Ann Dornfeld

Stories

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  Former Seattle Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson Reported Dead At 55

  A Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman says former Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson died Wednesday at age 55.Teresa Wippel says a district attorney got word of Goodloe-Johnson's death late Wednesday afternoon from an insurance company representative who had been working with Goodloe-Johnson's husband. Wippel said district employees had heard Goodloe-Johnson had been ill. Staff at WCSC-TV in Charleston, South Carolina, spoke to family members who said Goodloe-Johnson had been sick for about a year.Goodloe-Johnson was fired from Seattle Public Schools last year after a financial scandal.In a statement issued this evening, the district credited Goodloe-Johnson’s four years of leadership with continuing student academic achievement. “We are grateful for her years of service to Seattle Public Schools and her efforts during her four-year tenure here to put our students on the path to academic success,” the statement read.Goodloe-Johnson went on to become Deputy Chancellor of Instructional Support and Educational Accountability at Michigan Education Achievement System, a new statewide school system designed to let the state take over what it considers its lowest-performing public schools.The district says Goodloe-Johnson is survived by her husband Bruce and young daughter Maya.

  Dec 05, 2012 at 7:43 pm
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  Seattle Public Schools Releases Snapshot Of Teachers' Student Growth Ratings

  Seattle Public Schools has released new aggregate student growth ratings that will be now used as part of some teachers' evaluations. The ratings reflect how students did on state and district tests from one year to the next and factor in students' poverty levels, learning disabilities and English language proficiencies.The aggregate ratings show that of the 132 teachers rated in the initial roll-out, 71.2 percent were rated as having students with typical growth on test scores, 19.7 percent received low ratings, and 9.1 percent of teachers had students that averaged high growth.Using student growth measures to evaluate teacher quality is controversial. Many researchers point to the large number of variables that can affect students' test scores, and the fact that the same teacher can be rated quite differently from one year to the next without apparent explanation.But Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda said he believes in the district's model. "It gives the evaluator another lens from which to gauge a person's performance," Banda said. "That being said, we need to continue to refine the methods for collecting the student performance data that we use in this evaluation to assure that it is accurate and gives a fair representation of a teacher's performance in this particular area. Bear in mind that student performance data is but one piece of a teacher's overall evaluation."The ratings will only be issued for teachers of grades 4-8 reading, language arts, or math, and 9th-grade Algebra I teachers. This year's ratings included only teachers at 27 schools that showed low performance on standardized tests, plus two schools that opted in to the new evaluation system early.Overall, only about 4 percent of teachers in the district received ratings this year. Ratings will be issued district-wide next year.Teachers who receive high student growth ratings as well as high marks in other areas of their evaluations may become eligible for promotions. Teachers who receive low student growth ratings will get closer oversight by their principals.

  Nov 20, 2012 at 5:51 pm

• Seattle Releases First Teacher Ratings Based On Student Performance

  Many teachers in Seattle Public Schools will learn today how they rank on a new scale based on student performance. They’ll be rated by how their students’ test scores changed from one year to the next. Teachers with high ratings may qualify for bonuses or promotions. Teachers with low ratings will get closer oversight.

  Nov 16, 2012 at 12:00 am
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  Charter School Countdown: What's Next

  The charter school initiative appears to have passed. The first charter schools would likely open their doors in Washington next school year, at the earliest. Here's the countdown of what's next.3. EnthusiasmChris Korsmo is CEO of the League of Education Voters, one of the groups that backed the charter initiative. Korsmo said her organization is getting flooded with email from people who want to know how they can get started. "You know, we’ve had people come out of the woodwork," Korsmo said. "Principals of schools here in Washington who are interested in starting schools, folks who ran charter schools in other states who would like to do that work here, and Washingtonians who live elsewhere that would like to come back home to run a charter school."2. BureaucracyUnder the initiative, there are two ways to start a charter. Private non-profits can apply to start a new school. And existing public schools can also be converted to charters via the so-called trigger method. That’s where parents or teachers in the school vote to turn it into a charter.But first, the state needs to establish the commission that will authorize and oversee charters. The governor, president of the state Senate and president of the state House of Representatives each get to appoint three commission members. The state Board of Education also needs to create an application process for school boards that want to be authorizers.The deadline for those bureaucratic steps is next March. So it may be five months before would-be charter organizers can apply to start a school. In the meantime, the coalition Korsmo co-founded to put the initiative on the ballot plans to serve as an advisory council to influence how the state draws up its charter school policies. "The major goal is to ensure that we have great authorizers who are paying attention to the criteria and also watching the outcomes," Korsmo said, "so that we do what other states don’t do, which is to ensure accountability on the part of the schools, so that we don’t allow schools that are not achieving to continue to operate."1. Legal ChallengesState Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn has said he’ll try to challenge the initiative in court. He has said the state constitution requires basic education to be governed by his office. Charter schools would be governed by a separate state agency.Korsmo said charter backers always knew legal challenges were likely if the measure passed. She said she trusts any court decisions would favor the initiative.

  Nov 13, 2012 at 5:58 pm

• Charter School Initiative Passes, Says AP

  The charter school initiative has passed by a narrow margin, according to the Associated Press. The vote stands at 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent. That's a difference of about 44,000 votes. Statewide, 269,000 ballots remain to be counted. The No on 1240 campaign Facebook page says campaign managers won't consider the race over until every vote is counted.The initiative would allow up to 40 publicly-funded, privately-run charter schools in Washington over five years. School districts across the state opposed it. Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda said charters would compete with existing public schools for scant funding. But he said if charters come to Seattle, the district would work with them to make sure kids get educated.Washington would be the 42nd state to allow charter schools. This is the fourth time the state's voters considered charters, and the first time voters appear to have approved them.

  Nov 13, 2012 at 9:09 am

• Seattle Schools Will Ask Voters For $1.2 Billion

  Seattle Public Schools will ask voters for property tax levies worth $1.2 billion in February. The school board unanimously approved renewals of the capital projects and operations levies Wednesday night. The $694.9 million Building Excellence IV capital projects levy would fund new construction, renovation, as well as  safety and earthquake improvements. District officials say the money would let the district deal with a maintenance backlog of more than half a billion dollars and make room for more students in a district that's growing rapidly.The $551.9 million operations levy would pay for everything from teachers and librarians to textbooks and art supplies. It would make up more than a quarter of the district's general fund. Board President Michael DeBell says the size of the levy has grown each election as state funding for public education has dwindled.

  Nov 08, 2012 at 8:15 am
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  Charter Schools Initiative Passing Narrowly

  The initiative to allow charter schools in Washington is narrowly passing with 51 percent of the vote. This was the fourth time the state’s voters considered charter schools. Supporters said charters would expand students’ educational options because charters aren’t bound by district or union rules.The latest polls predicted an easy win for charters. Before election results came in Tuesday night, the mood among I-1240 campaign party-goers was festive. Reporters at the party grumbled, though, that they were relegated to a blocked-off corner of the room and not allowed to mingle with guests. Eventually, League of Education Voters CEO Chris Korsmo told the crowd that with half the ballots counted, the vote was too close to call. Korsmo told KUOW, "I’m really proud that we kept it positive and factual. It was a statewide campaign and we made a lot of contact with voters in a variety of ways."The charter school campaign was able to reach voters in so many ways in part by outspending the opposition 17 to one, at last count. Nearly all of the money behind I-1240 came from just a handful donors, including Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Wal-Mart heiress, Alice Walton.The opposing People for Our Public Schools  campaign manager Sue Tupper said even those deep pockets couldn’t guarantee a landslide. "I’m very encouraged by the fact that $11 million didn’t do it. They couldn’t buy it," she said. "And that speaks volumes about the people of this state, their common sense, and where their hearts are with regard to education, and what they’re committed to."Opponents to I-1240 said the main problem with public education in Washington is lack of funding, not lack of options.But teachers' unions didn’t mount as strong a defense against charters as they had in elections past. Union officials said they were financially outgunned this year, so they decided to focus money on the governor’s race.Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn was reelected Tuesday after running unopposed. Dorn said if the charter schools initiative passes, his office will challenge it in court. "We’d bring that challenge not on what the concept of charter schools is about, but who is in charge of public schools in this state." Dorn said the state constitution says he should be in charge -- not a separate charter schools commission.If I-1240 passes, it would allow 40 charter schools over five years. The first eight charters could open next year.

  Nov 07, 2012 at 3:38 am
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  What Happens After Vote On Gay Marriage, Pot And Charter Schools?

  Marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage are hot-button issues on the Washington ballot. Even after the measures are decided, the debate will likely continue and changes won't happen overnight.Same-Sex MarriageReferendum 74 asks  voters to approve or reject a new state law that allows same-sex couples to marry. If the law is upheld, gay couples could start getting married December 9.Approval of R-74 would also affect nearly 10,000 couples who are registered as domestic partners. The partnerships would still be open to senior citizens but all other same-sex partners could decide to dissolve the partnership or convert it to marriage. If they take no action, the partnership would automatically convert to marriage in June 2014.If R-74 is rejected, the state law would be repealed. Campaigns on both sides say it’s unclear what their next move would be if they lose.  Some gay marriage supporters expect the issue would land back in the legislature.MarijuanaInitiative 502 seeks to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. If passed, state-licensed “pot shops” could spring up in about a year. That would give the state time to set up a regulatory system for growers and sellers.The feds’ reaction to legalization is a lingering question. The US Attorney for Western Washington, Jenny Durkan, has made it clear marijuana would still be illegal under federal law and if a conflict arises between state and federal law, they would have to figure out how to resolve it.Durkan also told KUOW her office tends to focus on high-level cartel operations. She says it’s very rare for them to pursue cases that just deal with marijuana.Charter SchoolsInitiative 1240 would legalize up to 40 charter schools in Washington over five years. If it passes, the state will appoint a new commission to oversee charters. The first eight charters could be authorized next year.State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn opposes the charter school initiative. He’s predicted legal challenges if the measure passes.If I-1240 doesn’t pass, this would be the fourth time Washington voters turned down charter schools.KUOW asked the Yes on 1240 campaign what they’d do if the measure doesn’t pass.They said they’re confident it will.

  Nov 06, 2012 at 8:12 am

• Charter Schools' Fiscal Impact Unknown

  If Initiative 1240 passes, public school funding would finance each charter school created under the law.It's impossible to predict the fiscal impact of charter schools. That's partly due to the complicated system of public school financing in Washington, which includes federal and state funding as well as local property tax levies."Known Knowns:" Administrative CostsThe state Office of Financial Management estimated that enacting I-1240 would cost the state $3.1 million for administrative costs, including the creation of the new state commission that would oversee up to 40 charter schools. The OFM declined to predict how much the creation of charter schools would cost the state and existing school districts overall, however, calling such costs only "indeterminate, but non-zero."Charters And Levy MoneyUnder I-1240, each new charter school would qualify for the same federal and state funding as a traditional public school with the same level of enrollment. But whether a charter would qualify for levy dollars would depend on which type of charter it is: a charter founded by a private organization, or an existing public school converted to a charter by a vote of parents or teachers."Conversion" charters would be entitled to local levy dollars. Charters founded by private organizations would also be entitled to past levies if the local school district, rather than the state charter commission, had authorized the charter. Both types of charter would be entitled to funding from levies passed within the local school district boundaries.Money Follows Students To ChartersAnother complicating element is that public schools receive different amounts of funding per student based on poverty level, English language proficiency, special education services, and other factors. Charter schools under I-1240 would be required to admit any student, so each school's funding would be determined by the actual enrollment.Along with tax dollars, charter schools created under I-1240 would be entitled to other benefits that could have a fiscal impact on existing districts and schools.If an existing school were converted to a charter, the charter would be allowed to remain in the same building and the school district would lose use of the property. However, the district would remain liable for all major repairs and safety upgrades on the building. The district would also still be required to absorb any students who leave the school after it becomes a charter. That could create capacity strain on districts that are already struggling to find enough seats for students.Charter schools created by private organizations would have to come up with their own buildings, but the organizations would be entitled to lease unused school district property at or below market rates. The complex nature of K-12 school funding and the huge amount of variability in the charter schools that could be created under I-1240 mean that the only way to learn the cost of the initiative would be to pass it.

  Nov 02, 2012 at 11:14 am

• Seattle Schools Not Meeting Five-Year Academic Goals

  Seattle Public Schools has not met any of the 23 student performance goals the district set for itself four years ago in its five-year plan called "Excellence for All."

  Nov 02, 2012 at 12:00 am