Seattle Schools Community Forum

A couple of important stories to check out this morning. One is from the Seattle Times about how our Legislative leaders are going to figure out how to enact McCleary.  (I will point that charter schools only complicates this process.) The other is Seattle Channel's interview with Superintendent Banda .   Once again, the Superintendent comes across as quiet but firm.  There is also an interesting op-ed from outgoing Governor Chris Gregoire who says there should be one education department for the state to cover pre-school to higher ed.   Today we have eight education agencies and at least as many major strategic plans. That’s too many. We need a system that works together, not one that is limited to organizational views. We need a system that tackles challenges, not avoids them. What we have now doesn’t make sense from the student’s point of view. It doesn’t make sense from an economic one, either. Money is part of the solution. But the other ...

Boy, I apologize; I let this fall off my radar. Monday is PTA Focus Day at the State Capitol in Olympia. Here's a link to the WA State webpage with info. There will be a noon rally (with a police escort) to the Capitol steps. Also, here's an e-mail to sent to the Speaker of the House, Frank Chopp, and the Senate Majority Leader, Lisa Brown. (This from Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Director, Washington State PTA.) MESSAGE: Dear xxx, Will you help us save our ABCs? Monday is Children's Day at the Capitol. The Parent Teacher Association will be there with our kids rallying on the steps, and we hope you'll take a moment to consider the incredible importance of education to their lives. Our K-12 schools need your support, or we'll lose a generation of learners. (Yes! the cuts are that bad.) We need Basic Education funded. It's paramount. Sincerely, ---- frank.chopp@leg.wa.gov lisa.brown@leg.wa.gov Find your legislators: http://apps....

This is interesting. In a story in the Seattle Times, the Governor says she wants to create a new state "Department of Education" that: ...would absorb responsibilities currently held by a wide array of officials, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, who oversees public K-12 education in the state. The new Education Department would be headed by a secretary, reporting to the governor. She says: "Today in our state, we do not have an education system," Gregoire said. "We have a collection of agencies that deal with the subject of education." The Democratic governor said consolidating Washington's education efforts — "from preschool to the Ph.D." — would save time, money, and improve outcomes for students. How can this be done? Gregoire's plan could require amending the state constitution, which establishes the state superintendent's office. Amending the constitution requires a difficult two-thirds...

Here's what may be happening in K-12 funding: Class size reduction for current year eliminated; schools would lose payments mid-year. Federal "Edu jobs" money absorbed into current state budget. HB 3225 summary HB 3225 bill - Both House and Senate Ways and Means committees will meet Saturday morning; members are expected to move to floor around noon. View via TVW Contact your legislator. In addition to millions in administrative reductions, cuts include: $51 million in across-the-board cuts to state universities $39 million to eliminate K-4 class-size enhancement $9.1 million in planned K-12 education reform activities $27.7 million in Basic Health Plan (freezes coverage and lowers enrollment as people drop off the plan) That federal "edu-jobs" money was to keep teachers in classrooms; it will likely get absorbed into the state's General Fund to off-set cuts throughout the system.

According to this AP story in yesterday's Seattle Times, the State of Washington will require Districts to take some sort of action to intervene with "failing" schools. The State will apply a formula to calculate the "accountability index" at all schools. Those schools scoring in the bottom 5% will be subjected to a state performance audit and be required to implement an improvement plan. If the District wants federal money to support the improvement plan, they must choose one of four plans. I have written before, and I continue to contend, that there is a difference between struggling schools and schools with a large number of struggling students. Education bureaucrats can't seem to tell that difference and have a habit of sending the help to the school rather than sending the help to the students. I also wonder how much discrepency there will be between the State's accountability index and the District's school scorecard.

This editorial appeared in today's Times. Their opening sentence is pretty blunt: "The cuts in state money for public schools in the proposed Senate and House budgets are unnecessarily deep. They need to be shifted to programs less urgent." Their discussion was over cutting a state program for adults who can't work but aren't covered by other programs. Their take: "Some in the Legislature would save the unemployable program and cut public education on the belief that the people would vote to tax themselves to save education. But what if they don't? " That's a big gamble on the part of the Legislature (if, indeed, that's the thinking; make cuts in education and ask voters to pay more elsewhere to restore them) and a big question. Would voters, some of whom aren't parents with school-aged kids and some of whom have very bad opinions of public education anyway, vote to add more taxes to their bill? I think the answer might be a very scar...

"This week, state lawmakers will release a budget proposal that will make cuts in our public education system in order to close a historic budget shortfall. Kids in our public schools will feel the real impacts of these cuts. Our lawmakers need to know that we are paying attention and will hold them responsible for investing in our children’s future. Please sign the online version of the Washington Kids Can’t Wait Petition to help us pass 10,000 signatures by Friday, April 3rd. The petition asks lawmakers to: protect funding for Washington’s children and schools and redefine basic education to pay for what our children need to succeed in college, job training, work and life. (This petition is endorsed by the Washington State PTA.)" Take action: Email your legislator NOW: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx Sign the petition NOW: http://gopetition.com/online/25946.html “We lead the country in science and engineering jobs, but we are one of the states ...

Alliance for Education Community Breakfast Wednesday, May 20. Doors open 7 a.m. Program 7:30-8:45 a.m. Seattle Westin, 1900 5 th Ave. Featured speaker: Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson will speak on the state of Seattle Public Schools and on the progress of SPS’ Strategic Plan: Excellence for All. RSVP: www.alliance4ed.org or 206-205-0334. Boardwalk 5K Run/Walk Fitness Carnival Sunday, April 26, 8:30 a.m. University of Washington, Husky Stadium Cost: $30 adults; $10 18 and under Proceeds help raise funds for physical education programs in Seattle Public Schools. Includes 5K run/walk, Walk of Champions and fitness carnival. Prepare for the SAT FOR FREE Take the practice test at the library, receive your score at a follow-up session and learn how to improve your scores through smarter test taking. Registration is required. Times, info: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=audience_teens_features_detail&cid=1233343729953 … for other great teen pro...

Here are links to assorted stories about education in Washington State. The first article is from the PI about the state Senate passing a bill to free schools from unfunded mandates. This, of course, could be a mixed bag because some of the cuts, like for hearing and vision, could hurt low-income kids. The upside is more local control which many favor. The second article , which appeared in the Times and seemed to slip under the radar, states that the appeal to the Washington State Appeals court by several districts around the state over Special Ed funding failed. "The Washington Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court decision that the state is not shortchanging school districts by more than $100 million a year for special education." The third article , also about Special Ed, is changing the WASL for Special Ed students. From the article: "Senate Bill 5414 proposes a number of WASL changes and makes one mention of special education students, urging the Office of...