There are people out there whose only means of self-validation is being offended by something or feeling guilty about who they are. I suspect most of those behind the "white privilege" cult fall into that category.

matt....i am not surprised in the least by your story .what i am surprised by is that a smart guy like you would move to seattle in the first place.....it has never been the "brainiac" capitol of the world....that's for sure. what were you thinking?
the state has always been at least 30 years behind [and would you really want to re-live the last 30?] and they didn't exactly start out in the rocket science department.....and PS, they don't have any hindsight at all.

and before you say 'oh yeah, but YOU hate washington'....which i do....my husband is a native and i'm pretty sure he is the last really smart guy produced there.

geez...even he rolls his eyes every time his native state is mentioned.....

"would be far better spent on remedial tutoring in core subjects for those students who need it"

Wow, it's refreshing to find a person who supports individual responsibility but isn't afraid to say that our schools are underfunded. So, what's the funding program to get the help our children (ALL of our children, indiscriminately, regardless of race) the educational help they need?

Sorry about the snark, but your presentation of this as an either/or situation gives a misimpression of the enormity of your proposed solution. Or, put another way, if we could afford remedial tutoring for all those who need it, we wouldn't have a disparity problem now would we?

Not saying I agree with the whole "white privelige" argument, but (as a parent who has been involved with 4 different Seattle public schools) I can say that our schools are woefully underfunded, our teachers underpaid, and the students are the ones paying the price. More parental involvement ain't gonna do it, we need more (and better, which means higher priced) teachers, more books, more equipment, etc. All that cost money. How about if you use your bully pulpit to put forth some solutions to these issues for discussion instead?

Andrew,

To find more money for extended school days and school years, one good place to start would be by selling off 80 percent of the schools closed, reaping tens of millions. Then, get an outside performance audit to determine how much administrative bloat there is at District HQ. Then, break the death grip of public employee unions on our schools, starting with non-teaching labor pools. At the same time, demand more of parents of underperforming kids and strengthen rather than weaken state testing requirements (i.e. 12th grade WASL required for graduation, not 10th grade).

Another menu item would be a special tax levy for instructional days; Seattle taxpayers are certainly generous. We already have in place a special levy for after-school programs, but that's the wrong focus for many underachieving students who need more daily instructional time to master core academic skills.

Of course all this would require leadership and focus that does not currently exist. So we go on pretending the problem is lack of money from state government, and "white privilege," and "institutional racism." We're way off track.

Let’s take a look at those

1) Selling the closed schools: You have to get the schools closed first, which has been very difficult. Also, where does the “tens of millions” figure come from? STATUS: Highly controversial and cost to be verified, but OK
2) Audit? Sure go ahead. But, how many do you expect to cut? Annual savings? IMHO, I don’t think that’s going to get us there, or even marginally help. But it could also drive us to even more chaotic management, and, given the community uproar with the school closing issue, do you really think reducing staff is the way to go? STATUS: A pittance (minus the cost of the audit!)
3) Sorry, we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I’ve seen for myself (have you?) that the SPS is staffing at a shoestring level for pretty much everything, teaching and non-teaching. So, even if the unions are busted and people paid less, I can’t see the number of staff positions decreasing, hence your proposal here is a modest reduction. Also, we rank as middling in teaching salary, in a very, very expensive city ( both compared to US averages), so your proposal really can only apply to non-teaching positions. Reducing pay on teaching positions is asking for the bottom of the barrel to come here. You have to pay for performance. STATUS: Non-starter
4) Higher parental participation: Good luck legislating that. The ones who can be induced to get involved are already involved. STAUS: Already being done.
5) Strengthen WASL: Great, all for it. What about the kids that don’t pass? Where are the remedial programs? STATUS: Unfunded.
6) Additional levy: Go for it, let me know when it passes. I have e very different opinion about the generosity of Seattlites, especially when it comes to school levies. STATUS: Unfunded.

In summary, I see one good idea to bring money in (selling closed schools) in sufficient volume to make a difference, and that one is based on getting past the biggest issue (school closures) the SPS has had in the last few years. All the rest are either peanuts, unworkable, or require even more funding.

Here’s some ideas: Combat pay to attract good teachers to problem schools (say, judged by WASL scores)? Or, in response to your leadership comment, how about we give Goodloe Johnson a chance to actually get into office before attacking (like Stephan Sharansky has done today )? Finally, let's recognize that not everything can be done by demanding efficiency, sometimes it really takes more money, and that that may need to come from state and federal coffers.

In reaction to my proposals, Andrew wrote:

"1) Selling the closed schools: You have to get the schools closed first, which has been very difficult. Also, where does the “tens of millions” figure come from? STATUS: Highly controversial and cost to be verified, but OK."

Matt's reply: Andrew, there are about eight to ten ex-school buildings still owned by the district and not being used as schools; mainly housing community groups and the like, or standing mostly empty. The district has catlogued them. Keep a few for temporary school facilities when existing schools are being remodelled, sell the rest. Tens of millions. This does not even take into account the recent round of school closures and any more which could follow.

Andrew wrote:

"2) Audit? Sure go ahead. But, how many do you expect to cut? Annual savings? IMHO, I don’t think that’s going to get us there, or even marginally help. But it could also drive us to even more chaotic management, and, given the community uproar with the school closing issue, do you really think reducing staff is the way to go? STATUS: A pittance (minus the cost of the audit!)"

Matt's comment. Don't be so sure. Only one way to find out. Get the outside audit done.

Andrew wrote:

"3) Sorry, we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I’ve seen for myself (have you?) that the SPS is staffing at a shoestring level for pretty much everything, teaching and non-teaching. So, even if the unions are busted and people paid less, I can’t see the number of staff positions decreasing, hence your proposal here is a modest reduction. Also, we rank as middling in teaching salary, in a very, very expensive city ( both compared to US averages), so your proposal really can only apply to non-teaching positions. Reducing pay on teaching positions is asking for the bottom of the barrel to come here. You have to pay for performance. STATUS: Non-starter"

Matt's reply: Andrew, seeking competitive bids from private sector non-union contractors for school maintenance, lunchroom workers, etc, would reveal how many employees in such functions are really needed and what savings could be achieved. Anything less than that is speculation. The charter bill that passed in '04 would have allowed public charter schools to employ non-union labor. The teachers union mounted a scare campaign and overturned it in a referendum. So much for testing assumptions.

Andrew wrote:

"4) Higher parental participation: Good luck legislating that. The ones who can be induced to get involved are already involved. STAUS: Already being done."

Matt's reply: At no juncture did I say we should "legislate" parental involvement. Interesting you should think of it that way, Andrew. And many are falling down on the job. In too many cases it is not "already being done," as you put it. It is a matter of public leadership on the issue, from key influencers in communities, local politics, non-profits and churches.

Andrew wrote:

"5) Strengthen WASL: Great, all for it. What about the kids that don’t pass? Where are the remedial programs? STATUS: Unfunded."

Matt's reply:

The kids that don't pass WASL, under state law, get four more tries on each section they fail, AND are allowed to use alternative test scores like SAT. That's a pretty extensive set off "second chances," if you ask me. Still, because so many students are feared to be destined to fall short, I have proposed longer school days and longer school years - to be paid for (to an extent that would have to determined) through the measures we are debating.

Andrew wrote:

"6) Additional levy: Go for it, let me know when it passes. I have a very different opinion about the generosity of Seattlites, especially when it comes to school levies. STATUS: Unfunded."

Matt's reply: The Seattle majority votes in support of almost every school levy, with a few notable exceptions in the 13 years I have lived here. As for a new levy to fund longer school days and a longer school year, of course it's "unfunded" Andrew, no one has proposed it yet.

Andrew writes:

Combat pay to attract good teachers to problem schools (say, judged by WASL scores)?

Matt's reply: good idea. How about a full-on merit pay system, too?

COMBAT pay?????? are you serious? how about just kicking the rotten kids out of school permanently?
or here's another thought....discipline, anyone?
good grief! these brats that scare teachers away aren't entitled to a public education in spite of the fact that they are a hazard to themselves and others!
this is just another form of elitism. what is everyone saying here? that if kids are poor ,or non white they can't be expected to use manners, and obey the law? come on! think about it.........

Hey Matt.
I didn't really read your blog but i did read your "putting politics ahead of kids" on Seattle Times a couple of weeks ago.
All I want to say is that why nobody asks the opinions of students who actually went there? WHY NOT???

I felt like students should really talk about their reflections not we reporters.

And in that article, I totally disagree with your first paragraph, you said "white people, you are privileged, and guilty, guilty, guilty of opressing disadvantaged minrities."

If you actually go to the webstie of WPC8.www.uccs.edu/wpc. There is a question in faqs: Is this about proving how bad white folks are? Could you please take a look and then revise your first passage a little bit?

Thank you!