Link to ROWD:

Purpose/Conclusion: To document response by Clover Codd, Executive Director of Strategic Planning &
Partnerships regarding concerns about the Seattle Teacher Residency program as reported in Hotline H-
113-415.

My statement:
The $50,000 comes from expenditures earmarked for the Districts Career Ladder program. Through
the Career Ladder Program, the TIF grant has the flexibility to use funds for this program towards
professional development costs and substitute release time to support career ladder teachers in Seattle
Public Schools. All schools receive release time for mentor teachers and demonstration teachers. Since
the $50,000 expenditures are coded to the Career Ladder program, and were budgeted in the 2013-
2014 school year, they are not considered an additional expenditure that needed to be budgeted
specifically for the STR program.

In September, there was a verbal agreement with the Alliance to provide professional development
support to the STR mentor teachers using TIF funds because each of the STR schools are considered
high-need schools. The intent of this verbal agreement was not to pay for $50,000 in substitutes and
additionally pay for the professional development. Rather, because there is flexibility with respect to
release time and professional development for mentor teachers, the contribution of the personal
services contract with the University of Washington was considered part of the original $50,000. These
are both allowable expenditures under the TIF grant and were budgeted last spring. The STR mentor
teachers receive the same support and opportunities that any other Career Ladder teacher in SPS
receives. The STR mentor teachers are current SPS teachers who work in our classrooms as teacher
leaders and resident mentors.

When we applied for the RTTT grant, there was no requirement of matching funds in order to receive
the grant. In the grant proposal, we did show in-kind funds, both people and dollars, that would support
STR efforts. Our intent was to show our support for this program.

I am working with our Legal and Grants Departments to provide answers to the questions you sent Ron
English earlier today.

Thank you,

Clover