Seattle Schools Community Forum

The Our Schools Coalition, an Alliance for Education project funded by the Gates Foundation, wants to kibbitz once again on the negotiation between the teachers' union (SEA) and the District as they wrestle over the collective bargaining agreement. And they want you to tell them what they should agitate for. Provide your input here . Just in case you question the propriety of their kibbitzing in the process, they have this blog post to justify it. Only that blog post doesn't give any reason that we need Our Schools Coalition to serve as the voice of the community in addition to the democratically elected board which has the duty to serve as the voice of the community to relay our priorities to the negotiators.

It seems that Seattle Public Schools is found to have committed unfair labor practices just about every year. When it happens the Board has to read a notice from the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) into the record at a board meeting and promise to be good. Then they go ahead and do all of the things they promised to never do again.

Turns out my spidey sense was correct; the Executive Session on Wednesday/Thursday is about the long-awaited principal contract. It will be interesting to see what it looks like in its final form. Also, just as a reminder, there is a new head of labor relations for SPS, Howard Pripas who came to us from the UC system. As well, the Board did make a decision on their new policy/governance person but I will wait for their formal announcement. I would like to ask the Board how this person will work as she/he reports to district staff but works for the Board. How will the Board take this person's research/advice in context to what they hear from parents/community.

(Update at bottom.) From the SPS communications department, we found ourselves a Chief Talent Officer. No, don't get all excited that there is someone combing the schools for the next Justin Bieber. It's just the new-fangled way of saying the new head of Human Services. (I'm sorry but that is just a ridiculous name that doesn't fool anyone hired at SPS into thinking, "gee I'm talented AND people like me!") We also have a new Director of Labor and Employee Relations AND a new Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Partnerships. Ann Chan is from Chicago Public Schools (hey, maybe she knows Arne Duncan) and our Talent Officer. Howard Pripas is the Employee and Labor guy who hails from the University of California system but was previously at UW from 2001-2004. Mark Teoh is the new Executive Director of Strategic Planning et al. He comes from the Boston school system. (Now he follows a woman who had her salary paid for one year by the Alliance a...