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How to start every IEP meeting

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Let’s face it, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are way too difficult to understand. They are full of jargon, acronyms and hard-to-parse technical language. And even for veteran parents or advocates, trying to get to the bottom line of what any IEP is doing (or trying to do) can be practically impossible.

Here’s one idea. How about at the start of every IEP meeting, the IEP case manager and the parent(s) (and the child if age appropriate) all share their big picture idea of what the child needs and how the IEP can help get them there.

What I’m proposing is different from the usual recitation of present levels of performance or specific goals or service minutes. The aim here is to help the team think about IEPs in a jargon-free way so that teachers and parents can share their collective vision for the child.

Just like every successful organization has a clear mission statement, successful education plans should do the same thing. Put another way, if your child’s IEP team can’t explain in a paragraph or two what your child needs and how the team can support it, then you’re probably lost in the education jargon woods.

Keep in mind, these summaries are not meant to replace IEPs. But if written (or spoken!) correctly, they can help your child’s team prioritize the work and stay focused on what really matters.

Here are some examples:

Thomas is a 6th grader who reads at around a 3rd grade level. He struggles with transitions and needs help staying organized. This year our goal as a team is to help Thomas become a better reader, navigate transitions with less help from adults, and stay on top of his class and homework assignments.

Katrina is a 2d grader who needs help communicating her wants and needs. This year we will work on developing a consistent way for her to communicate with her teachers, classmates and staff. We will try different devices with the help of the speech language pathologist, so that we can make sure she is improving her communication skills every day.

Tara is a 9th grader who is worried about transitioning to high school. Autism makes it hard for her to handle change in her life. This year, our team will focus on making sure Tara is supported across the school with the accommodations she needs to be successful in the classroom and in all other settings.

Next up: the most important question to ask at the end of any IEP meeting.

Back to school (finally)

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Did your child’s school open on time?

For an estimated 125,000 students in Washington, it did not. Across the state, schools were closed at the start of the year due to teacher strikes, thanks to disagreements between school districts and union leaders over the size of salary increases from the so-called McLeary money. The last strike ended on September 17.

The blame game was in high gear in districts that saw prolonged strikes. Some blamed lack of leadership from the State School Superintendent, local school districts and school boards. Others pointed to hard-bargaining tactics by teacher union leaders, while still others faulted the legislature for revisions made to school funding laws in 2018 that created confusion.

The opaque nature of the bargaining process made it almost impossible for parents and the community to understand much of what was transpiring in these contract talks. In some districts, that meant parents were left wondering why teacher union leaders were saying one thing while their district leaders were saying another.

Moving forward, more transparency in contract negotiations would go a long way towards building community support and possibly help avoid strikes. The Pullman School District recently moved in that direction, opening up bargaining to public observation in 2017.

As the Seattle Times editorial board observed: “Transparency benefits those involved in negotiations as well as the public. Disclosing terms ensures that all sides know what’s on the table and prevents either side from sharing skewed information.”

Did your school board ask you what you think?

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Starting in June and continuing through today, school boards across the state have been voting up or down on new teacher contract agreements.

This evening the Centralia School District School Board will vote on whether to approve a new teacher contract.

Centralia was one of many districts that saw schools closed at the start of the school year due to teacher strikes. These strikes were the result of disagreements over the size of salary increases the union believed teachers were owed from the so-called McLeary money from the state.

Overall, an estimated 125,000 students in Washington did not start school on time due to strikes across the state. The last strike ended on September 17.  Other districts managed to negotiate agreements for teacher pay raises with union leaders without closing down schools.

Explaining his thinking – In an email to the community (reprinted below) and on his Facebook page, Centralia School Board Director Jami Lund shared his views on the proposed agreement, including specific reasons why he is considering a “No” vote. He also provides an email contact for community members to share their thoughts on the contract prior to the vote.

We want to hear from you 

  • Did your school board member(s) reach out to you directly via email or similar contact to share their views on your district’s proposed contract, prior to their voting “Yes” or “No?
  • How were you provided a meaningful opportunity as a community member to review the proposal, ask questions (with enough time to get a response), give comment or otherwise share your thoughts prior to your school board vote? Were you expected to find the contract proposal (or a summary) on the district website on your own? Was it an item on a meeting agenda? Something else?

Because elected school boards represent “a continuing commitment to local citizen control and decision-making in education” we want to learn more about how school boards communicated with the community about their new teacher contracts prior to voting for or against them (strikes or not). Director Lund’s email is a good example of how one school board member explained his thinking. We’d love to see and share more like it, no matter that school board director’s views.

Let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected]

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Draft union contract is up for a vote of the school board

 

On Wednesday, September 26, the elected school board will consider the teachers’ union contract which was tentatively drafted in the pressure cooker of children being denied the state’s paramount duty.

I am leaning toward voting “no” on the union contract, and I wanted to make sure you hear why in time to let me know your thoughts.I have several objections to the draft proposal.The draft contract is unfair. Only one interest is reflected in the document — that of the highest paid educators (who happen to be the only interest represented in the secret negotiating sessions).

The draft contract is unfair to young teachers. Those who earn the least and who are most likely to be raising a family received increases of between $5,000 and $10,000. A starting teacher with a Master’s degree gets a 12% raise. Highest paid teachers received 24% raises and over $19,000. Some selected teachers get 32% raises. Under the draft, some teachers would literally be paid twice as much as other teachers for the same work expectations.

The draft contract is unfair to our other critical employees who struggle financially. The district finds it difficult to hire bus drivers, but these and other critical classified employees will only be receiving a 5% raise. More is not possible if all discretionary funds are going to give average $13,000 raises to the also-critical educators.

The draft contract is unfair to families. Despite having the resources this year to truly enhance the services families receive, services would actually decline with the draft proposal. Previously, teachers’ enhanced pay assured that nine days’ worth of professional improvement and professional responsibility would be accomplished. The new contract only requires six additional days’ service to our great cause. Class sizes remain unchanged, the calendar of student learning is unchanged, and supplemental services for students falling behind are unchanged.

The draft contract is unfair to taxpayers. The voter-approved levy funds are for a wide range of services. School levies assure things like electives, supplemental education for students falling behind, sports programs, extra staff to help monitor students, building maintenance and other services. The proposal would spend millions to add to the state-provided salary. These funds would come from our finite voter-approved levies –- levies which will be reduced significantly in 2019.

The draft contract is financially irresponsible. The state provided 15% more for teacher salaries raising them from $55,705 to $65,216. The proposal lifts average salary to $73,902. The price tag of adding another $8,686 to the state money for all wages is $1.8 million in the first year. The district would need to spend our savings account to cover payroll in a year when we have a multi-million dollar high school remodel with all of its uncertainty.

Finally, the draft contract is illegal. State law in RCW 28A.400.200 prohibits the use of levies for general teacher salary starting September 1, 2019. The only allowed wage enhancements are for documented responsibilities, duties, or time. In violation of the law, the proposal explicitly gives additional pay for no documented time or tasks, yet it cannot possibly be funded without the use of the levy.

I know that educators are the most important part of getting students ready for life, and I want to demonstrate that value with salary improvements. I do not believe this contract represents the best interest of the whole community. As much as I might want to give teachers a 32% raise, I also want to look after the needs of the younger teachers, give raises to classified staff, expand the services to families, and keep the state’s promise to taxpayers.

The Centralia School District Board of Directors is your voice in this process of setting priorities for the education services the district provides. Our chance to reflect your intentions will be Wednesday evening.

Let us know if you have thoughts about the upcoming vote on the draft contract by emailing [email protected] or come to speak at Wednesday’s school board meeting. If the board is inclined, we can go back to the bargaining table and try to get a deal which reflects all values.

If you are into charts and graphs, I’ve put a couple below. I would be happy to document anything or to provide more information.

Jami Lund
Follow on Facebook here.

Tacoma lawmakers weigh in on teacher strike, funding formulas

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Here’s a letter sent yesterday (Sept. 10) to the superintendent of Tacoma School District from Tacoma area legislators addressing the teacher strike there.
From the letter: “We recognize that the funding formula agreed upon in 2017 disproportionately affected Tacoma Public Schools and a few other districts. We aim to fix these inequities in the 2019 legislative session because we want to keep salaries competitive to attract and retain great teachers and staff.”

Today is the fourth day schools in Tacoma have been closed.

Washington colleges should give credit where credit is due

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August officially kicks off the college application season for many high school seniors.

And while colleges have made some progress helping high school students better manage the application process through platforms like The Common Application, prospective students still encounter a dizzying array of requirements and standards when it’s time to apply.

The state legislature recently stepped up to help students with one aspect of this messy process with a new law that asks state colleges and universities to come up with a uniform system for awarding college credit for student scores on Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests. Right now, it’s left to each school to decide, and that creates a pretty random system that doesn’t make a lot of sense to students in Washington or their families. The Seattle Times editorial board described it this way:

Take calculus, one of the more popular AP exams, as an example. The University of Washington awards one quarter of credit to those who score a three or four on the most common Calculus exam or two quarters of credit for those who score a five. Just 111 miles to the east on Interstate 90, Central Washington University awards just one quarter of credit no matter the score on that test. Every university has its own list of credits for the various AP exams.

Students deciding whether to attend UW or CWU should have an understanding that the credit they earned in high school would apply the same at either school. The same is true for International Baccalaureate credit, which involves another standardized test.

Despite the new law, for lots of reasons (some warranted, others less so), leaders at Washington’s state colleges and universities have been slow to respond and then come up with a plan. According to the Seattle Times, the universities want to review each class and its curriculum before coming up with a standard.

But the point of the new law was to provide students and their families with certainty no matter where they applied to college in Washington. And now, as students settle into their first year of college, they are left wondering whether all that hard work in those rigorous courses will result in real, measurable progress towards their college diploma, either through credit or meeting course prerequisites.

State Sen. Mark Mullet (Issaquah), prime sponsor of this new law, is concerned universities have been too slow to come up with a plan and is hoping higher education leaders will step up for incoming college freshman (and their families). Because programs like these not only help prepare students for college, they also help defray tuition costs and free up course credits for elective or upper-level courses in lieu of entry level course work. And that just makes sense from both an economic and academic perspective.

Ending the cycle of teacher strikes in Washington

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The situation parents in Kent face is just one of many like it around the state. Schools there are scheduled to start Aug. 30, but the teachers union in Kent is prepared to strike if its salary demands aren’t met – even though teacher strikes are illegal.

Keep in mind, the current Kent contract runs through this upcoming school year. The union is threatening to strike and disrupt the school year despite being under a current contract. Other teacher unions under contract might do the same.

Why? Because the state this year approved more money for teacher salaries, and local unions want to lock in big raises now. They want the large raises now so legislators feel obligated to spend more next year, when local property tax rates are lowered (which was part of the McCleary compromise approved by the state Supreme Court).

It’s a “get while the getting is good” position, with no regard to what districts can afford going forward. The Seattle Times says school districts need to “need to show some backbone” and mustn’t “bargain away money you don’t have.”

This whole high-pressure situation shows the absurdity of setting pay in 295 separate contract negotiations. The state pays for the bulk of school costs and salaries, so it’s time to make the rational move to statewide bargaining.

Rob McKenna served two terms as Washington’s Attorney General, from 2005 to 2013. This article was originally published at Smarter Government Washington.

McCleary victory is historic opportunity for families

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When the McCleary education funding lawsuit was first filed in December 2007, George W. Bush was president and Mike Holmgren was head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Fast forward to today and we can see the tangible results of the work the state legislature has done investing in our schools:

  • State funding for K-12 has more than doubled since 2012, increasing from $6.5 billion in 2011 to $13.7 billion planned for 2021.
  • Increased funding from the state has helped reverse over-reliance on local levies to pay for education.
  • Spending on K-12 now accounts for over 50 percent of the state budget, which hasn’t happened in Washington since 1983.

Because of the legislature’s work, late last week the State Supreme Court dismissed the McCleary case in a unanimous opinion, finding that the state had fulfilled its obligation to fund schools. The Washington Education Association (WEA – the state teachers’ union) called the decision a “victory” for students and public education. Elected officials, including Gov. Jay Inslee, were mostly positive about the result.

So McCleary is finally over. What does that mean moving forward?

For teachers, the WEA has made it clear that since the state has invested billions more in education, “now’s the time to negotiate big pay raises.” And that’s already starting to play out. Just this week the districts of Bridgeport, Mossyback, Ocean Beach and Cascade all announced new contracts with teacher pay increases from 15 to 20 percent. The WEA stated it expects “other good bargains will be announced soon.”

Of course, not all additional money from the state is earmarked for teacher pay.

For students and families, the end of McCleary presents a historic opportunity to engage with your local school district about programs, services and supports that matter to you. Are you concerned about special education, reading or math instruction, improving access to advanced or honors classes, more options for career and technical training, or arts education? Something else? Given the historic investments in education, now is the time to engage with your school district and let them know. And encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

First impressions on the end of McCleary

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While the result itself wasn’t a surprise, the seemingly abrupt end to the long-running McCleary education funding case late last week still seemed to catch many off guard. In a unanimous, five-page opinion, the State Supreme Court lifted the $100,000 per day sanctions against the state and ended its jurisdiction over the 11-year-old case.

Here’s what elected leaders and others had to say about the conclusion of the landmark case:

Gov. Jay Inslee: “Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms that, at long last, our Legislature is providing the funding necessary to cover the basic costs of our K-12 schools. Reversing decades of underfunding has been among the heaviest lifts we’ve faced in recent years and required difficult and complex decisions, but I’m incredibly proud and grateful for all those who came together on a bipartisan basis to get this job done.” Read the full statement here.

State Superintendent of Public Instructin Chris Reykdal: “The Washington State Supreme Court’s ruling today comes as no surprise. The Legislature has made meaningful progress during the past three budget cycles. McCleary v. State of Washington concerned a previous model of education funding. That model relied too heavily on local property taxes and not enough on state resources, and this is why the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional.” Read the full statement here.

House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan (Covington): “We’re glad the Supreme Court recognized the Legislature’s many years of hard work to solve the McCleary school funding case. More importantly, it means we have made significant education investments that will benefit the state’s 1.1 million school children.” Read the full statement here.

Sen. John Braun (Centralia) Ranking Member, Ways & Means Committee: “The fact that Washington students had not been receiving an adequately or equitably funded education came as no surprise given schools had been a low priority of the Legislature in the decades before 2013. We were finally able to make historic investments over the last five years by putting the needs of students, teachers and parents first in our budgets.” Read the full statement here.

Washington Education Association President Kim Mead: “This is a tremendous day for the 1.1 million students of Washington state, and we mark this milestone as a victory for them and public education. I am proud of the efforts of WEA members who fought so hard over the past 15 years to see that our state’s leaders met their paramount duty to amply fund basic education. We appreciate the gains for students we’ve made because of the McCleary case.” Read the full statement here.

Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS), plaintiffs: “Today, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a ruling that brings an end to the McCleary lawsuit’s successful challenge to the constitutionality of the State funding levels at issue in our lawsuit’s 2009 trial. Today’s ruling does not, however, resolve the constitutionality of the State’s new basic education program funding levels. The fight is not over! NEWS will continue.” Read the full statement here.

Helping students find their way with online learning

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Online learning is an increasingly attractive option for students. Initially hailed as a game-changer in higher education, over time school districts across the country have brought the e-learning platform into the K-12 arena. Here in Washington over 30,000 students take advantage of this option. Most are high school students (over 70 percent) and most take fewer than five courses.

As a newer education platform, online learning presents opportunities and challenges for teachers and students alike. We talked to a current teacher and two former students to get a better sense of what life is like in a virtual school.

Teachers and students – online and plugged in

Mary Lou Roels teaches English, psychology, sociology and Washington State History with K-12,  a tuition-free online public school that operates in Washington and across the county. She works with about 600 students total over the course of a three-semester school year, along with a homeroom class of about 40 students.

K12 teacher Mary Lou Roels

In her homeroom class, Roels uses the 7 Mindsets curriculum to teach organizational skills, foster accountability and facilitate social-emotional learning. “They don’t have other students around them to keep them going,” said Roels. “So that’s our job.” Homeroom teachers also are responsible for keeping track of how students are doing academically and whether they are on track to graduate.

In academic classes, Roels makes sure to mix and vary her techniques to keep students engaged, using videos, slide presentations, and in-class surveys. “When I log on the students see me. I tell the students – ‘I want you to see me [and] know there’s an actual teacher here.’”

Powering through classes you enjoy

Geni Steadham enrolled in K12 as a full-time student for her senior year of high school, taking courses in psychology, criminology and forensic science. For Steadham, then living in Napavine (a small city located outside of Centralia) the choice was clear: “I wasn’t doing very well socially in public school. And I wasn’t really reaching my potential. So, my parents and I decided to try something else.”

Just like students in brick-and-mortar schools, Steadham started each morning online with her assigned classes. But, unlike her traditional school, on most days she could “power through” the materials and complete assignments much faster (especially in the classes she liked, such as psychology) which then left time for other work or pursuits.

Overall, Steadham explained she preferred her online school because she could enroll in what she eagerly described as “cool classes” not offered at her regular school, such as criminology or forensic science.

When your school is too much to handle

Starting in 5th grade, Elliana Currie and her family noticed a trend. She needed more and more time to finish her daily homework. This only worsened in middle school.

When it was time to start high school, Currie, who lived in Redmond at the time, enrolled in one of Lake Washington School District’s choice schools, but that didn’t help either. “I got depressed. It was too much stress for me to handle.” She switched to an online school – Washington Virtual Academy – so that she could go at her own pace.

From Currie: “I really liked how it was easy to access the classes. I had five to six assignments per day, but I didn’t have to spend an hour each day in class” on top of the time to do the assignments. Currie found the teachers were all supportive of her work, which also made a big difference. “You could email or call them,” said Currie. “Some of them you could even text. You could even have an extra session with your teacher or get FaceTime help.”

Later on, Currie realized that online learning helped prepare her well for life as an adult after school. “Online school cemented a lot of important organizational skills,” said Currie. “It also taught me a lot about what motivates me . . .. [I]t taught me to be independent.” Currie now attends Bellevue College.

One platform meeting different needs

Online classes aren’t for everyone, but teachers and students who have tried it point to two types of students who do well in this setting.

  • Busy and self-directed – Students whose schedules don’t align with spending an entire day, every day, sitting in a brick-and-mortar building often embrace the freedom afforded with online learning.
  • Needs individual help – Students who struggle in a traditional school setting with large class sizes often benefit from the individualized attention they can receive through online learning, so long as they are willing to seek it out.

Other students use online school to work ahead and finish graduation requirements early, or to make up a class they failed or dropped. Some students enrolled in the popular Running Start program also take online courses to fill gaps in requirements or electives.

Benefits and drawbacks

Overall, as a teacher, Roels finds the flexibility of online learning is “definitely a plus.” Students can more easily make up a missed class since all materials are online. Teachers can add extra sessions or classes for topics that students need more help to understand.

The downside? Because K12 students are located all over the state, it’s practically impossible to meet them in person. This also rules out other in-person learning experiences, such as field trips.

According to Currie, some online teachers facilitate social interaction online through group work projects. OpenBoard, an interactive whiteboard, has features that facilitate meet ups outside of class, such as coffee, lunch groups or clubs. And at K12, graduating seniors participate in a traditional ceremony at Bellevue College each year.

Moving forward

Roels cited genuine concerns about school safety, as well as crowded classrooms, as two of many examples of why online learning will continue to expand. “I think online learning is going to grow exponentially.”

Every child is different. Online learning helps some learners thrive, including those who may get lost in the shuffle of a big school or are frustrated by the one-size-fits-all pace of learning. These tuition-free options approved by the state of Washington are one way for students to explore different subjects or potentially chart a new academic course.

Want to learn more about online learning in Washington state? Read our background Q&A here.

Online learning 101

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Editor’s note: Cami Brix is a junior at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, where she is a writer and editor for the Nordic News student newspaper. Here are answers to questions we posed to her about online learning in Washington state. 

Q: What online learning options are available to public school K-12 students in Washington? 

A: OSPI has approved many different online learning opportunities for Washington students in grades K-12. While the range of service depends on the student’s school district, students can enroll full-time, part-time or even in just one class of an online program. OSPI recommends reaching out to a student’s home school for guidance. From this writer’s experience, it is fairly common for a high school student to earn their PE/Health credits through an online class to make room for other, more interesting classes in their schedule.

However, if this range does not fit the needs of the student  (the majority of school districts do not have online learning options for students younger than high school), OSPI has approved many multi-district programs.

 Q: Who can enroll?

A: The Alternative Learning Department listed several qualities that indicate a student’s success upon enrollment in an online program. It helps if the student is an independent learner because online education at times can lack the same structure of a traditional school. In general, a student taking online courses should be self-motivated, organized, active and resourceful.

Q: What types of online schools are available? Are they all kind of the same or do some have different focus?

A: There are two types of online learning programs: district and multi-district. Generally, every program focuses on the main subject areas of math, English, social studies, health, etc. However, depending on the program, there are different course levels which range from credit recovery, standard and even Advanced Placement.

Q: What is the total student enrollment in online education for Washington state, grades K-12?

A: The online learning student headcount in the 2017 Online Learning Report is 31,719 students.

Q: Looking at the data and information available through OSPI, what conclusions you can draw about the type(s) of students that are typical of online school?

A: In terms of types of students taking online classes, high school students were a majority of online learners (79 percent). Only 13 percent of online learners were close to full-time in online courses. The majority (71 percent) enrolled in fewer than 5 courses.

In terms of demographics, white students were over represented in online learning. Students of color, except for Native Americans/Alaskan Natives were under represented. Other groups were also under represented including English language learners, low-income students, students receiving special education services.

In terms of likely courses taken, five subjects accounted for 75 percent of non-elementary enrollments. These subjects include English Language Arts (14,477 enrollments), Math (12,857 enrollments), physical/health/safety (11,682 enrollments), history (10,372 enrollments) and science (8,193 enrollments).