Spokane Public Schools is undergoing a high school mathematics curriculum adoption process. District administrators have been intentional about inviting public comment before formal decisions are made. Two public forums are scheduled:
Nov. 10, North Central High School, 6-7 pm
Nov. 12, Lewis and Clark High School, 6-7 pm
Please consider participating in these meetings - either by offering comment yourself or by notifying your students about these meetings. It could be helpful to the process, for example, if college students and graduates were to reflect back on their high school mathematics classes. Did they get the math they needed for a successful college experience? Did they require remediation in mathematics during K-12 or after they graduated? These reflections would help inform the selection process.
Parents can offer their thoughts on what they want from a high school mathematics curriculum, and also how they prefer this material be presented and taught. They're welcome to bring their middle school and high school students. No doubt the students have experiences and preferences they would like to share with the committee.
Additionally, business owners and tradespeople can discuss the skills they require from students who complete the school district's mathematics curriculum.
Nov. 10 and Nov. 12 are your opportunities to be heard. Because each forum is just one hour long, it will be helpful to bring your comments in writing, just in case there isn't enough time for everyone. If you cannot make it to the meeting, please feel free to submit any comments in writing to the school district or to members of the school board.
I am a committee member, however this particular notice was not written on behalf of the committee.
Please come to these forums if you can. Tell them what you want. And thank you very much for whatever you can do to help inform the selection process.
They'll take your comments to make it look like a public process but the deals have already been made. Its the same process everywhere. It makes parents angry and I think you are right - it is a betrayal of trust. Your administrators sold out to private interest groups.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that our former superintendent gets charged when the current investigation finishes. He deserves it for bankrupting my district. Don't pass bonds if administrators can't report and account for where the money is going. IF they're using questionable accounting methods (reporting on a cost basis) or bypassing site-based committees, its a good indication that something is not right.
You need to form a citizen's taxpayer watchgroup and learn how to use the FOIA. Don't expect your state to step in because your state laws protecting taxpayers and state employees are not the same as Federal statutes.
Our superintendent will be investigated by the feds because of tax fraud, due to the issuance of non-voter approved bonds, not land fraud because your AG seems determined not to investigate. Because it would involve so many people.
Their only hope is that a bond will pass to pay for their debauchery. A state takeover will not change anything except clean house. The district has done as much cost-cutting as it can and families are leaving the area to other districts. They won't have a new school for another 30 years until they're debts are paid or rescinded by the governor.