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Sunday, September 16, 2012

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board meeting agenda for 9/19/12

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board meeting agenda for 9/19/12:


School Board meeting agenda for 9/19/12

Here's the agenda for the Seattle School Board Meeting of September 19, 2012.

Not every meeting has a theme, but this one features some interesting timing decisions. Or perhaps the theme is evading public discussion.



The public testimony is still scheduled for 5:00pm. The Board knows that having the testimony at this time creates a barrier to participation by working people. Perhaps that's the intent.

The proclamation for Cheryl Chow is presented for introduction and action at the same meeting. The Board repealed the policy that restricted the practice to emergencies so now they can (and often do) bring motions for introduction and action at the same meeting. Usually they do it when there is some urgency or if they wish to evade public questions about their actions. Take it from me, you do not want to question this proclamation. I


The Times Makes Me Dizzy

Over at the Times, they have written an editorial supporting Ref 74, protecting gay marriage rights.  I personally say, Yay!  I will have been married 29 years tomorrow and I want all people who want to get married to have the joys, pain (sometimes more like irritation/annoyance) and slogging that marriage brings to have that right.  They deserve the legal protections, without carrying some card around, that marriage brings.

That said, the Times used to be against gay marriage.  Hmm.

In yet another whiplash moment, here's a headline from the Times:

The Overselling of Charter Schools

It's from 2001.  The Times then did like some form of charters and said:

But charter schools running willy-nilly with too few restrictions and too little oversight is a recipe for troubles showing up Arizona, Texas and Michigan:
• The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill calling for a two-year moratorium on new charter schools. Several schools have shut down after their leaders ran out of money or left town.
• While many charters in Arizona and Michigan are working well, the problems at other charter schools cry out