Seattle Schools Community Forum

A very busy week before the holiday break next week.

It was a lively meeting to be sure.  I stayed until after the discussion of the introduction of the TFA item.  Here are links ( Part 2 - testimony, Part 3 - rest of meeting). The testimony was more varied than I might have expected as TFA was not the only issue discussed.  In fact, testimony about Graham Hill's preschool led to discussion at the Audit & Finance Committee meeting the next day and Sherry Carr's community meeting yesterday.  I will sum it up here but it deserves another thread of its own as it is a larger part of the discussion about the budget. I am going to write a separate thread on the TFA testimony as it is quite telling to the discussion about ending the contract. 

Since the holiday break in December, the Board meetings have been somewhat sleepy affairs with the speakers list not being full and just a little jousting as the School Board adjusts to its new make-up. Tomorrow night (and two weeks in the future) should be somewhat different.  What's the difference? Well, for one, the Board is finally voting on the now infamous Policy 1430 - Waivers of Basic Instructional Materials Policy.    There were two amendments, one of which is incorporated into the new policy wording.  That amendment came from Director Peaslee and would allow schools an appeal to the Board should the Superintendent deny a waiver request.  I am glad this is part of the policy even as I believe it will be a rare day when the Board would override the Superintendent's decision.  The other amendment, to allow for district funding for schools that cannot afford to pay for materials on their own, was dropped by Director Peaslee.   However...

I realized we might want a thread on the STEM school meeting last night at Schmitz Park.   So let us know if you went. According to the West Seattle blog, the place was packed and the district officials were caught off guard (I think happily). I did see these tweets and updates from our friends at the West Seattle blog from the meeting (note, they have video of the entire event): Going to be a full house at K5 STEM school info meeting Design team will be formed for new STEM school. Online survey planned too Now in comment period. The mentioned concept of 'business partners' has stirred some concern. Boeing, Disney have reportedly reached out.  (Disney?) Lady concerned about STEM Boren diversity. Looking around, she said, "This room looks like a Dave Matthews concert" (quote of the night) The consensus on comments seems to be: Doesn’t anyone have a vision for this school. Wait, wait, wait and see. With only a few weeks until open enrollment ends.. ...

Forgot to post this interesting agenda (it was not available when I put up the weekly list of meetings on Monday). The meeting starts at 6 pm.  I would guess it would be in the auditorium rather than the Board conference room as there will be sure to be many interested on-lookers. Topics: Approval of Waiver of Basic Instructional Materials Policy Teach for America contract Classroom technology guiding principles This should be a fascinating conversation with not-your-usual crowd for a C&I meeting. Please someone, go and take notes.  I would love to hear who on the Board speaks up for TFA.  After the info that was given to them on the additional costs of TFA (which Peter Maier never tired of saying didn't exist) and the lack of hires by our site-based hiring teams, I'll love to hear a justification for keeping this program.  I'm sure they will do so because I can imagine the pressure from the charter crowd (the up-the-food-chain people like Jon Bridge and...

It's a fairly slow week. Wednesday, Feb. 1st - Work Session: Facilities from 4-5:30 p.m. No agenda available yet. - School Board meeting from 6-9 p.m. Agenda .  (note; normally SB meetings are two weeks apart but, because of the snow, this one occurs just one week from the last one on Jan. 25th) The agenda includes: - Creative Approach Schools MOU - as I previously mentioned I support this effort but it cannot go forward without the Board having some oversight ability. Without that, we are giving away our public schools and their oversight. Director Peaslee has introduced an amendment towards that end. - The Waiver for Basic Instructional Materials policy . The agenda indicates that the action report and policy has been updated but I have not read it yet. Director Peaslee is offering two amendments; one is to allow the school principal the right to appeal to the School Board if the Superintendent denies a waiver request. The other amendment is to allow the district ...

Here is the proposed policy 2020, Waiver of Basic Instructional Materials . The primary thing to like about this policy is its very existence. Finally we have a policy to codify the process and set standards for allowing schools to use alternatives to the board-adopted materials as their basic instructional materials (rather than as supplemental materials). Beyond that, there isn't much good here at all.

Wednesday, Jan. 4th Second part of a Work Session around Board policy Series 6000 from 4-5:30 p.m.  This series is about operations including budgeting, revenues, purchasing, etc. School Board Meeting - 6-9 p.m.  Among items on the agenda:

A good story in the Times about the growth and success of Mercer Middle School by reporter Brian Rosenthal.  What's interesting about this story is the subtext - namely, that Mercer has raised its achievement level by going off the district script.   To whit: - Mercer didn't follow the Strategic Plan.  That's not in the story but when Mercer was being extolled at the Seattle Channel forum on the Strategic Plan at Town Hall earlier this year, the question was asked if this work done at Mercer fell under the Strategic Plan directives.  The answer was no. - This story explains: There have been some bold moves, such as scrapping the district's mandated math textbook in favor of a specialized curriculum built to the same state standards. While the district requires middle schools to use Connected Mathematics Project textbooks, Mercer decided those books were too reading-intensive for its large number of students whose native language isn't English. So s...

I attended the C&I meeting on Monday.  There were some interesting discussions.  Sadly, I missed the one on innovation schools as I misheard and thought it was struck from the agenda.  Turns out it was moved to the end of the agenda and there is an MOU between the SEA and SPS that I will write a separate thread on at a later time.

Trying to finish up on the Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting minutes, I come to instructional materials waivers.  I can sum it up in one sentence. Forget anything happening this year.   Yup, because the committee kicked that can right down the road.  As I mentioned previously, Steve S. and Michael DeB stayed on with the committee regulars, Betty P., Peter M. and Harium M-M.  So there was quite the discussion but most of it was circular.  Harium started off by saying that this issue was generated by discussion at the Board's retreat.  (I didn't attend so I can't fill in the story.)  He said they needed to " refine what the true objective is here, what are we trying to fix ?"  I'm not sure it's fixing something but rather allowing schools to find the best solution.  Michael said he wanted all sites to have the opportunity to examine alternative materials and methods of teaching. Kay S-B had sent in notes saying she ...