cynical

Proposition 1B, the “trust me” prop

Someone told me that during the endorsement proceedings at the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle held on September 24th, Councilmember Tim Burgess stated that students in his Preschool for All program would not be assessed using a “bubble test”.

Well that’s good because it’s really hard for a three or four-year old to hold a #2 pencil and fill in a tiny little circle.

The week before, someone on the Levy Oversight Committee who is pro-1B, stated in an endorsement meeting that I attended as an Education Committee member with the League of Women Voters (LWV), that there would be one test given at the end of the school year, a standardized state test, to evaluate the students and the program. The name of the test was not specified.

Which is it, or is it either?

I’m still standing by my prediction that preschoolers will be tested just as they have been in another preschool program that is being overseen by the Levy Oversight Committee. See #1 in the 11 Reasons why Seattle’s Preschool for all Proposition 1B is a bad idea post, and those scores will determine the amount of funding received by the preschool. Unfortunately the subsidies will directly correlate to test scores. The lower the overall assessments, the less money the program will receive.

By the way, according to the proponent of 1B who spoke to the LWV Seattle Education Committee, the Preschool for All program is to have eight committee members, four from the Levy Oversight Committee and four mayoral appointments.

Proposition 1B is a “trust me” proposition where all of the details will be worked out if it is approved, and will be developed  into an Implementation Plan under the auspices of two hired consultants, one of them being Ellen Frede who is Senior Vice President of Education and Research for Acelero, a for-profit venture that has taken over Head Start programs in four cities so far. See A for-profit approach to Head Start and Seattle PreSchool for All Proposition 1B: Acelero, the fox watching over the hen house.

What’s there not to trust?