Live Blogging - Math in Focus Adopted
Blanford - nayCarr - noMartin-Morris - noMcLaren - ayePatu - ayePeters - absolutelyPeaslee -ayeAmendment Two passes. The district will purchase Math in Focus for K-5 elementary curriculum.English says amendment was complete replacement for original BAR. Chair should call question on motion AS amendment. In favor is vote for sole adoption of Math in Focus.Vote goes the same.
Peaslee Reveals Vote: Looks like Math in Focus
Board has not taken a vote but I believe there are four votes for Math in Focus.
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Twelve
Peaslee is now speaking. Thank you to staff and apologize for any misunderstandings and were trying to connect dots and close gaps in knowledge.Appreciate Peters and McLaren's hard, hard work.Peaslee reveals vote. She IS voting for Math in Focus.It appears - at this point - there are four votes for MIF. She believes it is worth more money to bridge achievement gap. S
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Eleven
Carr - thanked Shauna Health and Michael Tolley and entire MAC. I am in agreement with McLaren on solidness of both curriculum. Happy with either. Means a lot to people and reasonable people will disagree. Staff have followed "a legal and robust process." MAC's rationale is good with CCSS. Second what Martin-Morris about curriculum and quality of teaching.Worth noting that prior to
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Ten
Charles Wright continues with a long list of what they need for science, advanced learning, etc. that may be lost if Board chooses a more expensive math. Medical fragile, archive support (everything and the kitchen sink, it would seem). Data center is understaffed, can't do upgrades. Michael Tolley on waivers. Board policy exists, etc. Some schools have expired waivers and others seeking waive
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Nine
Onto the next amendment to adopt Math in Focus. McLaren read the amendment (which was quite lengthy.)Staff to talk about issues around costs for Math in Focus. $5.6M versus some lower cost for enVision. Blanford - what does that money cover?Staff - includes 1-year costs, and range for 7 years. This completes the amendment issues (there was a blank place for the costs of Math in Focus). Peters -
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Eight
Patu reading the BAR for adoption. McLaren said it came forward to C&I committee and they voted to move it forward. Peaslee asked for questions on original motion.Carr asked about procedure because in the past, they didn't discuss the motion before the amendments. Ron English said that amendments come first for discussion and then go back to original motion (with or without amendments depen
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Seven
Board comments going on. (I'll get to details in a separate thread.) But Director Peters said this:On the math adoption - she ran for office on this issue and was told she "might be a one-issue candidate because of it" - Thanks to everyone who worked on issue - we are on the cusp of a change.Even those who didn't support her said "but I agree with you about the math."She said
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Six
Rick Burke - member of MAC. Why is community so passionate about math and why should you listen? He had a handout for the Board of his daughter's math problem. Discovery was language-heavy and "crippled" K-5 students for years. Says "good, better, best" situation. He thinks enVision is good, amendment two is better (for just Math in Focus) and Amendment 1 - dual adoption -
Live Blogging- Math Adoption, Part Five
Next speaker noted that President Obama's daughters had Math in Focus.Sarah Sense Wilson said she approved of a dual math adoption. She also said the Board has a unique opportunity to honor what John Stanford promised - to pay tribute to a modern-day Native American leader. She was speaking of Robert Eaglestaff. He achieved success for their community and was a strong advocate for civil rights
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Four
Public TestimonyTed Nutting - an honored and long-time math teacher at Ballard High School. Really effective in his speaking - he gets kids at the end of the K-8 line and wants them to be ready. He is retiring and believes Math in Focus is the best option.Kathleen Voss - should you reject staff's recommendation? Process was flawed and should they adhere to this "flawed process." Staf
Live Blogging- Math Adoption, Part 3
Unbelievably Blogger ate this post.To note, a very long discussion around Policy 2185 about using 2.0 GPA for participation in athletics. Back and forth by several directors and staff (who seemed none too happy about it). Director McLaren said they are correcting a previous clerical error and will be considering the issue at the C&I Committee meeting on Monday. President Peaslee was clearly u
Live Blogging - Math Adoption, Part Two
Superintendent is now speaking on K-5 process. Said had to follow a "legal" process, and MAC came up with recommendation. He supports that recommendation. More later tonight from staff. Thanked Shauna Heath and her team for their work. Update about Strategic Plan and implementing feedback. (I posted on this last month.) Recited all the top items on the list. Mentioned the renaming
Live Blogging from Board Meeting
This is likely to be several threads as I continue to have issues with live blogging.Right now the room is about half-full. Ballard principal Keven Wynkoop was honored as High School principal of the year and South Shore principal Keisha Scarlett was honored as Middle School principal of the year. (I believe this is for Washington State.) 2014 Golden Shoe Award for three schools were:- Dunlap El
Still Arguing about School Funding?
Is this discussion over enrollment numbers and school funding still happening where you are?Because apparently, it's still an issue for Nathan Hale High. Hale parents are being notified, via a Hale parent group, that the district is underestimating their enrollment (by less than 20 students) and it will reduce their funding. They say they have had a waitlist for years and don't understand why th
Math Adoption Updates
In case you didn't notice, the number of MAC members who filed their own opinions went up from 1 teacher to 3 more on the committee.I believe there may be three certain votes against the adoption of enVision. I think there could be a fourth vote but again, hard to discern.My concern is not that some members of the Board will agree with the recommendation (or the process used to get to this point
Room for Debate: Gifted Tracks
The New York Times has an excellent series of articles called Room for Debate where they have various experts write an essay for or against a subject. Their latest is about gifted education. I didn't read each article thoroughly but two things did stand out.Professor Bruce Sacerdote had this to say:My paper with fellow economists James West and Scott Carrell examines peer effects among students a
Math Adoption - The Staff Strikes Back
Reviewing the updated agenda for tomorrow night's Board meeting, it looks like staff have been burning the midnight oil.First, the speakers list is full with nine people on the waitlist. The overwhelming number of comments are to be about the math adoption.Next, on the K-5 Math Instructional Materials Adoption, there are many new additions. The BAR is now 23 pages long. To note: In response to
6-3-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: NPR; Not Such Neutral Reporting on Common CoreNPR has been getting dollars (a la the Seattle Times) for education reporting from the Gates Foundation. And boy, does it show in their Common Core reporting.First, their FAQs on Common Core read a lot like what comes from Gates. Two, they even have one FAQ "fact" wrong which is that Oklahoma has a bill goin