Alliance for Education Continues Drive to Shape the Seattle School Board
The Alliance recently had an press "event" during a national urban school board directors convention held here in Seattle in late July. The theme of the convention was "Building Educational Communities to Close the Achievement Gap" but that was not what this event was about at all.
I had hoped this would be a press conference but no, it was really a dog-and-pony show to somehow drive home this point of what Seattle's School Board should be.
There was a smattering of press with Directors Peaslee and Smith-Blum in attendance as well. I was confused as to who was in the room until I realized that some attendees from the convention had joined us as well.
The speakers on the panel - billed as "experts in the area of school board research and effectiveness" - were:
Roger Eskine - on the Alliance's "School Board Task Force" and former Executive Director of the SEA
Thomas L. Aisbury - Ed professor at Seattle Pacific University - certainly the most interesting of the speakers with the most detailed information
Jonelle Adams - Ex Director of WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) - a breath of fresh air, smart and pragmatic
David A. Pickler - President of the National School Boards Association (NBBA) - a bit slick for my tastes but a fairly good speaker.
The theme of the event: "Eight Characteristics of an Effective School Board" and why SPS and other Washington State school boards should adopt these recommendations. What was interesting is that no one ever said what the
I had hoped this would be a press conference but no, it was really a dog-and-pony show to somehow drive home this point of what Seattle's School Board should be.
There was a smattering of press with Directors Peaslee and Smith-Blum in attendance as well. I was confused as to who was in the room until I realized that some attendees from the convention had joined us as well.
The speakers on the panel - billed as "experts in the area of school board research and effectiveness" - were:
Roger Eskine - on the Alliance's "School Board Task Force" and former Executive Director of the SEA
Thomas L. Aisbury - Ed professor at Seattle Pacific University - certainly the most interesting of the speakers with the most detailed information
Jonelle Adams - Ex Director of WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) - a breath of fresh air, smart and pragmatic
David A. Pickler - President of the National School Boards Association (NBBA) - a bit slick for my tastes but a fairly good speaker.
The theme of the event: "Eight Characteristics of an Effective School Board" and why SPS and other Washington State school boards should adopt these recommendations. What was interesting is that no one ever said what the