I'm super busy campaigning (Don't forget to vote this primary) so here's an open thread for the summer.
What's on your minds?
5 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Good meeting recap from the HCS AC. Sounds like the ALTF is doing just what Michael Tolley wanted... Why else do three task force in such a short time.
Dr. Concie Pedroza has been named Seattle Public Schools’ Chief of Student Supports. Dr. Pedroza will provide oversight of the district’s Advanced Learning, Special Education, Athletics, and Student Enrollment departments. Dr. Pedroza will report directly to Superintendent Denise Juneau and begins her new position on September 1, 2019.
In response to school feedback, this cabinet-level position will help improve coordination and integration of a continuum of student services. The position has been restructured to better meet the unique needs of our students, their families, and provide a higher level of support to school staff.
“Dr. Pedroza has been a constant advocate and change-maker for our students. As a parent, teacher, and leader within Seattle Public Schools, she knows firsthand that each student is unique and needs to be honored for what they contribute to our school communities. I am excited to see how she transforms the Department of Student Support Services to advance the district’s mission, vision, and new strategic plan, Seattle Excellence. Please help me in welcoming Concie, a powerful educational leader, to this new role,” stated Denise Juneau, Superintendent.
Dr. Pedroza’s educational career began in 1992 as a teacher leader at Thurgood Marshall, John Stanford International School, and Bailey Gatzert Elementary. She served as an elementary principal in Everett Public Schools and returned to Seattle in 2010 as the principal of Orca K-8. Under her leadership, Orca K-8 earned three consecutive School of Distinction awards for student growth and performance. Dr. Pedroza was then selected to be the founding principal of Seattle World School (SWS), a school that supports newly arrived students representing over 35 languages. Within two years, SWS earned high school accreditation, increasing opportunity and access for enrolled students. During that time, she was recognized for her authentic work with families and community partners. She also has extensive experience coaching adult learners. She is a former Principal Leadership Coach, directly supporting the professional growth of twenty school leaders and, most recently, was Seattle Public Schools’ Director of the Department of Racial Equity and Advancement.
Dr. Pedroza brings over fifteen years of experience working in special education, advanced learning, and athletics to this new position. In Everett Public Schools alone, she worked on district-level initiatives to address: overrepresentation of bilingual (ELL) students in special education; development of an advanced learning profile and report card for gifted learners; 504 training for Paraeducators and guidelines for multidisciplinary teams providing wraparound student supports. In her role as school leader, Dr. Pedroza consistently worked alongside her staff to create opportunities for every student focused on student growth and meaningful experiences for learning. In her current role, she partnered with the NAACP Youth Coalition in co-designing SPS’s first student voice summit for racial justice and has collaborated with the Seattle Council PTSA and SPS departments on providing supports to schools to better respond hate and bias incidences.
“I am so excited about this opportunity and the potential to dramatically improve outcomes for students; but more importantly to create culturally-responsive programming so that each child can grow meaningfully in areas of self-identity and problem-solving that lead to the highest standards of excellence,” shared Dr. Pedroza.
Seattle Public Schools is thrilled to welcome Dr. Pedroza into this new role and looks forward to supporting her visionary leadership to create change for our students."
Well, somebody needs to tackle the dysfunction that is going on in special education department and clean house. Good luck to this individual, who probably has a 'keep the status quo' mandate from Juneau.
SPS Principals expressed skepticism at being able to implement MTSS at Tier 2 & 3 levels WITH FIDELITY to deliver advanced learning per the Aug. 13th ALTF minutes (posted & subsequently deleted).
The Principal’s forthright admission coupled with decentralized control doesn’t bode well for elementary students currently in self-contained to be returned to neighborhood schools premised on MTSS.
The Jul. 20th minutes read “maintaining the cohort was identified as needing discussion” and “it was shared that a school is one way to deliver services, and that there are lots of ways to offer services...”.
I just can’t reconcile how a district so outspoken about equity can simultaneously cling to decentralized control.
Oil and water.
@leaving
Note: The agenda for the last ALTF meeting on Aug. 20th indicated members presented their final recommendations. To be discussed at a Board Work Session on 9/25 with a Sep. meeting to discuss implementation plan with community engagement.
The July meeting minutes included extensive discussion of site-based school norming and services. The last part of the July notes is also important: "It was shared that a school is one way to deliver services, and that there are lots of ways to offer services, online [!], etc." Online? Didn't they just pass policy to make it HARDER to access online learning?? And is that really the primary default, online coursework? While it may work for some students, I would hope it is one of many options, not a forced default when schools cannot serve students due to too few students working at an advanced level.
5 comments:
Good meeting recap from the HCS AC. Sounds like the ALTF is doing just what Michael Tolley wanted... Why else do three task force in such a short time.
Just released from SPS:
"Dear families,
Dr. Concie Pedroza has been named Seattle Public Schools’ Chief of Student Supports. Dr. Pedroza will provide oversight of the district’s Advanced Learning, Special Education, Athletics, and Student Enrollment departments. Dr. Pedroza will report directly to Superintendent Denise Juneau and begins her new position on September 1, 2019.
In response to school feedback, this cabinet-level position will help improve coordination and integration of a continuum of student services. The position has been restructured to better meet the unique needs of our students, their families, and provide a higher level of support to school staff.
“Dr. Pedroza has been a constant advocate and change-maker for our students. As a parent, teacher, and leader within Seattle Public Schools, she knows firsthand that each student is unique and needs to be honored for what they contribute to our school communities. I am excited to see how she transforms the Department of Student Support Services to advance the district’s mission, vision, and new strategic plan, Seattle Excellence. Please help me in welcoming Concie, a powerful educational leader, to this new role,” stated Denise Juneau, Superintendent.
Dr. Pedroza’s educational career began in 1992 as a teacher leader at Thurgood Marshall, John Stanford International School, and Bailey Gatzert Elementary. She served as an elementary principal in Everett Public Schools and returned to Seattle in 2010 as the principal of Orca K-8. Under her leadership, Orca K-8 earned three consecutive School of Distinction awards for student growth and performance. Dr. Pedroza was then selected to be the founding principal of Seattle World School (SWS), a school that supports newly arrived students representing over 35 languages. Within two years, SWS earned high school accreditation, increasing opportunity and access for enrolled students. During that time, she was recognized for her authentic work with families and community partners. She also has extensive experience coaching adult learners. She is a former Principal Leadership Coach, directly supporting the professional growth of twenty school leaders and, most recently, was Seattle Public Schools’ Director of the Department of Racial Equity and Advancement.
Dr. Pedroza brings over fifteen years of experience working in special education, advanced learning, and athletics to this new position. In Everett Public Schools alone, she worked on district-level initiatives to address: overrepresentation of bilingual (ELL) students in special education; development of an advanced learning profile and report card for gifted learners; 504 training for Paraeducators and guidelines for multidisciplinary teams providing wraparound student supports. In her role as school leader, Dr. Pedroza consistently worked alongside her staff to create opportunities for every student focused on student growth and meaningful experiences for learning. In her current role, she partnered with the NAACP Youth Coalition in co-designing SPS’s first student voice summit for racial justice and has collaborated with the Seattle Council PTSA and SPS departments on providing supports to schools to better respond hate and bias incidences.
“I am so excited about this opportunity and the potential to dramatically improve outcomes for students; but more importantly to create culturally-responsive programming so that each child can grow meaningfully in areas of self-identity and problem-solving that lead to the highest standards of excellence,” shared Dr. Pedroza.
Seattle Public Schools is thrilled to welcome Dr. Pedroza into this new role and looks forward to supporting her visionary leadership to create change for our students."
Well, somebody needs to tackle the dysfunction that is going on in special education department and clean house. Good luck to this individual, who probably has a 'keep the status quo' mandate from Juneau.
Reader
SPS Principals expressed skepticism at being able to implement MTSS at Tier 2 & 3 levels WITH FIDELITY to deliver advanced learning per the Aug. 13th ALTF minutes (posted & subsequently deleted).
The Principal’s forthright admission coupled with decentralized control doesn’t bode well for elementary students currently in self-contained to be returned to neighborhood schools premised on MTSS.
The Jul. 20th minutes read “maintaining the cohort was identified as needing discussion” and “it was shared that a school is one way to deliver services, and that there are lots of ways to offer services...”.
I just can’t reconcile how a district so outspoken about equity can simultaneously cling to decentralized control.
Oil and water.
@leaving
Note: The agenda for the last ALTF meeting on Aug. 20th indicated members presented their final recommendations. To be discussed at a Board Work Session on 9/25 with a Sep. meeting to discuss implementation plan with community engagement.
https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=45565527
The July meeting minutes included extensive discussion of site-based school norming and services. The last part of the July notes is also important: "It was shared that a school is one way to deliver services, and that there are lots of ways to offer services, online [!], etc." Online? Didn't they just pass policy to make it HARDER to access online learning?? And is that really the primary default, online coursework? While it may work for some students, I would hope it is one of many options, not a forced default when schools cannot serve students due to too few students working at an advanced level.
almost out
Post a Comment