Teachers' union leaders also appear to enjoy working in close concert with Mr. Stanford and other administrators. The schools will need that kind of cooperative enthusiasm, it seems, when facing a number of hurdles down the road. There is the perennial question of financial needs. In an effort to allow schools to take more responsibility for their own activities, the district last year adopted a new funding formula for individual schools. It gives each school a basic allowance for administrative staffing, then allocates the remaining money based on enrollment.
More dollars follow students who are poor, disabled, low achievers, or still learning English.
The idea for this system, Mr. Stanford says, is that the students who are the furthest from the new state standards are the ones who will need the most support to help them get there. At the same time, it allows principals, teachers, and others in the school more control over how to spend the money. But state funding is a chronic issue. Under Washington's system, the state doles out school aid based on several factors, primarily enrollment. That local-levy system works to Seattle's disadvantage, many local leaders say.