Seattle Schools Community Forum:
Seattle Schools Community Forum
Pre School discussion event
SEATTLE SPEAKSPRESCHOOL POLITICSJoin the conversationShould Seattle invest in prekindergarten education? Join Seattle Channel, Seattle CityClub and Town Hall Seattle for a live, televised community forum about the future of early childhood learning and hear from the supporters of two competing ballot measures—a city-backed plan to make high-quality preschool accessible and affordable and a union p
Friday Open Thread
Update: there is one Director Community meeting tomorrow - with Director Carr - from 8:30-10 am at Bethany Community Church with a hard stop at 10 am as the Board also has its Board retreat tomorrow from 10:30-3:00 pm at JSCEE. I would put up the agenda but it is not available. Why it isn't available is always a mystery (although here's the Board agenda for the next school board meeting). I'll
SEP 11
Proposed Advanced Learning Policy
I now have a copy of the Advanced Learning policy brought forward by staff. It is essentially identical to the proposed policy that was roundly rejected by the Board about a year ago. It hasn't gotten better with time. The proposed policy is little different from the WSSDA model policy, which is crap.The policy fails to fulfill the minimum requirements in that it does not say what kind of students
The hardest part: actual compliance
The school district has new procedures for field trips. That's good.The school district is writing new procedures for sexual harassment and assault. That's good.The school district will convene a task force to review the sexual harassment policy and recommend revisions. That's good too.But they don't address the problem.While the new procedures and policies are sure to be an improvement over the o
The District's Real Response
This is good news.It's beginning to look like Seattle Public Schools is finally going to take real action in response to the reported rape of November, 2012 and how that case exposed district failures in both prevention and response to sexual assault and harassment complaints. The real action from the District now includes improvements to both prevention and response. There had been nothing but ta
SEP 10
City of Seattle Pre-K Initiative
Here's a thread to discuss the City of Seattle's pre-k ambitions and their co-ordination, or lack thereof, with Seattle Public Schools.
The District's Title IX PR Effort
Seattle Public Schools has a real problem with Title IX compliance. They knew about this problem for years and took no action. Recently, these problems were exposed in the press. When the District started getting bad press about their Title IX problems they began to respond - to the PR problem.I have long said that the School District only responds to three stimuli: litigation (or the threat of li
SEP 09
Tuesday Open Thread -NOT- on Wednesday
Ack! Melissa usually does this. Sorry I muffed it.Here is your Tuesday open thread just one day late.Did anyone attend the Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting? Can we get a report? Has anyone seen the draft policy for Advanced Learning?What else is going on?Somehow, when I first created this thread I thought it was Wednesday. What a goob.
SEP 06
So What Have They Done?
Since the sexual assault complaint that arose on a Garfield High School field trip to NatureBridge in November of 2012, we have heard from the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors and senior management about how seriously they regard it and how committed they are to tightening up procedures, policy, and compliance. But what have they actually done? Shockingly little. And let's remember that t
CPPS: Tapping the Power of Parents
From Community & Parents for Public Schools, Seattle (CPPS):SEATTLE: Students win when families and schools work together, but not all parents engage equally. So Community & Parents for Public Schools of Seattle is bringing an acclaimed program to the city that strengthens ties to public schools by recruiting, placing and mentoring volunteers who might not otherwise participate. For more
NOW National PTA Wants Your Opinion on Common Core
Kind of late but okay. Cast your vote. Currently it's 89% against (38K+ votes) and 11% for (4600+votes). PTA tweeted this yesterday: Have your voice heard on #CCSS! Poll in advance of Sept @IQ2US debate wants to know if u "Embrace the #CommonCore" http://ow.ly/AveEH 1:20 PM - 4 Sep 2014 The link in the tweet takes you to a poll which is tied to an upcoming debate. The event will be
Seattle Schools This Week
I will be taking a hiatus this week to do other things. Charlie may or may not be able to provide the Open Threads for this week.Monday, September 8thCurriculum & Instruction Committee meeting from 4:30pm - 6:30 pm. AgendaIt includes a discussion of K-12 Science Education, BAR for both Advanced Learning and RTTT 3B Investment Fund for Pre K-3, and a BAR for "DOE grant." That last
Director Peaslee's Community Meeting Today Canceled
I receive a brief request to put up that Director Peaslee's Community meeting today at Northgate Branch Library has been canceled. No explanation. Also, the Northgate branch was kind enough to also let me know.
What's wrong with the District's narrative on NatureBridge?
Seattle Public Schools, and Board President Peaslee in particular, have been pushing a narrative about the November 2012 sexual assault that has been making a lot of people mad. Just in case you, or someone you know, has read the District's account and cannot see why people are angry about it, I will offer an explanation.Here is the District's narrative.Here's what's wrong with it:In November 2012