenda - Approval of August 7, 2012 meeting minutes 2. Review of the September 19 and October 3 legislative session agendas 3. Government Relations 4. Community Engagement 5. Executive Committee Discussion - Conditional Certification Application (R. English) - Creative Approach Schools (R. English) - Review and approval of retreat agenda - Proclamation for Cheryl Chow - Presentations to the Board - Policy Development Process - Board meeting times/Comment timing (Board and Student) - NSBA Membership 4/1/13-3/31/14 - Directors’ 2012-13 Conference Attendance - Superintendent Evaluation - Board Calendar/Work Plan 6. A...

Superintendent Banda was gracious enough to give me a little time last week to talk.  (I note that the office looked quite stern with Dr. Enfield's ducky collection gone.) How's it going? He said he had adjusted quickly and he is enjoying Seattle.  He said that he felt like he got a good grasp of the district and its needs early on. Math is a big issue to many parents and when they see a few schools going off-script (and getting good results), they want to know how their school can do it.  Any plans around that issue? He said it was a challenging area.  He mentioned that Wendy London had resigned (so she is definitely not in the district) and that are working hard to find a new permanent T&L executive director. Could more schools access a new math program through the Creative Approach system?   He said that may be the best way to do it.  He said it could be a resource issue for some schools. Have you read I-1240 or has anyone in the district ...

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).

As you may recall, on the same day as the Creative Approach MOU was remanded back to the Board by a Superior Court judge, there was an interview in the Seattle Times with Jonathan Knapp, the new head of the SEA.  It was quite a nice profile and had some telling bits.   Here's Knapp on change in relationships: "Simply saying 'no' is no longer an option," said Jonathan Knapp, a shop teacher who crafted the approach as union vice president. "The climate has changed, and we have to be advocates for public education in a way that 20 years ago we didn't," Knapp said. "And the way that we do that is building relationships, not by confronting people and saying it's our way or the highway." I agree.  Being adversarial is not the way to build relationships and work for better academic outcomes for children.   However teacher Robert Murphy fires back: We've already compromised too much," said Robert Murphy, a Franklin High ma...

Yes, word is that a King County Superior Court judge ruled for the challengers - Carline Brown and Rita Green, Jack Whelan, Robert Femiano and Eric Muhs.     Please, if you wanted a better policy for this approach, you may get it (and with Board oversight and more parent involvement). PLEASE consider sending a check - big or small - to defray the costs of this litigation. Make the check out to "Newman Duwors Attorneys" noting MOU appeal/Keith Scully.  Checks can be mailed to district watchdog Chris Jackins (who makes me look like a slacker): Chris Jackins Seattle Committee to Save Schools PO Box 84063 Seattle, WA  98124 Details to follow Update:   spoke to Jack Whelan, who was in the court when the decision was read, and Director Peaslee. Jack Whelan and Lina Brown were in attendance but apparently only the district's hired lawyer was there.  No one from SPS nor SEA. About the decision, Jack said, " Judge Erlick gave a thoughtf...

Monday, June 25th Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Mtg. - 4-6 p.m.  Agenda This should be a jam-packed meeting as well as one fraught with varying agendas.  They will be discussing the Program Placement policy which guides what new programs get created, where they are placed and who nominates/decides.  It seems like staff is making noises about "community input" but that's not where the action is.  Also on the agenda for policies; nutrition, "ensuring educational equity", student discipline, advanced learning.  There will also be discussion of the partnership agreement for the Families and Education Levy and the Creative Approach Schools Board oversight process.   Wednesday, June 27th Public Hearing on the Budget from 4-5 p.m. This is a legal requirement of the district for any citizen who wants to weigh in on the budget for 2012-13.  Note that you sign up right before the hearing and they only have the hearing as long as there a...

This guest post is by Jack Whelan.  Please read it and consider adding your support.  (Somehow it got deleted and I am now reposting it.)  Why We’re Bringing Suit against the Creative Approach Schools MOU On June 22, there will be a hearing to decide whether the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding Creative Approach Schools between the district and the SEA, the local teachers union, is legal. This MOU grants the superintendent the right to waive any Board policy while approving the transformation of neighborhood schools into Creative Approach Schools. This could include waiving whistle blower policy, conflict of interest policies, academic and financial policies--any policy!  It also removes parents from the process.  A group of citizens-- Rita Green, Carlina Brown, Eric Muhs, Robert Femiano, and I—is bringing a suit against the district because we think this MOU is illegal. The lawsuit does not attack the idea of Creative App...

There was a meeting Tuesday afternoon to answer questions about Creative Approach Schools. The meeting, led by Phil Brockman, Executive Director of Schools for the Northeast Region, went through the timeline, process, and rules for Creative Approach Schools.

Over at the sleepy T editorial board, they woke up and decided (probably via Councilman Burgess), that they don't like the Creative Approach MOU.    The title of this missive?  " Seattle Public Schools' Innovation Plan Requires Tweaking, Scrutiny"   Here's what I wrote in the comments: "The Seattle Public Schools' pursuit of innovation is a work in progress that would benefit from wider, sharper scrutiny." Hello Times! Where have you been? Over at the Seattle Schools Community Forum blog, we have been discussing this over and over. Many us spoke out against it at Board meetings. First, it isn't hard to get 80% of people to agree if you have a good plan. It's the details that count and clearly this detail got missed by the Times and Councilman Burgess who sat silently through the entire Board meeting where it was discussed and voted on. Very funny as well mentioning the education levies have a simple majority. Parents...

It's not enough to oppose charter schools by saying that public schools can do everything that charter schools can do; the public schools have to actually do it. It's time for innovation advocates - both within the public school structure and outside it - to come together to make it happen for students. The Board's approval of the MOU with the SEA regarding creative approach schools opens an opportunity for folks to change the way we teach children. I have spoken with a few people about this project and now I want to open the conversation to a larger group. Who will join a group to develop and staff a new school? I'm thinking of an elementary school housed in the Columbia building in Columbia City that would be a school that incorporates some of the best ideas that have been proven by innovative practices all around the country.