Can Somebody Check the School Board's Diplomas?

The Times has already called on the School Board to resign. Seattlest is calling for the school board to repeat 9th grade English.

They just released their evaluation of Superintendent Raj Manhas, and it's polluted with flaccid language, poorly-defined words, and nonsensical clichés. Any writing teacher would exhaust her red pen with frowny faces trying to edit it.

Here's just one example, from the mysterious "Leadership, Advocacy and Communications" section (the only one critical of outgoing Superintendent Raj Manhas).

The Board would like to see accelerated progress in leadership within the community, building broad-based coalitions and partnerships...

Wow. An entire clause with only one definable term. "The Board" we understand. But "accelerated progress in leadership within the community" (accelerated from what? what constitutes progress? what community? voters? parents? teachers? marauding Visigoths? who?) "building broad-based coalitions and partnerships" (this is a corporate cliche that means absolutely nothing. "Broad-based"? Like, lots of people? Or different types of people? Or what? Should pets be included?)

...and more thorough and consistent analysis of items brought forward to the Board for action.

Consistent analysis? Meaning...the same analysis every time? And if they are items "brought forward to the Board for action" (which is also just a terrible sentence), shouldn't they analyze them? I don't blame them for thinking they are unable to analyze anything any more confusing than shampoo directions, but still.

...we also want to see accelerated authentic family and community involvement in planning and problem solving demonstrated at all levels.

What constitutes "authentic" family involvement? Is there a rash of fake parents attending parent/teacher conferences? Or are we just talking about not letting the parents of adopted kids attend school board meetings? Or what? "Demonstrated at all levels." At ALL levels? Really? In every single classroom in every school in the entire city of Seattle? And WHAT THE F-BOMB DOES "ACCELERATED" MEAN IN THIS CONTEXT? BETTER? MORE? FASTER? PUSSYCAT? KILL? KILL?

Sorry. What's got us more frustrated about this report is this: Manhas, who's quitting because he doesn't have the full support of the school board, is rated on three things. He rates highly in the first two, academic performance and management.

So it must be his failure in the third thing that's turned the school board against him. The third thing is that "leadership" category which they can't even define!

AGGGGH!

Maybe the entire city should be repeating 12th grade civics--after all, we're the ones who voted the board into office.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Seth in News on December 13, 2006 6:13 AM

Comments [rss]

Playin' Possum

I think I can clear up a couple of ambiguities for you...

A "broad based coalition" is a coalition of women...

"authentic family involvement" refers to the involvement of an "authentic family;" i.e. Ward, June, and the Beave...

You're welcome.

Guest

With the exception of the first page is on the School Board letterhead, the page number is printed at the bottom of each page.

Printed at the bottom of page 2 is "2 of 2".

Printed at the bottom of page 3 is "3 of 3".

Printed at the bottom of page 4 is "4 of 4".

Shouldn't it be "2 of 4", "3 of 4", "4 of 4"?

I have a 6 month old daughter, and my wife is already talking about private school because of the sad state of the district. I thought it was silly of her to be thinking about since our daughter is still just a baby. Now, I'm not so sure...

JohnE

It gets worse. Seattle schools are actually teach kids nonsense words so they can pass the "Nonsense Word Fluency" test:

http://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/nwf.php

It all adds up.

TLo

This is precisely how we're taught how to write in school nowadays, basically if it sounds good, looks good, then it is good, even if it's not. All BS, no meaning.

G Jiggy

None of this surprises me. The biggest bullsh*tters I've ever known were connected with education.

These people are a perfect example of what is wrong with Seattle schools. In addition to being a severely broken monopoly, they are populated, from top to bottom, by these types of misdirected, self-important morons.

How long will we, as a community, keep condemning generations of young people to ignorance marshaled by these people? How broken does it have to be? How much to we need to spend? 15K per student? 20K per? 50? More?

But there is a quick cure. Vouchers.

James Callan

Apparently, they want RoboSuperintendent -- or more precisely, RoboSuperiintendent 2:
# DIRECTIVE 239 Be accessible

# DIRECTIVE 240 Participate in group activities

# DIRECTIVE 241 Avoid interpersonal conflicts

# DIRECTIVE 242 Avoid premature value judgements

# DIRECTIVE 243 Pool opinions before expressing yourself

# DIRECTIVE 244 Discourage feelings of negativity and hostility

# DIRECTIVE 245 If you haven't got anything nice to say don't talk

# DIRECTIVE 246 Don't rush traffic lights

# DIRECTIVE 247 Don't run through puddles and splash pedestrians or other cars

# DIRECTIVE 248 Don't say that you are always prompt when you are not

# DIRECTIVE 249 Don't be oversensitive to the hostility and negativity of others
(Yes, I'm invoking RoboCop 2. Deal.)

Mark

Yes, this is quite weak, but I can guess what they mean by "authentic". Have you been to a school board open meeting? It draws all of the crazies who are not parents but are given plenty of time to vent. The racial name-calling at the last disaster of a school closure meeting came from non-parents.