Thursday, November 3, 2022 Volume 17 Issue 8
November 21 & 22 Conference Days
We are holding our conferences on Monday, November 21, and Tuesday, November 22. To ensure that we can fit conferences in with parent work schedules, our staff are working two long days from 8 AM to 7:30 PM each day. Teachers have sent out link to have families sign up for a conference appointment. Please be sure to respond to your child’s teacher to sign up for a conference.
Educating a child requires a partnership between the school and the family. Thurgood Marshall teachers try to find many ways to communicate regularly with parents through emails, newsletters, blogs and apps. Fall conferences are one of the few times that teachers can sit with parents and discuss their child’s learning. We value this time with you, as it allows us to share work samples and insights about your child’s learning - both academic and social! Conferences are more than the teacher sharing information with you. Our goal is to learn more about you, your family, and your hopes and dreams for your child’s education.
At my Principal Coffee last week, we talked about how parents can prepare for conferences. I have my top tips below and I’ve also added a graphic organizer that you might use to prepare your thoughts as you get ready for conferences. I hope you find this helpful!
Here are some ways you might prepare to get the most out of your conference time:
Ask your child in advance if there is anything s/he would like you to discuss with the teacher. This may give you insight into things that are hard academically or with engagement. It may also give you information about what your child especially likes about school. It is also important to share what has been successful, so your child’s teacher knows to keep using those strategies/activities.
Make a few notes with your own questions or topics you want to be sure to address at the conference. You may want to email questions you have to your child’s teacher in advance of the conference. Teachers may also send you questions about your hopes for you child in advance of the conference, understanding that many of us prefer a little think time first.
Remember that our conferences are tightly scheduled. Plan to arrive a minute or two early and be prepared to finish at the end of your allotted time. If there is more that you hope to address and you run out of time, ask the teacher when you might be able to speak again.
Share any positive observations you have about what is going well for your child at school, things your child has been especially interested in, or things you appreciate about the teacher.
Remember that a focus of the conference is to share how your child is doing and areas of strength or concern. Be open to suggestions from the teacher and share your thoughts about how your child may best be helped. Teachers are happy to give you ways to support learning at home when they see you are open to this, so ask what you can do to support your child at home.
Take notes about what has been shared so you can refer back to them and share with your child, as appropriate.
If you and the teacher have decided to try something new with your child – a new plan for learning or to support behavior, for example – plan a time to check back in to see how things are working out.
Most importantly of all, remember that all our staff are here to support you and your child as best we can. We want to help you and work with you. Please let us know if there is something we can put in place to support your student.
2022 Book-o-ween
Title I, Part A
Parents Right-To-Know: Timely Notice of Limited State Certification and Licensure
November 1, 2022
Dear Parents,
The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires schools that receive Title I, Part A funds to notify parents or legal guardians when their child has been taught for four (4) consecutive weeks by a teacher who has not met “applicable State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.” [ESSA Sec. 1112(e)(1)(b)(ii)]
In Washington, this notification requirement is for any teacher teaching under a limited substitute teaching certificate. Limited substitute teaching certificates are issued under specific circumstances (WAC 181-79A-231). In some cases, teaching assignments are filled with teachers who have been issued a limited certificate or a teaching permit when regular certified teachers were not available to hire or were absent for an extended period of time.
As of the date of this letter, Christian Salyer (Head Teacher and Reading Interventionist) is teaching under a limited substitute teaching certificate, such as a Substitute, Emergency Substitute certificate, or Intern Substitute Teacher certificate.
If you have any questions regarding the qualifications of Christian Salyer, please contact Seattle Schools Human Resources department at certificates@seattleschools.org. Additional information about Washington’s teacher certification and licensure requirements can be found here:
Title II, Part A – Teacher and Principal Quality Program Office, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Tel: 360-725-6340
Certification Office, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Tel: 360-725-6400
Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB)
Tel: 360-725-6275
Sincerely,
Pamela Faulkner, Ph.D.
Supervisor: Title I/LAP Programs
Seattle Public Schools
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