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Friday, October 16, 2015

Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Can't Quit the Alliance That Fast

Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Can't Quit the Alliance That Fast:

District Can't Quit the Alliance That Fast



As I reported, the district and the Alliance for Education each put out a letter, outlining the dissolution of their 20-year partnership.  As I also said, there is something bittersweet to this as the Alliance started with the blessing of the late Superintendent John Stanford.  Here they are in one place at Scribed.

I was around then and I always did think of the Alliance as its own separate self but it was very much put forth as being a fundraising (to help meet challenges and gaps and provide enrichment) group as well as a civic cheerleading group for the district.  I remember the early years of pre-first-day-of-school pep rallies at Mariners field with a huge number of parents, teachers and children.

But there was a lot of upheaval and the Alliance morphed much more towards its business side.  I believe the Alliance was impatience with the slowness of change and very much wished it could control who sat on the Board and their governance. 

But these letters! Well, there's some hurt feelings, misunderstandings and at least one item that I suspect could end up in court.

Highlights from the district:

"...to outline concerns about the Alliance CEO."