Seattle Schools Community Forum:
Seattle Schools Community Forum
Goodbye, Charlie
This is likely to be one of the most difficult posts I ever write because how do you say goodbye to someone who has been a constant in your life over the last six+ years?Charlie Mas is something of an enigma. Even to me. He's brash, outspoken and yet, a big softie.At times some people thought that Charlie and I were one person.Or that we were joined at the hip in our thoughts.Or that we confabbe
Friday Open Thread
Did your senior write a great college essay? Here's a link to an award for $5,000 through Medium.com. The deadline is May 19. (Great judges like Anna Quindlen, Wally Lamb, and Mary Roach.) This is not "new" news but the Gates Foundation invests in a private prison company as well as a company with 19 juvenile detention facilities in the U.S. This from Mother Jones. A Gates spokesper
Special Ed Open Mic nights
Families are invited to give feedback on Special Education services at Seattle Public Schools during two “Open Mic Night” meetingsFamilies of Seattle Public Schools are invited to join experts from Louisiana State University and the TIERS Group (Teams Intervening Early to Reach all Students) during two Open Microphone Nights to give feedback on Special Education Services.Join us:Tuesday, April 22
APR 10
Required Reading on Common Core
One of the most calm, well-thought out op-eds on Common Core that I have read from Elizabeth Phillips, principal in NYC's PS 321. Read the entire thing but here are highlights:So teachers watched hundreds of thousands of children in grades 3 to 8 sit for between 70 and 180 minutes per day for three days taking a state English Language Arts exam that does a poor job of testing reading comprehensio
Center on Reinventing Public Education; All Charters, All the Time
It used to be that you could give CPRE a little credit for caring about other education issues than just charters schools. It would appear that time has passed. I'm on their listserv and if you go just by that, it's all charters, all the time. What is worrying is that if they feel this way about charter schools in other states, I can't wait to see what they think should happen in Washington Stat
APR 09
Charter Schools - What is Really Happening
The first thing to understand is that Congress is considering a bill to support and expand charter schools. The other, a charter school bill, is aimed at growing more high-quality charters and encouraging them to better serve students with disabilities and English-language learners. That bill also won swift approval, but not before a number of committee Democrats lambasted charter schools for si
Washington State Waiting for Washington, D.C. on Waiver
From Education Week:All eyes have been on Washington state since lawmakers there adjourned last month without making a key change to their teacher-evaluation system that would have enabled the state to hang on to its flexibility from the mandates of the much-maligned No Child Left Behind Act.And now, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is on the verge of yanking Washington state's waiver, seve
Puget Sound Education Meetings of Interest
Meeting on Wilson-Pacific on May 13thFrom the district: To address growing enrollment and capacity needs, Seattle voters passed the 2013 Seattle Public Schools Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy. As a result, a new middle school and new elementary school are scheduled to open in time for the 2017-18 school year. A newly renovated play field will be located between the two new buildings o
Something is Well and Truly Screwed Up in Special Education
I want to fill in some details about the Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting on Monday. Three members of the Special Education staff, including the chief of that department, Ms McWilliams, presented the Board with the program placements for Special Ed for 2014-2015. At that time they described the status of the implementation of the new Special Education system. Their presentation
Seattle Schools Work Session/Committee Meeting Updates
The Work Sessions scheduled for today now have their agendas available.One is the Risk Management; Insurance Coverage Review. On the face of it, this department seems to be doing a good job. I only say "seems" because insurance is not my area so it's hard to discern any issues. Two items of note:Page 6 about Liability Coverage Seattle Public Schools’ experience – One claim in exces
APR 08
Cliff Mass Weighs in on Seattle Schools Math Choices
From Professor Mass' weather blog:"After lots of complaints and the evident failure of Everyday Math, the Seattle School District began a selection process for a replacement, managed by a Math Adoption Committee. After some deliberation and limited input from the community, they have narrowed the field to three books:Math in Focus - The Singapore Approach pub. Houghton-MifflinenVision Math
Alliance for Education community engagement update
The Alliance for Education lists Community Engagement as one of their three primary missions.Towards that end they have a blog. Their last blog post was made on May 9, 2013, nearly a year ago.They have a Facebook page. Their Facebook page has 646 likes. The Facebook page has ten posts so far this year. Most of them are about the Alliance's annual community breakfast fundraiser. Those ten posts hav
WEA Supports Families Opting out of State Testing
I had heard about this vote this past weekend but couldn't find info on it at the WEA website. From KUOW:The state’s largest teachers’ union has passed a motion to support parents and students who opt out of statewide standardized tests. The union also promotes opting out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium state test coming next school year to align with the new Common Core State Stand
Seattle Council PTSA Meeting Wrap-Up
Well, that was interesting. I'm sorry there were so few people there (but my experience is that many people never go to SCPTSA meetings anyway, choosing to go to their school PTA meeting).As usual, they had food (so no one goes hungry) and welcoming faces. I note that the Board is a multi-racial one. (SCPTSA President Katherine Schomer later mentioned that they have been unable to find a rep fr
Prop 1 - Seattle Youth Commission Video Makes the Point
The Seattle Youth Commission is a group of 25 Seattleites aged 13-19 who are appointed by the Mayor and City Council to connect youth to their elected officials. They produced this video to inform students about possible upcoming bus cuts in Seattle.They are clearly saying they are losing or will lose bus service and provide info for each high school's state reps.
Tuesday Open Thread
From Bob Westgard of SPS Logistics/Transportation about what might happen if the Transportation measure does not pass:That’s a very good question. We’ve been in contact with Metro about the possibility of reductions in service. We expect that if the measure does not pass, there will be reductions in service, but at this point, Metro is not really prepared to give the District specifics. Metro has
Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting notes
The Board Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee met yesterday (Monday, April 7). The agenda included an update on Creative Approach Schools, information on the application for a SIG grant by Rainier Beach High School, an update on Special Education program placement, and an update and further discussion on potential changes to the High School Graduation Requirements and High School Grade Mar
APR 07
Wilson-Pacific Needs an Auditorium
I don't believe this project is going well. It's interesting because it got roundly defended by Director Carr at last week's Board meeting. But all the engagement she noted was before it was decided that Pinehurst would be part of the mix. I almost wonder if the Board feels like the district gave in on that one and so they won't argue about the auditorium. I also believe that, like the World Sc
Opting Out - Your Story
Ann Dornfeld at KUOW is looking for parents who are considering opting out of testing (or have previously opted out) - looking for insights.206.221.7082 or adornfeld@kuow.orgShe'd like to hear from folks by 3 p.m. if possible.Thanks!Also, to note, there is a new website, Opt Out of State Standardized Tests. They want to provide information for parents in all states and are looking for volunteers
Teaching and Learning - What's in a School Day?
Reader N suggested these topics to discuss:At my school we have three shared positions and I have a student whose parent is in a shared-position at another school. She agrees as do the teachers at my school that people in shared positions are giving the District time-and-a-half effort for half-time pay. I have no problem with shared positions but I'm looking ahead at how that affects full-time tea
The Brilliant Diane Ravitch and the State of Public Education
From her blog:For the past decade or more, a bevy of very powerful people have savaged our nation’s public schools while calling themselves “reformers.” It is perfectly clear that they have no desire to “reform” our public schools but to privatize and monetize them. The Bush-Obama era of “measure and punish” has not reformed our public schools but has plunged them into unending disruption, demoral
Homework Funnies
Some of these made me laugh out loud. You have to love kids and their ability to improvise.
APR 06
Seattle Schools Math Adoption Info
Seattle Public Schools is choosing new K-5 math textbooks for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, and you have a voice in the decision.The official selection process is being managed by the Math Adoption Committee, their website is here. They have narrowed the field down to three possibilities:Math in Focus - The Singapore Approach pub. Houghton-Mifflin Go Math! pub. Houghton-Mifflin enVision Math
Seattle Schools This Week
Monday, April 7thSeattle Council PTSA General Meeting on Monday April 7th from 7-9pm.This will be a good one as the Superintendent will be there, along with top staff to answer questions. Curriculum and Instruction Meeting from 4:30-6:30 p.m., AgendaWednesday, April 9th A really long day for some Board members that includes these meetings: Executive Committee Meeting from 8:30 am-10 am, AgendaOve
Please Vote for Prop 1
Why?1) We should not be cutting back on public transportation. It's just ridiculous when so many people count on it especially to get to work.2) The Times says you should vote no. That pretty much should be your tip-off to vote Yes. From The Slog:Their reasoning? Metro should cut more costs before asking for money, and Prop 1, which includes raising car-tab fees and hiking the sales tax by 0.1
More Things that Make You Go, Hmmm
United Opt-Out, a website that has state-by-state resources for parents on how to opt their children out of tests got hacked recently. They say it was "maliciously hacked and destroyed in an act of political sabotage."Odd, no? I mean, it's not Target or any money-making entity where you could get credit card info. It's information for public school parents. And yet it didn't just get