Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New open thread

A new open thread. Discuss what you like!

Update: Very interesting post over at Save Seattle Schools, "Cluster Grouping Talk at Nathan Hale", about gifted education and how it is done in a school district outside of Phoenix, AZ.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

so how is the transition going at lowell at lincoln.

Anonymous said...

Anon - Are you the same person who keeps posting this same question? Your posts are very vague and you don't even punctuate correctly. Why don't you ask an actual question?

Here's the answer to your vague question. It's fine.

Lincoln parent

Laura said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I would like to see the AC APP group address alignment across APP sites. In theory, any APP student should be able to move from TM to LOL or WMS to HIMS and essentially receive the same curriculum. With the potential of more APP sites in the future this is going to become more important. If it is not addressed now APP will end up looking like Spectrum where each school is designing their own program.

I think aligning the middle school programs will solve a lot of current issues at HIMS by providing the principal and staff with some program guidelines and expectations that are lacking.

Anonymous said...

On the topic of alignment, I wonder if anyone knows whether the district will offer Latin at Ingraham--as they do at Garfield. My 8th grader is interested in Latin and I am interested in sending her to Ingraham.

Anonymous said...

Great question about Latin, but unlike middle school, the two APP high school options are not held up as equivents. Unless Garfield adopts IB, my impression is that there is not the goal of alignment between Garfield and Ingraham. Am I wrong about this assumption?

Anonymous said...

Does Roosevelt offer Latin?

Badger said...

Does anyone have anything to report about how the APP/IB program is working at Ingraham?

Another Lincoln parent said...

Any one else feeling harassed by the SNAPP PTA phone calls and emails about the annual fund? I already donated in August and am still receiving calls.

Does anybody know when we will receive Lincoln@Lowell phone directories? The fall semester is half over and still no directory.

--

Anonymous said...

I would say that I am quite impressed by the vigor and professional quality of the SNAPP fund-raising. I think that the hounding is primarily because they switched from several months to three weeks and wanted to keep the focus on the program.

I got one of those calls last night but they knew that we were one of the six in my kid's class that hadn't returned their pledge cards yet... I would make sure they got a pledge card as it sounds as if they didn't receive one yet.

suep. said...

Anyone who is not happy with the quality and integrity of APP at Hamilton and feels APP has suffered since the splits of 2009 should remember who on the school board voted to splinter our kids' schools and programs this way (and ignored the objections and concerns of our community).

Three of them are running for reelection right now: Steve Sundquist, Peter Maier and Sherry Carr. Do we want four more years of their poor judgment and damaging policy?

I recommend voting for new leadership for our school board: Sharon Peaslee (v. Maier), Marty McLaren (v. Sundquist), Michelle Buetow (v. Martin-Morris*) and Kate Martin (v. Carr).

(*While Martin-Morris did not vote for the closures and splits, he did vote for: pay raises and contract extensions for since-fired Supt. Goodloe-Johnson; for allowing inexperienced Teach for America Inc. novices with only 5-weeks of training to teach in Seattle schools (and at an extra cost); found no conflict of interest in the fact that Goodloe-Johnson was on the board of directors of the vendor of the MAP test (Northwest Evaluation Association, NWEA) at the time the district purchased the MAP product from NWEA in a no-bid contract (and she failed to disclose this fact). He and Maier also had information about the $1.8 mil. Pottergate fraud scandal long before their board colleagues did and failed to act on it. The list goes on.

More info here: A Concise Post about Why You Should Vote for the Challengers

Some thoughts from earlier in the year:

Do Seattle’s School Board directors deserve to be reelected?

And here's some reminders of Goodloe-Johnson's legacy, which was enabled by the school board incumbents, who pretty much rubber-stamped her entire agenda:

Ten + Reasons Why the Seattle Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Marie Goodloe-Johnson, Should Be Fired With Cause

curious said...

Can someone spell out SNAPP and give a discription of who they are and what they do? thanks!

Anonymous said...

SNAPP=Seattle North APP

It's the PTA for Lowell at Lincoln.

Lincoln parent

Anonymous said...

Roosevelt indeed has a very strong Latin program, under the excellent Nora McDonald, and as in music, a friendly rivalry with the Garfield Latin kids.

Cave canem

Sidney D

peeved said...

Anyone who is not happy with the quality and integrity of APP at Hamilton and feels APP has suffered since the splits of 2009 should remember who on the school board voted to splinter our kids' schools and programs this way (and ignored the objections and concerns of our community).

Hear hear!

and (*While Martin-Morris did not vote for the closures and splits...

Harium did not vote for the closures/splits because he did not agree with the closing of Cooper (neither did I), and he was sympathetic with Summit.

But he absolutely did support the APP splits, and has not hidden this fact. He supports further splits to APP, and for this reason alone, I suggest that every APP family should be casting a vote to Michelle Buetow and asking their friends to do the same. And quickly, there are only a few more days!

Anonymous said...

Kate Martin is NOT a friend of APP. Sherry Carr has her flaws, but please consider NOT voting for Kate.

fellow voter

suep. said...

(adapted from another thread)

Re: Kate Martin and APP

I had the same concerns, so I contacted Kate earlier this year and asked her to explain her views. I also sent her some information about APP and gifted ed in general and attempted to explain what the program is for and who these kids are, etc.

She was receptive and has admitted that she spoke in ignorance in the past. I have communicated and met with her, and will stay in touch if she gets elected. She can be outspoken at times, but frankly, I wouldn't mind a bit more tenacity on the board right now. I'm really tired of all the mindless rubber-stamping that the board incumbents have done these past four years, approving so many costly and bad decisions -- and ignoring the input from the community that's at the receiving end of all these bad decisions.

I don't expect to always agree with all the new board members if elected, but I am confident that they will listen to the community, apply their own intelligence to their analysis of issues, and make thoughtful voting decisions -- all of which has been sorely missing from the current board majority.

Sherry Carr has voted for too many questionable or downright damaging things for me to have faith in four more years of her kind of leadership. Here's the short list: She voted for a weak high school ("Discovering") math textbook which even the state OSPI did not recommend; voted for unqualified short-term Teach for America, Inc. novices to teach in our schools even though we have no shortage of fully qualified teachers in Seattle; voted to give Goodloe-Johnson a raise after only one year on the job and no results, and a bonus for meeting only 4 out of 17 goals, and for extending her contract, at the same time the board approved layoffs of teachers and counselors and split and closed schools claiming financial crisis; she voted to split APP into multiple pieces and evict half our kids from their schools (as well as evict all of Cooper, TT Minor kids, Summit -- all part of Goodloe-Johnson's now discredited "Capacity Management Plan"), ignoring public protest. She has supported the costly and unnecessary MAP test and voted to sell MLK Elementary to the lowest bidder. etc. etc.

I want to see more critical thinking from my school board repesentatives, and a greater responsiveness to their constituents -- namely, the parents and families of SPS.

Anonymous said...

Had an email from Hamilton today regarding the PE waiver forms. They have reduced the 90 hours they used to require to 60 hours.
--------------

*PE Waivers are due December 1st*

Music students must turn in a PE Waiver request prior to December 1st or they may be scheduled to take PE next semester.

The District is still working on a standardized process so it has been
determined that this will be a transition year.

*What does this mean for HIMS?* There is NO change to our process and timelines toward meeting state and district requirements.* *

*However, the number of required hours will change from our current 90 hours to the SPS requirement of 60 hours.*

*See:*

http://hamiltonms.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1708841/File/Update%20of%20PE%20Waiver.pdf?sessionid=a9e7dda9ca9059121d79b9a23acdb3c2

In an attempt to help streamline the process, I have attached the outline of the PE Waiver forms I submitted. Mr. Yeda, who is assisting Ms. Peila, approved these forms to be sent out as an example which can be copied and
completed.

The example includes the request for waiver and a letter from coach (both are required). If this is helpful, you may download this example and replace the () with your information.

*Please submit forms prior to deadline. *

Thank you for supporting your music student!

Cindylynn Fenbert* *

dw said...

That's great news Cindylynn, thanks for posting. It's been silly that HIMS has been able to dictate their own # of waiver hours. (I think someone just wasn't able to do the math). Let's see, 100 minutes per week...

Anonymous said...

From the Hamilton E-News:

PE Waiver - Our HIMS process and timelines has not changed. However, Seattle Public Schools has change the required hours to 60 hours a semester. You can read the updated information on our website on the Academic page

The 60 hour requirement is the minimum state requirement. It is based on an average of 100 min per week where 60 hr = 36 weeks x (100 min/wk) x (1 hr/60 min). Seattle Public Schools did not change their requirement...but they are now asking Hamilton to be in line with other schools.

Thank you to the parents that worked with the District to make this change.

Anonymous said...

A friend asked me for advice about kindergarten for advanced learners. Our son had a fantastic K teacher in our local school, was tested during the fall of first grade and started with APP in second grade.

My friend's son sounds like he is very bright and will be entering K with a greater skill set than my son did. My friend asked me about advanced learning options for K, and is looking at Evergreen and Seattle Country Day as well as their neighborhood school.

His assignment-area school is View Ridge--I suggested calling the principal and getting a better understanding of how they might be able to keep his son challenged and engaged. I also suggested contacting the Robinson Center at UW, though to be frank I haven't explored options there myself.

Since it wasn't really an issue for us, I am wondering if others have additional thoughts on how to best serve a very bright kindergartner via public or private schools or other programs. Thank you for your suggestions!

NE Mama

kimberly said...

We are considering Thurgood Marshall for our daughter if she tests into APP and I would love to ask a few questions of another parent in the SE on their experiences there. My daughter is currently attending South Shore, and fairly happy, so I wanted to get the perspective from another parent that made the switch and how they feel about it now.

If anyone is willing to answer a few questions, you can email my google address associated here. I really appreciate it!!

Kymmi