Downtown School Update
Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess has a regular newsletter that he sends out. Here's what he has to say about the South Lake Union development and a "public school."
3. Support our public school system.
Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more to support the school district by encouraging the development of an elementary school for the growing number of families in the greater downtown area. With this up-zone of South Lake Union, we must craft
3. Support our public school system.
Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more to support the school district by encouraging the development of an elementary school for the growing number of families in the greater downtown area. With this up-zone of South Lake Union, we must craft
Friday Open Thread
I attended the Assessment Taskforce meeting yesterday. It was a good meeting that was very well organized (kudos to staff) and the talk by Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University who phoned in was stellar. I'll put up a thread this weekend. (If only the Advanced Learning taskforce work had been organized this well.)
The Garfield teachers are having a press conference today at 3:15 p.m. to talk about the coming consequences of their MAP boycott action. Those consequences could start as soon as today as this is the last day of the winter testing window. From the press release:
"Of the over 800 MAP tests that were supposed to be administered at Garfield during the winter testing window, only around 180 valid tests were administered - further demonstrating the unity of the Garfield community in the pursuit of quality assessment."
It is confusing as the Superintendent told the teachers that, despite his plans to suspend them without pay for
The Garfield teachers are having a press conference today at 3:15 p.m. to talk about the coming consequences of their MAP boycott action. Those consequences could start as soon as today as this is the last day of the winter testing window. From the press release:
"Of the over 800 MAP tests that were supposed to be administered at Garfield during the winter testing window, only around 180 valid tests were administered - further demonstrating the unity of the Garfield community in the pursuit of quality assessment."
It is confusing as the Superintendent told the teachers that, despite his plans to suspend them without pay for
Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts
Many seem to think that the criticism of Michelle Rhee has to do with her personal style of presentation of her ideas. She herself has said she had a "PR" problem in D.C. I would agree that she can be off-putting. (I even find a little of myself in her as she and I have a tendency to get to the point in a blunt manner that can be hard on others who prefer a gentler nuanced delivery.)
In the Frontline special on her, she says even her mother thought her too cold as a child and said that maybe her new job was just right for her because she needed that coldness. (I sense in Rhee and her background that blunt talk was the order of the day.) Here's my thread on that show.
But, in the end, it is not Rhee, it's her ideas. And she certainly is the poster child for ed reform and there was no surprise that Time Magazine put her on the cover for that reason.
But let's break this down. First, what has she truly accomplished that gives her the stature to say that she knows how to change public education for the better?
- she was a teacher for 5 years? ( I can't find a real timeframe for her teaching history). She tells people she had poor classroom management skills and, naturally there is the infamous story - that she tells several different
In the Frontline special on her, she says even her mother thought her too cold as a child and said that maybe her new job was just right for her because she needed that coldness. (I sense in Rhee and her background that blunt talk was the order of the day.) Here's my thread on that show.
But, in the end, it is not Rhee, it's her ideas. And she certainly is the poster child for ed reform and there was no surprise that Time Magazine put her on the cover for that reason.
But let's break this down. First, what has she truly accomplished that gives her the stature to say that she knows how to change public education for the better?
- she was a teacher for 5 years? ( I can't find a real timeframe for her teaching history). She tells people she had poor classroom management skills and, naturally there is the infamous story - that she tells several different