Press release from SEA:
With the growing number of schools taking no confidence votes in Seattle Public Schools’ Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson, over one hundred elected association representatives for the Seattle Education Association (SEA) debated the merits of taking a no confidence vote as a body at their monthly business meeting tonight. The SEA representatives decided to postpone a vote of no confidence until they hold an SEA General Membership meeting at the start of the school year. The general membership meeting will be held to ratify or reject a tentative negotiated agreement. SEA President, Olga Addae stated, “The representatives decided they wanted to see how the superintendent manages the negotiation process this summer. They also want to have more of our members involved in the decision of whether we support the superintendent or if we have no confidence in her.”
The association representatives did vote to recommend to the school board that they not extend the superintendent’s contract at this time. The members felt that just as they are being held accountable to show growth when their performance needs improvement, the superintendent should prove that she can make significant improvement in the areas that the school board has identified prior to another year extension in her contract. “Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson currently has a contract until 2012, over two years from today. Our representatives felt the school board can wait until improvement is made before guaranteeing her another year on the job,” Addae said.
Seattle Education 
Here’s the letter I sent to SEA leadership last week:
Dear Olga, Glen and Brian – according to the SEA website:
“SEA’s mission:
SEA is the voice of school employees in Seattle, uniting members as powerful activists for professionalism, equity and integrity in public education.”
Many parents DO NOT see teachers or the union as our enemies. We see you as our partners in working together to ensure our children get the highest quality education possible within the public education system.
And you and I both know that the best environment enabling the best learning is one based on healthy relationships, collaboration, co-operation, and respect.
Many of us think parents and teachers should stand together against a common ‘threat’ to the well being of our schools and children – namely Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and the national corporatist privatisation agenda she is implementing in Seattle on behalf of what Diane Ravitch calls the Billionaire Boys’ Club.
Many parents are aghast at the collusion the AFT and Randi Weingarten seem to be engaging in with these rapists and shapers of public education.
We hope and trust the SEA is more committed to its members and is doing a better job at protecting their interests by not selling away their rights and sovereignty.
Many parents support you in your struggles with SPS management in ensuring that teachers are respected and recognised appropriately for their professionalism, skill, dedication and commitment.
Many of us would stand on a picket line with you, if and when teachers chose to strike to demand good salaries, benefits and working conditions, including more support and resources and smaller class sizes.
Teachers and students/parents: two legs of the three-legged stool that is SPS. The community’s stance against the Superintendent strengthens the union’s position. If we work together, we present the Superintendent with an insurmountable obstacle to implementing more of her reformist agenda, including bringing in merit pay, the attack on seniority, RIFing more teachers etc. Why would you not want that?
So, I am writing to ask if you – the SEA – will support our Community Declaration of No Confidence:
http://www.petitiononline.com/S3B62010/petition.html
and bring your presence to the Community Rally we will be holding tomorrow evening, Wednesday 16th June 2010, from 5.30pm at the John Stanford Centre in town (details in flyer attached). If you want a speaking slot, we would be happy to oblige.
Please contact me by telephone (206 679 1738) if you wish to be a part of this event.
Your signatures on our Declaration would also be welcome, as would your clear signal to your members to sign our Declaration and to hold votes of no confidence in the Superintendent within their own schools, as seven schools have so bravely done already.
I am happy to discuss this further with you.
In the meantime, thank you for your attention and support/endorsement and commitment to working with parents. Maybe this co-operation will be the way of the future, instead of the wedge the reformists are trying to drive between us.
Thank you
Sahila ChangeBringer
tel: 206 679 1738
member, Seattle Shadow School Board
I have not had a reply (yet)….
The SEA Union leadership has had little in common with its members.
The SEA leadership seems to have more in common with the district than with its members. In fact judging from the WEA annual convention in Spokane, WEA leadership has more in common with OSPI desires that with the WEA members. Look no further than RttT for evidence of the Spokane convention debacle.
I so wish they had the nerve to vote no confidence as a body now, rather than waiting till after summer… I think it would actually strengthen their bargaining position, rather than weakening it… and the school staffs who have already voted no confidence would have more confidence in their union if the union followed their lead…