Seattle Schools Community Forum:
You Be the Director: What Would Your Amendment Be?
Seattle Schools Community Forum
You Be the Director: What Would Your Amendment Be?
I had a request for a thread on Board Director amendments. I say the SCPTSA and the SPED PTA should join together and get all the local PTAs to say no to this morass of a mess. But I don't think even the "go-slow" idea will get much traction. Here's the thing. Past experience shows that there is a fair amount of horsing trading among Directors when these big changes come along. Most D
Growth Boundaries Announced (Round Three) - Bound for Glory or Bound for Unhappiness?
(Note: readers started commenting on this at the Friday Open Thread. I had thought to try to transfer their comments to this new thread but was unable to do so. I created a new thread as to make this huge issue, front and center here. )From SPS:The recommendations below go to the Board on November 6 for action on November 20. (The information from previous proposals is now obsolete.)Two Types of
YESTERDAY
A Family Project for the Weekend the Kids Will Love
Just kidding but show this Touch Wood in a Japanese Forest with Bach to your children. Beautiful and amazing. A music and science lesson all in one.
Fall Back Saturday Night
Technically, we are falling back at 2 a.m. on Sunday but I assume that you all, like all good parents, will be safely tucked into your beds at that time. So roll those clocks on any machine back one hour and sleep in.
Seattle Schools Advanced Learning Testing Starting Tomorrow
This fell off my radar until a reader commented that she just got notice that her child's Advanced Learning testing is tomorrow. Here is the schedule.Eligibility testing began on October 26 and will continue through January 2014 for students whose applications were received by the October 3rd deadline. Most testing will take place at your child's school during normal school hours. There will also
Friday Open Thread
Looked like the word "boobies" will be used in a Supreme Court case over two girls, who in 2010 were then 12 and 13, who were trying to raise awareness for breast cancer. They violated their school's ban on bracelets and wore pink bracelets that said, "I heart Boobies!" A lower court said the district didn't prove the bracelets had disrupted learning. The district won't bac
OCT 31
New Seattle Schools Growth Boundaries Plan to Come Out Tomorrow
By the way, there is a new message on the SPS Growth Boundaries page (thanks to an APP reader for this tip):"An updated recommended plan will be presented to the board on November 6. The proposal will be released with the Board agenda at 5 p.m. on November 1 and posted here by 7 p.m. (The information from the September 17 draft and the October 16 proposal shown below is now obsolete.")&q
OCT 30
Have a Great (and safe) Halloween
Sadly, no Halloween for me this year - going to be at a 3-hour class in the evening. Hard to think about missing all those little faces (although I never get more than 25 kids in an evening).Remember parents - do check that candy. It's important to make sure there's nothing bad in there (like candy YOU really like). Do your kids keep it forever or eat it all in one weekend? (My guys could nurs
Suzanne Dale Estey - Embellishment is her Specialty but What about Credibility?
I have consistently stated that Suzanne Dale Estey appears to have a great resume. She seems to have broad policy experience at different levels of government. But, based on attendance at and viewing of some videotapes of various campaign events, I realized that she has this tendency to embellish what her resume says she did. So I decided to check some of what is on her resume AND what she has
Garfield Parents or Students: Want to Talk about the Hazing Incident?
Contact me at sss.westbrook@gmail.com. Anything you might wish to say could be said anonymously but contact me first. Thanks.
APP Advisory Committee Feedback to Board/Banda on Growth Boundaries
From the APP Advisory Committee (bold mine), Tuesday, October 29, 1013:Dear Superintendent Banda and Board Directors, Each version of the Growth Boundaries plan presented to the public has contained proposals that will dramatically affect the Accelerated Progress Program. Since the release of the first version of the plan on September 18, the APP Advisory Committee (APP AC) has collected feedback
Pinehurst Hearing
I am very disappointed to have miss the Pinehurst public hearing last night. Did anyone attend and could you let us know what was said?
OCT 29
Seattle Educators Honored
From SPS Communications: Photo by Adam ReitanoKCTS 9 announced that Kristen Bailey Fogarty is a winner of the 2013 Annual Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Education. Bailey-Fogarty, a reading intervention teacher at Eckstein Middle School, was one of nine educators across the state honored for making a positive difference in Washington state education from early childhood through high school.
The Real Issue at Horace Mann
Let me begin by setting a foundation. EVERYONE agrees that African-American students have been mis-educated by Seattle Public Schools and by public school districts across the nation. Black students have been presented with inadequate and inappropriate academic opportunities, they have been denied equitable access to programs and services, they have been disproportionately disciplined and dispropo
How the Voting Going at Your House?
Last I read, King County Elections has only about 10% of the ballots back and, in an off year, may only get 30% back, so naturally, every vote counts. It counts even more for School Board elections as the number of people who actually vote for School Board candidates is even smaller than say, for Mayor. Proud to say, our household has cast four solid votes for Sue Peters in District IV.
Tuesday Open Thread
When the Silas Potter incident was exposed, naturally I was following it very closely. But when Potter took a plea, I was less interested and so forgot that one of his co-conspirators was going to trial. According to the Times Potter and David Johnson are turning on each other. Mr. Johnson is on trial for 42 counts of theft.What is slightly amusing is that Potter testified that he forged John
OCT 28
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble
Real Kindergarten worksheet shows we're preparing youngest to be great test takers, not learners. (from BadAssTeachers). When I was a student, I remember learning this...in high school.
Operations Committee Meeting
Will have a more full report later but there is one new item to the agenda (but sadly, no handout):Columbia Annex and Mann Portable Lease Agreements ResolutionThis should be interesting. Also quite the discussion about students who bring/show weapons at school and how they should be treated. There is an RCW around this (one year required suspension for a firearm) and they are trying to proceed f
More Falling Ed Reform Dominoes (This Time in LA) - What Could it Mean for Seattle?
Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy told his district's top leadership that he would be leaving in a few months. He came from the Gates Foundation and is yet another Broad superintendent to get exited or who left a job. He has been on the job since 2011. Into this issue wades Robin Lake of the Center on Reinventing Public Education (basically a local think-tank for ed reform). She lauds Deasy
OCT 27
Seattle School Board and So-Called "Dysfunction"
Following up on my analysis/thoughts on the Peters/Dale Estey race in District IV, I had promised a thread on this issue of so-called School Board "dysfunction."As I have pointed out, in the Board evaluation, not a SINGLE member of the Board called the Board dysfunctional. One Board member said if they didn't trust each other more, they would become "the poster child for a dysfunct
Seattle Schools This Week
Updated with Pinehurst newsMonday, October 28thOperations Committee meeting from 4-6 p.m. Agenda. It includes the policies on weapons prohibition for both students and adults/visitors, data sharing (clarification on opting out procedures) and discussion of the green resolution impact on policies and procedures. Pegi McEvoy will also report on transportation service standards.SPED PTA meeting
OCT 26
School Board Race Analysis and Thoughts
In some ways, it's been a disappointing School Board election season. With no challenger for Betty Patu and no real challenger for Stephan Blanford, neither have really been heard from. For whatever reason, more forums have only featured Suzanne Dale Estey and Sue Peters. This is something of a disservice to voters because, while I like Betty Patu, I think anyone running to retain their seat sh
Seattle School District Archives
Did you know the district has an extensive archive (complete with a trained archivist)? They do and it's a valuable resource. They have all manner of memorabilia - bound volumes of School Board minutes, uniforms, yearbooks, letters to the School Board, newspaper clippings - you name it. Archivist Aaren Purcell would be more than glad to look at what any school, group or individual has to offer t