Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Budget Survey Results

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Did having a budget survey done matter? On the face of it, no, it did not.

I say that because (1) it has not been referenced by staff at all during any budget talks except that it occurred, (2) there is no analysis of the specific questions and (3) the comments section was not broken down at all.

However, I'll do it if only to let the Board know what was said.

What to keep in mind?

• This was a poorly design survey (numerous respondents said this so it's not just me).


• Judging from the answers, the district likely got a certain sub-set of parents/staff. That said, they did receive 2700 responses which is still pretty good.


• Some respondents clearly did not know certain things about the district so you have to keep that in mind. (It was things like not knowing that high school students only use Metro, APP is not a program at Garfield, etc.)

However, 2700 parents, community and staff took the time so let's not make it an exercise in window dressing.

Demographics - Overwhelmingly parents (64.5%) following by teachers (23.8%). The lowest was student, followed by principals. By region it was uneven. NW and NE were about 28% each, followed by the Central at 16%, West Seattle by 13% and SE by 7%.

They asked questions in several groups: K-5 (1323 responses), 6-8(515 responses), 9-12 (534), district staff (non-principals)(1061 responses), community members (409 responses) and principals (33 responses). (I admit to leaving out the pre-school responses.)

It was interesting because all the groups voted nearly the same.

For School Services - everyone said number one for them was school and classroom support staff either teacher/student ratio followed by teacher training and PD or strong leadership in class and school. The least necessary was extra-curricular activities followed by equitable program offerings.

For District Services - the most important was timely and accurate school communication with parents and a virtual tie for second place were customer service functions/inclusion and collaboration with parents and community members with respect to the direction of the District and major initiatives. The least important was transportation. The only real variation here was number two which was either human resources (principals) or facilities management (6-8).

For the 2011-2012 budget, again, the groups very closely mirror each other.

Most important was well-developed curriculum and meaningful student assessments closely followed by strong leadership in the classroom, schools and support systems. The least important item ranked was efficient districtwide systems. Principals voted family and community engagement the least important. Hmm.

Comments Section

There were 4 Open Comments sections. The last one, Additional Comments, I didn't go through as it reflected much of what was already said in the other comments sections.

Part 1 -Please share with us any programs/activities not mentioned previously that you believe must be maintained during the 2011-2012 school year.

Number one (with a bullet) - Arts. It was mostly for music but clearly, clearly parents believe in and want arts in our schools for their children.

Number two - Advanced Learning. Yes, this was a surprise to me but it was interesting the number of people who spoke of ALOs. I think this may be a growing awareness of being able to offer extra rigor at every school. (Then again, it could be a large number of APP/Spectrum parents but I don't think so given the other comment sections.)

Far beyond (but still in large numbers) were school support staff: counselors, librarians, and PE.

Finally, the ever-popular lower class size.

Part 2 -It asked what top three programs/services that people wanted protected at their school. (I think it should have been what top three programs/services do you think should be protected at all schools.)

Number one (again) - Music and arts
Number two - Advanced Learning
Number three - librarian (followed closely by Special Ed services, counselor, PE teacher and nurse)
Number four - Remedial services (reading/math specialists or intervention)

Part 3 - This question asked what should be reduced or eliminated (if necessary) for 2011-2012.

This is where it got interesting. People really let fly here (but there were at least 25+ "none/don't know"). As I mentioned, some responses indicated that people did not know certain things about the district like that the enrollment plan IS now a neighborhood plan, high schoolers ride Metro, etc.

Number one - Central administration staff (more than 100 votes)
Number two - Sports (especially football) - not the same as PE, though
Number three - Transportation
Number four - MAP
Number five - Advanced Learning (a few of these responses were about transportation)
Number six - Academic coaches
Number seven - Music/art
Number eight - Assessments
Number nine - After-school activities

Those last three were in the teens but had more than 10 answers. Interesting to note: 13 votes to get rid of the Superintendent and 12 to get rid of TFA (and it hasn't even started).

So, take the specific questions and their responses and the open-ended comments and I see this:

- transportation is really low on the importance scale in terms of perceptions about a high-performing school. I suspect if they drastically cut transportation, you'd hear plenty of howls but boy, this survey would provide cover. That every single group in the specific questions said that transportation was the least important is interesting. Or maybe, people just take it for granted that it will be there.

- arts matter to people.

- non-academic extra curricular activities might have to go (at least for awhile). Again, the responses back this up. I'd feel sad for sure but there are savings to be had, there are boosters if it's that important and there are outside rec teams. I would support keeping low-cost intramurals like Ultimate Frisbee that have no refs and just a frisbee to play. (I'm not even sure the district pays anything for those sports.)

- again, clearly the respondents believe the important people are IN our schools and there are a high number of respondents who believe the central administration is bloated ( claimed "cuts" notwithstanding).

Source: http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2011/01/budget-survey-results.html

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RIP Bobby Thomson

The man who hit baseball's "shot heard 'round the world" has died.  Bobby Thomson was 86. For my money, there will never be a more dramatic home run hit, nor will there ever be a greater moment in sports.

Think about it.  Baseball was king of the world at that point.  The NFL was a distant second to college football.  The NBA was in its infancy, and the NHL was a niche.  Horse racing was still super-popular and boxing was huge but baseball was IT.  No other sports mattered (ah...what a wonderful world).

New York was the center of the baseball world in 1951.  The mighty Yankees awaited the winner of the three-game playoff between the Dodgers (of Brooklyn) and the Giants (of upper Manhattan).  The Giants were able to rally from a 13 game deficit in August to force the playoff with the Dodgers, the Boys of Summer, who had been cruising.

Of course, much evidence has come to light to indicate that the Giants had an elaborate cheating system, in which the team was stealing signs.  So a little gamesmanship was enforced?  Let's not let that get in the way of a great story.

But the Giants did force the playoff, and were on the verge of being eliminated in three games.  The Giants started that faithful ninth inning down 4-1.  Yet Don Newcombe was done - just finished, allowing singles to Alvin Dark and Don Mueller, and an RBI double to Whitey Lockman.  Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen brought on Ralph Branca to pitch to Thomson, and the two have been linked ever since.

Incidentally, it shouldn't surprise that I'm not a big fan of Russ Hodges' call that can be described "Gus Johnson-esque."  Still you can't top the enthusiasm of the moment.  There were four broadcasters on that day - October 3, 1951 - and I own three of them.  Hodges, of course, is the most famous.  Red Barber used his typical professional style, which would drive the modern-day fan nuts.  He was not excited by the moment.  Gordon McClendon, a DJ who started up the Liberty Network, did his call, and it was quite like Hodges, though not nearly as famous.  The fourth was the late Ernie Harwell, who did the call on NBC, and said that "only Mrs. Harwell knows what I said."  That's because the tape doesn't exist.

Oh, and if you don’t know what happened, well fate (and Karma) are often cruel and just.  The Giants may have won the pennant in 1951, but they got hammered by the Yankees in the World Series – the last hurrah for an old veteran named Joe DiMaggio, and the first Classic for a kid from Oklahoma named Mickey Mantle.

Some links for you - '>'>Joe Posnanski ranks the more famous home runs ever, and I like what he did.  He put Bill Mazeroski at number one, and put Thomson at HIGHER than number one!  I will put Thomson's Miracle at Coogan's Bluff at number one as well, with Mazeroski second.  We can go from there.  Joe Carter, Pudge Fisk, Kirk Gibson, Derek Jeter (or Tino Martinez or Scott Brosius), Kirby Puckett, and even the Great Bambino (and many others) fall well short of the magnitude and drama of the Thomson home run.

Kyle Rowland at Bleacher Report ranks the ten most dramatic play-by-play calls ever, with "The Shot" ranked at number four.  I'll spare you the buildup, as he puts Sean McDonough's call of the Sid Bream slide in the 92 NLCS at number one.  Yeah.  That’s about all I have to say about that.

Vin Scully was at the Polo Grounds in 1951, and Tom Hoffarth has his reaction and the reaction of others to Thomsons’ passing.

Lastly, the New York Daily News has the basic facts about Thomson, a very modest, seemingly nice man (I never personally met him) who handled his fame with great charm and class.

I'm out of here for a couple of days - off camping.  Looking forward to time with Sean, time with family, and anxiously waiting for Carrie to join us.

Source: http://steelyankee.blogspot.com/2010/08/rip-bobby-thomson.html

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Several high school football players collapse at practice

WAFB: A dozen Louisiana high school football players were treated for heat exhaustion during afternoon practice Monday.

Source: http://louisiananow.blogspot.com/2010/08/several-high-school-football-players.html

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8 Players That Didn't Make It ft Walcott, Ronaldinho & Benzema (FIFA World Cup South Africa) Sports

www.youtube.com Click here to watch Ultimate Team Online: My Game Of The Week #3 ft. France vs. England (FIFA 10) Sports! 8 Players That Didn't Make It ft Walcott, Ronaldinho & Benzema (FIFA World Cup South Africa) Sports Today I bring you 8 players who didn't make the plane to South Africa. Leave me your thoughts. Did the managers make the correct decisions? Discuss! Thanks for watching! DIRECTOR'S CHANNEL: www.youtube.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow Machinima on Twitter! Machinima twitter.com Inside Gaming twitter.com Machinima Respawn twitter.com Machinima Entertainment, Technology, Culture twitter.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com TAGS: Gameplay Xbox 360 PS3 EA Sports yt:quality=high FIFA 10 EA Sports Electronic Arts UPC 014633156904 MPN 014633157116 Soccer goal field usa world cup david beckham freddy adu landon dovovan tim howard keeper MyBallsAreMagic France England football Reading walcott ronaldinho benzema fifa world cup south africa 2010 players that didn't make it cut plane england brazil france Vieria Senna Grosso Toni Mexes Ruud van Nistelrooy Rossi Bent Ronaldinho Pato Nasri Zanetti Cambiasso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQaZRqWFgCI&hl=en

Source: http://football-ronaldo-fun.blogspot.com/2010/08/8-players-that-didn-make-it-ft-walcott.html

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My World Cup Scrapbook and Related Musings

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An appeal to all those activists and kind-hearted souls interested in doing something for the country - why don't you get hold of the Alberto Colacos (him and all his brethren who happen to be warming the seats at AIFF), and set them to play among themselves, five-a-side soccer if need be, with balls of any make or variety that they may fancy, leaving Indian football well alone.

While I do not know the said Mr. Colaco from Adam and don't have the slightest desire to seek him out ever in future and make his acquaintance,  I am singularly unimpressed by his total lack of contribution to the cause of Indian football during his term as a top official of the AIFF, which happens to be the body defining where Indian football may be headed in the months and years to come. [ Link ]

I'll risk repeating my earlier suggestion that the AIFF (India) could hire Dunga with a view to participating in the 2022 WC. I would not suggest though that they consider Diego Maradona (who I guess will soon be asked to fall on his sword by his football federation, metaphorically speaking) for the job. The AIFF is known for its numerous junkets (and little else) and from there to becoming confirmed junkies would indeed be a short slippery path of no-return. Besides, his habit of kissing his players before and after each game may not quite go down well with Indian officialdom and AIFF members.

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In an earlier post, I had appealed for Colaco and his cohorts to be stripped and paraded down Main Street. After reading this, I take that back. Instead, I now suggest that he and his cohorts in the AIFF and various State Football associations, should be neutered. Football always has been one of the most popular ground level games in India. The pathetic state of Indian football today can be squarely attributed to inept, inefficient and corrupt guys like him who have taken control of the various associations meant to promote football.

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With the World Cup 2010 nearing its end, one of the most enduring items of this one will be Shakira's 'Waka Waka - This Time for Africa' official song. Something equally catchy and football-ish was Ricky Martin's 'Copa de la Vida' ('Go go go, allez, allez, allez) theme song for the 1998 World Cup in France (just heard again the video on Youtube, link below)

[ Link ]

Ever wondered about the similarities? Latin American beats (with some pulsating African rhythm thrown in for Shakira's Waka Waka) and Latino singers seem to be as pulsating and catchy as their brand of football.

The World Cup is over for Kolkatans! Having been away for decades, I had no idea that Brazil and Argentina have become the new Mohun Bagan - East Bengal on the world stage for Kolkatans.

[ Link ]

Given the volumes churned out by the British media about the possible fate of the English coach, Fabio Capello, I thought this was quite appropriate once the FA decided hastily, that Capello was indeed going to stay on

The Capello Philosophy: My Way or the Highway

If you have believed till now that the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain, think again. Observe Spanish commentator and ex-Real Madrid player Camacho's convulsions in the box after Spain has scored against Paraguay and you will be well within your rights to wonder whether it's rain, hailstorm or a swarm of bees which may have just hit that box. Viva el fútbol español! (Here's hoping that Germany causes some further convulsions, of a different kind, when they play Spain shortly)

While everybody is busy making predictions, let me sneak in my best-case scenario which reads like : Uruguay manages to squeeze past Holland and gets into the final, where they meet Germany who have comfortably dumped Spain in the other semi-final. Germany then proceeds to wallop Uruguay in the final and lift the 2010 WC. All those who have been fantasizing about an idyllic brand of samba (or rhumba or salsa, take your pick) soccer which,in reality has been non-existent for quite sometime now, experience a hard-landing and a shattering of carefully crafted dreams. Coaches all over Latin America either get sacked or fall on their swords before the axe falls on them, while Fabio Capello quietly keeps on building up England for the Euro in 2 years time

Of the 133 goals scored so far, check out the top 10. Maybe the best is yet to come!

[ Link ]

Leander Paes won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Title this year, bringing his tally of Doubles and Mixed Doubles crowns in Grand Slam events to 12 (the highest by any Indian). Meanwhile India's Sania Mirza has as good as vanished from the Women's tennis scene while the Chinese girls Zheng Jie and Li Na have steadily improved their rankings, winning several doubles and singles events and consistently being ranked within the top 32 (Li Na currently is within the top 10 in fact). The Indian media however has largely ignored Paes, focussing instead on tidbits like Cristiano Ronaldo, who had an eminently forgettable World Cup and captained his team Portugal into a series of uninspired performances leading to a relatively early exit, becoming a father!
Does this tell you a thing or two about the Indian sports media's leanings and general mindset and possibly even the orientation of the Indian masses who profess to love sports? Does this explain why a country, which is so enthusiastic about football in general and World Cups in particular since my childhood days, fails to even make a mark in the Asian games or the Commonwealth games, let alone even dream of qualifying from the Asian Zone for the WC?

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Here's the coach of World Cup 2010, Diego Maradona, egging his players on. Carlos Tevez decides in the clip below that he has had enough of the coach's hugs and kisses.

Poor Diego Maradona. His plans to streak through the streets of Buenos Aires have come to nought. Some of his players started shunning his customary pre-match and post-match hugs and kisses during the World Cup matches. Excepting Messi, who quite misfired during the WC, and a couple of others, a number of the experienced players in the side like Heinze, Tevez & Mascherano have not indicated any kind of support for him to continue as coach. And now the Argentine Football Association just can't figure out the best way to nudge him out. It's all proving to be a lot more complicated than their Brazilian counterparts simply sacking Dunga the day after.

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The expected happened, though Uruguay wasn't quite humbled as some had feared they would be. They were possibly a little unlucky about the 2nd goal which took a wicked deflection off one of the Uruguayan defenders, leaving the keeper stranded. Holland's finishing and positional play was decidedly superior. Samba soccer (or rhumba or salsa, take your pick) has had its comeuppance and rightly so - modern football isn't just about flair and style and showy stepovers - and the 3 teams left standing after the first semi just about sounds right. On to the Spain - Germany semi which, to me, is the match of WC 2010 and should rightfully have been the final.

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Paul the Octopus proves right once again -- masterclass tactical performance by Spain who come out deserving winners. Germany sorely missed Thomas Muller possibly. The current Euro champions are 1 match away from becoming the World champions. What a day that will be for Spanish football!

In terms of positional play, tactical astuteness, possession and intricate movements this Spain team is definitely ahead of every other team in this World Cup. Having lifted the Euro 2 years back, their coach Vicente del Bosque has seen and done it all before. I can quite visualize the men in 'Oranje' turning yellow at the thought of having to come up against this team in the final.

Germany with a young and largely unfancied team before the WC started, did pretty well and would be going home with their heads held high. The way they were pinned back and shut down during the semis was fascinating to watch. A team which had scored freely in several of their previous encounters, could hardly get in a meaningful shot at the Spanish goal.

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An analysis and a point of view I have believed in for sometime now. I couldn't agree more with the article below.

"IT WILL be an All-European affair for a second straight World Cup final. Apparently, there are people upset by that. These are your football romantics, the supposed devotees of the “Beautiful Game”. For them, the only way to play football is the South American way.
Indeed, they are enamoured with the passion and deft skills of twinkle-toed Brazilian and Argentinian players, and view European football to be as soulless and mechanical as a German footballer rampaging down the centre of the field. They cling on to Brazil’s 1970 World Cup victory, seeing it as the pinnacle of football: skillful players in every position, passing confidently and patiently until they find a weakness, and then scoring with a flurry of dribbles, backheels and flicks. It is a viewpoint as dated as it is tiresome. Indeed, South American football nowadays is increasingly ineffective and unappealing. This World Cup has provided plenty of proof. Witness how Brazil were stumped for ideas once the Netherlands equalised during their quarter-final clash. What they did afterwards is symptomatic of the worst kind of football anywhere: They kicked the Dutch players. Served the Brazilians right for losing their nerve, and for passing the ball around with little idea of how to convert possession into scoring chances. The Argentinians could do no better. Witness their fans howling in frustration as Lionel Messi and gang dribbled their way into German cul-de-sacs on the pitch, surrounded by two or more defenders, and still stubbornly refusing to pass the ball.
 

Indeed, the myth of South American football being superior was spectacularly dispelled in this World Cup by the best of European football, as served up by the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. What’s so bad about the European style? All it did was to place equal importance on attack and defence. Granted, when their attack is sputtering, they can be as frustrating as the South Americans. Unlike their transatlantic counterparts, they do have a chance of not losing the match, with their devotion to defensive organisation. And, of course, there is flair in European football. Witness Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 35m blast that gave the Netherlands a 1-0 lead against Uruguay, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s lung- bursting charge past at least three Argentinian defenders to set up Germany’s third goal in their 4-0 rout of Argentina or  David Villa’s winner against Paraguay. These are instances of pure inspiration, but these European players used them as surprise weapons to catch opposing defences off-guard. In this era of professional football, where scouting is so extensive, one cannot rely on sheer skills to win matches.

No matter how skillful South American footballers are, they can be contained by a well-marshalled defence. And they will suffer if they don’t have the instinct to thread pinpoint passes to their teammates. All the deft, improvisational skills should serve a purpose – and this is usually drilled into most European footballers right from their youth academy days.
 

Indeed, the best European football preaches simplicity, organisation and, best of all, team unity – winning values that do not reject the occasional touch of flair. It clearly sends a message to youngsters who dream of playing professionally: You do not need to have the intricate skills of Pele, Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi to win for your team. Indeed, even a simple side-foot pass, when perfectly timed and executed, can produce a goal, too. And the
knowledge of that is perhaps as enlightening as the most jaw-dropping football trick one can conjure. It is definitely miles better than the self-indulgent, meandering mess that is South American football now."

One of the biggest stories of World Cup 2010, has been that of Paul the Octopus. Paul, based in an aquarium in the western german city of Oberhausen has had a 100% record so far in predicting the outcome of various World Cup matches. On the eve of the final and the 3rd place play-off, Paul has now made his final choices: Spain to win the WC and Germany to win the 3rd place playoff.

[ Link ] 

 Came across this presentation detailing the history of FIFA and the World Cup. While it may be somewhat long, it's certainly worth browsing.
History of FIFA World Cup  

 While it may be small consolation for the Germans, they managed to come up trumps in an exciting and hard-fought match against Uruguay. Paul the Octopus proved right again and now he is just one game away from a 100% hit record for this World Cup.

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Given the total football popularized by folks like Johann Cruyff and the Dutch in the late 70s and early eighties (incidentally Cruyff is currently backing Spain to win this World Cup) and the tiki-taka style (roughly translated as touch-touch) presently implemented by Spain, it is necessary to analyze and understand the tactics and strategies implemented by some of the other countries who featured in WC 2010. Here then, is a quick presentation on the subject:

Football Strategies and Tactics

What a messy, scrappy, forgettable final it turned out to be.  The Dutch were clearly bent on hacking down and kicking the Spaniards out of the game. My reactions are summed up by my comments on Facebook during the half-time and after it was all over.

Total football! Total thuggery more like! There's only one team trying to play football there - the Spaniards. The Dutch are doing their best to stem the flow by consistent attempts to hack down and provoke the other team into mistakes or even a rush of blood. Expect the 2nd half to get uglier. While ref. Webb is trying his best not to red-card someone, at least one Dutch attempt, Nigel De Jong's stud high challenge on Xavi's chest was worthy of one. It'll be a pity if the Dutch team, playing some of the ugliest football seen so far, were to somehow get a matchwinner!

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Salute Spain who were clearly the best team of this WC! Touching to see Spain's keeper and captain Iker Casillas, breaking down in tears as soon as Iniesta scored the winning goal!

Thomas Mueller of Germany wins the Golden Shoe for 5 goals and 3 assists. Diego Forlan of Uruguay is named the best player of WC 2010.

Hats off to Paul the Octopus for a 100% record of forecasts during this WC.

The Dutch have shamed themselves with their tactics and strategy for the day. If ever a team set out to play ugly football it was this Holland side which must have set a WC final record with 9 yellow cards and 1 red. Thankfully the better team and one which believes in playing the game fairly, kept their anger and frustration at the Dutch tactics bottled up and did not get provoked into an outright rash act or a fatal blunder as the Dutch might have been hoping. Holland's major contribution was towards a WC final which, thanks to them, got scrappy, ugly and forgettable in terms of the quality of football on display.

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Rob Parker's observations on the final in his blog:

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Iniesta's winning goal in extra time which secured the World Cup for Spain

A glimpse of the impressive closing ceremony for World Cup 2010, including Shakira performing 'Waka Waka' live

The ecstasy of holding aloft the World Cup!

Source: http://rogerfacts.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-world-cup-scrapbook-and-related_06.html

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