Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Vision and leadership for Advanced Learning

Over at the Seattle Schools Community Forum, there are two posts, "Advanced Learning - It's Time for Change" and "Advanced Learning Policy", that APP parents probably want to see.

Please comment over there to discuss those specific topics -- Bob Vaughan's leadership of the Advanced Learning office and Charlie Mas' vision for advanced learning -- but let's open up a thread here to talk about the broader issues raised. What are the highest priority problems with Advanced Learning in Seattle? Why are those problems persisting? How can APP parents effectively advocate for change, for something better?

5 comments:

Charlie Mas said...

I offer the Vision really just as a sample. I was hoping to make the point that the Vision has to come first - before the policy and before the procedure. The District leadership is stumbling over the policy because they have yet to clarify any kind of Vision.

Anonymous said...

Just a question for those at Ingraham, my child just informed me that on their course plan sheet they got this afternoon, the English class would not be in an APP cohort next year. Is this a new change?

Anonymous said...

If your child is going to be in 10th grade, and also doing the first year of the IB, s/he will be in the HL English class, with 11th grade students and 10th grade APP students doing the same IB HL class. The difference between IB and IBx is that IBx students do the IB in grades 10/11 and IB students do it in grades 11/12.

I believe this was the case this year, which was the 2nd year APP IBx has been at Ingraham, and the first where IBx students were taking IB classes.

Tami

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the information. I was under the impression that the English, Social Studies, and Science courses would be in an APP cohort in 10th grade as referenced here district.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/.../APP_IB_QandA.pdf when the program was created

Anonymous said...

The schedule is for Spring MAP Testing to go from Apr. 22-Jun. 6 (interrupted by MSP Apr. 30-May 3). School ends midJune. So, no library for the rest of the school year in many places.

Is your student's opt out in place? Or, will they think you opted out of the Winter test only?

This thread is on leadership. Thank you GHS teachers for your courage.

open ears