Seattle School Board Retreat
Charlie and I are at the retreat (he was here most of the day) and I can't resist some early alerts/news:- the Superintendent says that the number show that enrollment is at nearly 52,000. To understand, this is NOT the case for most urban districts.- still no clear answer on the Equitable Access Framework. President Smith-Blum pushed back when it was deferred (again). She stated it does not ha
Charlie in Charge
Dear Readers,I'm taking a brief, scheduled hiatus and have decided to not check in/post while I am gone. So Charlie will carry the banner for the blog. He does have a full-time job so it's harder for him to post. But I'm sure he will get the Tuesday and Friday Open Threads going. If you want to guest post, send it to him, he'll vet it and likely post it. You may also request a thread on a parti
What Americans Think About Public Education
I did link the latest Gallup poll on what Americans think about public education but it deserves an updated reprint.First, from Gallup itself, the highlights:Common CoreMost Americans don’t know about the Common Core and those who do don’t understand it.To note: Of those Americans who had heard of the Common Core, many said — erroneously — that the standards are based on a blending of state stand
Horace Mann issues, solutions, and obstacles
There were two issues discussed at the third meeting of the Horace Mann-African American Community Partnerships Task Force. The two issues are not closely linked. The immediate issue is about the Mann building, but that is actually the smaller issue. The Mann building issue was created to bring urgency to the big issue: the failure to educate African-American children in Seattle Public Schools. Th
Seattle Schools Technology Updates
SPS Communications explained this about the technology issues on the first day of school:We needed to make the switch from our old computer system to Power Schools as the old system was failing. It began failing more quickly than we anticipated, so what was supposed to be an 18-month transition was compressed into six months. Our Department of Technology staff has been working around the clock all
Friday Open Thread
What a week but school started on-time.I forgot to say Happy Birthday to Jane Addams. Yesterday would have been her 150th birthday. She was quite a lady and a good person to name a school after.What's on your mind?
SEP 05
Mann Taskforce Members Express Unhappiness at Meeting
Update: Changed headline so as not to upset the more tender-minded readers. The original title, though, was verbatim and was spoken by a Taskforce member to Superintendent Banda.Charlie and I attended along with Joanna Cullen, a long-time Central resident and public education advocate.I honestly hesitate to put this up but I am because pressure needs to come to bear to end this situation (at lea
Safer Streets around Schools
This story in the Seattle Times describes $14.8 million worth of pedestrian safety improvements going to streets around schools.
Want to Start a Fight? Let's Talk about School Fundraising
Yes, I know. It's quite early in the year but this rather fascinating op-ed just appeared in the NY Times about fundraising. What's interesting is that it is not about PTAs per se but about foundations that are created to support schools. (Most of our comprehensive high schools have them. Not sure about any others except I know Laurelhurst Elementary has one as well.)The op-ed, entitled "Not Ve
First Amendment Rights in Charter Schools?
This is interesting.You may have heard of this issue of a little girl enrolled in a charter school in Tulsa, Oklahoma was sent home because she came to school with dreadlocks and they have a policy against "faddish hair styled" that includes dreadlocks. Her father pulled from the school. Her new school has no problem with her hair and that school is a regular public one.(As an aside, the issue
First day raves and rants
We've heard from one family that had a dreadful first day experience with a child's teacher.My daughter reported an excellent first day of her senior year at Chief Sealth.Do you have a story to share? Everything good? Everything good enough? Something go wrong, but less than tragically? Something go tragically wrong?TransportationClass assignmentTeacher assignmentScheduleEquipment
Unhappy with Child's Teacher
Charlie took the time to write a thoughtful thread about governance in our district, which is a real and serious problem.But it's the day after the first day of school and one parent had an important question about her child's teacher. I certainly can understand the problem because I've seen it myself.I deleted the comment and all the ones that followed it but I'm going to post them here. But th
SEP 04
Fixing the District's Governance Problem
Seattle Public Schools - the District, not the schools - is poorly governed and poorly managed. Let's not pretend otherwise. The evidence is all around us. The routine violation of policy and regular violation of state and federal law are ample evidence of poor governance. Seriously, read the auditor's reports, read the policies, or talk to the families of students with disabilities and you'll kno
SPS Special Ed Issues? Here's How to Get Help
From the Seattle Special Education PTSA:If you are having a problem with special education services and need immediate help troubleshooting your issue, write to specialed@seattleschools.org. Or call the department at 206-252-0058. Circuits are busy so e-mail may be best.Ask for Special Education Supervisors Kelly Clevenger or Wayne Herzog or leave a message.If you or someone you know needs assista
NCTQ; Take it With A Grain of Salt
Back in 2010, Charlie wrote a thread on this ed reform group and a report they had written about the Seattle teachers contract.NCTQ - National Council on Teacher Quality - has now come out with another report, NCTQ Teacher Prep Review, and this one is about teacher preparation programs. I haven't read all of it (it's 112 pages). Their premise is that the overwhelming majority of teacher prep prog
Seattle Public Education and Mayor McGinn
I met the Mayor at a Starbucks (on the very day there were flash strikes at a few Starbucks but not the one we were in). He was in an expansive mood and ready to talk Seattle schools.The Mayor always talks as "we" meaning his team at City Hall. So he started by saying what "we" have been doing. It's a pretty long list:doubled the Families&Education Levy and helped support its passagelaunc
SEP 03
Oxford Comma - Yay or Nay?
You thought the teachers contract was a battle? OnlineSchools.com presents - the Oxford Comma. Teachers, yay or nay? (Me, I'm old school so it's yay.)
SEA Approves Contract
Seattle Schools will open its doors tomorrow to all its schools for our nearly 50,000 students.Welcome back, kids.
STEM K-5 Gets Boost from Delridge Neighborhood Group
The West Seattle Blog is reporting that Superintendent Bandahas received a letter of support from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council supporting the K-5 STEM program staying at Boren.Co-chairs Parie Hines and Kirsten Smith write, in part:Delridge as a neighborhood has felt the negative effects of having the Boren school used as a transitional and temporary school for many long years. It has b
SEA Contract: Waiting for the Vote
I'll try to keep you up-to-date as the evening goes on. I have contacts that I hope will keep me informed.According to the SEA's Facebook page, teachers have already started signing in.7 pmFrom SEA Facebook page: Para contract has been approved by a voice vote.7:15 p.m.SAEOP (clerical) contract has been approved by a voice vote.7:35 pmDebate on the certificated staff contract has started.KUOW is
Math News Updates
More on what works in math and science from this NY Times article, Guesses and Hype Give Way to Data in Study of Education. Want to be data-driven? Use real research.But now, a little-known office in the Education Department is starting to get some real data, using a method that has transformed medicine: the randomized clinical trial, in which groups of subjects are randomly assigned to get eit
Common Core News Roundup - Are Elected Officials Getting Smarter?
From Ed Week, are lawmakers finally connecting the dots between the Gates Foundation and Common Core? Do tell.In Michigan, here is what representative Tom McMillin had to say two days ago, in response to testimony from Chester Finn, of the Fordham Institute, which can be counted among the architects of test-driven reform.McMillin points out that Chester Finn's colleague at the Fordham Institute,
Waiting for Superman Director Newest Doc: TEACH
With CBS, director Davis Guggenheim, will be showing a new two-hour documentary called Teach about four teachers. (I note that they all look to be under 30 which I find troubling.) The show will air on Friday, Sept. 6th at 8:00 pm.It is to be a big event with Queen Latifah hosting the show and "will pay tribute to America's teachers."The two-hour program, set to air Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS,
Tuesday Open Thread
From Seattle Education blog, news of a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, September 17th at 7:30 pm about standardized testing. It's called To Test or Not to Test? It will be a panel discussion with:The panelists will include our very own Wayne Au, PhD who is an Associate Professor at UW Bothell. Dr. Au’s research focuses on educational equity, high-stakes testing, curriculum theory, educational poli
Seattle Education Association Tentative Contract Vote - High Drama?
I've been hearing from different people (and keeping my ear to the ground) and it seems that the vote tonight on the tentative contract - at Benaroya Hall at 5 p.m. - may be closer than previously thought. There was very nearly a tie in the last school rep vote. This is worrying because even if the contract is approved, having a large number of the teaching corps coming into class feeling defe
Teacher contract details leaked
Although neither the District nor the teachers' union have released details of the tentative agreement on a new contract, KUOW's education beat reporter, Ann Dornfeld, has a copy of the agreement and reported these elements, each of which is a compromise on the primary areas of disagreement:It's a two-year contract.The pay raise will be 2% in the first year and 2.5% in the second year.Test scores
SEP 02
Thoughts of the Day
Hooray for Diana Nyad for swimming for 110 miles over 53 hours. Trying to break this record for 5th time. Tell your children about this woman who would not stop trying. Two thoughts of the day:Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.Thomas A. EdisonAnd then there's Governor Cuomo and Mayor Emanuel - one of the most singularly d
SEP 01
Ed Reform; Surging and Faltering
The push is on to expand charters, TFA, student data and yet, more and more people (including some legislators) are finally saying, "What is going on here?"A highly acclaimed charter group in NYC were found to be trying to push out a child with disabilities - it was recorded on tape. From the Daily News:The tapes, a copy of which the mother supplied the Daily News, poke a hole in claims by the fas
Horace Mann Building Update
This went out from Superintendent Banda to Board members on Friday, August 23rd:Following for your information, is a copy of the invitation sent out this week to potential task force members.I would like to invite you to participate in the Horace Mann-African American Community Partnerships Task Force. This group will provide me with immediate and short-term recommendations on how Seattle Public S
Seattle Schools This Week
Wednesday, Sept 4thIt's the start of a brand-new year. Welcome back, kids.School Board Meeting, 4:15 pm. Agenda.Several items got held over from the last Board meeting.the new teacher contract, if ratified on Tuesday by the SEA, will be Intro'ed and voted on tonight. our first look at the budget for the new Seattle Teacher Residency program, a joint program with SPS, UW and SEA with the Allianc
Tentative agreement reached
The SEA announced that, as of 12:18am, they have a tentative agreement with the school district. Details to follow.From the SEA web site:We have a tentative agreement!The Seattle Education Association and Seattle School Board bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement early Sunday morning. SEA members will reviewing the agreement and voting on it at the the Sept. 3 SEA general membership meeti
AUG 31
Washington State PTA Legislative Survey
Via Survey Monkey, the WSPTA is looking for input on these issues. Of course, considering they got rid of the legislative lobbyist post, we'll have to see if they are any more effective without a point person in Olympia. Survey closes on September 30, 2013.
Do You Need to be a Parent to be a Good Teacher?
That's a simplistic question - clearly - but part of the discussion of this column at Slate by Sara Mosle.You'll recall that I wrote a thread about an article in the NY Times about the movement of younger teachers in and out of of the classroom, particularly TFA teachers.So Ms. Mosle, a former TFAer (20 years ago), gives an interesting perspective (bold mine):The Times article, however, neglects a