tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post6099832748826342412..comments2024-03-18T22:50:29.792-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Saving Seattle's Schools Requires New School Board MembersCliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-84715749172633658402011-08-13T09:59:41.799-07:002011-08-13T09:59:41.799-07:00Sharon, of course you were involved. Yes, you did...Sharon, of course you were involved. Yes, you did the petition, and while I don't remember your letter to the editor, I have no doubt that it was well done or the Times wouldn't have published it. I objected to Mr. Mass's description of you as 'key' to the efforts. You were a part, no doubt. But as Mr. Edelman points out, it was a group effort. <br /><br />And I will not be posting this reply anywhere but here.RosieReaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509678140588070623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-9672284231884209472011-08-12T21:46:33.003-07:002011-08-12T21:46:33.003-07:00I really need to set the record straight here. Ros...I really need to set the record straight here. Rosie Reader claims that I had nothing to do with the rehire of Martin Floe and that I became active on the Facebook page only to promote my campaign for School Board Director. So here's the truth, for Rosie Reader and others. I wrote and managed the online petition to rehire Martin Floe, and I think Rosie Reader is fully aware of that since she very likely read feedback that I incorporated into the petition. After the petition was signed by 910 people in 3 days I sent it to all School Board members, the Seattle Times and other news outlets. I sent an additional editorial to Seattle Times which they ran. I spent several weeks asking if anyone was planning to run for School Board in District 1, in hopes that someone would. I did all of this before I decided at the very last minute to jump into the School Board race myself because no one else would or could. I have to wonder why she has failed to do better fact checking before attempting to publicly discredit me.sharpeashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04907866474818078557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-12252351073339282712011-08-12T14:52:49.860-07:002011-08-12T14:52:49.860-07:00Harium Martin-Morris may be calm and he did vote a...Harium Martin-Morris may be calm and he did vote against the math curriculum, however, as chair of the Curriculum and Instruction committee he could have <i> but has not</i> been a leader in ensuring high quality math instruction. He is therefore also a party to spending $700,000 on outside consultants to "fix" high school language arts curriculum. Mostly what we got was a list of novels to read at various grade levels, no texts on grammar, no poetry or rhetoric, and the highly considered LA Options program at Roosevelt was decimated. <br /><br />Director Martin-Morris's main vehicle for community engagement was his <a href="http://harium.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">blog</a>. So ask him why he closed access to that blog? Why not allow citizens a chance to see what sort of things he discussed with constituents, parents and teachers as a director? <br /><br />Michelle Buetow is a better choice.Dorothy Nevillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17108759281089768738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-77693966829134972882011-08-03T13:00:13.697-07:002011-08-03T13:00:13.697-07:00Harium Martin-Morris is passionate about educating...Harium Martin-Morris is passionate about educating all of our kids, and at the same time is clam and rational. I have found him to be very responsive, and he voted against the current messed up math curriculum, a central concern for Professor Mass. He is the one board member worth keeping.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14538377188778929284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-30918705548786235502011-08-02T20:12:24.772-07:002011-08-02T20:12:24.772-07:00For the third district, Buetow is the preferred ch...For the third district, Buetow is the preferred choice...I have talked to her and was impressed. Harium Maetin-Morris has had a very mixed recordCliff Mass Weather Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-28003483035127661852011-08-02T19:28:04.090-07:002011-08-02T19:28:04.090-07:00I'll be voting for District 3, where the incum...I'll be voting for District 3, where the incumbent is Harium Maetin-Morris, who positions himself in his statement as a voice of reason among the mess that is the current board,<br /><br />But I don't have children and have not paid much attention to the board drama. Does anyone have a point of view on Harium to share?gerwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18021721245416002836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-2668473079360907062011-08-02T18:42:42.137-07:002011-08-02T18:42:42.137-07:00On any number of issues the public presented the i...<i>On any number of issues the public presented the information needed to the directors to make an intelligent decision ... but rarely was relevant data intelligently applied to make an intelligent decision.</i> <br /><br />Our Host is one whose topic-specific expertise was ignored but I am referring directly to operational/financial issues. If the district's executive management team knew about the rogue SBA program, the most recent moneypit in SPS history, and did nothing I haven't heard about it. My understanding is that, as with the Olschefske fiasco and repeatedly since, there are no solid reports that would shed some light on these. <br /><br />I would agree that those 4-3 votes are indicative of a lack of probity and diligence but is that a function of the time they spend or the support they get? What resources can they draw on? I think we need to ask how much we can expect from a group with oversight over more than half a billion dollars. <br /><br />Once we have confidence those books are in order, we can pay closer attention to textbooks and curricula and maybe — just maybe — ask the people who work with SPS graduates, like college professors or local employers, how things are going. <br /><br />I'm not trying to let the board off the hook completely but I think we own some of this.a progressive crankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05135136349294909242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-83269340514349877742011-08-02T18:28:12.705-07:002011-08-02T18:28:12.705-07:00Rosie,
Well, let me provide a few facts that I ...Rosie,<br /> Well, let me provide a few facts that I based my comments on. Sharon Peaslee was the author of and facilitated the online petition to keep Floe...a petition that got lots of attention. She was the author of a letter to the Seattle Times and her comments were found on many facebook pages and social media sites.Cliff Mass Weather Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-14977057413881988892011-08-02T12:12:36.327-07:002011-08-02T12:12:36.327-07:00You should have fact-checked. There is no way tha...You should have fact-checked. There is no way that Sharon Peaslee was a major player in the Martin Floe dispute. She "friended" the web page and posted on it from time to time. She also used it in the days after resolution to drum up support for her candidacy. She respected our requests that she stop using the forum int hat regard. <br /><br />She may be a nice person and she may be the best candidate, but she was not "a key player in saving Ingraham HS principal Martin Floe." <br /><br />I speak as one of the people who deserve to wear that title, though it's not a title I would ever choose to adopt.RosieReaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509678140588070623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-62926569498957079052011-08-02T08:20:29.008-07:002011-08-02T08:20:29.008-07:00Cliff, I think you have given Teach for America (T...Cliff, I think you have given Teach for America (TFA) teachers short shrift. TFA recruits bright, energetic college graduates who are not products of the schools of education. They are most often used in "disadvantaged" schools.<br /><br />I know three current or former TFA teachers. All three became accredited in the state they taught in. One obtained her masters in education. All of them stayed in teaching for two or more years after their two year TFA commitment expired. Two of them taught math and science, with the kind of rigor that you would demand.<br /><br />TFA is sometimes bashed as "Teach For Awhile". There are certainly some TFA teachers who flop. But all of them have now been exposed to the best and worst of our K-12 education system. At worst they will be informed voters. At best they go on to contribute in meaningful ways to the education system by staying on as teachers, becoming school principals, or getting graduate degrees so they can contribute at a different level.<br /><br />I think you need to look at TFA again. An argument could be made that our schools need more, not fewer TFA teachers. Experience is good, but it can be offset by intelligence and energy.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05782578684231034095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-84738432321743489012011-08-01T21:35:57.114-07:002011-08-01T21:35:57.114-07:00Once upon a time, I had only a passing interest in...Once upon a time, I had only a passing interest in who was running for the school board. That changed abruptly when my two sons were in the SPS and ran into the brick wall of discovery math. My interest is visceral now. I've been patiently waiting for just this chance to get some small measure of payback through the ballot box. Thanks to this blog for keeping the issue and the players in focus!David Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12125448549431759938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-29290181113252553012011-08-01T07:53:50.011-07:002011-08-01T07:53:50.011-07:00Cliff, thanks. My wife and I don't have kids i...Cliff, thanks. My wife and I don't have kids in school but we still feel that we have a vested interest in a well educated society. Getting "informed" opinions of candidates in our politically and ideologically highly charged society is a challenge. With "vote for me" propaganda flowing in every day finding out what these candidates actually represent is intimidating.John McBridehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09503331313775640577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-14885704619153018602011-08-01T00:28:21.059-07:002011-08-01T00:28:21.059-07:00Dear Progressive Crank,
I disagree with part of y...Dear Progressive Crank,<br /><br />I disagree with part of your analysis. You said: <i> I really don't think we can expect sweeping changes if the board can't get reliable information on which they can make decisions.</i><br /><br />On any number of issues the public presented the information needed to the directors to make an intelligent decision ... but rarely was relevant data intelligently applied to make an intelligent decision.<br /><br />The Board for years has simply said ... We trust our hired professionals and so the rubber-stamping continues.<br /><br />Part-Time is a really lame excuse for the lousy performance of the four directors up for reelection. There were several times when very important decisions passed 4-3 .... The four making the repeated mistakes were Sundquist, Carr, Martin-Morris, and Maier. ... Numerous times these four folks completely disregarded the evidence to make extremely poor decisions.<br /><br />----<br />OSPI, UW CoE, etc. are certainly part of the problem ....dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-87852536617386759332011-07-31T20:23:19.625-07:002011-07-31T20:23:19.625-07:00Not to defend the board, as I share many of the sa...Not to defend the board, as I share many of the same complaints, but part of the problem is that the board members are part-time/volunteers, compensated very little for their time and energy, and they get very little administrative support. They are an executive board, charged with making decisions that require reliable and timely information. <br /><br />The financial irregularities we have seen time and time again would be more easily found if the board had some kind of independent reporting facility. But as it stands now, the district generates the reports they get. Does the superintendent or one of their people have any influence over what goes into those reports or how they're presented? Rather than wonder, why not just get an independent reporting system in place? <br /><br />I have asked the Mayor for his help with this and, while I'm not sure he understood what was being asked, I have a followup in with his office to make sure he does. I think he understands how a failing school system can affect investment in his city. <br /><br />I really don't think we can expect sweeping changes if the board can't get reliable information on which they can make decisions. And what power do they really have or feel comfortable using? If the prior superintendent had undisclosed connections to a major testing firm with business before the district, why wasn't she sanctioned or fired with cause? <br /><br />I think the entire structure and purpose of the district, perhaps even of the OSPI, is in question. We have constitutional requirement for basic public education but without a definition of that, how do you provide it? <br /><br />But for SPS, unless we can give the board both reliable information on which to act and clear guidelines on their authority and where we expect them to use it, we won't see any great changes. The textbook publishers and testing companies are resourceful, perhaps more than a part-time board that is beholden to those it supervises. <br /><br />There are many other questions, such as where is the business community that will be hiring these graduates and should have some ideas on where the schools can improve. And your freshman assessments could be used as a measure of how SPS is doing. If the state's flagship research university doesn't think SPS graduates are getting what they need, how are OSPI and SPS responding to that?a progressive crankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05135136349294909242noreply@blogger.com