No Confidence in Seattle School Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson

Declaration of No Confidence in Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson

by the Parents & Community of Seattle Public Schools 

 

A:         Whereas the Superintendent is a member of the board of directors of the Broad Foundation, which lobbies for and financially supports the privatization of public education via charter schools across the nation, and

 B:         Whereas the Superintendent's Strategic Plan was drawn up by McKinsey & Co, known for their nation-wide advocacy for charter schools, and

 C:        Whereas the Superintendent's poor judgment and handling of school closures, resulted in needless disenfranchisement of minority families and the overcrowding of schools, and

 D:        Whereas the Superintendent's New Student Assignment Plan will result in increased racial and economic segregation, and

 E:         Whereas the Superintendent's New Student Assignment Plan has resulted in the splitting of families, weakening communities and creating unnecessary logistical issues for those families, and

 F:         Whereas the Superintendent's poor management resulted in laying off, then rehiring needed teachers, and

 G:        Whereas the Superintendent's performance management plan relies on MAP testing purchased from the NWEA, of which organization the Superintendent is a board director, and

 H:        Whereas the Superintendent's performance management plan does not address the real needs of struggling students but instead holds teachers and schools accountable for issues beyond their control, and

 I:          Whereas the Superintendent's "inclusion model" for special education and English Language Learning students does not provide sufficient resources to support these student's needs without reducing class sizes,

 J:         Whereas, the Superintendent attempted to lower graduation GPA requirements, and

 K:         Whereas the Superintendent was responsible for the ineffective management of grants important for sustaining minority programs, particularly Native American programs, and

 L:         Whereas the Superintendent has failed to submit a Certified as Complete and Correct Record for four grassroots-initiated law suits in violation of RCW 28A.645.020, thereby circumventing citizen's rights to due process in appealing various School Board decisions, and

 M:        Whereas, after the District excluded evidence in deciding on high school instruction math materials and the Superior Court then found that decision to be Arbitrary and Capricious, the Superintendent refused to obey a court order requiring the School Board to remake the decision using all the evidence; instead the Superintendent is appealing the Superior Court's decision, and

 N:        Whereas  the Superintendent allowed Seattle Public Schools to give out the names of parents and teachers to a public relations firm for a politically-motivated survey carried out by a commercial enterprise, and

 O:        Whereas the Superintendent's District Administration is top heavy in management personnel (especially Broad-linked staff) compared to other similar-sized Districts, yet cuts have come out of classrooms, not management, and

 P:         Whereas the State Auditor has taken the Superintendent to task twice for serious accounting irregularities and required changes have not been made, and

 Q:        Whereas the Superintendent attempted to charge a management fee for handling money raised by PTSAs, and

 R:        Whereas, despite having an in-house Human Resources Department, the Superintendent hired a Broad Foundation-linked consulting firm to hire principals, which firm then advertised on Craigslist http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/edu/1737149149.html, and

 S:         Whereas, the Superintendent said in her first District interview she would not change any school or program that was working well http://www.westseattleherald.com/2007/04/10/news/school-board-chooses-two-final-superintendent-candidates), one year later she targeted some of the District's strongest schools and programs, uprooting, splitting and co-housing Nova, APP, T.T. Minor's Montessori program, and threatening many of the District's alternative schools, and

 T:         Whereas there is widespread public dissatisfaction with the Superintendent's leadership http://www.cppsofseattle.org/News/May10/supt-surveyMay2010.pdf, and

 U:        Whereas teaching staff at several Seattle schools are so concerned about the Superintendent's poor leadership and management record that they have passed resolutions of NO CONFIDENCE in her,

Be it resolved the parents and community of Seattle Public Schools hereby declare  we have NO CONFIDENCE in the leadership of Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and believe her contract should not be extended.

June 2010