Alliance for Education Community Blog

2012 Legislative Bill Summaries

2012-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

Two bills focused on education were introduced in the Washington State legislature yesterday. One centers on promoting instructional excellence, the other on transformation zones and charters. The Excellent Schools Now Coalition (of which the Alliance is a member) has endorsed the former and has not taken a position on the latter.

Summaries posted here for your convenient review...

Bill #1: A Bill to Promote and Support Instructional Excellence in Public Schools

The single biggest in-school factor affecting student success is the quality of instruction. Establishing policies that support and advance educators, based on professional evaluations of performance, will help ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve academic success and earn a family-wage job.

Washington is currently piloting an evaluation system for educators that will be completed in June 2012 and implemented statewide in the 2013-14 school year.

This legislation would put in place a system that uses the new evaluations to help determine school, classroom, and educator needs. Evaluation results would be used to identify professional development opportunities to support educators who need additional help and bolster the skills of high-performers.

By supporting educators who need additional help, and bolstering skills of high-performers, we hope to ensure improved educational achievement for every student.

Key elements of the bill include:

Supporting teachers and principals by aligning professional development activities with individualized needs identified in their performance evaluation.
Using multiple measures of student learning in the evaluations of teachers and principals.
Allowing principals to hire and place teachers based on performance and skills match, as well as seniority.
Using locally bargained polices to layoff teachers and principals based on performance.
Granting continuing contracts (“tenure”) based on performance.
Establishing a rigorous but fair dismissal process for teachers and principals rated ineffective if they have not improved after receiving targeted, individualized, intensive professional development, coaching and support.

To support the implementation of the evaluation system and these polices, the state should provide resources for:

Training principals to use the evaluation system and how to objectively evaluate teacher performance.
Training teachers on the evaluation system and how to participate most effectively.
Expanding principal mentorship to ensure good leadership at the school level and effective use of the evaluation system.

Bill #2: A Bill to Close the Opportunity Gap

In Washington, students from low-income families and students of color have fewer academic and economic opportunities than the population as a whole – and the problem is getting worse. The opportunity gap is created by inequitable access to quality schools, educators and educational programs, as well as the inequitable allocation of resources across communities. Too often, a student’s zip code dictates the student’s academic and career opportunities.

No student should be forced to stay in a chronically under-performing school. Additional opportunities should be given to these students, through two proven, outcomes-based alternatives.

Establish a Transformation Zone. Build on Washington’s existing intervention authority in the lowest-performing schools by creating a Transformation Zone. This zone should oversee the supervision, development and encouragement of school improvement efforts, which includes:

Contracting out the management of low-performing schools– to proven learning management organizations.
Requiring the use of performance contracts and revoking contracts if building managers fail to meet them.
Allowing flexible use of funds to implement innovative reforms, such as strategic staffing, longer school year, longer school days and technology-based learning.
Recognizing employees’ rights to collectively bargain.
Attracting the best teachers by providing increased support and autonomy.
Attracting high-performing principals to work in Transformation Zone schools through increased autonomy and flexibility to manage budgets, time and curriculum; and to hire, assign, reassign and dismiss staff.

Authorize Public Charter Schools. Forty-one states allow public charter schools; Washington does not. In many of these states, non-profit charter management operators (CMOs) have succeeded where traditional public schools have not—especially at closing opportunity gaps.

In recent years, the research on charter school effectiveness has grown, enabling us to identify effective providers and practices through data. The data show that, if properly managed, charters are an effective alternative for students in chronically under-performing schools.

Washington should establish a public charter school law that learns from other states’ experiences and replicates best practices:

Require the majority of public charter schools to focus on serving educationally disadvantaged students.
Require public oversight by, and accountability to, the State Board of Education.
Recognize employees’ rights to collectively bargain.
Require open student enrollment to prevent discrimination or cherry-picking
Require admission by a fair, a transparent and an equitable lottery system, when demand is greater than capacity.
Allow only qualified, public benefit non-profit organizations governed by boards of directors, to operate public charter schools.
Limit the number of public charter school authorizers.
Establish a public charter school cap.
Establish a rigorous process for closing poor-performing public charter schools.

Job opportunity: join the Alliance team!

2012-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

The Alliance for Education is seeking an extraordinary professional and committed education advocate to fill the Executive Assistant position.

This position reports to the President & CEO of the Alliance for Education. The Alliance for Education is an independent, non-profit organization and has been the strategic partner to Seattle Public Schools for fundraising, advocacy and civic engagement since 1995. The Alliance brings together business leaders, community members, parents and policymakers to ensure SPS students are prepared for college, career and life. The Alliance is affiliated with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; staff are employees of the Chamber, participating fully in Chamber benefit plans.

The Executive Assistant supports the President & CEO and plays a crucial role in coordinating and supporting the entire staff’s activities.

Candidates should be personable and have excellent organizational skills. Candidates should have the ability to take initiative, work independently and as part of a team, and work effectively with a diverse group of co-workers and external stakeholders.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

CEO Support:

Manage scheduling/calendaring in a manner that reflects organizational priorities
Track commitments made by the CEO and senior staff to Board of Directors, funders and external partners to ensure that tasks are carried out in a timely manner
Prepare CEO for meetings, including developing PowerPoint or other presentation materials, providing background information/purpose of meeting, biographical information on participants, email trail, driving directions, etc.
Perform other necessary administrative duties

Board of Directors Support:

Manage the process to develop board meeting agendas and materials
Develop a working knowledge of the organization’s bylaws and committee charters
Assist in managing board candidate recruitment processes
Lead board orientation processes
Build relationships with Board members and Board assistants
Other duties as assigned

Staff Support:

Act as conduit of information between the CEO and staff; keep all informed
Plan and coordinate all-staff meetings
Other duties as assigned

Seattle Public Schools Liaison:

Build trust with SPS leadership by providing confidentiality and responsiveness
Build relationships with SPS staff as necessary
Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum 3 years proven experience supporting an executive, with similar responsibilities as this position requires
Experience working with a Board of Directors
Demonstrated ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information
Responsiveness, resourcefulness and a self-directed approach
Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
Excellent computer skills with a wide variety of programs; demonstrated PowerPoint, Excel and Word skills strongly desired
Flexibility in scheduling including some early mornings, evening events and occasional weekend work

Minority candidates are encouraged to apply. We seek a diverse applicant pool, reflecting differences in age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and geographic origin.

To apply for the position, send a resume and cover letter to:

Alliance Executive Assistant
c/o People Programs
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
1301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2500
Seattle, WA 98101-2611

Or, by email (as a .doc, .pdf or text file) to jobs@seattlechamber.com or fax to 206.903.3432.

The Chamber provides a comprehensive benefits package including but not restricted to: Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance; Company-matched 401(k) plan; Paid vacation, sick leave and holidays; Bus pass supplement.

The Chamber is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Save the Date: The Alliance for Education Community Breakfast

2012-01-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

At our last breakfast, 900 community members raised over $220,000 to support the Alliance's work to prepare every child in Seattle Public Schools for college, career, and life. We invite you to join this outstanding group of education advocates at our upcoming 2012 community breakfast:

DATE: March 29th, 2012

TIME: Doors open at 7AM, Program 7:30-8:45AM

WHERE: Sheraton Seattle Hotel (1400 Sixth Avenue 98101)

There is no cost to attend the breakfast, though we hope to inspire guests to make a gift in support of our work.

To reserve your place at the Alliance for Education's Community Breakfast, CLICK HERE.

Alliance for Education statement on Interim Superintendent Enfield's announcement

2011-12-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

Seattle – December 16, 2011 – The Board of Directors of the Alliance for Education has released the following statement concerning Dr. Susan Enfield’s announcement today.

Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield’s leadership over the last nine months brought tremendous energy and focus to the work of the district. Her announcement today that she will not seek the permanent Superintendency is deeply disappointing.

We are now on pace to have our third Superintendent in five years.

The Seattle Public Schools family – of students, parents, teachers, principals, staff and community supporters ‐ deserves stability and quality. We know this is possible. Indeed, the positive academic momentum demonstrated this year – both system wide and at many individual schools – is proof of what can be done with intentional leadership. But today we fall short of our shared goals.

The task now falls to our community to determine how to move forward. Over 48,000 students attend our public schools – three out of every four children in Seattle. Our obligation is to them, and to providing the excellent education they deserve. In this city of gorgeous natural resources, brilliant entrepreneurs, devoted public servants and generous, engaged citizens, we should expect no less than the best. A new conversation begins.

Finally here! Footage from the State of the District Address

2011-12-07T14:25:00.001-08:00

Dr. Susan Enfield, Seattle Public Schools' Interim Superintendent, delivered a very strong State of the District report at the end of November. The achievement gains and operational improvements cited give great reason for hope and confidence in what can be accomplished. While much work remains to deliver on the promise of a college-ready education for all, the forward momentum is palpable!

Reference was made to potentially lowering the 2013 outcome goals. The Alliance believes that this should not be considered an option. Instead of having a conversation around whether and how far we should lower our goals, we should be having a conversation around what we - as an entire community invested in the success of our public schools - need to do faster and better to meet or exceed the goals that have been set.

"Attacking Gaps, Raising Expectations Everywhere" means just that. Lowering outcome goals flies directly in the face of the spirit of AGREE, which is a very compelling rallying cry.

The individual schools cited in this presentation demonstrate just how much progress can be made in a short period of time under strong, deliberate leadership. Let us look to those and other high achieving schools for the path forward, rather than be content to lower our sights and ambitions on behalf of school children across our city!

For more information in on the data referred to in Dr. Enfield's presentation, CLICK HERE.

The Alliance is seeking a dynamite Development Director!

2011-10-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATION

Date: October 12, 2011
Job Title: Director of Development, Alliance for Education
Classification: Regular, full time, exempt
Salary: Competitive, DOE
Closing: November 4, 2011

This position reports to the President & CEO of the Alliance for Education. The Alliance is an independent, non-profit organization and has been the strategic partner to Seattle Public Schools since 1995. Through fundraising, advocacy and community engagement, the Alliance brings together business leaders, community members, parents and policymakers to ensure SPS students are prepared for college, career and life. The Alliance is affiliated with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; staff are employees of The Chamber, participating fully in Chamber benefit plans.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
The Development Director is the Alliance’s most senior development officer and is responsible for driving and executing fundraising strategy. This includes major gifts, annual giving, corporate support, sponsorships, board development, and special events. Some foundation support is included in the Development Directors’ portfolio. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategy:

Develop and execute on a comprehensive strategy designed to meet the Alliance’s financial goals and significantly expand the organization’s development activities over time
Management:
Manage two staff (Events Manager and Development Associate)
In collaboration with CEO, CFO and program staff, develop annual budget; participate in mid-year reforecasts; report progress against goals on a monthly basis

Donor prospective and stewardship:

Lead and institutionalize strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects and donors
Place special emphasis on major and corporate donors

Board Development:

In collaboration with CEO and Governance Committee, take an active role in identifying, profiling and recruiting highly qualified board candidates
Staff the Development Committee of the board
In conjunction with CEO, work actively with all board and Emeritus board members to leverage relationships

Other:

Collaborate with internal staff and external vendors on all printed collateral and online/digital communications to donors, in keeping with Alliance brand guidelines
Act as a repository for stories and statistics that demonstrate the organization’s work
Effectively represent the Alliance at public events, conferences, workshops and media events

QUALIFICATIONS
Leadership Profile:

Believes strongly in the value of public education and the mission of the Alliance for Education
Leads by example, models high expectations, takes a “no excuses” approach, is a problem-solver
Exudes confidence and optimism about what we can achieve on behalf of students in Seattle
Is eager to be visible in the community
Is creative, resourceful, open to new approaches and ideas
Can adapt to changing circumstances
Has a high degree of personal and professional integrity
Has strong organizational skills, is self-directed, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Is a powerful storyteller; can make emotional connections with education stakeholders

Skills & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree

Minimum five years leading charitable fund development

Strong knowledge of principles, ethics and practices of successful fundraising

An analytic approach to setting & meeting achievable but aggressive revenue targets

Finance and budgeting experience

Demonstrated success securing major gifts from individuals and corporations

Outstanding written and oral communication skills, ability to listen well and communicate effectively with diverse audiences

Established relationships with Seattle-based major donors and corporate donors

Demonstrated experience maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information

Strong computer skills (Excel, PowerPoint and Word), proficiency with donor databases

This position requires an individual to work well independently and as part of a team; someone who can work quickly and effectively in a multi-tasking environment; and someone who is self-motivated and goal-oriented.

Minority candidates are encouraged to apply. We seek a diverse applicant pool, reflecting differences in age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and geographic origin.

Submit a letter of interest and a resume by mail to:

Alliance Director of Development
c/o People Programs
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
1301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2500
Seattle, WA 98101-2611

Or, by email (as a .doc, .pdf or text file) to jobs@seattlechamber.com.

Application deadline: Close of business November 4, 2011

The Chamber provides a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to: medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance company-matched 401(k) paid vacation and sick leave; holidays bus pass supplement

Seattle education events

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Alliance has recently begun curating an events page as part of our new website. We aim to develop this as a valuable resource that houses information on events from the Alliance, Seattle Public Schools, and the wider community.

Please let us know if you have any ideas for additions to this page! Leave a comment on this blog or email me: rachel@alliance4ed.org.

http://www.alliance4ed.org/events/events-main.asp

Common Core Standards: what are they and how do they effect our students?

2011-10-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Common Core State Standards Initiative, which advocates for the adoption of a set of education standards by all U.S. states, articulates the mission of Common Core Standards as:

"provid[ing] a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy."

What are the implications of these standards? Watch this video for a good summary of the context and implications of Common Core. With Washington State having recently adopted the Common Core Standards, and with Washington chosen as one of 20 states that will help develop new national science standards, this is highly relevant to us in Seattle public education.

Public school parents: classroom materials funding available!

2011-10-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

On Oct 5th, all Starbucks stores in King County will be giving out free $10 DonorsChoose gift cards that parents and citizens can use to make a donation toward a classroom project posted on the DonorsChoose website. Right now there are nearly 300 Seattle classroom projects listed from which to choose. Through a generous gift of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, $500,000 will be made available through these gift cards, and anyone can make additional personal donations if they so choose.

Please consider taking advantage of this great opportunity to support your teachers and your schools. All you need to do is:

Stop by a King County Starbucks on October 5th and pick up a free $10 Donors Choose gift card.
Go to www.donorschoose.org/kingcounty2011.
Enter your gift code.
Choose a classroom project at a local public school.

Important: Gift cards will be applied to projects on a first-come, first-served basis until the grant is spent, so be sure to apply yours soon!

About DonorsChoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit that empowers teachers to request and receive needed classroom materials and student learning experiences.

The average teacher project request made of DonorsChoose is for just over $400 in student materials. 70% of these are funded each year by citizens, corporations, and foundations. This school year, DonorsChoose aims to bring $40 million dollars in innovative classroom project requests to life.

Every 26 seconds...

2011-09-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Every 26 seconds a student gives up on school in America. That's over a million every year.

Students at risk of dropping out can be identified as early as 6th grade. City Year can help reach the right students, at the right time with the right support.

City Year unites 17-24 year olds for a full year to serve as tutors, mentors and role models, keeping students in school and on track to graduate.

_________________________________________________________________

City Year is one of the services available to Seattle Public School students and featured in the Alliance's new Student Services Directory. To see more services, try out the search tool.

The Day's Top Ed Lines

2011-09-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Tacoma SchoolDistrict Teachers Contract

Judgemight OK replacement teachers in Tacoma strike, Tacoma News Tribune

A Pierce County Superior Court judge said in courtthis morning he might authorize the Tacoma School District to hire replacementworkers if striking teachers do not return to work as he ordered Wednesday.

Chushcoff suggested such an authorization mightconvince the vast majority of the teachers, who have not shown up to work sinceSept. 12, to return to their classrooms while their negotiators try to reach acontract agreement with the district.

“I’m seriously considering doing that,” the judgesaid. [...]

Seattle schools

Seattle elementary named Blue Ribbon School, Seattle Times

Seattle's Loyal Heights Elementary has been named anational Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education — one of just304 schools in the country to achieve the designation this year.

The award honors public and private elementary,middle and high schools where students achieve at high levels, or where theachievement gap is narrowing. Since 1982, more than 6,500 of America's schoolshave received this award, according to the Department of Education.

The school will be honored at a conference andawards ceremony Nov. 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C. [...]

Curriculum

Educators may increase English and socialstudies classes for future high school graduates, Everett Herald

For years, the debate has been over what types ofstandardized testing students need to pass to get a high school degree.

This week, educators talked about what types of classes students need to take-- and those requirements may be changing.

The Washington State Board of Education discussed changing credits that students needto achieve in high school. If the changes occur, it would be the first timesince 1985, and would affect students now in eighth grade.

The potential changes would keep the state-mandated number of high schoolcredits at 20 but change the allocation of those credits. The number of Englishand social studies would increase while the number of elective credits woulddecrease. [...]

Budget

Obamalays out cuts, new taxes to tackle deficit, Boston Globe

WASHINGTON– President Obama this morning laid out his vision for deficit reduction,calling for $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue and $583 billion in spending cuts during the next 10 years.

The president’s proposal would cut the deficit by $3trillion overall, taking into account savings from troop draw-downs in Iraq andAfghanistan.

The new tax revenue would come from closingloopholes and ending subsidies for oil and gas companies, among others, andfrom instituting minimum tax rates for Americans who earn $1 million or moreannually.

“This is not class warfare, it’s math,” Obama saidin an address in the White House Rose Garden. ``We can’t just cut our way outof this hole. It’s going to take a balanced approach.” [...]

Education policy

Education Impact of Jobs Bill Under Debate, Education Week

Educators and analysts are taking a hard look atwhether the $55 billion K-12 portion of President Barack Obama’s nearly $450billion jobs plan will providethe jolt to schools still feeling the pinch of a sputtering economy that theadministration hopes.

The plan faces long odds on Capitol Hill, wherelawmakers are struggling to trim at least $1.2 trillion from the deficit overthe next 10 years in a climate hostile to tax increases. But, if the plan doespass, some sympathetic analysts argue it would help school districts cover thecost of long-delayed school repairs and avert big layoffs and program cuts.

Others, however, question the White House’sprediction of 280,000 teacher layoffs this year—a key argument raised in favorof the need for $30 billion over two years in job-preservation aid. [...]

More ed lines...

Top recent education headlines

2011-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

On national education policy

Congress too split to revise No Child Left Behind, Rep. John Yarmuth says, Lousiville Courier-Journal
Saying that Congress it too dysfunctional to come to an agreement, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth said Monday he doubts the federal No Child Left Behind law will be revamped anytime soon.

Speaking at the “Kentucky Leads the Nation” roundtable in Shelby County, where educators and policy makers are working to help the state’s school districts navigate federal education law and challenges, Yarmuth said he can’t imagine the Republicans and Democrats coming together on the issue this close to a presidential election.

That means it is likely that Kentucky education officials will be relying on the federal Department of Education to grant a waiver if they don’t want to continue offering both state and federal proficiency tests to students. [...]

Column: Why DREAM Act is right for U.S., young people, USA Today
At Miami-Dade Community College's commencement ceremonies last month, 181 students marched across the stage, each carrying the flag of a different country. As each student stepped on the stage, individuals cheered for the flag that represented their heritage. But when the last flag went across the stage — the American flag — everyone applauded.

The scene reminded President Obama, who was there as the commencement speaker, of our national motto —E pluribus unum— out of many, one. The graduation is also a reminder that first-generation Americans are hard-working and understand the value of education. With degrees from Miami-Dade, some of those graduates will become nurses, IT professionals, and the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners. Others will enroll in four-year universities and graduate ready to be teachers, engineers and leaders in their communities. By earning postsecondary degrees, they will earn 30% to 70% more than high school graduates. With that earning power, they will buy homes, cars and other goods to drive economic growth. [...]

On education access

Helping Black Men Raise Failing Grades, NPR

Some thoughts about school and the struggles black kids face. Lots of folks with lots of experience have lots of opinions about what to do to better educate young African-American males. Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates recently offered yet another glimpse into the issue, suggesting in a piece for the website The Root that the need is dire, which of course it is.

But for many of us in education — and to my mind that includes parents, family and friends — the problem is more than knowing what's needed. It's knowing how to get it done and make it work, how to get young African-American men not only interested but engaged in learning, and enjoying rather than dreading the journey. That requires a lot of commitment from them and from us, and there are no shortcuts. [...]

On higher education
College price calculators may not paint complete picture, Seattle Times
When the annual college search season gets under way this fall, parents and students will have a new tool at their disposal.

By the end of October, the nation's colleges and universities will be offering net price calculators on their websites, providing an easier way to compare attendance costs from one school to the next. At least, that's the goal of the federal law requiring the calculators.

Most higher education experts like the idea behind the new rule, which should give students and families a better idea of college costs much earlier in the game. But they also see potential for problems with the fledgling rule. [...]

Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off, New York Times
ALMOST a century ago, the United States decided to make high school nearly universal. Around the same time, much of Europe decided that universal high school was a waste. Not everybody, European intellectuals argued, should go to high school.

It’s clear who made the right decision. The educated American masses helped create the American century, as the economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz have written. The new ranks of high school graduates made factories more efficient and new industries possible.

Today, we are having an updated version of the same debate. Television, newspapers and blogs are filled with the case against college for the masses: It saddles students with debt; it does not guarantee a good job; it isn’t necessary for many jobs. Not everybody, the skeptics say, should go to college. [...]

What's the Best Investment: Stocks, Bonds, Homes ... or College?, The Atlantic

If you're feeling behind in the national debate over whether college is still "worth it," here's a quick refresher:

Opening arguments
FOR: The more education you have attained, the more likely you are to be employed and earn a higher salary.

AGAINST: College is too expensive, the pay-off is too risky, and the learning experience is woefully inadequate.

Rebuttals
FOR: If college is so worthless, how come 86% of grads say that college has been a good investment for them personally?

AGAINST: The college payoff has hit a wall. Graduates are seeing slowing wage gains even as the cost of college is increasing four times faster than wage growth. [...]

On education reform
School Reform, Chicago Style, Wall Street Journal
CHICAGO—At 7:15 on a chilly May morning, Marshall Metro High School attendance clerk Karin Henry punched numbers into a telephone, her red nails clacking as she dialed.

"Good morning, Miss MeMe," she said to Barbara "MeMe" Diamond, a 17-year-old junior with a habit of oversleeping. "This is Ms. Henry, your stalker."

The timing of the call was key. Earlier in the year, Ms. Henry and a co-worker were spending nearly two hours a day calling every student who hadn't checked into school by 9:30 a.m. But weekly data tracked by their office found that only about 9% of those students ever arrived. So they changed tactics, zeroing in on habitual latecomers like MeMe, and delivering wake-up calls starting at 6:30. On that May morning, 19 of the 26 students called showed up. [...]

On school funding

Supreme Court to hear arguments on school funding, Seattle PI
CHIMACUM, Wash. (AP) — Stephanie McCleary has known about the disparities between rich and poor school districts for most of her life, how cities with a robust local tax base can pay for fancy microscopes and video cameras and the newest laptop computers, while small towns like Chimacum — where she works and her kids go to school — can't afford window blinds or parts to fix classroom heaters and may need a grant to buy a new battery and pads for a donated portable defibrillator.

She was 13 years old when the Washington Supreme Court decided the state was not fulfilling its duty to the children of Washington by forcing school districts to use local dollars to make up for the money they weren't getting from the state. More than 30 years later, the mother of two school-age children has her name on a similar case about to be heard by the state's highest court. [...]

In Lean Times, Schools Squeeze Out Librarians, New York Times
Budget belt-tightening threatens to send school librarians the way of the card catalog.

The schools superintendent in Lancaster, Pa., said he had to eliminate 15 of the district’s 20 librarians to save full-day kindergarten classes.

In the Salem-Keizer school district in Oregon, all 48 elementary and middle school librarians would lose their jobs under a budget proposal that faces a vote next week.

In Illinois’s School District 90, which spans several rural and suburban communities in the southern part of the state, parent volunteers have been running the libraries in the district’s seven schools since September, in what the schools superintendent, Todd Koehl, described as “a last-ditch effort” to avoid closing their doors. [...]

Give BIG June 23

2011-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

GIVE BIG June 23

The Alliance for Education and The Seattle Foundation team up for the GiveBIG Challenge

On June 23, 2011, there's an exciting event that will amplify the impact of your gift to us.

GiveBIG is a community-wide giving challenge created by The Seattle Foundation that will increase the size of your donation to us. This new, one-day, online charitable giving event will rally together our community on behalf of the amazing nonprofit organizations in King County

Mark your calendar! Donate to the Alliance for Education between 7 a.m. and midnight on June 23.

Thank you in advance for giving big. With your help we can ensure that all students in Seattle Public Schools are prepared for college, career, and life.

PS: You can learn more about GiveBIG online at www.seattlefoundation.org/GiveBIG.

Mercer Middle School teacher wins Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence

2011-04-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

L to R: Mr. Ettinger; Carol Pawlak,
Amgen; Andra Lutz, Principal.
(Photo credit Jeffrey Luke)

On April 15, 2011, Robert Ettinger, a teacher at Mercer Middle School, was awarded the prestigious Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence with a prize of $10,000: $5,000 for the teacher and $5,000 for the school. The award ceremony in Mr. Ettinger’s classroom drewcheers from students.

Robert Ettinger was chosen to receive the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence because of his creative teaching methods and effectiveness in the classroom.

"Mr. Ettinger has a passion for science and shares that passion with his students, not only to get them to learn science, but to love it as well,” says Carol Pawlak, who is responsible for Amgen’s philanthropy in the state. “Mr. Ettinger lives science and translates his teacher development and summer science adventures into exciting, relevant curriculum for his students. When Mr. Ettinger looks at his class, he doesn’t just see students, he sees scientists.”

Robert Ettinger, teacher,
Mercer Middle School
(Photo credit Jeffrey Luke)

His methods are successful; the number of students at Mercer Middle School meeting or exceeding standard on the WA state science test have more than doubled from 31% in 2008 to 69% in 2010. Mr. Ettinger’s goal is to have 90% of students pass the state science test.

About the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence
Robert Ettinger is among four recipients of the 2011 Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence in Washington State.

The program was designed by biotechnology company Amgen to recognize teachers in the K-12 grade levels in public and private schools whose dedication to their student’s education has had a significant impact on the learning and interest of the future generation of scientists. Each teacher will receive an unrestricted $5,000 grant and their schools will receive a restricted $5,000 grant which can be used for the expansion or enhancement of a school science program, science resources, or the professional development of the school’s science teachers.

The Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence will be presented to 34 recipients throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada in locations where Amgen has a presence.

Nominations are solicited every fall with winners selected based on the following criteria: innovative science lesson plan showcasing novel teaching methods in the classroom, creativity and effectiveness of teaching methods and the plan for the use of grant money to improve science education resources in their schools. Since the program’s inception in 1992, Amgen has awarded more than $2.5 million dollars to educators who have made exceptional science-teaching contributions and who have had a measurable impact on the lives of their students. For more information visit: www.amgen.com/citizenship/aaste.html

"I gotta drop some knowledge on ya'll right quick."

2011-04-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

My full armor

is my diploma

with the tools I learn in school

I will smell

victory sweet aroma.

Don't miss this incredible spoken word duo at the Alliance for Education's Community Breakfast, April 14th. Click here for more information.

Entire spoken word poetry performance by students of Franklin High from Get Schooled on Vimeo.

Oregon Senate Education committee approves bill to make Oregon governor the state education superintendent

2011-03-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Portland Oregonian - Gov. John Kitzhaber moved one step closer this afternoon to becoming Oregon's top education chief. The Oregon Senate Education Committee, with little discussion, unanimously approved Senate Bill 552, which would make Oregon's governor the state superintendent of schools.

The bill would require the Governor to name a deputy superintendent, who would run the education department and oversee the public school system.

But if approved, Senate Bill 552 would not unseat current superintendent Susan Castillo, who was re-elected to a third term less than year ago.

> FULL STORY

Elwha ecosystem classroom project gets state grant

2011-03-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Peninsula Daily News - A class of young scientists who will gather data while two dams on the Elwha River are removed has received a $10,000 state grant.

The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction announced the winners of this year’s Qwest Teachers & Technology grants Tuesday. Nine received grants statewide.

Brenda Manson’s class at Stevens Middle School in the Port Angeles School District was the only North Olympic Peninsula class to receive money.

Her 31 eighth-grade students will take field trips to the Elwha River this fall, taking new probeware devices to collect ecosystem data as the 108-foot Elwha Dam and the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam are torn down beginning in September.

The dams are coming down to restore salmon habitat in the largest project of its kind in the nation’s history.

> FULL STORY

In Fight for Space, Educator Takes On Charter Chain

2011-03-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

New York Times - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Joel I. Klein, the former schools chancellor, are strong supporters of charter schools. Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Klein have repeatedly told principals at New York City’s traditional public schools that a new age of reform has dawned, that charter schools are the cutting edge and that if these principals want traditional public schools to survive, they must learn to compete in the educational marketplace.

And so, last summer, Julie Zuckerman, the principal of a highly regarded public elementary school — Central Park East 1 in East Harlem — applied to open a new elementary school on the other side of Manhattan, in Washington Heights. Her plan was to create something truly rare: an urban school not focused on standardized testing.

> FULL STORY

President focuses on needs of Latino students in town hall meeting

2011-03-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

CNN - President Barack Obama took to the Spanish-language network airwaves Monday to discuss challenges in educating Hispanics students.

In a Univision-sponsored town hall meeting with Hispanic students and educators at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, the president said to out-educate and out-innovate the global competition, the Latino community must play a key role in the future.

"Our workforce is going to be more diverse; it is going to be, to a large percentage, Latino. And if our young people are not getting the kind of education they need, we won't succeed as a nation," Obama said.

> FULL STORY

Interim Seattle schools superintendent sets priorities

2011-03-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Seattle Times - Susan Enfield, interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, announced her top priorities for the rest of the school year Friday, along with a list of opportunities for parents, teachers, principals, students and others in the community to share their views and concerns with her.

Enfield, now in her fourth week in the school district's top job, said she will report what she's learned from all those groups by early May, and how their perspectives might be incorporated into the district's plans.

At the same time, Enfield said, she intends to continue the five-year plan crafted under her predecessor and former boss, Maria Goodloe-Johnson, "although with an eye to making adjustments in light of budget constraints."

"Before taking on significant new initiatives," she said, "we want to closely examine the current work under way and make sure we're doing it well."

> FULL STORY

Middle-school principal honored

2011-03-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Seattle Times - Jeff Clark, principal at Denny International Middle School in Seattle, is the winner of this year’s Thomas B. Foster Award for outstanding leadership.

The award, which includes a $50,000 grant, is given each year to a Seattle secondary-school principal by the Alliance for Education, a nonprofit that supports Seattle Public Schools.

Clark, in his sixth year at Denny Middle, led the effort to bring an international program to his school, which includes classes in Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and Spanish. Under his leadership, Denny’s test scores are going up.

Last year, Clark said, Denny improved more than any other middle school or K-8 in the district.

Clark said he plans to use the $50,000 prize to buy one book for every student to recognize their hard work, to purchase musical instruments, and to start an endowment fund that can be used to help pay field-trip or other fees.

> FULL STORY

Recent state action on teacher seniority and tenure

2011-03-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Teacher pay-tenure bill passed in Florida Senate, News-Press.com
TALLAHASSEE –– Split nearly along party lines, the Florida Senate voted to abolish teacher tenure and link pay raises to student advancement today.

Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, a retired teacher who heads the Senate public education committee, said the schools need serious reform if Florida is to compete. He likened the provisions of his "pay for performance" bill to management of a baseball team, with .205 hitters making less than .300 batters.

NYC Weighs Seniority vs. Merit as Layoffs Loom, Education Week
The jobs of up to 4,600 teachers—about 6 percent of the city’s teaching force—as well as others in districts across the state, hang on the answers.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said those cuts are necessary to plug a spending gap exacerbated by a proposed reduction of $1.4 billion in state aid to the city in the governor’s budget proposal for the 2012 fiscal year. And the mayor has urged the state legislature to allow the city to let go of teachers with “unsatisfactory” evaluation ratings before other teachers. State law currently requires layoffs by reverse seniority.

“What we’re looking for is an opportunity to lay off teachers based on merit now,” said Jessica Scaperotti, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

State Senate Passes Bill to End Last in, First Out for Teachers, WNYC News
In a win for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Republican-led state senate narrowly approved a bill that would end seniority protections for teachers in New York City. But its fate in the Assembly is far less certain.

The bill would do away with the so-called "last in, first out" (LIFO) rule that requires new teachers to be the first to go during layoffs regardless of merit. Seniority could no longer be the sole criteria. Instead, the city could eliminate teachers with unsatisfactory ratings and other performance issues. Mayor Bloomberg plans to layoff more than 4,600 teachers to close a budget gap. Another 1,500 positions would be lost through attrition.

Pressure Mounts To Ax Teacher Seniority Rules, NPR
Last week, the New York state Senate passed a bill that would end the use of seniority as the sole factor for deciding which teachers get laid off. The bill faces long odds in the state Assembly. But the vote is a sign of growing frustration with what's known as "last in, first out" — a rule that says the last teachers hired get dismissed first when there is a layoff.

Like local leaders around the country, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will soon have to lay off teachers because of shrinking state aid. He says he cannot have his hands tied by a system that judges teachers solely on their years of experience.

"We need a merit-based system for determining layoffs this spring," Bloomberg says. "And anything short of that is just not a solution to the problem we face."

States tangle with teacher tenure, MSNBC.com
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been especially outspoken on the issue, leading a handful of states that are seeking to eliminate teacher tenure completely.

“Teaching can no longer be the only profession where you have no rewards for excellence, and no consequences for failure,” Gov. Christie told crowds earlier this year. “Let New Jersey lead the way. The time to eliminate teacher tenure is now.”

Appellate court allows teacher layoffs to go forward under new rules, Los Angeles Times
Though the settlement shields some schools -- and reduces layoffs at others -- it also means that some campuses with veteran staffs could have layoffs for the first time, or more layoffs than under the old rules. And it means that teachers with more seniority could potentially lose jobs before teachers at other campuses with less seniority.

“Kids win,” said Mark Rosenbaum, chief counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which sued the district along with Morrison & Foerster and the Public Counsel Law Center. With the backing of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, attorneys sued on behalf of students at three middle schools that were especially decimated by layoffs during a previous round of budget cuts.

Opinion on the superintendent role: is the job description at fault?

2011-03-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's time to change Seattle schools superintendent's job, Seattle Times
Everyone knows the pattern, particularly in urban districts. Superintendents' average tenure is about 3 ½ years, and by that measure Goodloe-Johnson's departure is right on schedule.

To break that pattern we will have to change more than the person, we'll need to change the job.

Expecting too much of a superintendent is part of the problem, Crosscut
Problems arise […] when people start talking as though this were an opportunity for change, a chance to reverse all or some of the educational policies and programs put in place by departing Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

What’s wrong with that? Well, even though there are some things lots of us would like to change, it buys into the belief (and typical behavior) of school boards that the next superintendent will be a “white knight” or “superman” whose policies will fix everything, close the achievement gap, increase high school graduation — everything!

Supply vs. Demand: Rock Star Superintendents, Huffington Post
They command six-figure salaries, often with annual bonuses and car allowances. (Generous health care and pension plans are a given.) Sometimes their employers also foot the bill for their life insurance policies.

There are very few of them, for their skill set is rare. They must be savvy politicians and managers. They must be obsessed with constant improvement.

They'll be under the bright lights of the media, so the camera shy need not apply.

No, we're not talking rock stars, pro athletes or even pro coaches.

We're talking school superintendents. Especially those of large urban districts that have struggled from time immemorial. The original rock star superintendent was Rudy Crew, who asked for -- and got -- a contract from the Miami Dade school system in 2004 that paid him upwards of $500,000 a year. He defended his salary by saying, "I think people are really hungry for leadership. We shouldn't underestimate the value of this kind of leadership. This is public servancy with highly developed skills."

News & Opinion Roundup: New Leadership at Seattle Public Schools

2011-03-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

Seattle School Board ousts Goodloe-Johnson, names Enfield interim superintendent, Seattle Times
The Seattle School Board unanimously voted to dismiss Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson on Wednesday night, amid a financial scandal that left the board scrambling to repair the damage.

The board appointed Susan Enfield, the district's chief academic officer, as interim superintendent. Betty Patu was the only "no" vote, saying she wanted a candidate that wasn't tainted by being part of Goodloe-Johnson's staff.

Goodloe-Johnson ousted as Seattle schools chief, Seattle PI
Also shown the door Wednesday was Don Kennedy, the district's Chief Financial and Operations Officer. Like Goodloe-Johnson, Kennedy, who came from South Carolina, was fired without cause, meaning he must be paid a severance of $87,000 -- half of his annual salary -- under the terms of his contract.

School board members described the decision as a difficult one, yet necessary to restore the public and the board's trust in the school system and to change a management culture that bred an "atmosphere of fear and intimidation." Board members said it was important to act decisively and to refocus on the mission of serving children.

Seattle Public Schools name interim financial officer, Seattle Times
Robert Boesche, a school-finance consultant and former finance chief in the Northshore School District, will be the interim chief financial officer in Seattle Public Schools.

Seattle's ousted schools superintendent apologizes for financial scandal, Seattle Times
Maria Goodloe-Johnson has issued a public statement about the financial scandal that cost her her job as superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, saying she had no part in the misuse of taxpayer dollars but that the wrongdoing was on her watch "and for that, I am deeply sorry."

Rewind | Seattle Times Editorial Board interviews school officials, Seattle Times
What comes next for a school district rocked by financial scandal? The Seattle Times Editorial Board met for an interview with Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield and Seattle School Board President Steve Sundquist. Watch the interview below.

Interim superintendent described as 'driven’, Seattle PI
"I know the community's faith has been shaken by recent events," she said. "But its commitment to its students remains strong. I share and I will honor that commitment by serving this community, especially its students, to the very best of my ability."

She said her immediate priority is to restore trust in Seattle Public School and to address questions about fiscal stewardship. She pledged to keep an "open-door" policy and to be out in the community listening to questions and concerns. She pledged to provide strong leadership and to support teachers and principals.

Interim Seattle schools chief says she's here 'as long as I'm needed', Seattle Times
Susan Enfield's contract as interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools runs through June 2012, but it was clear from her first day on the job that she hopes to stay longer.

"I want to do the very, very best job I can for as long as I'm needed," she said, when asked if she wants the job permanently. "I'm committed to this community for as long as I can be there and help them."

New Seattle Schools Superintendent Susan Enfield must restore trust and order, Seattle Times
IF Susan Enfield would like her job as interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools to become permanent, the route is straightforward: restore public confidence and trust.

No major changes or new efforts come close to the need to end the chaos and distrust permeating the district.

Statement of the Alliance Board of Directors on the appointment of Dr. Susan Enfield as interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools

2011-03-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Seattle – March 3, 2011 – The Board of Directors of the Alliance for Education has released the following statement concerning the appointment of Dr. Susan Enfield as Interim Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.

We commend the Seattle School Boards’ choice of Dr. Susan Enfield to serve as Interim Superintendent. As Chief Academic Officer since 2009, Dr. Enfield has demonstrated a resolute commitment to the success of all students, high intellect, decisiveness and charisma. We have confidence she will lead the district ably.

Outgoing Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson deserves credit for many significant accomplishments during her four-year tenure: student gains in reading, math and graduation; a landmark teachers’ contract that links student achievement to teacher effectiveness for the first time; a return to neighborhood schools; and a robust new performance management system that holds schools and administrators accountable. We appreciate her service to Seattle Public Schools and her willingness to take on tough challenges.

Superintendent Enfield faces a significant task. Simultaneously she will need to rebuild trust, listen and lead. Provided her administration commits to a course of action that dramatically improves student outcomes and restores confidence in the District as a steward of public funds, we stand ready to partner with her in tackling the complex challenges ahead.

The School Board has faced several difficult decisions in recent weeks, all in the context of a painful budget cycle. Under the leadership of President Steve Sundquist, the board has acted with thoughtfulness, care and deliberation.

On Monday, 47,000 students returned to their classrooms from mid-winter break. Let us always remember that our obligation is to them. This is a difficult moment for Seattle Public Schools, but if handled well, the district and the city will be better for it. We remain more committed than ever to our mission to ensure every child in Seattle Public Schools is prepared for success in college, career and life.

The latest on the Seattle Public Schools financial scandal

2011-03-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

Board likely to oust Seattle schools superintendent, Seattle Times
After 3 ½ years as Seattle Public Schools superintendent, Maria Goodloe-Johnson's tenure appears to be over.

The Seattle School Board clearly signaled Tuesday night that it intends to dismiss Goodloe-Johnson and immediately appoint Chief Academic Officer Susan Enfield as interim superintendent.

The board will vote Wednesday night on both actions, one week after two investigative reports revealed the misuse of public money and mismanagement at the top.

The seven-member board also is poised to oust Chief Financial and Operations Officer Don Kennedy.

Likely interim superintendent is experienced educator, Seattle Times
The woman likely to become interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools is an experienced administrator who once taught high-school English and has degrees from Stanford University, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Susan Enfield, 42, joined Seattle Public Schools in 2009. She was hired by schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, who is likely to be ousted by the School Board Wednesday night over a financial scandal.

Silas Potter: 'I've been thrown under the bus' in Seattle schools scandal, Seattle PI
"It's a lot bigger than Silas Potter," he said. "They're trying to minimize their exposure of what they've done and maximize what Silas has done."

Potter denied being the mastermind behind the misappropriation of district funds, which has triggered a criminal investigation, state audit and possible firing of the school superintendent, Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

Seattle's School Board forced to depend on superintendent's honesty, Seattle Times
School Board members work for per diem only — a max of $4,800 a year. The seven-member board has just two helpers, who mostly do scheduling and office support.

"The way it's set up, the board is almost totally dependent on the superintendent's staff to give them honest information," says Dick Lilly, who was on Seattle's board from 2001 to 2005. "Because of that, what's in that e-mail, alone, is cause for firing."

The mixed record of Seattle school Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Times
We like some of the results of her tenure, including more high school college-prep classes, more college-bound students and the transparency offered by new districtwide report cards.

But the good cannot outweigh the bad. In all honesty, the scales have been tipping in the wrong direction for some time.

Seattle school district: A culture of fear?, Seattle PI

A fear of retaliation and an official policy that keeps Seattle Public Schools employees from directly raising concerns with the school board are at least partly to blame for a scandal involving $1.8 million in misused public funds, auditors and investigators say.

Urban League is on the defensive, Seattle Times

In January, the city yanked a $500,000-a-year contract for the Urban League's youth-violence prevention work and awarded it to other organizations. The city criticized the Urban League for submitting vague, inaccurate invoices — accusations similar to those raised by auditors in the schools scandal.

The city also cut long-standing financial support of the Urban League's center to help minority small-business owners to get construction contracts, deciding to seek other bidders for the first time in years.

Urban League on school scandal: We 'did nothing wrong', Seattle PI
Responding to an audit report that the organization took $595,000 in questionable payments from Seattle Public Schools, leaders of the Urban League on Wednesday said the organization did nothing improper.

Interim CEO Tony Benjamin said the money in question was spent as specified by the district contract.

"The Urban League did nothing wrong," Benjamin at a news conference at the League's Seattle office. "The Auditor's report challenged us to get better. This is a real challenge and it's not just a challenge for the Urban League, but for all of us."

Open letter to the Seattle School Board, Crosscut

Just bringing in a new superintendent won't really solve things. A much deeper approach is needed, and I hope you will heed the Rahm Emanuel axiom that "you never want to let a serious crisis go to waste." You will be tempted, particularly with an election looming, to go for a quick fix, avoiding a damaging flood of further revelations and firings. That would be to waste the crisis.

King Co. said 'no' to Seattle School program now under investigation, Seattle PI

Unlike several other local governments, King County declined to participate in a business development program run by the Seattle Public Schools that is now the subject of a criminal investigation.

"We couldn't understand what value the county would receive, and as a result, King County made no financial contribution to this program," Ray Moser, the county's Economic Policy Advisor & Business Relations Manager, said in an e-mail.

Statement of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Education

2011-02-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

Seattle – February 23, 2011 – The Board of Directors of the Alliance for Education has released the following statement concerning today’s Washington State Auditor’s report:

“The findings released today by the State Auditor’s Office are deeply disturbing. The alleged actions of a small group of mid-level school district employees and their associates represent an egregious breach of public trust.

As an independent non-profit supporting all students in Seattle Public Schools, we take seriously our role as a steward of private dollars augmenting the District’s resources. We are reviewing the District’s response to the investigative report and are evaluating the set of corrective actions management has indicated it has taken or will take to address the underlying issues. Finally, we are considering what actions we may take to support greater third-party financial oversight and accountability at the district.

Let it be noted that this episode should in no way negate or tarnish the truly heroic efforts of the teachers, principals and other dedicated staff throughout the system who work each and every day on behalf of students.

Through what is sure to be an intense public conversation in the wake of these developments, we call upon all Seattleites to stay focused on our children. Our collective obligation to the 47,000 students in Seattle Public Schools is profound. Each and every one of them deserves no less than our full attention and support.”

Register now for the 2011 WCAN State Conference

2011-02-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

The Washington College Access Network (WCAN) strives to improve access and preparation to higher education through a network of community organizations that collaborate to promote and support the use of best practices, leverage training opportunities and support public policies ensuring the success of each student.

The WCAN Conference is designed to engage professionals from College Access Programs, Two- and Four-year Colleges and Universities, Schools/Districts, Educational Agencies, Workforce Development Organizations, and Youth-Serving Organizations interested in promoting college access for the students they serve.

Registration:
Please click here to register online for the WCAN State Conference. The conference is FREE. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Chrislyn Johnson at 253-439-5807 or cjohnson@collegesuccessfoundation.org.

Thank you for your interest in attending. We hope to see you there!

When:
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
8:30am Registration Begins
4:30pm Networking Reception

Where:
University of Washington Tacoma

Recent Education News from Across the State

2011-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

We've pulled together several press clips over the last few days from papers across the state, as various education bills have dropped in Olympia.

The Columbian

In Our View: Disregard Seniority
Countless owners of downsized businesses throughout Washington state can recall the “been there, done that” horror of reducing a work force. The process begins with sadness, then surrender, and proceeds to the painful task of assigning value to each position. Business owners and personnel directors keep reminding themselves that they’re talking about jobs, but they can’t escape the fact that they’re talking about people. In the midst of the heartache, it all comes down to a purely business decision: Keep the best, lay off much of the rest.

That’s not the way it works in Washington’s public schools, where collective bargaining contracts typically dictate laying off teachers according to seniority. Usually, a teacher’s ability or value doesn’t matter. A group called Excellent Schools Now wants to change that awkward system, and the intent is reflected in Senate Bill 5399, sponsored by Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina. If passed, the bill would require the use of teacher evaluations in determining layoffs. A companion bill is expected soon in the House.

This is an excellent proposal and deserves support of all legislators. The list of co-sponsors shows no lawmaker from Clark County, but they are urged to recognize the merit of this proposal. Particularly, state Rep. Tim Probst, D-Vancouver, is encouraged to help lead the effort as a member of the Education Committee. [...]

Bill would make radical change in teachers layoffs

SEATTLE (AP) -- The sponsor of a bill that would make teacher effectiveness the main determining factor during layoffs says the proposal is worth billions of dollars in school improvement.

But the president of the state's largest teachers union wonders why lawmakers are spending time on distractions like this proposal when they should instead be focusing on how to avoid teacher layoffs in the first place.

Mary Lindquist of the Washington Education Association says lawmakers started last year to move toward a new teacher evaluation system. This new approach likely will change the way school districts lay off teachers. But Lindquist says school administrators and teachers need time to develop the new system. She says Sen. Rodney Tom's proposal would get in the way of that work.

The Olympian

Washington state must close achievement gap
Washington's African American students cannot wait 105 years to realize the same levels of academic achievement as their peers.

That is the amount of time that is estimated it will take if Washington state continues to improve at its current rate. In a report issued last month, the Center on Education Policy studied more than 40 states to find out how long it will take to close the achievement gaps that exist between low-income and students of color and their highest achieving counterparts at their current pace. When compared with Louisiana, a state that has faced much adversity in communities and schools because of historical inequities, Hurricane Katrina and other disasters, Washington should be ahead in providing for our students. Yet, if Louisiana continues on the path it’s headed, its achievement gap will be closed in 12.5 years. [...]

Seattle Times
Legislature must keep bar high on science education
Washington's students aren't at the bottom in science education but neither are schools preparing them for an economy ever more reliant on science, innovation and technology.

WASHINGTON'S students do not rank anywhere close to the bottom in science education but neither are they prepared for a future economy reliant on scientific innovation and technology.

Scores released this week from the National Assessment of Educational Progress confirm Washington students' grasp of basic concepts in physical, Earth, life and space sciences.

But basic is not good enough, fueling a call by Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to delay until 2017 a looming requirement that students pass a science test to graduate. No more delays. [...]

Study questions seniority-based teacher layoffs
A study of Washington state teachers has found that deciding layoffs based solely on which teachers have the least seniority has a significant impact on students' ability to learn, adding to a growing chorus calling for schools to take a hard look at union contracts dictating who gets to keep their jobs.

The study comes as tens of thousands of teachers around the country stand to lose their jobs next year as federal stimulus money dries up. In most places, union contracts and other policies generally dictate that the least experienced teachers are the first to go.

But that comes at a price, according to the study released exclusively to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The Center for Education Data and Research at the University of Washington, which studies the relationships between education policies and student outcomes, looked at the 1,717 Washington state teachers who were given layoff notices in either of the past two school years. [...]

No more delays in Washington state's math and science requirements
STATE Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn's most recent proposal to delay mathematics and science graduation requirements would be a step in the wrong direction for Washington students. It also calls into question whether our state is serious about ensuring all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in career and life.

Growing up, I dreamed of being many things, including an astronaut. I was fortunate to attend schools that encouraged, challenged and prepared me for success. In 1978 I realized my childhood dream, eventually flying on three NASA space missions.

Washington's students deserve the same support to obtain the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue their dreams. Regardless of the path a student chooses after high-school graduation, be it an astronaut or auto technician, mathematics and science literacy is critical for every student's future. These subjects give students the power to think clearly, solve problems and design innovative solutions. [...]

Tacoma News Tribune
Gov. Chris Gregoire still opposes delays in math and science grad requirement
Bills in both houses of the Legislature are responding to state schools chief Randy Dorn's request to delay from 2013 to 2017 the requirement that state students pass math and science assessments.

Today, however, Gov. Chris Gregoire said she is not interested in delaying the graduation requirement for four years.

"We're letting our kids down," Gregoire said during her weekly press conference. "When we say we haven't been able to get our programs up and running enough to meet the needs of our students, that's us, it's not our students."

Gregoire was referencing concerns that new assessments called end-of-course exams in math and biology are not ready for the class of 2013.

"I'm very troubled by the fact that we are delaying," she said. "The last thing we should be doing in this economic recession, in my opinion, is delaying the recovery of our students to compete in a global marketplace in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. [...]

Bill looks to sidestep seniority issues in future teacher layoffs
It could be seen as adding insult to injury. As state teachers face layoffs under Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget plan, some education reform groups now want to alter who would get the pink slip. Why now? The backers say this is the crucial time to alter the traditional – and collectively bargained – seniority-based layoff rules. Otherwise, good teachers who suffer from a lack of seniority might be jettisoned while less-competent teachers stick around.

The current system is transparent and clear. But it hits struggling schools harder as they already suffer from high turnover among teachers and tend to get the newest teachers.

A bill proposed by Excellent Schools Now – a coalition of 32 organizations including Stand for Children, The League of Education Voters, the Washington State PTA and the Black Education Strategy Roundtable – would require the use of teacher evaluations to govern layoffs. Seniority would only break ties between equally evaluated teachers.

The House bill is expected to be sponsored by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle. The Senate version, Senate Bill 5399, is sponsored by Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, and has a bipartisan group of cosponsors. [...]

Union Bulletin
Layoffs that unnecessarily damage children’s education must be avoided
It is the responsibility of school superintendents to evaluate their districts’ teachers and needs.

A study of Washington state teachers recently concluded: Teacher layoffs based solely on seniority aren't in the best interest of the students.

It took a study to figure that out?

Whether it is the teaching profession, the journalism profession or any other job, if you determine who gets laid off using only seniority you aren't always going to end up with the best remaining staff.

There is great value in on-the-job experience. Your most experienced teachers should be your best teachers. But that's not always the case. There are older teachers who have "retired" on the job, content to just put in their time. There are young teachers who bring an excitement and a different way of looking at things that can translate into success. There are other teachers up and down the seniority scale who are able to inspire students and spur them to greater achievements. [...]

Spokane Spokesman-Review
Gary Crooks: Smart Bombs Column
Add it up. Some sobering figures from Excellent Schools Now, a coalition of Washington state interests that want to reform education:

• Half of children are not ready to succeed by the time they reach kindergarten.
• Washington state is one of only a few states where the achievement gap is growing.
• We rank 46th in the nation on the chance for college by age 19.
• To fill current shortages, the state will need 400 science teachers and 460 math teachers.
• In the class of 2008, 54 percent of students entering community or technical colleges needed remedial course work.
• Of the 36 states that vied for federal Race to the Top funds, only four finished behind Washington state.

The simple response is to indict the educational system. In fact, we all need to look in the mirror. [...]

SAVE THE DATE: The Alliance for Education Community Breakfast

2011-01-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

Join us at the 2011 Alliance for Education Community Breakfast as we celebrate our educators and students!

There is no cost to attend the breakfast, though we hope to inspire guests to make a gift in support of our work.

For more information or to RSVP, click here.

Invite your friends on Facebook.

Local School News

2010-11-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

15 Seattle schools win awards, Queen Anne News
Queen Anne and Magnolia schools among the elite

Fifteen public schools from Seattle have been recognized for outstanding academic improvements in math and reading that put them in the top 5 percent of the highest-improving schools in the state. These Schools of Distinction were announced by the Center for Educational Effectiveness and Phi Delta Kappa - Washington State Chapter. All 15 schools will receive their awards during a regional ceremony Dec. 2 at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. [...]

See the news release, re: SPS Schools of Distinction

Struggling West Seattle Elementary gets a fresh start, Seattle Times
West Seattle Elementary is one of 18 schools in the state taking part in a major federal push to help the nation's lowest-performing schools improve dramatically over the next three years. In the first of a series of stories, The Seattle Times looks at the hopes and concerns as the work gets under way.

In a corner classroom at one of Seattle's lowest-achieving schools, Ms. Coxon has dubbed her fourth-graders the Stanford Class of 2023.

Signs above the classroom door greet her 9- and 10-year-olds as the future students of her beloved alma mater and announce that "The path to college starts now." Her black cap and gown, with its red Stanford sash, hang on a wall inside, not far from where she's stapled a red-and-white Stanford pennant. [...]

8 South Sound schools stand out for quality, groups say, Tacoma News Tribune
Four schools in Puyallup, three in the Franklin Pierce area and one in Federal Way have been named as Schools of Distinction that will be honored at a regional awards ceremony in December.

Four schools in Puyallup, three in the Franklin Pierce area and one in Federal Way have been named as Schools of Distinction that will be honored at a regional awards ceremony in December.

In Puyallup, Kalles Junior High and Zeiger, Woodland, and Sunrise elementary schools have each been recognized for being among the top schools statewide to demonstrate sustained academic achievement in reading and math. [...]

District Scorecards & Individual School Reports

2010-11-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

The new district scorecard and individual school reports were unveiled this morning.

See the data

District scorecards can be found at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/strategicplan/scorecardintro.htm.
Individual school reports can be found at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/strategicplan/schoolreportslist.html.

Media coverage

12 Seattle schools receive highest rating, 13 lowest, in new ranking system, Seattle Times
How good is my kid's school? Seattle district to give the most complete report yet, SeattlePI.com

Seattle Principal Wins National Award, $25,000

2010-11-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

John Stanford International School principal ‘truly exceptional’

OLYMPIA — October 28, 2010 - Kelly Aramaki, principal at John Stanford International School in Seattle, has won the 2010 Milken Educator Award for Washington. The award includes a $25,000 cash prize.

Randy Dorn, state superintendent of public instruction, joined State Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott and Dr. Jane Foley from the Milken Family Foundation to make the announcement this morning at John Stanford International.

“Kelly puts kids first, and it shows,” Dorn said. “His ultimate goal is student achievement, and he knows how to use assessment data, research, technology, the expertise of teachers and the enthusiasm of families to reach that goal.”

Aramaki graduated from the Teachers College at Columbia University in 1999 and began teaching in Bellevue at Newport Heights Elementary. After completing the Danforth Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington, he was hired as principal at Maywood Hills Elementary in Bothell. In 2007, he moved to John Stanford International School.

“Kelly is just awesome,” said Gloria Mitchell, Aramaki’s former instructional director. “On any day of the week I would say that he is truly exceptional – not just as an educator, but also as a person.”

Passionate about celebrating real-world diversity, Aramaki arranged for students at Maywood Hills to visit a tent city that moved in next door to the school. The students interviewed the residents and explored issues of homelessness and poverty from a new perspective.

Aramaki also is passionate about English-language learners. While at Maywood Hills, he helped transition the school to a model that used reader/writer workshop techniques to match students with texts that were at their reading level. As a result more students remain in standard classrooms and ELL students move out of support services sooner. This technique is now the practice across the district. At John Stanford, Aramaki has worked to connect Spanish immersion students with native Spanish speaking ELL students.

At the teaching level, Aramaki coaches new teachers and administrators, mentors struggling educators and engages families. He does this while remaining completely accessible to with every student in his building. He works with his teachers to help them embrace collaboration and open critical feedback. He also is a strong advocate of international education, having presented on the subject at national and international conferences.

Colleagues say that Aramaki’s leadership style is a combination of data analysis and observation, tempered by kindness and a deep respect for students, teachers and families. In his building and across the district, he is admired for his commitment to all learners, his collaboration with teachers and his expert use of data and technology. Colleagues describe him as a courageous and hopeful leader whose contributions to district wide discussions and principals’ meetings create richer professional experiences for all participants.

About the Milken Awards

The Milken Educator Awards have no formal nomination or application process. Educators are recommended without their knowledge by a Blue Ribbon Panel.

The award alternates each year between elementary and secondary educators.

Dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine, the award was established in 1985. Since then, more than $60 million has been given to winners. The purpose of the award is to attract, retain and reward outstanding K-12 teachers, principals and other education professionals who make important contributions to excellence in education.

More than 50 teachers in the United States received the award this year. Each winner will be presented with a $25,000 award at the annual Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference, an all-expenses-paid professional development conference held in Los Angeles in April. The winners also join the Milken Educator Network, a coalition of more than 2,400 top educators who serve both as expert resources and collaborators to network members as they help cultivate and expand innovative programs in their classrooms, schools and districts.

Seattle, Speak Up for Children as SPS Contract Negotiations Go On

2010-08-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Seattle needs to decide if it will be an early adopter or a laggard in education reform, writes guest columnist Norman B. Rice, CEO of the Seattle Foundation and the city's former mayor. The current approaches are failing many students. Citizens should speak up for them.

Rice states, “Each and every city resident — and parent, in particular — needs to get informed about the issues, take a stand and advocate not for the teachers or the school district, but for the kids and the creation of a school system that truly works for them.”

To review the full article, Click here

COMMUNITY GROUPS RENEW PUSH FOR REFORM IN TEACHER CONTRACT; NEGOTIATIONS SET TO CONCLUDE AUGUST 30

2010-08-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

In the final weeks of negotiations, community groups have renewed their push for reform in the teacher contract. Today, the “Our Schools Coalition,” a broad a diverse group of more than 30 citywide organizations and city leaders, of which the Alliance is a part, issued open letters to Seattle parents, teachers and school officials urging adoption of a contract that puts student’s interests first and supports teachers as professionals. View the parent letter and the letter to teachers and district officials.

Link to parent letter is http://www.ourschoolscoalition.org/documents/OSC_open_letter_parents_Aug_3_2010.pdf)
Link to teacher/board letter is http://www.ourschoolscoalition.org/documents/OSC_open_letter_Teachers_and_Board_Aug_3_2010.pdf)

Article of interest

2010-07-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Article in the Seattle Times discussing US Education Secretary Arne Duncan's visit to Aviation High School.

U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan lauds, visits Aviation High

By Katherine Long, Seattle Times

Article of Interest

2010-07-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Article in the Seattle Times discussing the approval of the Superintendant's contract extension.

Seattle school leader Goodloe-Johnson's contract extension approved 5-2

By Nick Perry, Seattle Times

Article of Interest

2010-07-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Another interesting article in the Seattle Times discussing the Superintendant's academic initiatives including a new school-improvement plan.

Seattle Schools superintendant sets ambitious agenda

By Linda Shaw, Seattle Times

Article of Interest

2010-07-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Below is an interesting article in USA Today discussing the heightened awarenss of education reform evidenced by the number of documentaries released this year on education.

Is 2010 the year of the education documentary?

By Greg Toppo, USA Today

Article of interest

2010-06-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Below is an interesting editorial on teacher contract negotiations.

Summertime but Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union won't rest easy
Contract talks between Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union ought to feature less Sturm und Drang and more collaboration around stark new economic realities.

By Lynne K. Varner
Seattle Times editorial columnist

Alliance for Education Development Update

2010-06-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

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

Seattle College Fair – A Huge Success

2010-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Seattle College Fair was held this past Saturday, June 12th at Seattle Central Community College. Over 300 people, including students, parents, and family members, came from all over the city to learn strategies for college planning and preparation. The event kicked-off with emcee Jesse Jones of King 5 News, followed by brief speeches by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and Chief Academic Officer of Seattle Public Schools, Dr. Susan Enfield. The keynote speech was delivered by Anthony Kelley, former UW football player and an inspiration to many students.

The fair held a number of workshops that assisted students and parents on topics such as:

Financing college
Getting into college
Community colleges
Parental involvement in the college going process
Why college matters (student panel)

Seven organizations sponsored the event, including:

Alliance for Education
City of Seattle
College Success Foundation
NELA (Northwest Education Loan Association)
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Public Schools
Washington Higher Education Board

97% of participants that filled out the evaluation at the end of the event said that they know more now about college planning and how to pay for college than prior to the event.

Over 50 students applied for the College Bound scholarship, a state-funded scholarship designed to motivate 7th and 8th grade students to pursue a college education. To learn more about the scholarship please visit the website: http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp.

- Mark Yango, AFE

Community Schools Update

2010-06-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

In collaboration with Seattle Public Schools and other partners, the Alliance is engaged in research and community discussions on the Community Schools strategy, an approach to public education showing promise in several areas across the country.

While there are numerous Community Schools models in different regions, there is no single program design. But in general, a Community Schools (CS) approach engages partners in a coordinated system that offers a range of supports to children, youth and families before, during and after school.

Partners include educators, health and social service agencies, youth development organizations, parents, volunteers, business, and others. In general:

The school becomes a “hub” or local focal point for student, family and neighborhood engagement, a place where school-community connections are built and reinforced.

Programs may include pre-school/early learning, academic support, counseling, student health clinics, family engagement, access to basic services, refugee assistance, evening programs for adults (e.g., parenting support, language and job skills, etc.) and others.

Broadly speaking, the vision is:
Children are ready to learn when they enter school and every day thereafter.
All students learn and achieve to high standards.
Young people are well prepared for adult roles in the workplace and future families.
Parents and community members are involved with the school and committed to their own life-long learning.
Neighborhoods are safe, supportive and engaged.

In a recent survey, we learned there are over 300 community based organizations delivering numerous on-site and off-site services to Seattle students. Currently, a few schools do benefit from a coordinated approach to these services (e.g., the Community Learning Centers in some middle schools and the federally funded Full Services Community Schools Program at two high schools). However, the district and others agree that a system-wide strategy in which providers and schools align to achieve specific goals would reduce fragmentation, improve services and impact academic outcomes.

In partnership with the district, our work to date includes:

Interviewing other CS projects to benefit from the lessons they learned in start-up and implementation (e.g., Children’s Aid Bureau in New York, Chicago Public Schools, LINC in Independence, Missouri, SUN Schools in Portland, Cincinnati Strive, and Harlem Children’s Zone).

Surveying and interviewing local service providers to document the number, types and locations of student services, the level of coordination with schools and other providers, and other information.

Developing a catalog of services that will be posted very soon to the Alliance’s website (we’ll let you know when it’s available).

Engaging with funders, government officials, higher education and others who may be interested in supporting partnerships between schools and communities (e.g., Seattle Foundation, Seattle University and others).

Researching national models to learn about the planning and implementation of these initiatives.

Convening district and community partners to work toward a common vision of what this strategy would look like.

The Seattle School Board continues to study this promising approach as we conduct research and analysis, and engage the community about the model. For further information about the CS strategy in general, visit http://www.communityschools.org/. For local updates, stay tuned to the Alliance blog.

- Karen Tollenaar Demorest, AFE

Attend the Seattle College Bound Resource Fair

2010-05-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Alliance for Education is partnering with a number of organizations from the Washington College Access Network (WCAN) and the Seattle College Access Network (SCAN) to host the 2010 Seattle College Bound Fair.

The College fair will be held on Saturday, June 12th 2010 from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Seattle Central Community College.

This event will engage families in the college preparation process and build community support for all College Bound Students. It provides an opportunity for College Bound Students and their families to learn more about the scholarship and other support/resources in the community that are available to them as they navigate their pathway to college. There will be workshops for students and parents on getting into and paying for college, career pathways, and goal setting.

The Seattle College Bound Conference presents an excellent opportunity for your individuals and organizations to connect with over 400 College Bound students from 7th to 10th grade. We encourage organizations that provide social and/or academic support to youth to participate in this event by hosting a booth.

If your organization has summer programs and is looking for students to recruit, the college fair is the perfect opportunity. Students who attend the event will be eager to learn about 2-year and 4 year colleges as well as community resources to help them prepare and get into college, including service opportunities and academic support.

Please encourage all College Bound eligible students to attend.

This is a free event that will be open to the public. Seattle Central Community College is located at 1701 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122.

We look forward to seeing you at the fair.

If you are able to participate and host a booth please contact Lee Lambert at (253) 439-5805 or via email at LLambert@collegesuccessfoundation.org.

- Mark Yango, AFE

_____________

The College Bound scholarship is a state-funded scholarship designed to motivate 7th and 8th grade students to pursue a college education. It is four-year scholarship that will cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books. The amount of the scholarship will be based on tuition rates at Washington public colleges and universities and will cover the amount of tuition and fees (plus $500 for books) not covered by other state financial awards.

Students in the 7th or 8th grade who meet one of the following requirements should apply:

Are eligible for or receive free or reduced-price lunch
Are a foster youth (regardless of income)
Receive TANF benefits
Meet the family income requirements on the College Bound Scholarship Application

http://www.hecb.wa.gov/Paying/waaidprgm/CollegeBoundScholarship.asp

Since 2007, approximately 55,000 students have signed up for the College Bound Scholarship, the first cohort graduates high school in 2012. In the Seattle Public Schools there are 1800, 9th and 10th grade students who have signed up for the scholarship and another 2700, 7th and 8th grade students who are eligible. These students will need your help and support to graduate high school college aware, college eligible, and college ready in order to collect their scholarships.

Teacher Appreciation Week

2010-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

As you may know, the Alliance has been involved in addressing the issue of recruiting, supporting, and retaining the strongest teachers in Seattle Public Schools. At the heart of this work is the recognition that a strong teaching corps is the most valuable asset of a school system. The vast majority of our teachers do not receive the credit they deserve. We would like to acknowledge the great teaching that goes on day after day in our schools.

Teacher Appreciate Week began on Monday, May 3rd. This is a unique opportunity to show our teachers how much we value their diligence and commitment to our students. The role of being a teacher is no simple undertaking, nevertheless most of our teachers are passionate, engaged, and student focused. Let’s all take this time to express our gratitude for their work.

Send an email, write a letter, stop by your neighborhood school and drop off a personal gift, or simple say THANK YOU! My son’s fifth grade teacher at Leschi Elementary is a dynamic instructor, mentor and role model. I truly value the impact she has on my son’s life and academic career. Thank you Ms. Blackwell for your amazing work in our public schools!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Click on the links below for gift ideas and other information on teacher appreciation week.

http://www.pta.org/teacher_appreciation.asp
http://www.teacher-appreciation.info/

2010 Alliance for Education Community Breakfast - A Great Success

2010-05-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday the Alliance for Education held its 8th Annual Community Breakfast to the beat of the Denny Middle School Steel Drum Band. Over 900 individuals attended the Community Breakfast. Turn out for this year’s breakfast was the largest ever, many of them community members, students, teachers and principals of Seattle Public Schools that believe a city’s success starts with the public school system. This year’s breakfast featured Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle Public School Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, and Wendy Puriefoy, President of the Public Education Network.

Moved and inspired by the performances and testimonies of students and teachers, over $215,000 was raised to support the Alliance for Education, which will use the funds to boost academic achievement in Seattle Public Schools.

Sara Morris, President and CEO of the Alliance, addressed the recent progress of the Alliance for Education as well as what still needs to be done to ensure that every child in the Seattle Public School District receives the best education possible.

Daniel Nguyen, the ASB president and senior from Franklin High School emceed the event which featured performances from the Denny Middle School Steel Drum Band and the S.C.A.T.S. acrobatics team from Dearborn Park Elementary. Keynote speaker Wendy Puriefoy, the President of Public Education Network from Washington D.C., spoke about education reform and the importance of community in the efforts of achieving quality public education.

The breakfast also celebrated the achievement of certain individuals and made the public aware and proud of what’s going on in their community. The following awards were recognized:

Comcast Leaders and Achievers Awards for Student Excellence,
Swain Teacher Awards for Excellence, and
Thomas B. Foster Award for Principal Excellence

We are grateful for everyone's support for the Alliance -- a partner and advocate for every student in Seattle Public Schools.

Thank you and see you next year!

- Mark Yango, AFE

Community Schools Update

2010-04-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Solynn and I were attended a Community Schools Forum in Philadelphia, put on by the Coalition for Community Schools. Despite a 3:30 a.m. arrival time due to an unexpected redirect of our flight, it was a great opportunity to learn more about national efforts. As we move further into this work it’s highly beneficial to see the experiences that have shaped other efforts across the country.

Several Seattle partners attended the conference representing community based organizations, the Alliance, and a couple district staff who were brought by external community partners.

At the heart of the community schools initiative is the goal of improving student academic success by addressing the many complex needs of our students and families. We had the opportunity to learn how other agencies have identified outcomes, engaged families, and built partnerships which are having a positive impact on students in their regions.

Here are just a few of the many themes that came out of the conference:

· Remember the importance of youth participating in the planning process

· Put the community back in community schools – start planning with community members and parents at the table from the beginning. Note: This summer, the Alliance’s community engagement effort will focus on this area, planning for a strong fall outreach to families and community partners.

· Remember the importance of data. This is about supporting students and what you count counts.

· Health is a very important component for a community schools effort

We’ve been talking about this for a while and the conversation is now moving forward. It isn’t just the Alliance that is working on this effort, but various organizations building a regional effort. Partners include universities, foundations, non-profits and civic leadership. These groups are learning from each other and moving our efforts forward in alignment rather than individual parallel efforts.

We are excited to be part of this process that hopes to build a safety net for all students and ensure that all have the opportunity to succeed.

An Exciting Day

2010-04-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

An exciting effort was launched today. The Alliance, in conjunction with 13 other community organizations and several community leaders, issued a joint statement advocating for specific changes to the Seattle Public Schools teacher contract, scheduled to be renegotiated beginning next week. This group, “Our Schools Coalition,” commissioned a citywide poll of Seattle taxpayers, public school parents and teachers. The survey demonstrated overwhelming support for the proposed changes.

Teacher quality is the single biggest point of leverage in the system. A great teacher is the single largest predictor of student success. A strong, vibrant teacher corps, where great teachers are acknowledged, rewarded and supported, will have a demonstrable, positive impact on student achievement.

Guided by a set of core principles that put student success and teacher support at the fore, Our Schools Coalition is advocating for increased teacher preparation and peer collaboration time as well as expanded mentoring and coaching programs. The group also proposes moving to a 4-tier teacher evaluation system, factoring student academic growth into teacher evaluations, and factoring performance into staffing decisions, including placement, transfers and layoffs. Finally, the coalition advocates opening up new career paths and compensation opportunities for teachers that go beyond seniority and credentialing, as well as opening up the teaching field to organizations such as Teach for America.

To view the statement, see the polling data, and sign on, go to www.ourschoolscoalition.org.

Sara Morris, President &CEO, AFE

Update on “Our Schools Coalition”

2010-03-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is a historic week in education reform in our state and across the nation.

The Obama administration recently announced that Delaware and Tennessee won hundreds of millions of dollars in the first round of Race to the Top funds. Combined, these states were awarded $600 million, which leaves $3.75 billion for Round 2.

This announcement shows that the Obama Administration is serious about rewarding states that take bold actions necessary to reform their school systems. Both states submitted applications that had comprehensive, statewide plans positively impacting all students with wide support from their respective unions and school boards. In return, Delaware and Tennessee will receive significant funding from the federal government to help increase student learning and close achievement and opportunity gaps.

Several months ago, Washington was not in a good position to apply for Race to the Top funding. But this past Monday, Governor Gregoire signed into law education reform legislation which gives Washington state a chance to secure Round 2 Race to the Top money.

Now that the legislation has become law, the real work begins. School districts across the state will now have a chance to sign on as partners with the state, and we have only a few weeks to put together a strong Race to the Top application that will be our blueprint for student success in the future.

Here in Seattle, the Alliance has convened the “Our Schools Coalition.” This coalition is a natural extension of the work the Alliance has been doing on teacher quality for some time now. This coalition is broadly representative of parents, students, local employers, and the community at large, and as such is reflective of the Seattle Public Schools District constituency in these negotiations. Many of these representatives had constituents attending teacher quality forums over the past month. From these forums and from teacher focus groups, the coalition formed based on the following core principles:

A strong teacher corps is the most valuable asset within any school system;
Teachers are respected as individuals, professionals, and community leaders, and
With professionalism comes the acceptance of responsibility for results

The Alliance is in a unique position to leverage relationships with SPS to move this dialogue forward.

All eyes are on Seattle as this is the first teacher contract negotiations taking place since the signing of the Race to the Top legislation. And not only is it the first negotiation, it’s happening in the largest school district in the state.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Coalition.

Mark Yango, Director of Communications, AFE

Teacher Quality Town Hall

2010-03-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Studies show that an effective teacher is the most important school-based factor in raising student achievement.

Join us for a Teacher Quality Town Hall on Tuesday, April 20th at South Lake High School, as we seek to support students and teachers in our school district. The event starts promptly at 6:30pm. Dinner, childcare, and language interpretation will be provided. You can register online Here or contact Rachel Hug at 206.205.0322 and Rachel@alliance4ed.org for more information.

A flyer for the event is also attached for your convenience Flyer. We look forward to seeing you there!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Community Members are Weighing in on Teacher Quality

2010-03-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we recently conducted seven community meetings on teacher quality. I would first like to thank the following organizations for their incredible support and participation:

· 37th Legislative District
· El Centro de la Raza
· Coalition for Equal Education Rights (CEER)
· Eritrean Association of Greater Seattle
· Cleveland High School
· Successful Schools in Action/McClure Middle School
· University of Washington College of Education

I also must express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful facilitators of these conversations:

Kevin Boyce (Alliance for Education), Sylvester Cann (Central Area Motivation Program), Caroline Maillard (Seattle Foundation), Ian Smith (Hitachi Consulting), Jessica Jones (Seattle City Club), Liz Peterson (UW College of Education), Alma Villegas (Stand for Children), Gregory Davis (Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition), Liz Vivian (Boeing), and Lisa Moore (Successful Schools in Action).

These conversations were filled with voices from parents, students, teachers, community based organizations, education advocates, and Seattle Public School Board Directors. One thing is clear from our participants: teacher quality is a key factor in student academic success.

Community conversations displayed passion and concern on several issues. Below are some key themes and comments that came out of these discussions:

Professional Development and Support
· “Teaching is like high-quality professional work; you need time to get really good at what you do.”
· “We need to explore what sort of ongoing [professional] development we can offer that is relevant. We must figure out what teachers want to learn and what skills they want to gain.”
· “Teachers need to be ready to teach when they are assigned to a school – not just ready to get paid.”
· “We need a system that creates more advocates for children that come from poor and disadvantaged families. “
· “We need passion and talent for teaching. Some teachers are hired because they have the necessary degrees, yet I believe that teachers need to have the ability to work well with all students.”

Accountability and Evaluation
· “We can’t just blame the teachers; it is the way the system is set-up. We need to have more accountability for our kids and our teachers. “
· “Leadership at the district must make sure that quality in education is happening”
· "If teachers are evaluated only once a year, the students who are falling behind slip through the cracks. Evaluations need to occur more often. We recommend at least once a month. That way we can be sure that our children are learning.”

Tenure and Seniority
· “We believe that teachers should be evaluated not just on tenure but also by other teachers, parents, students. We should be able to participate in the process.”
· “Qualifications (teachers’ performance) should come before seniority when making work force reduction decisions. I don’t think tenure should be the only factor in determining work force reductions. Sometimes the younger teachers are more energetic and it is better for them to replace the more senior teachers that are worn out. “

What is captured here is only a glimpse of the richness in our dialogue. Participants were truly engaged, primed, and ready to have the discussion, even if they did not completely agree with the recommendations of the NCTQ report or one another. This is a necessary conversation for the benefit of our students and teaching professionals.

I strongly encourage you to attend our final community meeting with the African American Parent Action Team on Tuesday, April 13th at 6:30pm. The meeting will be located at Rainier Beach Community Center and will be hosted by Dawn Bennett of the League of Education Voters (LEV).

Also, please RSVP for our Teacher Quality Town Hall, scheduled for Tuesday April 20th at South Lake High School, CLICK HERE. We are currently summarizing all community feedback in a final document and are focused on relaying that information to the public and school district partners during this event.

Please join us for this vital conversation!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Teacher Quality Dialogues – Part II

2010-03-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, March 10th, the Alliance for Education facilitated a community conversation on teacher quality with the Coalition for Equal Education Rights (CEER). We were joined by Dr. Susan Enfield, Chief Academic Officer of the Seattle Public Schools District. The meeting began with remarks from Dr. Enfield around the school district’s commitment and responsibility to strengthening teachers in every classroom. Her commments were thoughtful and candid, as she made the following statement:

“We are in an unprecedented time of opportunity in public education, both at the national and local level. Teachers, principals, district leaders, families and community stakeholders are engaged in conversations about how we provide high quality teaching and learning, and high quality leadership in all of our schools. Research tells us that while incentives matter, it takes more than money to create a system that attracts and retains the best people. We need to transform the teaching profession in Seattle by creating accountability mechanisms to ensure performance while also supporting teachers through meaningful professional growth and career advancement opportunities that honor the work they do. At the core of this effort, however, is what our students need and deserve--which is the very best we can give them.”

Below, are key responses from our participants during the meeting:

Transfer and Assignment – Transfer and Layoffs
· Reward for good teachers shouldn’t be based on super-seniority.
· Seniority creates hostile environment between teachers and school administration.
· The School District should prioritize the “learner” and not the “teacher” (a school is a place for students to learn, not a career for teachers. Students should be first priority)
· Success rate as a teacher should depend on how many students are served
· Train veteran teachers so they can compete with the younger teachers who are coming out of college or just entering the profession with new tools to increase student learning.
· A problem is that teachers with good progressive ideas get outcast by experienced teachers in the system for bringing new ideas to the table. New teachers end up not having a strong support group.

Developing Effective Teachers – Evaluation
· The district has as much responsibility for students learning as teachers do. It’s not all on the teachers. Teachers can’t be blamed for a system that doesn’t provide them the best opportunity to teach.
· Set priorities for teaching at a system level, and the proper resources should be made available to support these priorities.
· Lowest performing students can’t have lowest performing teachers.
· Maybe businesses should have a voice in the process of evaluating teachers, they provide a new perspective of what’s needed of graduates in the business world and how the teachers can teach to some of those “soft” skills.

Participants’ Top Recommendations to Improve Teacher Quality
· Human capital is important. And leadership. Get the best leaders to be teachers
· Create an atmosphere where teachers are partners in the process
· Connect the dots and understand what resources are available around education. Non-profits, community groups, businesses... those are all good places to coordinate resources with.
· Recruitment, recognition and reward. Help district treat teachers as professionals. Take lessons from private sector when it comes to rewarding employees.
· Know what best educational practice is and train to it. This differs by demographics.
· Change union’s opinion of what a professional teacher is.
· Teachers suffer from a linear and directed curriculum. The current system doesn’t allow for much flexibility. All kids don’t learn the same. Also, help teachers better interact with families and build those relationships. Train teachers in family relationships
· Teachers should have residency period like doctors to prove they are capable and effective. Similar to the Teach for America model.

I’m sure that participants found this conversation very refreshing and informative as we occupied the board room of the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) office in the Central District. I was particularly moved by the idea of adopting professional development models from the private sector that may enhance support for teachers.

This meeting was the third of four events hosted last week by other partners including the 37th Legislative District, El Centro de la Raza, and the Eritrean Association of Greater Seattle. There are more to come over the next couple of weeks. I invite you to share your thoughts on this post or consider joining us for one of the upcoming community meetings, CLICK HERE . We would greatly appreciate your voice in the conversation.

Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Garfield High School Principal Ted Howard II Receives Foster Award for Outstanding Leadership

2010-03-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today, the Superintendent and I had the privilege of presenting Ted Howard II, principal of Garfield High School, with the Thomas B. Foster Award for Principal Excellence. This award, now in its 8th year, recognizes excellence in leadership at a middle, K-8 or high school in Seattle. Recipient selection is based on a combination of student achievement data, staff and student climate surveys, innovation in educational and administrative techniques, and prudent & creative use of resources. The recognition carries a $50,000 cash award, to be spent by the principal on behalf of the school in whichever way he or she sees fit.

Several members of Ted’s family, along with School Board members and District & Alliance staff joined the surprise “prize patrol” and had the fun of presenting him with the award and a $50,000 check at an all-school assembly in Garfield’s gymnaisum.

What a great way to spend part of the day. Congratulations again to Ted, for demonstrating great leadership and persistence, and to the generosity of the Foster family for endowing this award and entrusting the Alliance with its oversight.

- Sara Morris, AFE

Launch of the Washington State College Access Network (WCAN)

2010-03-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, the Washington State College Access Network (WCAN) was launched. Over 280 college access practitioners across the state and from other regions such as California, Idaho, and Arizona were in attendance. Most would agree that the launch was a success. WCAN is part of the National College Access Network (NCAN), an organization that grew out of the informal networking of people who were involved in the burgeoning field of college access. There are several varieties of college access programs, but all spend their resources, both financial and human, to help motivated, academically capable, low-income young people enroll in and graduate from college. In addition to Washington State, there are 15 states that have their own network.

WCAN strives to improve access to and preparation for higher education through a network of organizations, agencies, and institutions that collaborate to promote the use of best practices, leverage training, and support public policies ensuring the success of each student. Lee Lambert is the director of the Washington College Access Network and a member of College Success Foundation. He should be commended for organizing such a well attended and enthusiastic conference.

As the program manager for the Seattle College Access Network (SCAN), it was great to see many of the providers working together in a larger network and to see the relationships being forged to advance the cause of College Access.

Throughout the day, sessions focused on student access, the importance and impact of data, developing networks to build capacity, and policy and advocacy. However the highlight of the day was the student panelists. During lunch, a group of students and graduates from colleges throughout Washington State spoke about the challenges and supports they encountered in trying to go to college. A few of the young women were brought to tears as they explained the enormous challenges they face—and still face—in getting into college and staying there. Challenges such as poverty, gang violence, and other harsh circumstances make it tough for these students, but some, such as these fantastic students, have persevered and ultimately thrived. However, all too often these students are the exception and not the norm.

We as college access practitioners must continue to come together in venues like this to give all children the opportunity to go to college.

Teacher Quality Discussions – Part 1

2010-03-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

On Monday night, the Alliance for Education and the 37th Legislative District engaged in an open dialogue about teacher quality. We were joined by Seattle Public Schools Board Directors Harium Martin-Morris, Betty Patu, and Steve Sundquist. This event was the launch of a series of community-wide conversations focused on strengthening teachers in every classroom.

The discussion began with all participants indentifying their top priority for improving teacher quality. We then discussed a variety of topics around the distribution of teacher talent, hiring, and evaluation.

Some of the key talking points and recommendations from our participants included:

More Resources for Teachers
· Great teachers are stressed. We [teachers] have a lot of issues to deal with. We need to explore how to address the underlying causes of the stress.
· Teachers are stretched too thin. Overwhelmed and need more assistance. More pay is a good start, but they need other incentives.
· Curriculum and Resources – we need more thoughtful curriculum, and also time to prep deeply into lessons.
· Consider performance pay for student growth and performance.
· Implement quality professional development which provides support for strong teaching

Attracting Innovative Talent
· Recruit teachers who are leaders, particularly for underperforming schools
· Ensure teachers value each child as a unique individual. All students should be on track to succeed.
· Support teachers who can apply different teaching styles. They must provide innovation in the classroom.
· Put increased focus on teacher preparation programs – methods taught at universities. Teaching prep needs support solid classroom management skills.
· Many teacher prep programs prepare teachers to work in suburban classrooms. Need support and learning for teaching in urban areas.
· Place the best principals in troubled schools.

Strengthening Accountability
· Strengthen accountability for teachers and principals effectiveness; need clear accountability for principal evaluations.
· Determine if it’s possible to know that student learning is occurring. It’s hard to measure, but we can’t continually teach to the test. Learning must be based on other factors.

This was an intimate and rich discussion that only scratched the surface of a much larger and significant debate. We invite you to share your thoughts on our blog and join us for upcoming meetings in your area. CLICK HERE to find dates and times for additional meetings. Join the conversation!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Greeting from new Alliance President & CEO, Sara Morris

2010-03-01T13:55:00.001-08:00

Greetings! It is a true privilege to take the helm of the Alliance today. I look forward to collaborating with leaders and advocates across the city to continue the drive for meaningful increases in student achievement in Seattle Public Schools.

This is an exciting time in education, both nationally and locally. It is my hope that Seattle can emerge as a national model for success. With the talent and resources our community has to offer, we are a city better positioned than most. Through an openness to innovation, a willingness to speak frankly, and a dedication to crafting solutions rather than merely critiques, we can make major advancements. If we hold high expectations not only of the students we serve, but also of ourselves as teachers, administrators and leaders, we will have a district that provides every child with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive.

Seattle boasts a large and active community of education advocates; every city should be so lucky. From time to time there may be honest disagreements about how to solve certain problems. But a core belief in the transformative power of a quality education - and the fundamental role public education plays in a healthy, functioning democracy - unites us.

I know first-hand that urban public schools can be high-performing schools; my children are in one. As a parent with kids in the system, I look forward to connecting the dots between policy decisions and grassroots reality. I am honored to join you, and look forward to the conversations that follow.

Sara Morris, AFE

Geoffrey Canada

2010-02-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, February 9th community members packed Kane Hall at the University of Washington to hear a provocative lecture by Geoffrey Canada. Since 1990, Mr. Canada has been the President and Chief Executive Officer for Harlem Children's Zone, which The New York Times Magazine called "one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time." In October 2005, Mr. Canada was named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News and World Report. Over the years, the agency introduced several ground-breaking efforts: in 2000, The Baby College® parenting workshops; in 2001, the Harlem Gems® pre-school program; also in 2001, the HCZ Asthma Initiative, which teaches families to better manage the disease; in 2004, the Promise Academy, a high-quality public charter school; and in 2006, an obesity program to help children stay healthy.

His speech was filled with alarming statistics on the state of America’s education system, thoughtful personal stories, proven success, and inspiring recommendations. Below are a few of Mr. Canada's key points:

· If we are going to save our kids, we (the community) have to do it. We can’t wait for our education and government leaders.
· Start early with supports for our students and families – cradle to college.
· We must weave the safety net so tight, that our students cannot fall through the cracks.
· College education should be the benchmark. I have never met a wealthy or successful person who did not value higher education.
· Schools have to be redesigned for success. They are currently designed for the negative results that are getting.
· We have not allowed innovation to take root in education. We have allowed for innovation in other fields such as technology. But If we are going to dramatically affect student success; we must continue to think “outside of the box” and allow for innovation inside and outside the classroom.
· Changing the model of education will cost more money, teachers will have to work harder, and all adults will have to be responsible for student learning. Communities are part of the equation.
· Evaluation has to be a tool that drives student performance.
· Hope [in education] is as infectious as despair.

I think it is safe to say that the majority of attendees left the lecture inspired, renewed, and determined to be bold as we all work toward improving our educational system.

For more information on Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children's Zone, please go to www.hcz.org.

-Solynn McCurdy, AFE

Alliance for Education announces Sara Morris as new President & CEO

2010-02-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

We are excited to share with you that Sara Morris will be the next President and CEO of the Alliance for Education, beginning on March 1, 2010. Sara has been serving as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for OVP Venture Partners.

Sara has a passion for the issues and brings a diverse set of skills to the Alliance from the private and public sectors. We considered many qualified candidates during the search for our organization’s new CEO, but Sara is well positioned to serve as a bridge between private donors and the school district. Equally important, she will continue our work in building a great relationship with Seattle Public Schools and the broader community.

Morris spent 17 years in marketing and communications. She served as a communications aide in the Clinton administration, as Group Marketing Manager at Amazon.com, and Executive Director of Technet Northwest. As an independent consultant for Seattle Public Schools, Morris led large-scale, interdisciplinary projects that moved diverse groups of people toward common objectives. Morris also serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Technology Access Foundation and was named one of Seattle’s “40 under 40” by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2003.

In her previous work at Seattle Public Schools, Sara served as a strategic advisor to then Superintendant Raj Manhas, and Staff Director to a 14-member commission. Her work led to sweeping reform recommendations aimed at improving academic achievement and reaching fiscal sustainability throughout the system.

Sara has three children, two who are currently attending West Woodland Elementary.

With Sara at the helm, the Alliance looks forward to continuing our work in ensuring that every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success.

Seattle College Access Network (SCAN) Retreat

2010-02-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, February 5th, SCAN held its first planning retreat where we discussed our collective agreement on the purpose of the network and started setting clear accountability protocols for priorities in 2010 and beyond. As a reminder, SCAN’s purpose is to increase the college–readiness of students among low income, first-generation, and students of color populations, our target population. The goal of our work is to increase the number of students in these populations who apply for, attend, and graduate from college.

SCAN is a coalition of existing college access providers, including community based organizations, Seattle Public Schools (SPS), funders, and advocacy groups. This coalition is currently building a framework to enable regional groups to connect with each other in order to share best practices, provide college access training, and facilitate a forum for understanding key policy issues that affect college access.

During our retreat, we discussed high priority network tasks and activities critical to member success and we reviewed a draft network agreement and decided how to advance its development.

In a nutshell, we started putting some teeth and claws into our membership duties and agreements. SCAN has grown from seven organizations and 14 members to 20 organizations and 40 members. In addition to the aforementioned groups listed above, we were excited have an active student, teacher, and counselor presence in the dialogue. They’re input is critical to the success of our network since they are in the frontlines of all the college readiness work. We are thrilled to have them at the table.

Throughout our retreat, Paul Vandeventer, author of Networks that Work, provided us with a structure to create and sustain an optimal network. We started breaking down our goals and priorities into four distinct subcommittees:

Student access
Policy and advocacy
Research and data development and
Governance

We started laying the foundation for our work and it is clear that there are significant challenges ahead. But it is also evident that all participants in the network appeared excited, engaged, and committed to the work of helping our target populations become college-ready. We realize challenges and conflicts will arise but we are off to an amazing start with all members on the same page. We’ll keep the ball moving forward.

Stay tuned …

Teacher Focus Groups

2010-02-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

This week the Alliance conducted teacher focus groups. As you likely know, we've been participating in a conversation about how to best ensure a strong teacher in every classroom.

The purpose of this effort was to to hear what teachers are experiencing in the classroom, and collect feedback and responses to the larger teacher quality discussion. As a parent, I hear pieces of it, but getting to the big picture requires hearing different perspectives from teachers across the district.

We are just starting to analyze the information, but a few things are clear. There is no single voice for how teachers feel about particular issues. The priorities vary. The experiences vary. There appears to be a deep desire to do the work in a respected and autonomous way. These are perspectives that should be heard as we look for solutions in serving all students.

We will share the results of these focus groups with the public in the near future.

In all of our areas of work, we are finding that the more we can collaborate in our search for solutions, the greater the potential impact. I look forward to seeing how these voices can contribute to the larger conversation.

Rainier Beach Coalition Town Hall

2010-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Last night, community residents of the Rainier Beach area packed Southlake High School for the annual Town Hall. This event was hosted by the Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition. Under the leadership of Mr. Gregory Davis, a local resident, the coalition has been instrumental in strengthening a sense of community and advocacy throughout the neighborhood.

The evening was filled with food, a dynamic arts presentation, awards ceremony, outlining of Coalition priorities and project activities, and facilitated breakout groups. Special guests included Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, City Councilmember Sally Clark, and Seattle School Board Director Betty Patu, along with over a hundred youth and families.

I had the distinct pleasure of facilitating the education breakout session in partnership with Dawn Bennett, African American Family and Community Engagement Liaison for Seattle Public Schools. Our group included current Rainier Beach High School students, community based organizations, educators, parents, and senior citizens. During this rich dialogue, we explored timely issues such as the South East Initiative, strategies to increase accountability for academic achievement, early education, mentoring, environmental education, and civic engagement.

It was truly inspiring to hear the thoughtful concerns and ideas of our youth and community advocates. They clearly identified a vision and need for quality education in the southeast community. There are some elements of great programs and practice, but more consistent resources are needed across all schools. Our participants addressed key issues such as teacher quality and the need for schools to become the hub of our community; a place that provides full academic and social support for students. The principal of Rainier Beach High School, Dr. Robert Gary, specifically stressed the need for the community to mobilize around our schools and for all residents to play an active role in the support of our students, staff, and families.

Other breakout sessions explored issues of public safety, transportation, environment, economic development, and youth and families.

It is clear that great community building is happening in the southeast, but we all have a responsibility to contribute to the success of this prosperous neighborhood.

For more information on the RB Coalition, please click on the attached link http://www.rbcoalition.org/

-Solynn McCurdy, AFE

Reflections on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2010-01-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

Given that this past Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and from all the scenes we have seen in the wake of the tragedy in Haiti, I think it is worth mentioning some thoughts around the Alliance’s programs in the context of social justice and equity. All of our programs, whether it be continuing our work in community schools and community engagement, increasing college access and readiness for all students, ensuring the quality of all teachers in Seattle Public Schools, or our educational investments, have a significant impact on those students that are economically and socially disadvantaged. In much of our work, and in many of the grants we manage, our target population includes students of color and low-income communities.

We at the Alliance believe education is a fundamental right for each child in our community. At our recent Board meeting this past Tuesday, Dr. Goodloe- Johnson and Seattle Board President Michael Debell talked about the school district’s and state’s significant budget shortfall in light of the grim economic landscape we face. It is no secret that we are in tough financial times, but those who bear the worst of the impact will not have the necessary resources or skills to compete in our new economic landscape.

That is why the Alliance and the entire community need to redouble our efforts to help the school district adequately serve these communities. Whether it is providing more resources to counselors to help students get into college, or continuing a much needed discussion on teacher quality, or helping raising more money for the District so that it will ease some of the painful cuts they have to make; these efforts will go a long way in helping students excel toward a pathway of opportunity.

As Dr. King said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Isn’t that the type of education we would like to impart on all children in the District?

- Mark Yango, AFE

Community Schools Work

2010-01-21T18:00:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick update on our work.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are working with community partners and SPS staff to explore the potential of a Community Schools initiative here in Seattle. There are already two schools within SPS that are recipients of a federal grant to implement a community schools model, and the leaders of those programs are closely involved in our work of looking at this on a larger scale.

I mentioned previously how many resources we have in our city, and although there are some exceptions, most are not delivered in a coordinated structure. Last year we did an initial piece of work, identifying approximately 300 providers. We surveyed those and about 50% responded and shared where they are in schools across Seattle. The results of that survey were not comprehensive, but showed a lot of resources for students. You can find that information here: www.alliance4ed.org/community/csp.htm

We are building on that previous work and have now identified upwards of 500 potential service providers for students in SPS. A new survey has gone out and we will follow up in a variety of ways to put together as comprehensive of a picture as we can.

Over the next couple months we'll share this on our Web site and through community partners. Stay tuned...

Karen

2010-01-21T17:59:00.001-08:00

2010 - The year to come

2010-01-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

As we leave behind the first decade of the 21st Century it's a great time to reflect and think big about what lies ahead.

The end of this first decade came much faster than I anticipated. I wonder how we would score ourselves over the past decade? Let me know what you think, but I feel as if we've been caught at the end of the race without really reaching our full running potential.

In some ways we've done very well, and in other areas we've struggled. And in education you can see examples of how we've done both. We can easily find challenges we have not met, such as the achievement gap. And we can also find great examples of where classrooms across the city are building a love of learning in their students.

So how do we keep moving in the direction of all students succeeding? At the Alliance we are continuing along a path that we've carved out over the past few years which prioritizes working on sustainable programs that will result in equitable support for all students in all schools (equitable does not mean "the same").

Our programs include community schools, teaching quality, college access and success, and engaging all communities in support of students. Our work in these areas is progressing steadily, and we are enjoying the potential that we see in our work, and the work of many other individuals and organizations.

For the community schools initiative we are currently working on two areas of research and outreach. Primarily we are working to get a handle on what services exist for students in Seattle Public Schools, and find out where they are located. Last year we conducted a survey of community based organizations, sending to roughly 300 organizations. We received 147 responses, giving the first real glimpse at what organizations are serving students in our schools. This next level of research adds additional organizations to the original list, and updates the information through a variety of channels including survey, school information, and outreach to the organizations.

This work will also feed into the college access initiative as we better understand the resources available to students. There are many programs providing mentoring, financial assistance, course planning and other support to keep kids on track to be able to choose whichever post-secondary educational opportunities they desire.

Education is an incredibly complex topic. Let's start with the fact that we're dealing with children, the single most important thing in a parent or family's life. And let's compound that by the fact that most of us have been through school with widely varying experiences. Those two things alone make it difficult to start a conversation from the same place. Then add a lot of economic and racial diversity, and we've got a complex mix of ideology, culture, opinion, and reality.

But the bottom line is, we all care about the kids. Let's start the New Year in that place, thinking about what we share. Happy New Year to you all and I look forward to working with you in the coming year.

Karen

(Isn't it amazing to think that there are young people out there who have no idea what Y2K means?)

Community Engagement 2009 in Review

2009-12-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

As thousands of students, teachers, and staff enjoy winter break and many families finalize their plans for the holiday season, I wanted to share a few highlights with you on the Alliance’s community engagement effort.

Through our initial 10-month effort and outreach the community engagement task force has:

· Increased our understanding of the current educational issues and community organizing efforts in Seattle
· Created a community engagement strategic plan for the 2009 – 2010 school year
· Began community dialogues on improving the graduation rate with over 300 participants
· Supported community conversations on teacher quality

This work is truly a collaborative effort between the Alliance and the broader community. I want to extend a huge thanks to some of our community based partners including Seattle University, Youth Ambassadors, City of Seattle Mayor’s Youth Council, YMCA of Greater Seattle, West Seattle High School, Garfield High School, Urban League Scholars, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the Mockingbird Society, Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition, Refugee School Impact Grant Partnership, and WAPI Community Services for their involvement in our engagement. Each of these partners has provided us the opportunity to interact and create a meaningful conversation on student academic success. We have gained tremendous insight on the concerns of the public, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

Our community partners are committed to hosting dialogues, informing and enhancing our outreach, and even planning the upcoming Youth Education Summit over the next few months.

It is our hope that efforts like the Education Summit will ignite Seattle youth and adults in community engagement and empowerment around key issues of student academic achievement, education reform, and social justice.

In the next six months we have made the commitment to:

· Continue community dialogues on graduation rate (at least 15 events district wide)
· Use school performance data to drive our community dialogue
· Coordinate the work of a Youth Advisory Council to host the Seattle Youth Education Summit
· Complement the work of the Seattle Public Schools Family and Community Engagement effort through participation with the School Family Partnership Advisory Committee
· Continue to share information with and between our community partners

As the Alliance moves forward with this work, it will be important to consider opportunities for program sustainability and effectiveness. We are confident that this campaign will be a tremendous benefit to the Seattle community.

I encourage you to lend your support, comments and ideas on our community engagement efforts. Our dialogue is even more powerful with your voice and action at the table. Happy Holidays to you and your families. See you in 2010!

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

School and Community Partnerships

2009-12-21T11:25:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick update on our work.

Over the next couple months we'll share this on our Web site and through community partners. Stay tuned...

Karen

Strengthening Seattle Partnerships for College Access and Success

2009-12-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

College Access and Readiness has recently become a significant component of the Alliance for Education's program offerings. Since the spring of 2009, we have been convening a network of SPS staff, and college access providers and representatives which we refer to as the Seattle College Access Network (SCAN). This network is committed to ensuring expanded, and more efficient, delivery of college-preparation programs for students in our target populations including first generation college-goers, low-income and students of color. Participants of this network include and not limited to:

Seattle Public School System
Local Education Fund - Alliance for Education
The Funding community - Collegespark, Gates Foundation, College Success Foundation
Higher ed institutions - University of Washington, Seattle Community College Districts, Seattle Pacific
Policy and Advocacy groups - Seattle Education Access, League of Education Voters, and El Centro de la Raza

We recognize the vastly different opportunities and resources available to students across the city and our network commits to targeting this population that has not been well served in getting the resources they need to obtain postsecondary education opportunities. We define all college access to include trade school, technical college, two- and four-year colleges, and other educational choices.

This past year, the network primarily focused on building sustainable relationships within the network and beginning to build a structure within SPS high schools and middle schools that have the highest population of low-income and students of color.

Our four key areas of work include:

Building capacity with SPS
Identify and engage community partners
Build a sustainable structure including metrics for collaboration between schools, community organizations, and families in supporting all students for college access and success
Push areas of policy that have an impact on the success of this effort

Since the network began, all providers have been energetic, enthusiastic, and committed to the network mission. It is apparent that we are resource rich around the issue of college access and readiness. Coordinating our efforts in a way where we can eliminate inefficiencies and work in concert will be the task ahead.

We welcome your thoughts and participation!!

Mark Yango, AFE

Submit your Responses - NCTQ report

2009-12-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

This week we sent a copy of the NCTQ report to all teachers in Seattle Public Schools. We truly want to hear from you. Please click on comments below to provide feedback and participate in the online conversation.

More about the Alliance - Why we are involved in the teacher quality discussion.

2009-12-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

I want to continue the conversation about our priority areas of work at the Alliance for Education. In a past blog I outlined four priority areas:

Community Schools
College Access (includes all post-secondary educational opportunities)
Support for Teachers and Teacher Quality
Community Engagement

For this blog I want to share a bit more information about our work in supporting teachers and teacher quality, adding to information previously posted. During the past several months, we have been working with Seattle Public Schools, parents, and a variety of community organizations and individuals to engage in a dialogue about how we sustain strong teaching in every classroom.

The primary goal of this work is to help Seattle Public Schools support strong instruction throughout the city. A system that nurtures new teachers, supports continuous learning, and encourages strong educators to work in high needs school.

As you may know we contracted with the National Council on Teacher Quality to conduct a report on how Seattle is doing in recruiting and retaining effective teachers. We held a public event, and you can read the summary in a previous post. The recommendations that resulted from this report are listed in a link on our web site and we have created a summarized document here: http://www.alliance4ed.org/docs/NCTQ%20Recommendations.pdf

Here are the activities we are currently engaged in:
· With the help of an in-kind grant, we sent a copy of the full report to every teacher in SPS. We included a cover letter stating that although we contracted with NCTQ we don’t agree with all the recommendations, but believe it’s a great opportunity to start the conversation.
· We invited teachers to provide feedback as to their areas of priority for this work. For example, is compensation the most important issue? Evaluation? Tenure?
· Community groups are having the same conversations and sharing with us priority areas for us to focus our efforts.
· We will be conducting teacher focus groups to ask additional questions.
· We are compiling responses from all of these activites and we will ultimately share all this information with the district partners, the union and the greater community.

We know that teachers are the most important component of a classroom. They are there to teach our children and are a vital part of student academic growth. But they are also part of a child’s human growth from helping dry tears in Kindergarten to connecting students to college access resources in high school. It’s a tough and complex job and we’ve got to figure out a way to support and provide partnership so we can really all serve all students in the city.

As a parent, my two daughters have overall had great experiences in Seattle Public Schools. My eldest daughter’s first connection to school in Seattle was at Lafayette Elementary after we moved back here from Portland. She had an incredible teacher, one who truly paved the way for her to love school and learning from an early age. Graduating from college this month, she still loves learning. Being a first-generation college graduate, who received my degree much later in life, I’m pretty excited about that.

And I want that for all students in our city.
Karen

Let me share more about the Alliance

2009-11-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

There have been several questions and comments about our work. I would like to share with you some of our priority areas of work, and will do so over the next few weeks. You may or may not know that over the past few years the Alliance has gone through a variety of structural and philosophical changes, from what our priorities are, to how our board and committees are structured (and everything in between). We've changed our staffing structure and worked to strengthen relationships, both with internal SPS staff, and with external community, business and civic partners.

We are now moving forward on specific initiatives. In addition to securing private resources to support the district’s strategic plan, our staff also focuses on other areas of priority. I’ll share more information about each of those, but the four we will talk about primarily are:
· Community Schools

· College Access (includes all post-secondary education options)

· Support for Teachers and Teacher Quality

· Community Engagement

I’ll start with Community Schools. Over the past year and a half, the Alliance has been working in partnership with about a dozen other community-based organizations to explore the idea of coordinated, comprehensive services for students based upon a through needs assessment.

We are resource-rich in Seattle, with literally hundreds of community, non-profit, and government organizations working to support students in our schools. Although there are pockets of coordination, often around specific areas of service, there is not a district-wide structure in place to build strong partnerships between these organizations and schools, limiting our collective ability to serve as many students as possible.

Over the past several months, this conversation grew from just coordinating services to exploring the idea of Community Schools.

So now at the Alliance we are working with partners to explore this concept. Although defined differently in different areas, a community school is generally one that is open for extended days, say from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and provides services ranging from academic supports to family support. At a very early stage, we are looking primarily at the following categories: Academics, Early Learning, Arts, Recreation, Health, Social/emotional support, Family support, and resources for College Access.

We’ve looked at models across the nation, and you can find some really interesting (and varied) examples at this site: www.communityschools.org. We’ve seen and learned many interesting things, including one in Lincoln, Nebraska. At one community school there, they have set up a WIC program right in the building. Parents were developing early, trusting relationships with schools. This transitions to early learning and students are more prepared when entering Kindergarten.

One thing that became very clear is that a community schools initiative needs to grow from the community within which it exists. So we would need to build this collectively.

This is a very large concept, not one easily structured or implemented. And there are many questions that would need to be answered before we could effectively move forward with this work. But we're asking the questions and exploring possibilities.

I could talk endlessly about community schools because such potential exists in bringing together the internal strengths in schools (teaching and learning) with the external resources that students and families need. But I can't do that here (back to work) but as always invite you to call or meet if you have any questions. (206-205-0333). www.alliance4ed.org.

Karen

Alliance President and CEO Patrick D'Amelio Steps Down

2009-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

After taking a brief hiatus from posting Alliance blog entries, I would like to bring your attention to some significant changes in Alliance leadership. Patrick D’Amelio, President and CEO of the Alliance for Education announced his resignation on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, taking effect on December 4, 2009. Patrick will be assuming the role of President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound.

Alliance Board Chair, George Griffin assured the community that the Alliance is in a healthier position as a result of the Patrick’s great leadership which include making great strides in expanding community engagement, increasing college access, and improving teacher quality throughout the Seattle Public School System.

The Alliance Board has convened a search committee for a new President and CEO. And the hope is to find a new President and CEO by early February.

To read the press release on Patrick’s resignation, please visit http://www.alliance4ed.org/PatrickDAmelioResignationNov32009.pdf.

Although we at the Alliance are saddened by Patrick’s departure, the blog posts will continue because the Alliance’s mission -- to ensure every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success – never ends.

We urge the entire community to continue blogging and using this site as a vehicle for public discourse on education issues. As Patrick mentioned in the first blog, “topics such as teacher quality, the achievement gap, student assignment, community schools, education reform, and equitable access to college” will continue to be a rich source of discussion. It is important that we get healthy participation from the entire community.

So, please, keep on blogging!!

Mark Yango, Director of Communications, AFE

Wednesday post

2009-10-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

It’s clear that people feel strongly about the topic of education. We are dealing with the single most important factor in parent’s lives: their children. Non-parents also have perspectives about education, as employers, community members, and stakeholders in other ways.

Since I came to the Alliance almost three years ago, it has become clear to me that the more you learn about public education, the deeper you understand how complex the issues are. We, as a school district and community fail too many children across our city. The number of students who don’t graduate is too high; 33.5%. As an organization, we want to find ways to actively support them and keep them in our schools.

At the Alliance for Education our agenda is about supporting a public school system in Seattle that can effectively address the needs of a diverse population and help all students graduate ready for college, career and life. It’s that simple.

I will answer a couple of the questions you’ve brought up here, but for other questions I’ll point you to the web, or invite you to call us directly.

Educational Investments:

Our investments are listed on our web site, with a few updates needed (we’ve been without a communications manager, but that position is filled and he will be starting soon). We currently support academic investments such as Readers and Writers Workshops, a highly successful literacy program, and local college readiness programs that have not previously had consistent support, training, or outreach materials. We also invest in long-neglected infrastructure needs, such as the performance management system. This tool will be used to help teachers better understand student needs, principals better understand teacher and individual school needs, and for central office staff to direct resources to the areas that need additional support, starting in the classroom.

These are a few of the investments, but more are listed on our web site and in our report to the community:

http://www.alliance4ed.org/investments/

http://www.alliance4ed.org/docs/Promises%20to%20Keep.pdf

There are also new investment initiatives that take place regularly, for example one that is not currently listed is supporting leadership development for principals and central office staff. To Charlie’s point from a previous thread, this might be a place to talk about the chain of accountability.

Teaching Quality

There has been a lot of conversation about the recently released NCTQ report, in schools and in the community. We’re hearing about conversations taking place in the teacher’s lounges, some positive, some not. We’re excited because that’s where we need to start.

Charlie’s point about defining teacher quality is an important one. It’s a conversation that needs to take place between teachers, administrators, community members and others. There are many definitions out there already, but it is up to us as a community to learn about the context here and have the discussion here in Seattle. And we absolutely need teachers at the table, as they are the ones that know the challenges and barriers firsthand.

Here are some thoughts to start the conversation:

One definition lists five primary factors of teaching success: www.nbpts.org/index.cfm?t=downloader.cfm&id=594

· Teachers are committed to students and their learning

· Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students

· Teachers are responsible for managing student learning

· Teachers think systematically bout their practice and learn from experience

· Teachers are members of learning communities

But this is just the beginning of the conversation. As with all complex issues, working through an issue like defining teacher quality brings up more questions. For example, if a teacher has the ability and skills to engage students successfully in learning how do you measure that? And how do you measure that equitably across student populations, with vastly different resources and individual school challenges, e.g. leadership? Clearly it is difficult to address all of the pertinent issues, but our suggestion is not that we back away from the challenge, but take it on.

On a personal note, my older daughter went to Seattle Public Schools graduating from Garfield a few years back. She had fabulous teachers. She still talks about many of them, keeping in touch with Mr. Acox, and wondering where Mr. Cerquitella went. My younger daughter started middle school this year at Eckstein. Many teachers there have been there for years. It’s been a wonderful transition at a really difficult age for kids.

From my perspective, the vast majority of teachers have been incredible: supportive, pushing the kids, and going the extra mile when the kids need help. On a personal level, I have no complaints about my kids’ experiences. But I don’t face the barriers that many people face in our communities in supporting and advocating for their children. And our schools have low teacher turnover and strong leadership. That’s great for my kids. But I want that for the other kids too.

I’m sure in the context of addressing the societal challenges of supporting all students in our schools, we will not all agree. But let’s start from the place that matters: the students, the children in our communities. Our commitment is to them. And I invite you to come to the table to talk about what we can all do to improve opportunities for all kids in the system.

Community Engagement Update – Youth Focus Group

2009-10-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

We feel that the student voice is one that is too often missed. Part of our community engagement effort focuses on expressing student’s insights and interests. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet with Youth Ambassadors*, a group of youth from the Seattle area. They ranged in age from 6th grade to university students and represent a diverse community of committed and inspiring teens. These young people strive to influence others with the powers of peace, love and compassion.

I was personally impressed with their honesty, and found them to be bright and courageous young people with brilliant ideas about the meaning of quality education. They represent many public and private schools such as Garfield, Madrona K-8, Washington Middle School, Holly Names, and Lakeside. Take a good look at their comments and give us your feedback.

Youth Ambassadors' Comments:

1) “There is a gap between what teachers say they will teach and what they actually teach you. They say they are going to enhance your understanding of the culture of the language you are trying to learn and then all they teach you is a cultural song or dance. It gives you a false impression of what you are actually supposed to learn. Don’t have inflated goals; it you are going to do it [teach], do it.”

2) “School leadership should raise teachers' salary. Teaching is a profession that many people cannot do well because it does not have high pay. If we want our society to be more educated and get more teachers, then the best thing we can do to attract them is offer a higher salary.”

3) “I have been in the lowest math classes possible during school because I’m just not good at math. I was in Integrated Math II last year. I was like the “white person” in my class because I’m half Asian and everyone else was East Asian or African American. The teacher that I had also had AP classes that she treated differently than our class. She was really happy and polite and nice [to the AP class]; she brought them cookies, she had a really good attitude and she really helpful. And then with our class it was the complete opposite. She called my friend Kevin a ninja. I don’t know what that was about, but it was bad. She would talk back to students and snap her fingers at them. I don’t know if that was her idea of getting through to those kids. It was just interesting seeing the difference in how she treated them. She was like the least helpful teacher of all. She never ever would help a kid [in my class] out. The other Asians would be dispersed among the other student’s tables. I guess she expected us to be the smart ones. It was pretty shocking; the way she taught. It disturbed me and made me really angry. It’s just interesting seeing the difference in how AP and regular classes can be taught by the same teacher. “

4) “To be honest, I have never been at risk of not graduating just because of how I was raised. My parents always pushed me to take harder classes and go to college, but still I can think of three or four teachers that have had the biggest impact on me and I’m still in touch with all of them. Because they ask me how I am doing; they know what is going on in my life and they will share parts [stories] of themselves with me too. And so, I actually feel like I have a relationship with them. I feel like I have someone who makes me want to come to school and go to class. I feel like if there were more teachers like that then there would be more students who actually want to go to school.”

5) “Teaching is not always engaging. A lot of what we do is a lot of textbook work and reading the answers back. There is a not hands on learning and that means a lot of students are not successful. A very small part of the [student] population is good at that. The people who are good at SAT’s and good at WASL and good at tests can learn like that. We need more hands on things in the class. Make it relevant to our lives now.”

6) “I went to Washington Middle School and I felt fortunate to be able to go to one of the better schools. With all of the budget cuts and kids being relocated, even if students are at a higher level, it [quality learning] is not accessible to them because they are forced into a school they don’t really want to go to. I think that if they [school district] are going to have this whole geographical thing it’s not really fare to have a separation between good and bad schools. At Washington, I had some really good teachers that affected me and wanted to make me do better and I think that those kinds of teacher are really needed at the schools that are considered “bad schools”. Without teacher motivation there is no student motivation.”

7) “Counselors; there need to be more of them. At my school, we have 1600 students and like three or four counselors. That’s like 400 kids per counselor; they can’t possibly cater to each student’s needs and be accessible to them to really help guide them. People [students] have to be self motivated to get all the credits they need. Accountability [for students] is one thing, but for counselors that’s their job.”

8) "I think there should be a better system of getting students to know what classes they need to take. I know that there is counselor night, and my mom was about to not go to that, but at the last minute she did and figured out that I have an occupational ed issue. If she hadn’t of gone I wouldn’t have been able to graduate on time. That would have been horrible if she had not have gone and a lot of people deal with that [same issue]."

9) “Stuff like gang violence and drama make it hard for some of us. Me and my friends get a lot of threats from other kids. They say they’re gonna’ kill us or blow up the school and stuff like that. They [gangs] just don’t care about finishing school. One of my friends said he is going to get a job working for his uncle and make money that way. He thinks, 'why go to school if it doesn’t make adifference?'”

10) “I really like how you came out here to ask us about what we think. I would really like it if school leaders [principals, the superintendent, school board] took the time to talk to us. I think that would make a difference.”

-Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

*Learn more about Youth Ambassadors at http://youthambassadors.net/

Final Thought on Friday

2009-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

It’s certainly been a rough and tumble week on the blog! So, just a few thoughts before I head home to the kids:

It’s no surprise how passionate people are about public education and how deeply people care about the children in our community. It is surprising to me how that passion translates into some of the content and tone throughout the various threads this week – but, that’s what makes blogging interesting.

I said at the beginning of the week that we’re new at this and would make mistakes – still true -- but I also think we learned something every day this week. My only disappointment is that we spent more time thinking about blogging and getting our feet on the ground than actually getting to the important questions. Stick with us – over the next weeks we want to address as many of the substantive questions raised as we can.

Let me say this in the meantime – this week for us was about teacher quality. The NCTQ report sparked an enormous amount of conversation. That alone is probably a good thing but I would be the first to say that it is insufficient if the conversation doesn’t inform our thinking and drive change. The report is one resource. This blog is another. We as a community have a lot of work to do and I am confident we’ll keep at it.

Patrick D'Amelio, CEO

Community Responds to Teaching Quality Forum

2009-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! As you may know, we had a great public forum about teaching quality last Wednesday at Seattle University. Below you will find comments from our roundtable discussions that express the public’s reaction to the presentation of the report: Human Capital in Seattle Public Schools: Rethinking How to Attract, Develop and Retain Effective Teachers. A special thanks to all of the wonderful community members who participated in this provocative dialogue. You play a critical role in providing the support necessary to ensure student learning and academic success. Enjoy the comments and feel free to post your thoughts. Please click on comments to view the community responses.

Have a great weekend!

Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager

Alliance's Public Event

2009-10-14T23:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you who attended the NCTQ event. It was a good start on a difficult and complex topic.

Here's a quick rundown of the evening. We started a little late because of issues with microphones that worked during soundcheck but were unreliable at a few points during the evening. But that's the beauty of a live event, right? We're flexible when we need to be.

After a welcome delivered by Patrick, our president, and George, our board chair, Kate Walsh, the president of NCTQ gave her presentation which ran longer than expected, but covered all of the key points of the report including:

Teacher Compensation
Transfer and Assignment
Work Day and Year
Developing Effective Teachers and Exiting Ineffective Teachers

All of the recommendations made by NCTQ can be read in the report. Here's a link:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2010058256_teacherquality14m.html

Immediately following the presentation, Glenn Bafia of SEA and Maria Goodloe-Johnson of SPS gave a short response to the presentation.

After a shortened Q&A session (due to being behind schedule) we broke into table discussion. There was a facilitator at most tables who captured responses to questions and additional comments. Individuals sitting at tables without facilitators were invited to join the conversation at other tables. Those comments are currently being consolidated and will be display on this blog asap.

Below are the questions we asked the individual groups. Having been a blogger for a full day now I'm getting better at this (I wouldn't say good yet). I'll anticipate that these questions will not be some of the same questions you would have asked. So I invite you to ask your questions on the blog. Our commitment is that we keep this a constructive dialogue and invite you to do the same.

1. Do you agree with the recommendations for improving teacher quality that were proposed in this report? Why or why not?
2. What opportunities can the following groups create in making sure all students in our schools are learning: school leaders, the teacher's union, teachers, parents and community members?
3. What is the concern or issue about teaching quality that you find yourself most often telling?

Additional comments were invited along the way.

I will separate individual questions into a separate thread because there were a lot of responses to sort through. This will also allow for a conversation specifically around tonight's comments which I will post as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Karen

Questions from Public Event

2009-10-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

This thread captures some of the comments shared at the table discussions during our public event on October 14. As you can see there was a lot of conversation generated and some interesting comments.

We're quickly posting the raw comments. Over the next few days we will compile them, and summarize consistent themes and comments, but for now you have it to review.

Click on "comments" to see most of the discussion which took place at the event. PLEASE NOTE: not all comments have been posted yet... stay tuned!

Thanks for the early input.

2009-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick thanks to each of you who posted a response to my welcome message. There were some great comments and we appreciate all of them -- particularly about the blog format. We’re new at this and we’ll likely get some things wrong along the way. It’s clear that you’ll let us know and keep us on our toes – that’s a good thing!

It is absolutely our intention to create a space that allows dissent and supports a full public dialogue both in our public engagement events and online. Join us tomorrow evening for a great example of how we want to put this commitment into practice. The Alliance is hosting a community forum to discuss a report by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), titled Human Capital in Seattle Public Schools. Check out the details here. As part of this event, we’ll post participants’ reactions and feedback here on the blog in the coming days.

This blog is a work in progress and, as noted in one of the early posts, there are many other fine blogs that follow issues related to public education. It’s our intention to add to the rich mix and to better inform our own efforts as we continue our work to help every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success.

Patrick D’Amelio, CEO

Community Forum - Supporting Student Learning and Great Teaching in Seattle Public Schools

2009-10-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Alliance for Education Invites you to a presentation of the report by the National Council on Teaching Quality (NCTQ), titled Human Capital in Seattle Public Schools.

The event will take place on Wednesday, October 14th at the Seattle University Campion Tower Ballroom. The event will begin promptly at 6:30pm. Please refer to the attached flyer for program details.

http://www.alliance4ed.org/docs/A4ECommunityForum.pdf

You may also be interested in the attached Lynne Varner editorial that references the NCTQ report.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009921599_lynne23.html

The forum will include a presentation by Kate Walsh, President of NCTQ, followed by roundtable discussions about what this report means for our community and students. It is our hope that this forum helps to provide teachers with the tools, structures and support necessary to ensure all students are prepared in school, work and life.

To RSVP or request more information, please contact Rachel Hug at 206.205.0322 or Rachel@alliance4ed.org. We look forward to your attendance at this event.

Best regards,

Solynn McCurdy
Community Engagement Manager

Welcome to the AFE Community Blog

2009-10-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Alliance for Education blog. We’re excited to have this new tool to help foster a community wide dialogue around important issues that impact the kids in our community. Over the next few months, we’ll develop several threads for our conversation. We’ll include topics such as teacher quality, the achievement gap, student assignment, community schools, education reform, equitable access to college to name a few. And, you’ll be able to help us identify other areas of interest.

We hope that this will become a forum for asking tough questions, surfacing the best ideas and a true gathering place for community insight.

As we launch this new effort, we want to make several commitments to you:

· This is your voice. Be assured that we will listen.
· We will not script or edit content.
· We’ll work hard to understand and analyze your insight.
· We’re committed to sharing that insight directly and frankly.

Seattle is a bright and diverse community with limitless possibility. Imagine for a moment that we can harness all of the collective insight and passion that is so evident in our community and focus it strategically on support for all of our students.

We hope you will find this blog useful. If you do, we’ll be happy to hear that and if you don’t we’re sure we’ll see that on the blog!

Let the blogging begin.

Patrick D'Amelio

AFE President & CEO

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Thanks for the early input.