While I’ve seen some really, really irreverent and hilarious bumper stickers, I’ve never been a big fan of the medium. For me, they are a bit like tattoos, while I might find it witty or beautiful today, I’m never sure that I will want to wave that flag for the lifetime of the tattoo or sticker. (I suppose I could put one on my window where I can scrape it off, but…)
Read the rest of this entry »
Bellevue School District (BSD405.org) has chosen a new Director of Curriculum Sharon (Collins) Kautz (the former Principal at Interlake High School). This is obviously a big hire for any of us that care about the future direction of curriculum in Bellevue School District. I do not know Sharon well enough to be able to categorize this as a win or a loss. It will be interesting to hear your opinions and to see her future performance.
Just came across one of Bill Gates’ newest internet projects. Apparently for years he has wanted to make a series of Richard Feynman lectures that he had seen available to the public. They are now up Feynmann Lectures – TUVA project
In February, we wrote, here, about one of Bellevue School District’sLilia Kol finest teachers, . Though her excellence needs no confirmation (at least for US!!!), we’ve recently found that Mrs. Kol won a Teacher Recognition Award in the 2009 Presidential Scholars Program. She was nominated by former student and 2009 Presidential Scholar, Brian Reiser, as the person most influential to his education.
Wow! For those of you not on the mailing list, the e-mails are flying fast and furious with parents concerned about math education on one side and the district on the other. Per my previous post, a group of parents went to present a letter asking Bellevue School District to halt their evaluation of a new math curriculum for the high school level until the state had finished it’s own evaluation. They were apparently asked to not read the letter as the members of the board were already acquainted with it. Well, that lit the fuse! Since then the Bellevue Reporter has been contacted, people are quoting chapter and verse of state code and Amelia Cudeiro, the new superintendent, who doesn’t even start until July 1st, has weighed in on the process.
The following letter was presented to the Bellevue School District Board today. As much as I would love to see the hind side of the current curriculum, I have to agree that with the state doing such a major review of curricula, and with the poor performance of many, it seems a touch premature. i believe that once the state decides on it’s “recommended” list, districts have to use them or will not get state money for books. What a dang shame it would be if Bellevue did their selection, purchased one year’s worth of books then found out that the state wouldn’t help purchase the succeeding years..
Received an important e-mail I received from Where’s the Math this morning with a crucial message regarding SB5414. Whether you are in favor of this bill or not, I would certainly hope that you will mail your legislators your opinion AND let them know that IF this is passed, it should be passed with ONLY provisions for authentic Algebra and Geometry, not waste money creating a second test aligned to the integrated math that has done such a disservice to our kids.
