The end of the school year is always a good time to look back and reflect. That is precisely what we’ve done with our community outreach and development efforts here at the Alliance. This year, we have revamped our efforts to effectively reach and engage the community as well as raise funds to support our work. Our outreach consists of letters, phone calls, newsletters and emails evenly spread throughout the year. Our most visible vehicles remain our Community Breakfast and our Black and Orange Ball.
Our 8th Annual Community Breakfast, held on April 28th, was a big success this year. Over 900 teachers, parents and community members gathered to support students – it was our biggest Breakfast ever! We could not have been more pleased with the turnout and generosity of those who attended. It is encouraging to see how many people share our passion and vision for a city unified in helping children fulfill their potential as learners.
Our 8th Annual Black and Orange Ball will be held on October 23rd at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. We are currently working hard to get all the pieces in place for a memorable event. The Black and Orange Ball is a celebration of our students and our work as well as an auction benefiting the Alliance’s mission to help every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success.
Together we can make a difference and we thank you for all you are doing to help students at Seattle Public Schools. Your involvement - whether you are volunteering, advocating for your children or financially supporting education – is the key to our success.
Please consider supporting the Alliance for Education this year. Click Here to make a donation online and Click Here to send me an email if you’d like to get involved in other ways. Our goal is to convene and engage the community in meaningful discussions about education and rally their support to achieve the positive outcomes we are all striving for. Thank you for your continued support.
Edgar Gonzalez, Director of Development, AFE
"Our goal is to convene and engage the community in meaningful discussions"
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha ha! Oh my! Thanks for the laugh.
If that's your goal, then you sure are going about it a funny way. What actions have you taken towards achieving this goal?
Oh! Sorry! I forgot that you don't respond to comments on this blog. Gosh, if you did then you might end up engaging the community in a meaningful discussion. And we wouldn't want that to happen.
Mr. Gonzalez, you must be new. Neither the Alliance nor the district seem to be particularly interested in authentic engagement with the community. I think Mr. Mas is right in pointing out that it is rare for the blog to interact with people making comments. We certainly could send you an e-mail but that's not broad public interaction.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I would agree we are all striving for positive outcomes, I think we would likely disagree about how we get there.
One good starting question, how separate is the Alliance's decisions from Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's wishes? Or from Bill Gates' wishes? To wit, do you really operate as an independent foundation?
Melissa, the Alliance states on its webpage that they are "critical partners" of SPS. Which makes their supposedly "community based" and "neutral" survey(s) regarding teacher quality, during contract time, all the more laughable: They manage the funds for the Gates/Broad/SPS "performance mangement" piece, and are obviously pushing hard for Gates/Broad/SPS agendas.
ReplyDeleteKaren Waters, Our Schools Coalition/Strategies 360, acquired the names and numbers (and other information) from SPS, either directly or through the Alliance. This push-poll was designed to influecne public opinion towards management's side during contract negotiations
I don't think the Alliance itself would even claim to be anything but a supporter of the administration and of the Gates/Broad agenda.
Well, the SEA recommends to the Board that the Super's contract not be extended and they're deciding on a union-body no-confidence vote in the fall, and Adams Elementary has joined the 11 other schools in voting No Confidence in Maria Goodloe Johnson...
ReplyDeleteOf the 18 ballots returned:
17 votes of no confidence
1 vote of confidence
List of schools voting no confidence so far is:
Ballard
Franklin (straw poll)
West Seattle High
Schmitz Park
Sanislo
Luarelhurst
Maple
Green Lake
Orca
John Rogers:signature #340 community declaration
Ida B Wells
Adams
and 368 individuals have signed the Community Declaration of No Confidence here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?S3B62010
And here's a commentary from a well qualified economics journalist on the so-called 'education reform' being pushed by Arnie Duncan, the Billionaire Boys' Club and The Alliance...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.economicprincipals.com/issues/2010.05.30/1146.html
If even 'mainstream' commentators can see through the smoke and mirrors and fantasy spin, why is the Alliance still a passenger on this train wreck waiting to happen?
Hey! Alliance!
ReplyDeleteSince Dr. Goodloe-Johnson is no longer on your Board I guess that means there's an opening.
I don't want to make a donation online but
there's another way I'd like to get involved. I'd be willing to participate on your Board.
The Alliance's goal is to convene and engage the community in meaningful discussions about education. I have been doing that directly for years at the Save Seattle Schools blog.
The Alliance's goal is to rally support to achieve the positive outcomes we are all striving for. Me too! I have been rallying support for even longer!
So thank you for your invitation, Mr. Gonzalez. I would like to get involved by sitting on the Alliance Board, now that the superintendent is no longer there and a seat has become available.
If interested in enhancing communication please fix the broken link to:
ReplyDelete# Office of Education Ombudsman
"Our goal is to convene and engage the community in meaningful discussions about education and rally their support to achieve the positive outcomes we are all striving for."
ReplyDeleteThis is great idea.
How about the Alliance sponsors a series of moderated substansive discussions about a variety of issues facing Seattle Public Schools in which opposing views are presented and people are given an opportunity to ask - and demand answers - to challenging questions about:
Progress on the Strategic Plan
Curricular Alignment
Performance Management
Inclusive Special Education Services
Early and Effective Interventions
Program Placement
Measuring and Incenting Teacher Effectiveness
The Determining Factors of Student Achievement
The Role of the Principal
The Role of Private Donations to Public Education
Authentic Community Engagement
The Board's Role
The Role of Alternative Schools
The Vision for Advanced Learning
There are plenty of topics for monthly events for the next three years. All of them could be video recorded and uploaded onto YouTube or the Seattle Channel.
Would that be an appropriate role for the Alliance?