Alternative Education Committee Minutes

                                                         May 2, 2005

                                                   John Stanford Center

                                                       4:00 – 6:00 PM

                                               

  1. Members present:  Elaine Packard (Chair), David Dockendorf, Kevin Geloff, Jim LaRiviere, Elaine Schmidt, Doug Selwyn, Cynthia Spencer, Mikala Woodward.

      

            Interns:  Liz Savage, Adam Sher, Diane Solvang-Angell

 

            Observers:  None

 

  1. Check-in/Reports

 

·        The Chair had a brief conversation with School Board Director, Mary Bass.  She states that the consolidation/relocation/re-purposing plans are not decisions yet and are still open for debate. 

·        The Chair spoke with School Board Director, Sally Soriano who is concerned with the current closure recommendations.  She visited each school proposed for closure and believes that money can be saved in other ways.  She believes that the alternative schools, perhaps because of the community demographics, are better organized to lobby than many other schools.  She states that the Board makes a distinction between the two types of alternative schools (Raywid’s Type I and III) and hopes that we differentiate the two types in our final report.  She spoke positively and at length about the Type III schools in New York City where 90% of their graduates continue on to higher education.  She is particularly impressed with how these schools provide higher-order curriculum, with remedial curriculum as an add-on, rather than as a focus.

·        Two Board Directors definitely do not support the Superintendent’s recommendations.  It was pointed out that the Board voted to give the Superintendent the charge to analyze all schools and develop criteria for closure but not to recommend actual schools for closure.

·        In reference to the CRPE/UW report on the cost/pupil for high schools, it was suggested that the current costs for administration (principal and assistant principals) in a large high school could cover the costs of administration for several small high schools since the principal’s salary for a small school is less than that for a large school.

·        It is important for the alternative school community to support policies such as “choice” for all schools in the District not just for alternative schools.     

·        The Chair contacted the School Board President on the Board’s new policy to televise Board meetings especially as it applied to the public testimony part.  A copy of the President’s response was emailed to committee members.  

 

  1. Work Session on Policy Recommendations

 

During the remainder of the meeting, we developed policy recommendations in response to the Superintendent’s proposals on Student Assignment and Transportation.

 

      A.   Choice, Equity, Diversity and Distinctiveness

 

·        We began by considering choice, equity, diversity and distinctiveness, acknowledging that the ingredients of any recommendation tend to overlap. 

·        Seattle alternative schools do not represent “cookie-cutter” programs but embody and deliver choice in different ways.  Ideally, alternative schools should have an all-city draw because choice is one of the cornerstones of alternative education. 

·        To be equitable, transportation needs to be addressed.  We agreed to address transportation separately from student assignment. 

·        Equitable access strengthens socio-economic diversity at each alternative school and enriches the school culture. 

·        The Student Enrollment Centers need to provide accurate and unbiased information to prospective families.  Many of the alternative schools currently do their own direct recruitment, such as visiting feeder schools. 

·        AS#1 feels that a neighborhood school reference classification would destroy its uniqueness.  Families choose a school because it meets a specific need; hence, the necessity for an all-city draw to maintain the school’s unique culture.

·        There is an economic piece to where people live.  Equitable assignment policies should counteract these barriers to access. 

·        Although members of the alternative school communities support all schools in the district, we need to differentiate the specific needs of alternative schools.

·        Regarding school closure, every school in the District is unique but our committee’s charge is to specifically define why alternative schools are unique from the traditional schools. 

 

  1. Feeder Patterns

 

·        If all the elementary alternative schools become K-8, will all their graduates have the right to enroll in an alternative high school?

·        Do all K-5 alternative schools want to be K-8’s?  Should there be a 6-12 alternative school?  A stand-alone alternative middle school?  Another alternative high school?   If more alternative schools are formed, perhaps existing alternative schools could mentor them.

·        At some alternative schools (for example, Pathfinder), students are assigned by “default” because they cannot get into other schools or need placement mid-year for special purposes.  These students are not necessarily interested in the school’s alternative philosophy.   We agreed that alternative schools want prospective families to visit the school before assignment. 

·        “Special needs” students’ parents find alternative schools especially attractive because of the smaller school size and individualized attention. 

·        Care needs to be taken that an alternative school does not become a safety valve or “dumping ground” for the student assignment office.  We need to make a strong statement that choice and balance are necessary to maintain our school culture. 

·        Educational “continuity” represents consistency of educational philosophy and values and is regarded as a better educational experience for many students.   

·        With the Superintendent’s proposed plan for regional K-8 alternative schools, will kindergarten be the only entry point for alternative school choice?   

·        There was discussion about the ability to transfer into an alternative school at the beginning of second semester.  The K-5 and K-8 alternative schools are less interested in this than the alternative high schools.  Currently, only the Type III alternative high schools can enroll students on a rolling basis.  Nova would like to enroll students at the semester but cannot enroll students, except on appeal, after the October cut-off date.

 

  1. Action Steps

 

·        Mikala Woodward will summarize the discussion notes from the board.

·        Jim LaRiviere will follow up with Mary Ellen Cardella about her visit with the alternative schools in New York City.

 

  1. Meeting Schedule

 

·        We agreed to meet on June 6 and June 13.

 

6        Adjournment:  6:00 PM

 

Respectfully submitted, Diane Solvang-Angell, Committee Intern

 

Meeting Schedule:  May 16, May 23, June 6, and June 13.