A week ago, I got a message from the NE Mom’s list about a new proposal introduced by the school superintendent. My last blog post has the text of that message. Since then, I’ve had a busy time getting up to speed on the facts and the issues. There’s a lot of information to wade through!
The key sticking point is a proposal called SERVE, which would base teachers’ evaluations partly on a computerized student test on math and reading. It’s an improper use of the test, even according to the testing company. What scares me about it is that in other cities, teachers have been fired after their students receive poor scores. If you’re a parent, please get informed ASAP. The Seattle Council PTSA site has links to the arguments for and against SERVE at:
http://www.seattlecouncilptsa.org/article_272.shtml
There’s more info at:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/
There are some important dates coming up:
August 31st – teacher’s union hopes to reach an agreement with the district
September 1st – board meeting
September 2nd – teachers vote on whether to approve the labor contract
I feel like we as parents need to be supporting teachers right now. In the next couple days, I’ll be posting updates & links to what folks are doing. In the meantime, if you want to organize to help parents support teachers, drop me a note.
Kristin Ann King 