Wednesday, September 4, 2019

September '19 Open Thread

Schools back in session. I suspect its going to be a tumultuous year. What's on your minds?

8 comments:

Sleep911.com said...

"Dear Madison Families:

Across our school district, all elementary and the majority of middle schools have transitioned away from self-contained classes for students identified as “advanced learners” through SPS testing. Based on educational best practices and the priorities detailed in the SPS strategic plan, the district’s Advanced Learning Department has recommended an integrated learning model.

Beginning in the fall of 2020 Madison will no longer offer self-contained classes for students who’ve been identified as Advanced Learners though SPS testing. This change affects 6th and 7th graders who are currently enrolled in Honors Language Arts or Honors Social Studies. This change does not impact math or science classes.

Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, Madison’s staff will receive training on strategies to increase differentiation and scaffolding so that all students receive rigorous lessons and assignments.

Madison will continue to offer Highly Capable Cohort classes. If you wish to have your current 6th or 7th grade advanced learning student tested for the HCC program, please do so by contacting the Advanced Learning website. The deadline for registering your student for HCC testing is September 23.

For more information about the Advanced Learning integrated learning model or for testing information for the 2020-2021 school year classroom placement, please visit the district’s Advanced Learning website.

https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/advanced_learning.

For more information about the district’s priorities and core beliefs, please take a look at the recently released strategic plan:

https://www.seattleschools.org/district/district_quick_facts/strategic_plan

If you would like to discuss this change, please attend the upcoming PTSA board meeting on October 2 or the general meeting on October 16 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in Madison’s library or contact me with questions at rgary@seattleschools.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert Gary, Jr.

Principal"

Anonymous said...

Please if you haven't shared your thoughts in regards to Betty Patu's successor, please consider doing so as they have extended the time for your feedback on the finalist to Tuesday at 10:00 AM. If you didn't have a chance to attend the 9/11/19 forum links below contain the meeting in its entirety.

Please use this form to submit your feedback. On September 18, the School Board will vote on an appointment to the District 7 seat during the Regular School Board meeting, which begins at 4:15 p.m. at the John Stanford Center auditorium. The applicant that is selected will be sworn in during the meeting.

From the Board:

Please use this form to submit your feedback after the District VII Candidate Forum on September 11. Please submit your feedback by 8 a.m. on September 16. On September 18, the School Board will vote on an appointment to the District 7 seat during the Regular School Board meeting, which begins at 4:15 p.m. at the John Stanford Center auditorium. The applicant that is selected will be sworn in during the meeting.

Additional Relevant Links:

Link to the replacement overview and preceding meetings.
https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/school_director_appointment


Seattle School Board Special Meeting District VII Candidate Forum September 11, 2019 Part 1
https://youtu.be/61rM9wASuno



Seattle School Board Special Meeting, Candidate Finalist Forum , September 11, 2019 Part 2
https://youtu.be/wVjp6mdCH6M

Anonymous said...

https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=88515496

Is the link

Pm said...

Message from the HCC advisory committee: Sorry for the late email but below is an overview of the important proposal that Staff are offering to Board Members TODAY to dismantle the highly capable cohort, as well as, ways you can make sure your voice is heard (sent out by Seattle HiCap/AL Advocacy). The email focuses on schools North and Southwest but these Staff proposals will dismantle every HCC; changing the education for thousands of children. To be clear this is prior to the ALTF's recommendations. That's right. How is your Wednesday going, so far? Hopefully you will have time to make it to the meeting tonight and show your support.

HCS-AC and HiCap Seattle
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle HiCap/AL Advocacy
Hello, we are working to gather interested parents and advocates from all across the district. Please sign up here.

We will likely be sending out frequent emails over the next several weeks, please look for opportunities to advocate and take an action each day. Your voice is important! See below for ideas . . .

Special Board Meeting
Wednesday (TOMORROW) Sep 25, 4:30-7:30p.
Where: JSCEE Auditorium, 2445 3rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134

The agenda is here and includes a discussion on the recommendations of the Advanced Learning Taskforce. The Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Board of Directors will consider eliminating Cascadia, Jane Addams, Fairmount, and Decatur as part of a proposal to move Advanced Learning to neighborhood schools (see page 22, Recommendation B, point 2 on the agenda). This proposal was not part of the recommendations made by the parents in the ALTF.
What can you do?

Come to the meeting. Note that public testimony will not be permitted, but a strong showing in the audience of diverse supporters from across the district could encourage the Directors to move more slowly as they consider big changes.
What else can you do? Meet with Directors!

Please email your SPS Director and request that schools with a focus on Advanced Learning are supported and expanded to accommodate more students once the screening process has been fixed. Rick Burke and Eden Mack are working with the Superintendent to continue Advanced Learning programs and to fix problems in evaluating students for Advanced Learning/HCC services, but support is needed from at least two more directors.

LP said...

Is anyone else's child going through testing for HCC this year? My first grader did the screener on September 21 so we're waiting for results on that for now. I'm not sure when to expect them though

Anonymous said...

Can someone report from the meeting?

sidneyd

Anonymous said...

Is Jane Addams the only middle school that has removed the letter grades from The Source? I understand the principal's hope that kids will be less focused on grades and more able to look at individual assignments or improvement. However, it's a month into the school year and my HCC student still has 4 courses without graded assignments.

It feels obvious to me that feedback, sooner better than later, can help kids learn and improve better than a test or writing assignment returned weeks later. In fact, any homework worth sending home should be worth getting corrected, even in class. I am unsure how to interpret Principal Montgomery's comment that teachers have 5 weeks to log grades as I know my child (and I believe most) will not benefit from this.

Having kids in/finished with high school, I know that having grades on the Source in 8th grade particularly, and being able to track them on a regular basis was great tool in learning how to manage themselves. Can anyone comment as to where the "research" comes to indicate this is going to significantly benefit kids? I can see scenarios where anxious kids end up going to teachers for feedback since they can't rely on the source, and where kids don't have feedback soon enough to change how they're studying when they can't see progress in a timely manner. I realize that this isn't specifically an HCC issue, but when talking about anxious kids who obsess about grades, it does feel directed at a specific demographic.

Anonymous said...

I am not aware of other schools removing letter grades from the Source.
Wasn't JAMS the first MS to get rid of HCC classes in LA? Weird 'cause I thought Puala has kids in HCC.
-Never a Jag