Where's Raj Manhas when we need him?

Seattle Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas needs to seize control quickly or he'll find the School District run by City Hall.

Since taking over as superintendent 14 months ago, Manhas has managed by triage. He cut deeply into central administration to help erase a $34 million deficit left by former schools chief Joseph Olchefske. Later, Manhas shifted operating funds to the most critical needs to keep 100 schools and 47,000 students going. He managed to balance the budget two years in a row and give the school system a semblance of financial stability.

Manhas is now looking at a $12 million deficit next year and twice as much the following year. He appears out of rabbits to pull from a hat.

Enter Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Nickels spent last week growing increasingly uneasy as a parade of news stories portrayed a school system in deep financial trouble. When the specter of bankruptcy was raised, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Nickels made some phone calls to trusty community advisers and a brief while later, the idea of an education summit was born.

His interest makes sense. With revitalized neighborhoods and new downtown buildings standing as markers of his success, Nickels is not about to let an ailing school system threaten the city's economic health or his own legacy.

But Nickels cannot and should not rescue the district. That is the job of Manhas and the School Board. Negotiating territory will be touchy, particularly because there is no love lost between the mayor and the schools chief. Their relationship has been strained since Nickels reversed Seattle's longtime sense of benevolence toward schools and demanded strict accountability for the Families and Education Levy. Manhas believes in strong accountability also, but the two jousted over direction of the measure's $116.8 million.

It is telling that days after Nickels hatched his summit plan, he still hadn't picked up the phone to run it past Manhas.

Make no mistake, a summit is needed. It can do much to rally the city around the schools. It can provide a forum to address the needs of education. It can also be a mirror in which the community addresses the contradictory messages it sends.

Everyone proclaims to buy into the philosophy that every child can learn, yet most have remained silent as half of the city schools starve financially and academically. A summit would force us to align around a common vision and clear accountability.

But before we reserve a room and beg Starbucks for free coffee, let's agree on some basic concepts and rules for the agenda:

• Massive inefficiencies are devouring the district's resources. An example: Too many school buildings are serving a small and static population. Some will have to be shuttered to stop the hemorrhaging of two things vital to the district: money and public goodwill.

• The choice system is likely to change — hopefully, with the least-harmful impacts. But remember, even the most beloved program is merely a part of a greater whole.

• The Alliance for Education needs transformation. The district has a well-staffed, well-paid fund-raising arm, yet Manhas is having to cozy up to millionaires when he should be concentrating on running the schools.

• Watch the language. We've got Chicken Little in the district's finance office shouting "bankruptcy" every five minutes. This stunned even the implacable Gov. Gary Locke, who said he had never heard of a school district in this state going into receivership. The district is a publicly funded agency that cannot, technically, go bankrupt. Using inaccurate terms only confuses people.

• No gloating. King County Executive Ron Sims called Seattle Schools inefficient, wasteful and difficult to work with. He's correct on all counts. What's the county going to do about it? No fair complaining about your neighbor's paint job unless you stopped by with a brush and bucket.

• The School Board must adopt the financial concept of adding new academic initiatives and programs only if older ones are discarded first.

• Loosen the leash that tethers Manhas to the board. The superintendent is the board's sole employee, but he must be allowed to administer the district.

• Develop trust. Once bitten, everyone from the board to citizens is twice shy. But if we don't trust the people in place to make the right decisions, we ought to replace them with people we do trust. Part of the reason the city schools operate in such a haphazard manner is that every decision is second-guessed, revamped or exchanged for something else. Imagine a ship trying to push forward as four different captains turn their own wheel in varying directions. That is the picture of the Seattle Schools.

There is no doubt in my mind that the schools can emerge from this financial crisis. But they must downsize, raise more money and operate more efficiently.

Lynne K. Varner's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is lvarner@seattletimes.com. Look for more of her thoughts on the STOP blog, our editorial online journal at www.seattletimes.com/stop

City of Lynnwood must retain Athletic Complex

Dear Mayor Gough,

In reading the latest traffic in the local newspapers, one would draw the conclusion that the Edmonds School District seeks to compel your city to absorb an area that you may not be inclined to incorporate. I thought the City had their own planners. What happened?

Planners for the City of Lynnwood should be looking at the potential loss of the Lynnwood Athletic Complex and making plans to retain the use of so great a resource. Think of all of the traffic pouring onto 184th. It is already difficult to navigate through the area during commercially-endorsed seasons of gift-giving. How much worse will it be with two massive retail developments dumping customers onto the same road?

The City Council is probably torn and mildly conflicted. Part of the Council seeks to protect recreational space and the other seeks to increase sales tax revenue from the new development across from the Alderwood Mall. Why not have your cake and eat it, too? As a City of great wisdom, with it's formative years guided by the likes of Mayors "Herk" Hrdlicka and Tina Roberts-Martinez, why not sharpen your pencils and craft a solution for everyone?

I think it would be a great idea to achieve a compromise. The Edmonds School District clearly believes they have no need for the property across from the Alderwood Mall. They seek to leverage the dirt to subsidize poorly-planned projects elsewhere in the District. If another public agency, like the City of Lynnwood, had a legitimate need for the Athletic Complex, why not take the federally-funded portion of the site through eminent domain? The District can ground lease the remaining portion to Cypress and still generate a bit of money for projects across the district.

The added benefit of such an approach would be the diversion of traffic to the north and the possibility of tying the two sites together with a pedestrian causeway. The Council would then be able to satisfy everyone at their table. Citizens seeking playfields would have what they want. City departments seeking more sales tax revenue would have what they want. The Federal government would even get what they originally spent a fortune to create in the first place.

Then you can choose to incorporate the area around the New Lynnwood High School on your own terms. Don't be bullied by the simple minds at the school district. The City of Lynnwood is far brighter than the rotten scoundrels and bobbleheads running the District at the moment.

I would personally contribute the first $5,000 to get the condemnation process started. No doubt, many others would quickly follow. You only get one chance to do this right. The right thing to do is to satisfy all impacted city residents and retain a regional asset.

Sincerely,

Mark Zandberg
Resident of Edmonds

Head of CPC puts new athletic complex in backyard.

Speak out against removing ballfields
On Thursday, March 27, the Recreation and Conservation Office Board (RCOB) met in Olympia to discuss the elimination of the Lynnwood Athletic Fields across from Alderwood mall. This was a public hearing and it is scheduled to continue in June.

I testified for our citizens group, Save Our Fields, in opposition to the removal of the athletic fields. From some of the board's comments, I felt that our concerns were being heard.

We feel it is important for the users of the fields and the Lynnwood residents to be brought into the process. The city of Lynnwood has expended hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to make the Alderwood-Lynnwood Fields into one of the premier facilities in the state.

Our group encourages the community to stand up to those who would level the fields in favor of more commercial development.

Please contact your Lynnwood elected officials and let them know how you feel about the loss of recreation and open space in our community!

Mark Laurence
Chair for Save Our Fields
Bothell

Fields will be moved to new site
I was concerned when I read a letter from Mark Laurence, April 4, 2008. ("Speak out against removing ballfields," Enterprise) He stated that the Lynnwood High School athletic fields would be lost to commercial development. I have been the 2006-2007 CPC (Citizens Planning Committee) Chairman for the Edmonds School District. Our job was to discuss and plan the development for the school district for the next 10 years. The "commercial development" is how we can afford to move the Lynnwood High School site to the North Road location. We have been in contact with the Lynnwood Parks Department as a team to move the current fields to the new North Road site. (Under construction right now.) Never were the intentions to dissolve the fields and have no space to play. The school district needs and wants those fields as much as anyone. We as the Citizens Planning Committee never wanted to lose those fields. If you have to fight about this, I wish you would understand that the [C]ity of Lynnwood needs to incorporate the North Road area to be able to spend money over here. That's the fight. The fields will go up for the Edmonds School District and be usable September 2009. There will be no lose [loss?] of recreation and open space. It will just be moved.

Carrie McAfee
Bothell

Planning "for the next ten years" shouldn't involve a 99 year lease. In fact, the District's own planning horizons are six and twenty years in length. Did you even read the Capital Facilities Plan? Is this hodge-podge collection of parents called the "Citizens Planning Committee" suggesting that they have some way of knowing the procreative habits of our future taxpayers - even those that have yet to relocate to the Edmonds School District. Do you have any clue at all as to what student enrollment will look like in 20 years, let alone 50 and 75?

So the District is trying to compel the City of Lynnwood, and its taxpayers to incorporate an area they may have already evaluated, considered and rejected. How does a school district that fails to adequately plan for their own future incur time and energy planning the future needs of the City of Lynnwood? Who at the City of Lynnwood asked the District for help?

A playfield in Bothell is not the same as a playfield in the middle of Lynnwood. This isn't like a cookie in the kitchen is the same as a cookie in the dining room. There are a lot of Lynnwood residents that have incorporated the Lynnwood Athletic Complex into their daily exercise routine. Afterall, the Mall doesn't want people walking around the inside of their building without spending money.

Ms. McAfee is from Bothell and refers to the new high school property as "over here". It sounds like a conflict of interest to have the head of the Citizens Planning Committee involved in moving an athletic complex closer to her own home. It is no surprise that Ms. McAfee would want the District to incur an ungodly expense improving her own neighborhood. I bet she doesn't live right on North Road and won't be negatively impacted by all of the resulting traffic. I would also bet that she lives at least ten blocks away from the New Lynnwood High School. Close enough to make it easily accessible but far enough away to avoid traffic congestion.

And another thing, master planner, how is it that a school district is building a replacement for Lynnwood High School when the field issue hasn't even been resolved yet? What happens if the Federal government decides to prevent the transplantation of a resource they have supported for decades?

I suspect that part of the problem, with the direction the District is now heading, has a lot to do with the calibre of parental oversight. If committees are not competent enough to hold public officials accountable, why would we expect an outcome favorable to the public?

Editorial: Okay, I cheated. Carrie McAfee does live ten blocks north of the New Lynnwood High School just off North Road.

District must be fiscally responsible

Most taxpayers are ignorant as to the workings of their school district and how priorities are set for spending their tax dollars. Despite having a 2004 planning document that predicted the current decline in enrollment and decrease in state funding (the 2004-2009 Capital Facilities Plan), the Edmonds School District opted to give its administrative staff raises this year. Now they are faced with cutting an additional $4.1 million to the $4.5 million they cut earlier this year.

This is not surprising for a district that spent $2.5 million more for a piece of property than it's worth for their new administration building, has in the works a $100 million-plus high school for students that should be absorbed into existing schools, and pays its superintendent, Nick Brossoit, $202,758 a year. That's more than Gov. Christine Gregoire, who makes just $163,618 annually.

They do this along with a laundry list of other poor fiscal decisions because we let them. Until they can prove they can spend tax money like it was their own, get out and vote no on any school proposition or levy.

Defeat the Edmonds School District Technology Levy on May 20.

Claire Olsovsky
Bothell

District seeks to reduce carbon footprint.

Edmonds School District No. 15
April 11, 2008

MEMORANDUM

To: P-12 Administrators

From: Ken Limón

Subject: SCHOOL START/END TIMES


As we have been discussing over the last several weeks since the legislative session ended, we are projecting a $4.5 million budget reduction challenge. This is due to the combined effect of the state COLA and pension rates, mid-point compensation, enrollment decline, and other impacts. Unfortunately, the state budget picture is one that suggests we will be undergoing the need to reduce budgets for the future as well. In January Superintendent’s Staff recommended, and the School Board agreed, that we would NOT change the staffing ratios for basic education classroom teaching positions for next year. Superintendent’s Staff has been reviewing the General Fund budget for the past several weeks researching potential areas for reductions and creating a reduction list. This list has been reviewed with the P-12 administrative team and the Budget Advisory Council (BAC) for input and feedback. Ultimately, the superintendent must recommend a balanced budget to the school board in late June or early July, with final adoption of the budget required by state law by August 31.

One of the major areas of rising costs over the last several years has been in student transportation. About 55 percent of our transportation costs are reimbursed by the state; the remainder is funded by our levy--about $3.4 million. In anticipation of the need to reduce transportation costs, in September the school board asked the Citizens Planning Committee to examine ways to create efficiencies in this department to reduce costs.

After several months of study CPC recommended a standardization of school start and end times. Combined with a plan to pair special education schools that are closer in proximity, the accumulated savings should be in excess of $204,000 for 2008-09. The simple fact is that this new system will allow us to use fewer busses and therefore achieve savings. Below are the recommended times from the CPC proposal. For Special Education students in the paired elementary schools, the times are slightly different. The school board has approved this change.

Standardized Bell Schedule for 2008-09

High School
7:00am - 1:50pm
(Exception of Edmonds/Woodway H.S.)

Middle School
8:00am - 2:30pm

Elementary Schools
8:00am - 2:30pm
8:40am - 3:10pm
9:20am - 3:50pm

Over the years schools have been able to modify their start and end times slightly to better meet their needs and those of their families, but next year we will have five common times for our schools. This is not the only change to save transportation costs; we are in the process of reducing costs further in this department to a total of at least $500,000.

I know that it is sometimes difficult to support a change in which there was little input, but until we are able to get State funding our students, teachers, and families deserve, we will be in the process of reducing and adjusting services.

Please feel free to share this information with your staff.

Editorial: Your staff reads the blog.

If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.

If the City of Lynnwood was asked to funnel millions of taxpayer dollars to a site located in Bothell, Mill Creek or unincorporated Snohomish County, would the City do it? The answer must be a resounding no. So why would the Edmonds School District unilaterally decide to uproot an established athletic complex and transplant it miles away, with the expectation that the City of Lynnwood would be interested in maintaining the site? Being located on the fringe of an area that might, one day be incorporated by the City of Lynnwood does nothing for the City’s taxpaying public. The site will draw far more people from Bothell and Mill Creek and become a resource for their community – but at no direct expense to them [aside from traffic impacts].

If the City and the District were neighbors and the District asked the City to go in on an expensive communal front yard, under what circumstances would the District be able to roll up that yard and move it to another neighborhood? Sure, the District might allow the City to come and sit on it once in a while, but why, after so much public money spent on the maintenance and improvement of the site would the City agree to let their investment go away? This seems like a serious misuse of tax money. The City of Lynnwood is being asked to invest in a communal resource that isn’t in the center of the community and therefore not a convenient resource for the majority of their taxpayers.

The City must have also developed a recreational plan around the Lynnwood Athletic Complex and likely made decisions about property acquisitions knowing they had access and on-going expenses there. How will the City backfill this tremendous void? How will the City accommodate all of the parking they need for their annual fireworks displays? How will the City recover from such a loss of recreational space to its community?

Federal funds were used to improve and enhance the Lynnwood Athletic Complex. These funds came from federal taxes and there is an obligation that such funds be used in a responsible manner. In order to even consider uprooting a federally-supported athletic complex, there must be a similar amount of comparable real estate taking its place. The new Lynnwood High School in Bothell, Mill Creek or unincorporated Snohomish County will hardly fit that bill. The Federal government identified the City of Lynnwood as being in need of infrastructural improvements and recreational opportunities. The District cannot, with a clear conscience, disregard that Federal mandate, roll up their carpet and drag it out of town. This would be no different than removing all of the furniture from Lynnwood City Hall and taking it to Mill Creek. The enhancement earmarked for one community cannot be easily transferred to another - and certainly not at the whim of an agency as small and as unsophisticated as a school district.

This would be the same agency that believes they have the right to sell public property - at any time - to support the pet projects of a flash-in-the-pan Superintendent. Public property must remain public property at all times. Just because one school administrator has a friend in need of property to develop doesn’t warrant the unloading of a public asset. Such an asset will only have to be restored at considerable expense when the children return. Without a doubt, the children will return. It would have been far better to allow another public agency to make use of the property in the interim.

Why is the Edmonds School District ground leasing the Edmonds Civic Playfields to the City of Edmonds for one dollar a year? Would it not have made more sense to sell the Civic Playfields to the City? Would it have made more sense to ground lease the Old Woodway Elementary site to the City of Edmonds for a period of ten years, while the City resolved their funding issues for an eventual purchase? During the ten year ground lease, the City could have demolished the building and improved the site. Of course, one would hope the property would lease for slightly more than a dollar a year.

It is deeply distressing to witness the thoughtless plundering that has gripped district administration. Their lack of wisdom is comparable to a crazy homeowner that removes his roof based upon a single day of sunshine. The District no longer does any real planning and missed their own boat, dock and lake regarding student enrollment forecasting. This same district now believes there will never be an increase in long-term student enrollment that might one day warrant a high school across from the Alderwood Mall AND on North Road.

The future taxpayers in our community will have Hell to pay. I just hope I won’t be around when the bill comes in.

Venable and venerable are two different words.

I would like to shine the light on the infamous, but never found, named or listed BAC - Budget Advisory Committee. Who is this? What kind of advisers are they? There are NO community members in this group. They are ALL a part of the Supt staff or department heads.

What kind of results can we expect the group farthest away from students to create? Searching the district website yields NO results. Telephone calls all shield the identity of the members.

It is certain that no one wants their name attached to the "proposal" to slash 4 million dollars.
And when is the "proposal" unveiled?

Regarding your last post-
Librarians HAVE been surplussed. The six smallest schools are being reduced to half time librarians. Six at the six smallest schools were asked to "give input" on their next assignment. Coincidentally, there just happened to be enough vacancies due to leave/non-continuing contracts. The spin is already underway to say that no librarians lost their jobs. How can this be a proposal? Let the double speak begin.

The difference between the sixth smallest and seventh smallest schools is less than ten students; possibly 1 depending on when and how you count. And why not cut partial FTE at a greater number of schools? This also plays the envy card between schools- the big vs the small. Who is responsible for boundary lines? Who is watching enrollment numbers? or is this a matter of convenience?

This is wrong in so many ways. To what extent is it a proposal, when you've already told six schools to plan on getting by with a half time librarian? Which means a library staffed half time; and dark half the time. Librarians who work hard to integrate technology? (so why get more with a levy?) Another way it's wrong is in creating second class schools. It may be more painful to close a school, but the levels of service should be equitable between schools. They all pay the same taxes. Other points briefly include curriculum collaboration, instructional support, access to books and technology, reading promotions, etc.

Of course, no one is suggesting part-time principals, or part-time supt. staff. There work is going down with fewer students right?

Librarians are inspired by the esd15 blog and have created an esd15lms.blogspot.com communication vehicle.

Please enjoy occasional entries from this blog with more details for librarians.

Our big goal is to get a huge crowd wearing red symbolic of bleeding at the April 22 Board Meeting. Cutting librarians cuts the wrong spots, and one too close to students.

Would you consider republishing your million dollar list of cuts? It was a great entry which will certainly be timely again very soon. Add to it the mailing of any PR to the households of the 6 cities. Mail runs every other day. No assistants to the assistants. etc. Transportation cuts. Outsourcing. Maybe you've got another million dollars out there?

Other item of interest-
Here is the "party line" which has gone out to staff, parents and others in the exact same form.

March 28, 2008

Dear Mountlake Terrace Elementary Staff,

I understand there are questions regarding the budget process. All school districts in the state are facing this type of fiscal challenge and are having to seriously look at reductions that none have ever wanted to consider, just to meet operational levels.

We do appreciate the service of all staff and we understand the need to pay employees a competitive wage; the issue is a lack of state funding to meet these obligations.

At this point there are a number of ideas that are being reviewed. Included is the idea of reducing the 6 smallest elem. school LMS positions to .5. Details associated with this type of change are still being reviewed. Also, the enrollment of special education students has been declining in the district; special services staff are processing reductions to match that decline. We will still be supporting special services with general fund dollars, well beyond state and federal funding.

These concepts and many others, including reductions to central office administrators, have started to be processed yesterday with the work of the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC). It will progress to the P-12 group later in April, then to the Board in a study session. The budget development process will continue through the end of the school year and results in our final recommendations to our Board in July and an August approval by the Board.

To even think about reducing staff we all value and know make a difference in children’s lives is painful. Any ideas generated that would help the district meet its fiscal realities for 08-09, are welcome and will be considered. However, few if any have been able to come up with ideas or areas we have not already reduced as a system in prior years. Thus, we are looking at reductions and changes in how we do the work, reductions in what work is done, and reductions in the number of staff available to do the work.

Thank you again for your dedication and passion in working with our students. I appreciate your patience as we work through this difficult task. We will keep you informed as the process continues.

Sincerely,

Sue Venable
Assistant Superintendent
Edmonds School District #15
(425) 431-7155
venables@edmonds.wednet.edu

Editorial: Thank you to another anonymous contributor.
Fun Factoid: Mark Zandberg is the son of a Librarian.

Fired Everett teacher going back to work

A journalism teacher fired for helping students publish an underground newspaper can return to the classroom under an agreement reached Friday with the Everett School District.

Kay Powers will receive full back pay for her time away and take an assignment at Henry M. Jackson High School later this month.

And the school district is no longer seeking to have her teaching credentials revoked.

"It should never have happened in the first place," said Kim Mead, president of the Everett Education Association. "I am overjoyed and thrilled that Kay is back where she should have been the whole time."

Under the deal, the 65-year-old Powers will resign effective Aug. 31, 2009, and will not teach journalism. She could not be reached for comment.

The district issued a one-sentence statement late Friday afternoon. It said: "The Everett School District and Kay Powers are pleased to announce that they have resolved their dispute to their mutual satisfaction."

The settlement will save money and staff time during what was expected to be a three-day hearing next week, said Valerie Hughes, an attorney representing the school district. The district was confident in the strength of its case against Powers, she said.

"It seemed like the prudent thing to do was to put the focus back on students and their academic achievement," Hughes said. "WASL week is next week and budget issues are always foremost in the minds of any school district."

Powers in June was placed on administrative leave from Cascade High School. The English and journalism teacher was accused of helping students produce an underground paper, The Free Stehekin, during school hours and on school computers despite being warned not to do so. She was fired in November.

In the firing letter, Superintendent Carol Whitehead outlined several reasons for Powers' dismissal, saying the teacher violated district policies and Whitehead's directives.

Powers has been teaching for 34 years, including 22 years in the Everett district. She appealed the firing and asked for an open hearing, which was scheduled to begin next Wednesday.

Her colleagues and former students said they said were glad to learn Powers will be returning to the classroom.

"I'm ecstatic," said Mike Therrill, a Cascade history teacher. "The students at Jackson have a real opportunity. I really do think (the district) thought she would blink and she didn't, but they did."

"I'm really happy that she will be teaching in the schools again," said Brynn Eden, a Cascade senior who worked with Powers as an editor of Tyro, a student-run literary magazine at Cascade.

"This is a complete victory and total vindication of Kay Powers," said Mike Wartelle, a teachers' union representative.

After firing Powers, the school district filed a report with the state's Office of Professional Practices, which could have led to the revocation of her teaching credentials. District officials said they were following legal requirements in filing the report.

As part of the deal reached Friday, the district agreed to notify the state agency that the matter has been resolved.

The problem at Cascade came at a time when the district was fighting for the administration's pre-publication review of student newspapers at its high schools.

The district earlier this year settled a lawsuit with two former Everett High School student editors, filed in 2005 after administrators demanded to review each issue of that school's student newspaper, The Kodak, before publication.

After that, students at Everett and Cascade high schools published newspapers off school grounds. Cascade High's student arts and literary magazine, Tyro, also went underground. Powers was adviser of the school-sanctioned Stehekin and Tyro before the lawsuit.

While still with the district, Powers last May filed a sworn statement in the federal court case supporting The Kodak students. Shortly afterward, the district met with an investigator on Powers' alleged misconduct, according to one of her attorneys, Mitch Cogdill.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer

Edmonds School District coaches quit

In a span of 72 hours, the Edmonds School District lost half of its boys' basketball coaches.

Gail Pintler's resignation Tuesday at Edmonds-Woodway was followed Friday afternoon by Lynnwood's Landon Porter.

"We were really blessed to have (Pintler) for the two years he stepped in," Edmonds School District athletic director Julie Stroncek said.

Hired on an interim basis after the 2005-06 season to replace Rob McMains, Pintler led the school to back-to-back state appearances. He guided senior-laden E-W (21-6, 14-2 Wesco South) to a seventh-place showing this year -- the school's best since it opened in 1990.

"The way we went out, it just feels right to do the second year and be done," said Pintler, who sought counsel from coaching colleagues while on vacation in Arizona last week.
Pintler, a 1962 graduate of Spokane's Central Valley High, led Shorewood to three top-four state finishes in two decades.

Pintler's position was already posted Friday afternoon on the district's Web site. Stroncek said applications will be taken until the position is filled, with a target date of mid to late May.

Porter, who in 2006 led Lynnwood to the school's first state appearance in two decades, is moving to New Mexico to be closer to his family. After losing almost everyone off that team, Porter went 16-30 overall and 10-22 in the Wesco South during the final two seasons of his eight-year stint.

Jan Beglau, director of student support and outreach for the district, will take over Stroncek's position beginning July 1. Stroncek, who has shared the district position with Angie McGuire, will then return to her former position of E-W athletic director. That position is being filled on an interim basis by assistant principal Geoff Bennett.

By Darren Fessenden
Seattle PI

The danger of not having a seat at the table.

When given the choice between thinning the herd at the trough or launching aggressive attacks at the schools, the District has chosen the latter. At the top of the District list for staff reductions is "Clerical Support". So, if you spend your day keeping everything moving forward at our schools, answering phone calls, dealing with students and their needs, pack your bags. The District believes that your job isn't important.

What better way to convince parents to vote for a Technology Levy than to have them always go straight to voicemail when they call a school.

Thank you for calling Edmonds Elementary. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, there is no one here to answer your call. Which is probably a good idea, because your question would likely have concerned your child and there is no one here to keep track of your child anyway. If you were calling to find out if your child even made it to school, you will have to wait and see if they get off the bus this afternoon. If they don't, we recommend that you immediately call other public agencies, because the Edmonds School District doesn't have the funding to provide inconsequential services. By the way, please vote for the Technology Levy so that in future, your messages can be automatically deleted - saving precious staff time listening to your senseless concerns.

If you happen to work in a clerical support position, don't feel left out. The librarians are behind you all the way. Their positions are slated for "adjustments" as well.

Population growth does not always generate more students.

Everett Public Schools is building its case for an "investment" in land for future schools. The district's foregone conclusion is that it needs three new elementary schools and additional classrooms for middle- and high-school students by 2028. But, is that premise valid?

As a district taxpayer and one of many property owners targeted for land acquisition, I seriously question it. The school district's singular and thinly researched justification relies on Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM) data purportedly stating district population will grow between 15 and 20 percent within 20 years. That is guesswork. OFM does not make population forecasts at the school-district level. Its most detailed forecasts are on a county-by-county basis.

Shouldn't the analytical bar be set much higher before serious consideration is given to acquiring land by an agency able to wield the power of eminent domain?

While OFM doesn't make school district forecasts, it does assess district population growth retrospectively.

The Everett school district's population increased a reported 10 percent between 2000 and 2007; that, notably, is in common with other more-urban school districts in Snohomish County.

Population growth in outlying Snohomish County school districts, by contrast, was much higher — ranging from about 15 percent to over 25 percent. Judging from the greater growth capacity in outlying areas and the absence of additional OFM forecasting tools, one can only conclude that future countywide population growth within 20 years will be similarly skewed toward outlying areas.

The outlying areas, with lower-cost housing, are magnets for growing families. Outlying school districts are more apt to swell than Everett's.

What impact has a 10-percent population growth had on Everett Public Schools' enrollment?

The district's own data indicate that between the 2000-2001 and 2006-2007 school years, there was a minor change in total enrollment of 155 students out of more than 18,500 students.

Put in perspective, this is an increase of about 0.2 students per classroom. That is hardly a ringing endorsement for the need for new schools. Moreover, population growth almost exactly offset the trend toward fewer school age children.

Can we anticipate a turnaround? And, what can we learn from our neighbors?

The adjacent Northshore School District is nearly identical to Everett's in past population growth and future growth potential. The Northshore superintendent has reported a trend of declining school enrollment. Northshore projects the loss of 626 students in the next three years, a number equal to the student population of an entire elementary school. The district reports this is not a result of student flight to private schools but of changing demographics. Despite population growth, there are simply fewer school-age children living in the area. Rather than expanding the number of schools, Northshore is considering which schools to close.

As individuals expected to sacrifice our properties and community — with all of the hard work, memories and satisfaction they represent — for the school district's benefit, it should not be too much to ask for it to be much more analytical and far less cavalier in defining real needs and how best to address them.

Perhaps a more justified use of public funds is to accurately scale the district's needs and make expansion plans for existing neighborhood schools, where the infrastructure to support them is already in place.

But, could another agenda be at work? The district's land interest is limited to properties next to the existing urban-growth-area boundary. Without a solid justification for new schools, the district's investment zeal looks more like land speculation pending movement of the boundary, and using eminent domain for muscle.

The district has considerable explaining to do. While doing so, it should consider this Will Rogers quote:

"We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others."

Dr. Eric Holmes is a biochemist who has lived in South Snohomish County for over 25 years. He and his wife own one of the properties being eyed for acquisition by Everett Public Schools.

A flurry of wine-saturated delirium

Recently, the Director of Facilities met with Maintenance staff to deliver the news that a clerical position, to be determined almost at random, will have to be offered up to the herd at the trough. A decree has been given - clerical support is not important. The District has just too many sows to feed and we all know the importance of sows. They produce pork chops, bacon and pork rinds.

It was also reported that a mysterious website has brought the new administration site to a standstill. No, it wasn't for a lack of funds. No, it wasn't for a lack of interest in the District's properties available for long-term ground lease. No, it has nothing to do with the contamination. The Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations has been so busy responding to an endless stream of public records requests that she can't manage to do anything else. Let's hope her shoes stay tied for fear she may tumble down the stairs at the ESC.

I find it mildly bewildering that the Assistant Superintendent has a number of law firms at the ready, dozens of capable employees at the end of her telephone and even an assistant with an assistant and yet these requests have gummed up the entire organization. There must be a lot of requests coming from a lot of other people - because it isn't me. I have six outstanding requests and they are on hold, due to a personal matter.

The delays at the new administration site have more to do with the manner in which development normally occurs in the District. Bamboozling taxpayers takes some degree of planning and coordination. You don't just rush in and baffle the public. You have to take your time fabricating circumstances and manufacturing illusions. It is becoming far too difficult to screw taxpayers when everyone is watching. Lay low for a while and then orchestrate another miscarriage of due process when everyone is distracted by something else.

Why wouldn't the construction process involve Capital Projects? Don't they manage the construction of district buildings? Why wouldn't they be moving the new administration site forward? Is it simply a matter of selecting a developer? I have never seen the Assistant Superintendent involved in "officially" selecting a contractor. Why wouldn't Purchasing be involved in this process? Isn't that why we have a Public Works Contract Coordinator and a Purchasing Manager? Shouldn't they be working to move this issue forward? Just what is the real reason for this lengthy delay?

To the Director of Facilities Operations, on behalf of the mysterious website, please refrain from advertising for others while on the District's dime. If we have something to share, we have the medium to do so. With your employer cutting deals with friends of management, the rest of the District would like to stay informed and this mysterious website seems to be meeting a demand. While we would love to take responsibility for forcing people to stop and think about the new administration site, I fear the actual reason has nothing to do with thinking or deliberation. The time for that was back in 2005 when lesser minds rushed forward in a flurry of wine-saturated delirium.

Those in charge are the problem

Every taxpaying citizen in Washington should be outraged at the revelation that the Northshore School District's administrators, who are paid $100,000 on average, also receive $1,800 to spend on personal technology. If that isn't bad enough, these arrogant public servants have the gall to justify this travesty with "we work long hours without extra pay." I didn't realize that "extra pay" was part of the $100,000 package, while our teachers, who are most responsible for success in the classrooms, work for less than half of administrator salaries. Now we know why more of our hard-earned tax dollars are not making it to the classrooms!

The problem with our public schools isn't necessarily that they need more funding. The problem is that unions and out-of-touch administrators are running them. If we truly want reform, then it's time to turn off the reality TV shows, and put our time and energy where it matters! The other discernible difference would be to fire both our governor and the Legislature, as they continually claim to be "for the children," yet refuse to hold those responsible for the lack of results in our public schools accountable. Re-election seems to trump standing for our kids.

Kerri Lonergan
Lynnwood

Government is fat, lazy and stupid but has a cute smile.

Mr. Zandberg:

I note with interest on your ESD weblog the State Auditor's Campaign and your remark regarding the slogan. I had the same thought and sent Brian Sonntag an email. Here is the email and his response. I thought this might interest you. I'm not sure what to make of this other than to provide another example of how some efforts by state government to make an enterprise cover all situations results in the original message being rendered largely incomprehensible.

Cheers!

[Deleted]

From: [Deleted]
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 5:19 PM
To: Brian Sonntag

Subject: Brochure

Mr. Sonntag:

Your office has published a brochure which on the cover asks, "Have you seen fraud, waste, abuse or efficiency in state or local government?" I believe the word "inefficiency" was intended instead of "efficiency". The word "efficiency" is used twice in the brochure where reasonably the word "inefficiency" was intended.

I am not discounting of course the possibility that ironic humor was intended.

Sincerely,

[Deleted]

Mr. [Deleted]:

Thanks for your comment on our brochure. I agree with you that the word "inefficiency" would read smoother. However, when the Legislature passed the law creating this program they had much debate over the words and their effect. The sentiment was to provide an opportunity for people to report examples of efficient or effective government efforts. I assure you there was no attempt at ironic humor on our part. Maybe we can come up with a better way to explain this on future publications.

Thanks again.

Brian Sonntag
Washington State Auditor

In the Pacific Northwest, all roads lead to the Mill.

Monday, April 7, 2008 (2:00 PM)

Mr. Zandberg:

Please be advised that the Edmonds School District is running behind in responding to your pending public records requests due to a personal matter. We are currently aware of six pending requests, and will send responsive documents as soon as possible.

We anticipate that any overdue requests will be fulfilled no later than next week, and all other requests will be fulfilled within the time period previously projected.

Regards,
Sarah Spierling Mack
Attorney

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 (11:21 AM)

During the week of April 7th I'll be intermittently out of the office due to a family medical emergency. I will respond to your message as quickly as possible when I return. If you need to speak with someone immediately, please call Sandy at 425.431.7052.

Thank you,

Marla Miller
Assistant Superintendent, Business and Operations

Editorial: I hope it isn't serious.

And then there were three...again.

The Granite Falls School Board has again narrowed its list of superintendent candidates to three.

The decision, made Saturday, is the second time the board has chosen a list of finalist candidates in the search for someone new to lead the 2,300-student district.

After a first search in February, it decided it didn't have the candidate it wanted and started a new search.

Finalists this time are:

Warren Hopkins, who has spent the past 14 years in the Arlington School District as a high school principal, an assistant superintendent and a deputy superintendent.

Karen Koschak, who teaches reading and writing in the Seattle School District and was superintendent of the Aberdeen School District from 1994 to 2001. She also taught in the Marysville School District from 1971 to 1987 and was a principal in the Edmonds School District in 1993.

Glen Szymoniak, assistant superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in Soldonta, Alaska.

"We are excited with the candidates and look forward to seeing how our staff and community responds to them," school board President Siobhan Sullivan said. "All three finalists are highly qualified and have worked in small districts. We hope to find a candidate that fits our community and would be best suited for the needs of our kids."

The board is looking to replace Superintendent Joel Thaut, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

The district received 10 applications on its second search and more than half have been superintendents before, said Wayne Robertson, a consultant helping the board look for a new leader.

"The first time there was something about the timing or the chemistry that wasn't quite there," Robertson said. "They know this is the most important work they do and the rest of the work falls behind this decision. They are focused and they are really committed to doing what's best for the district."

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

Eric Stevick
Herald Writer

Death is life's way of telling you you're fired.

Student enrollment is falling but fortunately the new 2008-2013 Capital Facilities Plan is about to be presented to the Board for adoption. Of course, the Board will read the document completely, understand its conclusions and plan accordingly so that future "forced" reductions in staff and programming can be anticipated several years in advance.

Of course, the District knows enough to advertise in the Herald that the 2008-2013 Capital Facilities Plan is scheduled for presentation to the Board. The ad will run one week prior to the first reading (without action) so that participation by the public will be possible. Since the Board doesn't understand the purpose of the CFP, maybe someone from our community will step forward and explain the importance of the document and the value of its conclusions.

The Capital Facilities Plan is a powerful tool and has a proven track record of anticipating demographic trends. To run a business that is solely-dependent upon public funding, management really needs to understand the trends that govern the size of their public assistance check. If student numbers continue to fall, the check will get smaller. By smaller I mean that the money that is transferred to the District gets smaller. The actual check stays the same size.

As a brain-toting member of the public, if I was told that the health of my business was dependent upon my arrival at a certain location at a designated time, I might exert a little effort to ensure that I arrived when expected. Better still, if I had people on staff that were specifically hired to provide a map to the destination, I might just take the time to use the map to improve my chances of arriving at the right place at the right time. If the goal was to be in Bellingham at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, I wouldn't start driving south from Lynnwood at 1:45 PM on Tuesday.

As a school district, we seem to be expecting students and staff to follow directions. The student appears in the classroom at the designated time and expects something in return. The teacher is paid to arrive at the same location, at the same time to provide a service. What would happen if the student decided to sit outside on the curb and the teacher decided to provide services in the library? Would the District be accomplishing their mission? How is the lack of regard for a planning document any different? Enrollment is dropping and yet no adjustments to staff or programming are taking place until the Grim Reaper is at the door. Why wouldn't gradual changes be put in place when you see the bad news coming several years in advance?

Fun Factoid: There will always be Death and Taxes, but Death doesn't get worse every year.

Putting improper cash handling in perspective.

She stole $143,000 from the Edmonds School District and is going to jail for 14 months:

Lewin, a former district bookkeeper, has no criminal history, and she stood to spend just three months or less in the county jail under the state’s sentencing laws.

By law, Bowden was able to go beyond the standard sentencing range because Lewin had agreed that what she did was a major economic offense against the school district.

Deputy prosecutor Adam Cornell asked for only four months in jail. Lynnwood defense lawyer Michael Mulvihill recommended three months or less.

Bowden acknowledged that Lewin cooperated with school officials and the state auditor when the theft was discovered. She also pleaded guilty, saving the state the expense of a trial.

“Candidly, that saved you a considerable amount of time,” Bowden told her.

After imposing the surprise prison term, Bowden said “I do not do so lightly. I do so because of the magnitude of the crime.”…..

Besides prison, Lewin is obligated to pay back a big chunk of the money, and may be made to pay the rest when an ongoing civil lawsuit is completed.

Hunter and Mulvihill have agreed that she owes at least $68,500.

This information came from "The Subduction Zone"

Now, knowing that Ms. Lewin served a considerable sentence because "what she did was a major economic offense against the school district", how then, should the courts look at the Piano Scam?

If you look at just the amount that Marla Miller willingly handed over to her friend, Arnie Tucker (and then promptly asked to have returned), that $40,000.00 is nearly 60% of the total that Ms. Lewin conservatively liberated from district accounts. Of course, the actual Lewin haul was much larger, but the lesser amount cited by prosecuting and defense attorneys was the figure used in the ensuing guilty plea. The Miller haul is a little more difficult to quantify.

The Piano Scam was likely hatched while "on the clock" for the District, while sitting in a district chair, with feet on a district desk and plotting on a district telephone. Ms. Lewin's offense did not involve anyone else. She didn't have to burn productive hours chatting up her accomplice. She didn't have to meet anyone at a local coffee shop to scheme up ways to make the transaction look legitimate.

Lewin and Miller both violated RCWs. Lewin used a direct approach and just skimmed funds from district accounts. Miller avoided legally-required competitive bidding processes to skim funds for the benefit of a third party. While the Lewin impact can be quantified by critically-evaluating accounts, the Miller impact will never truly be understood because competitive forces, which change with prevailing market conditions, cannot be recreated with any degree of certainty. There may have been a generous philanthropist in our community with 14 brand new pianos just sitting around collecting dust. We will never know.

Of course, Lewin had limited access and limited responsibilities. Her take was restricted by the nature of her work. Miller, on the other hand, realized that no one noticed that she just bamboozled the District with a Piano Scam and could upgrade to something like purchasing contaminated property for millions more than actual value.

It is clear that the Piano Scam was illegal. Whether the State Auditor calls it a crime has yet to be seen, but the impact to taxpayers is the same as if these funds were just taken home by a bookkeeper. If the State Auditor does cite this transaction as being illegal, will the school board act on this information and terminate Miller? If the school board decides not to terminate Miller, they would essentially be endorsing corruption and supporting the theft of public funds. In such a case, the school board would have to be eliminated before more damage is done. Eliminating a school board would require a recall petition.

Fun Factoid: So, if Lewin's haul was $143,000.00 and resulted in a sentence of 14 months. Miller's haul of $40,000.00 from the Piano Scam and $2,300,000.00 from the new administration site should result in a sentence of 234 months, or just a bit under 20 years.

Confidence in schools chief wavers among educators

Kit Raney has considered Terry Bergeson a friend for 28 years.

They met through the Washington Education Association, and Raney was drawn to Bergeson's energy and vision for the teachers union.

When Bergeson ran for vice president in 1981, Raney, then a Snohomish elementary teacher, volunteered to help with the campaign. Raney helped Bergeson successfully campaign for WEA president and for the state superintendent of public instruction three times.

This year, things are different.

Like thousands of educators in the Puget Sound region, Raney is considering taking a no-confidence vote against Bergeson. Citing the superintendent's continued support of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, several Snohomish County branches of the Washington Education Association are discussing a no-confidence vote for later this month.

Bergeson is up for re-election this fall.

"It's hard for me not to support her, but I think we need new leadership at OSPI (the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)," said Raney, president of the Snohomish Education Association. "The WASL is a symptom of the problems with Terry's leadership. I think that she has blinders on as far as the WASL and has a stay-the-course mentality that isn't working."

Local branches of the teachers union in Marysville, Lake Stevens, Edmonds, Snohomish and Mukilteo are among those considering a no-confidence vote.

It's difficult for Bergeson to consider losing the support of teachers and a union she once led.

"The kids and the teachers, to me, are what my whole life has been about for 44 years of work in education," she said Friday. "I would feel very sad to get a vote of no confidence."

This is the first year Washington students must pass the reading and writing portion of the WASL to graduate. In late March, lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire agreed to replace the math portion of the standardized test with tests on individual math courses.

Some teachers don't want the WASL to be a graduation requirement. They believe the test devours too many resources and puts too much pressure on students and teachers.

"There's a high level of concern about the amount of money and time it takes," said Catherine Kernan, president of the Mukilteo Education Association. "It doesn't really inform your teaching. When you get the WASL results back, the students have already gone on."

Supporters of the test say it gives diplomas meaning by making sure kids know the basics before they graduate.

The WASL is part of President Bush's No Child Left Behind plan, which aims to help all kids succeed by toughening standards and requiring more standardized testing."There's no question it's made our state a better state academically for children," Bergeson said.

The Washington Association of School Administrators agrees that the WASL has improved student performance. The test has given teachers and students a benchmark to work toward, said Barbara Mertens, assistant executive director of the association.

The WASL is not perfect, Mertens said, but she supports Bergeson's willingness to change the test over the years. Bergeson said she's currently working on a plan to help teachers check their students' WASL progress earlier. She also wants to strike more of a balance between testing and professional development for teachers.

"When you take an individual like Terry Bergeson who's been the superintendant of public instruction through all of those changes, I don't think that you can just focus on one thing like the WASL test," Mertens said. "You have to take her entire leadership contributions over the last 12 years into account."

Several local Washington Education Association chapters are surveying members now about the possibility of a no-confidence vote. They plan to make a decision in late April.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

Reporter Kaitlin Manry
425-339-3292
kmanry@heraldnet.com.

Everett district seeks to consolidate offices

Everett Public Schools is hoping to construct a new $28 million building for the district's administrative and support-services departments.

The district is looking for architects interested in designing a building on property it owns on Broadway Avenue, at the south end of Memorial Stadium near 41st Street in Everett.

For more than two decades, the district has been trying to consolidate these departments into a single building. Currently, administrative services operate in three buildings — Colby Educational Center, the Longfellow Building and View Ridge Elementary.

A spokeswoman for the district said the new building would be funded in ways other than bond or levy money, possibly by interest, rentals or sale of property.

Seattle Times

Editorial: This sounds familiar. They just need to ensure the site near 41st Street is contaminated and we'll have a match.

Teaching, learning and living requires a safe society.

We hope that you noted [the recent] hearings in Congress. They highlighted allegations of bullying and intimidation of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA inspectors are responsible for the oversight of maintenance records of every commercial airplane in the US. They are there to make sure that the airlines are properly maintaining the planes that we and our children, grandchildren and parents fly in, and that the planes are safe and airworthy according to federal regulations. It is a vital job.

Three FAA employees told their story of how they noticed that certain airlines weren't performing maintenance according to the rules. They testified, under oath, how their supervisors bullied and intimidated them after being notified of the violations. They told of being ignored, of being removed from their job and reassigned to a less responsible job, or of being threatened with firing if they took this information any further. In one case, a picture of one of the whistleblower's family was shown to him while he was told that they were "his first priority." The whistleblower took this as a direct threat to his job. He nearly broke down in tears while testifying. We understand. Perfectly. We've been there, done that.

It is not easy being a whistleblower. It is much easier to lack the moral courage necessary to speak up against improper actions and activities. We could not do that; we were not raised to let the bullying go unreported while our colleagues and students suffered. This is why we both went to the bullies on at least four occassions and tried to reason with them only to be shouted down. Bullied staff went to the bullies' superiors as well: Limon twice and HR once. HR REFUSED to meet with us (citing a need to "show the new people [Osborne] around"); Limon sided with the bully both times. It should have come as no surprise to those in authority (since they had done nothing to stop the bullies and had actually blocked our efforts to address the problem quietly through proper channels) that one of us would make a public request for the bullying to stop. What recourse did you have left? Run away as the bully demands? "If you don't like it here, go someplace else"?

We feel a kinship with the FAA whistleblowers who finally got to testify in public today. We understand the obvious emotional strain that they showed while telling their story. There is a certain level of isolation brought on by being a target; we had several colleagues refuse to walk or talk to us in the building. The isolation is compounded when you actually do speak up. People do not communicate their support unless they feel safe that they will not be dragged into the fray. Those who do not support you (the principal's buddies) are, however, quick to tell you of their displeasure.

Safe. That's the first requirement for students to learn. Safe schools. Safe learning environment. All administrators stand on top of the hill and shout out, "We need safe schools for learning to take place!" The same goes for teaching; we need a safe place to teach. When the principal literally leaps into your room just moments before the end of your planning period to take you to task over a very minor issue, you do not feel safe. When you are 2-on-1-team-bullied and accused of "enabling" a student to not write when you are actually following that student's individual education plan (IEP) and they are not, you do not feel safe. When the bully towers over you, leaning in physically, using their greater size to intimidate you, you do not feel safe.

When the teaching staff doesn't feel safe, they will not teach to their greatest potential, just as the students will not learn to their greatest potential in an unsafe environment. When the ESC support staff doesn't feel safe because they are being bullied or seeing others being bullied, they will not work to their greatest potential. The bullying manager robs from the employer, in this case the taxpayers of the district. They are stealing the best efforts of their employees. They are stealing from the students because the teachers are spending their creative effort trying to survive the situation. They are unable to direct the appropriate energies toward the students while they are in survival mode.

A safe place to work, not a hostile one. A safe place to teach, not a hostile one. A safe place to learn, not a hostile one. Is that so much to ask for?

Contributed by Richard and Chris Reuther

Organizational hierarchies must flatten to stay robust.

Mr. Reuther's input, as usual, is factual and insightful. I would want to emphasize that this climate is not a product of neglectful behavior on the part of District administration but rather the Edmonds School District intentionally creating an environment which fosters and rewards high turnover and has for the past two regimes. I vividly remember even former superintendent Brian Benzel when questioned about employees leaving over climate issues, openly responding that he was “glad people were willing to take risks” by moving on.

In many departments the high turnover rate is the base reasoning for justifying mid-management positions and to eliminate this factor would mean to undercut the apparent necessity of supervisory roles. Primary examples would be foodservice and custodial staff. It is in the interest of mid-management to maintain a work force that is seen as being unable to make intelligible decisions, possess appropriate work knowledge, and in general function to any appreciable degree without a liberal amount of managerial oversight (though one may certainly argue that custodial staff accomplished the former for some seven-ish years). Respect is reserved for employees capable of functioning with minimal oversight and it is therefore necessary that employees are afforded no such consideration.

Upper management requires mid-management to provide justification for their inflated roles. New, less tenured and less knowledgeable employees are an easy lot to intimidate and mold. Such employees are also less expensive in both base salary and benefits. The District makes no real effort to attract high quality candidates for most positions. The notion of retaining quality workers is not within the philosophy of “average compensation.” One could go on to lack of breath.

Climate reform is not going to occur in the District for the above reasons and a variety of other reasons covered in this blog. I would love to be proven wrong though I believe that I’m in little danger of wiping egg (or anything else originating from a similar anatomical proximity) from my face. As I have mentioned before – my crystal ball and the voices in my head rarely lie.

A penny for your thoughts - I just felt like contributing my two cents.

Editorial: The Edmonds School District needs a business leader. They need someone that understands what it takes for a business to succeed. Running a school district and educating children is a business and we need to refine and improve the manner in which we prepare our breathing widgets to join the workforce. Unless of course, it is the goal of this community to ensure that no greasy burger goes unflipped.

Thank you to another anonymous contributor.

District looks to cut admin jobs

Last year, when Edmonds School District officials cut about $4.5 million, they achieved almost half that savings by closing teaching positions.

This year, faced with about $4.1 million in cuts for the 2008-09, they've decided to maintain the current student-teacher ratio. Instead, they are looking at cuts in administration, including administrative jobs, as well as in other areas.

Officials didn't want to raise the student-teacher ratio again, said Marla Miller, assistant superintendent.

"All the cuts we're looking at now are coming from outside the classroom teachers," she said. "We're trying not to double up on things that took reductions last year. It's pretty serious."

As for administrative cuts, officials are looking at cutting four manager positions and some supervisory and support positions.

They aren't ready to announce which jobs those are because they haven't had a chance to talk to everyone affected, Miller said. She said the exact number of positions being considered for closure hasn't been finalized.

A recommendation on job closures and other cuts will go to the Edmonds School Board, which has the final say, she said. Two job closures have already been announced, including the director of student support and outreach programs. That position was held by Jan Beglau, who has taken a job as the district's new director of athletics.

Second, a manager in the business and operations department is transferring to a part-time professional-technical position.

"Wherever we have retirements, we will look at whether the position needs to be filled," Miller said.

For example, Reg Clarke, director of transportation, is retiring this year. That position will be filled, Miller said.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here.

By Sarah Koenig
Enterprise reporter

Soft ticks live in crevices and emerge briefly to feed.

Trekking through the woods can present a few hazards along the way. These hazards are part of the process of exploring new and uncharted territory. I am not the sort of person that keeps to the well-manicured fairways or greens. In fact, I am not a big fan of golf. I prefer to scout around and look for new and exciting things. The sort of things that golf course managers dump over the fence - out of public view and with limited chance of public exposure.

Of course, when you spend so much time making your own trails, you may pick up a few ticks along the way.

It was recently reported that a complaint was shared with my former co-workers immediately following a staff meeting on Monday, March 31st. The complaint alleges that emails are being sent on a regular basis to the husband of a district employee. These emails apparently claim that the recipient's wife is unfit for her position with the District.

I find it mildly amusing that someone might actually think that I have the time and energy to send daily emails in an effort to undermine the professional credentials of a former co-worker. If I felt the need to make such a claim, it would be far more efficient to do so on the blog. It is a highly effective medium after all.

I have an unwritten rule when blogging. I don't attack or criticize people that are forced to contend with the same sort of incompetence that I had to deal with while at the District. I will not attack the Custodial Manager, Maintenance Manager, Custodial Supervisors, Safety Specialist or Office Manager. They are doing the best job they can under the circumstances. They have my sympathy and therefore will not be the target of any inquiry, unless they start downloading porn on company time or start wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.

What is even more unbelievable is that the claim was made on a Monday afternoon and I was approached by the same person at the Partners in Emergency Preparedness conference in Tacoma less than 24 hours later. We had a short and mildly uncomfortable exchange. At no time was it mentioned that emails were being sent to her husband. That would have been an ideal time to request that these emails stop. It was a public place. It was full of first responders. There was no imminent threat to any one's security.

The only rational explanation is that these emails are imaginary. I am not sure as to the motivation of the allegation. Perhaps someone seeks to bolster their status in the department while attacking my reputation at the same time. Perhaps someone seeks to be identified as a victim or a target. I just don't understand.

I have offered to investigate the matter. If provided with a couple of these email messages, (with header in tact) I will promptly determine the origin. Better still, ask Donovan Bray to investigate, if he has the time, inclination, or the ability to evaluate imaginary email.

Director of Transportation transported in a new direction.

For those of you who have had the pleasure of working with Reg Clarke, (soon-to-be-former) Director of Transportation, the news of his departure must be terribly sad.

On more than a few occasions, I have had to work with Transportation to ascertain where bus stop locations should be placed to most effectively serve district students. It has always been a pleasure.

Like everyone else in business, property developers are constantly trying to reduce expenses and maximize profit for their company. One very effective way to maximize profit is to minimize the number and magnitude of off-site improvements frequently imposed by County government. The sort of off-site improvements that are normally shifted to the developer include neighborhood sidewalks, specifically the ones that take new students to existing bus stops.

The County relies on local school districts to provide information about where new bus stops should be placed or how existing bus stops should be relocated to accommodate new homes in new neighborhoods. When an existing bus stop is 300 feet away from a development, the school district provides that location to the County and the County provides it to the developer. When the developer receives this unprofitable bit of news, they immediately call the school district to complain about how the current bus stop doesn't make any sense and how a public agency needs to be concerned about the public - specifically the developer.

Weaker minds would take the easy way out and just modify the original response to accommodate the developer's profit-driven demands. This approach would shift the cost of infrastructural improvements back to the County (or future incorporating City) and unfairly penalize the taxpayer by subsidizing new development. I have always believed that it is far better to have the necessary improvements installed while the demand for these improvements is being created. Waiting for the County to build a sidewalk can take a long time and may never actually happen. Unless a child is struck by a car.

When I was contacted by a developer, I walked them through this string of facts and most of them agreed that off-site improvements were necessary, and in fact were an enhancement to the developer's project. However, there were a few developers that required face time and wanted to poke and prod at our organizational justification and methodology. That is when I called Reg.

Reg is a treasure trove of valuable facts and statistics about the real cost of creating a new bus stop. Every time a bus slows down, stops and then speeds up again, 1/16th of a gallon of fuel is consumed. Over the life of an additional bus stop, this can be a phenomenal expense that quickly dwarfs the real cost of sidewalk construction in today's dollars.

Reg also knows the District's service area better than most. In having conversations with him over the telephone, it was almost as if he was mentally driving down the very road we were discussing. Details were plentiful. Facts were abundant. The man is a genius and the master of his profession. If he was even a little unclear about a possible bus stop location, he would drive out to the site to refresh his memory and deliberate the issue completely.

Every now and then it would be necessary to meet with prospective developers. People that were aware of the District's status as a public agency, tapped our resources when they were pondering the acquisition of sites to develop. Reg always responded promptly, knowing that informing a developer in advance would usually result in the construction of needed sidewalks through the inclusion of this expense in their cost-benefit evaluation.

It has become a bit of an open secret that the new site offers some real traffic challenges. While the Alderwood Mall location is ideally-positioned to allow for the starting of all of the District's buses early in the morning without concern from neighbors, the new site will definitely have a dramatic impact.

There is also the issue of access. The Mall, by virtue of the fact that it draws customers from every part of the region, offers great access to the District's fleet of buses traveling in the opposite direction to collect the children of these same customers. The traffic impact along Cedar Valley Road will be mind-numbing. If you live in this neighborhood, now would be a good time to sell. Contact the blog if you need an exceptionally gifted real estate agent. We would be happy to recommend one.

Without a doubt, a man of Reg's exceptional wisdom, would know when to get out of Dodge (and I don't mean the vehicle made by Chrysler). If the District is so committed to manufacturing a permanent legacy for "Nicky Suspenders" without regard for the more practical issue of minimizing the expense to taxpayers, who is Reg to throw himself under the organizational bus.

A wise man knows when to leave, even if he has no place to go.

Editorial: The new Planning and Property Management Clericalist should print this entry for the insight it provides.

Wasting our greatest resource - the minds of our children.

The district ended the ninth grade IB lottery that allowed my friend's children to attend the Edmonds Woodway IB program. Without kids coming from around the district, enrollment has been DRASTICALLY lowered at Edmonds Whitepeople [Woodway?], which will now host only kids as rich as their normal population. The rich kids get all the IB classes they want!

My friend's younger children have been told to attend the honors program at their home school for the next two years. When they asked to see the plans for the honors program at Mountlake Terrace, they were told it would be forthcoming. It is now almost April. Do they have a plan for the children at Mountlake or Lynnwood? ABSOLUTELY NONE.

Ask Dr. Limon and the principals for the honors plan. Ask who is teaching the classes. Ask about the special honors training for the teachers. NONE NONE NONE.

So, two high schools in the district will now have real honors classes in the AP and IB programs. And the kids from the other side of the district will get NOTHING. And they aren't even hiding it!!No more small schools and no freshman and sophmore honors classes at Mountlake.

A new building with no honors classes at Alderwood Mall High School.

Do I at least still get to vote??!?

Editor: This was contributed by an anonymous author.