My letter to Susanna Williams, chair of 37th Dems

Dear Chairperson, 2-14-2011

I understand there is a meeting at 7:30 this evening at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 S Alaska St) in Columbia City.
(Social time begins at 7:00)

Please request Rep. Santos to have a hearing on HB 1891 to delay Washington's adoption of the Common Core Standards.

Four 4 years I and many others have worked diligently to attempt to improve education in the Seattle Schools and particularly the schools in the 37th.

I have zero to show for results.

The best thing about NCLB was that OSPI testing gives us results for each school by demographic category. That was about the only good thing that has happened for education in the 37th for the last 14 years under OSPI and Bush's NCLB.

I thought with a President, US Congress, Governor, and State House all under democratic party control for the majority of 2008-2011 things would be better. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved over the last two years and now the future for WA State Education is looking substantially worse.

Washington State's adoption of the Common Core State Standards promises to be more expensive kicking of the can down the road for many additional years.

The Four RttT "Turn around models" are incredibly poorly designed.

The Seattle Schools and the State regularly violate the State constitution.

Check out the two attached pieces of data. Why was this allowed to happen?

Why is Rep. Santos in favor of spending $183,000,000 on more pointless activity?

Note: Dec. 11, 2010 The Gov. and the Legislature decided to essentially steal $208,000,000 headed to help local school districts from the Feds and put it in the general fund. Now the adoption of more misdirection will cost $183,000,000 ...... WOW how will they misuse the other $25 million left over?

In depth information on the Governor's failure to act on Seattle School District forgery is attached (Melody Younglove).

A lot of additional information can be found on my BLOG.

In closing, let me say that both the Federal Dept of Education and the Inspector General's Office of the National Science Foundation have failed to act on substantive complaints. They are just as useless as the Governor in correcting our rampant education problems in the 37th. The Idea of Federal control of State Standards and curriculum is completely absurd ... take a look at the schools in the 37th ... how can that spending be a solution?

Thanks,

Dan Dempsey

Attached were these four:

37th District Schools in Seattle result from the SPS Scorecard.
http://www.box.net/shared/qots8cjhgk

Melody Younglove of Gov's Office apparently is opposed to enforcement of felony laws.
http://www.box.net/shared/p1flo9i49o

Overview of Seattle Community Colleges remediation Data for Fall 2009
http://www.box.net/shared/ts9pnvltaq

Remediation rates for several years.
http://www.box.net/shared/69rk11569d

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We are finishing the fifth week of the session, and heading into the year’s first legislative milestone – policy committee cut-off. After February 17, no further House bills can be voted out of policy committees this session. I’ve learned that there are many points in the legislative process where bills can die but no place that a bill can board an express train to passage. This committee cut-off is the first hurdle that will eliminate many bills from further consideration. The normally frenetic pace here will get even more hectic as this deadline approaches!