Districts
Seattle School Board to rewrite agreement governing Creative Approach Schools
In response to a July 6 ruling by King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick, the Seattle School Board will be reviewing and revising memorandum agreement with the Seattle Education Association (SEA) governing the operation of Creative Approach Schools.
The ruling said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the School District and SEA was invalid because it would have allowed the superintendent – rather than the School Board – to exempt creative approach schools from certain School Board policies.
As a result, the agreement approved by the Board in February will be rewritten so that the Board keeps decision-making authority over policy waivers, said Ron English, the Board’s general counsel. The issue is scheduled to be discussed at the School Board’s Executive Committee meeting Aug. 8 for possible referral to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. Introduction and possible action on the rewritten MOU could occur in September, English said.
The concept of Creative Approach Schools, which was included in the collective bargaining agreement approved by the School District and the SEA in fall 2010, is to allow school communities to develop new, different and creative approaches for supporting increased academic achievement and closing the achievement gap.