Harmon Leaving Seattle Schools
I cannot print the word that came out of my mouth when I saw this from the Superintendent.
It is very, very upsetting because Harmon was truly one of the good guys and one of the most calm and dedicated employees at headquarters. I had kind of thought he might be promoted to Bob's position.
With him leaving (and Bob Boesche), I have deep concerns for the district. Something has to change to stem this flow of good people (and I don't think it has a whole lot to do with the Board but I'm sure that's how it will get spun). And, I have seen a few names for Bob Boesche's job and it's worrying. It feels like people are using SPS as some kind of stop-gap place on their career ladders (but I do not mean that about Duggan, obviously).
It is with mixed feelings that I announce that Duggan Harman has resigned, effective August 31. Duggan has accepted the role of Chief of Staff for Superintendent Susan Enfield in Highline School District.
I am considering best options for filling the role of Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance, including possible appointment of an interim. I expect to make that decision by mid-August. We are fortunate that Duggan has built a strong team of managers, which will help greatly with continuity.
Duggan has worked for Seattle Public Schools for 21 years. He has been a strong leader who contributed to many areas, from operations to academics. His leadership during the last several years of unprecedented budget shortages has been invaluable.
It has been a pleasure for me to work with Duggan during my first year as Superintendent in Seattle. I know that I speak for all of Duggan’s colleagues in saying that he will be missed, and that we wish him the best for the future.
Good for Susan Enfield. She's going to build herself a powerhouse team.
It is very, very upsetting because Harmon was truly one of the good guys and one of the most calm and dedicated employees at headquarters. I had kind of thought he might be promoted to Bob's position.
With him leaving (and Bob Boesche), I have deep concerns for the district. Something has to change to stem this flow of good people (and I don't think it has a whole lot to do with the Board but I'm sure that's how it will get spun). And, I have seen a few names for Bob Boesche's job and it's worrying. It feels like people are using SPS as some kind of stop-gap place on their career ladders (but I do not mean that about Duggan, obviously).
It is with mixed feelings that I announce that Duggan Harman has resigned, effective August 31. Duggan has accepted the role of Chief of Staff for Superintendent Susan Enfield in Highline School District.
I am considering best options for filling the role of Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance, including possible appointment of an interim. I expect to make that decision by mid-August. We are fortunate that Duggan has built a strong team of managers, which will help greatly with continuity.
Duggan has worked for Seattle Public Schools for 21 years. He has been a strong leader who contributed to many areas, from operations to academics. His leadership during the last several years of unprecedented budget shortages has been invaluable.
It has been a pleasure for me to work with Duggan during my first year as Superintendent in Seattle. I know that I speak for all of Duggan’s colleagues in saying that he will be missed, and that we wish him the best for the future.
Good for Susan Enfield. She's going to build herself a powerhouse team.
Comments
We will agree to disagree on this development. I think we both can agree that Paperman is not ready to fill the position.
-SWED
Why?
Well, Michael DeBell has proven his willingness to break district policy and leak to the media and even call members out by name.
As well, if you were on the staff and wanted less oversight from the Board, wouldn't you do what you could to curb it?
And, the Board voted, the majority of the time, 7-0 or 6-1 - that's not a a dysfunctional Board. I think the Alliance's constant pushing is another cause.
No one can know for sure why senior leadership doesn't stick around and they will be keeping their own wise counsel.
No, I would think the real reason is what some of us of known for years now - the culture of bureaucracy at JSCEE. Moss-Adams said it - what is it now - a decade ago and no one listened.
Why?
Well, Michael DeBell has proven his willingness to break district policy and leak to the media and even call members out by name.
As well, if you were on the staff and wanted less oversight from the Board, wouldn't you do what you could to curb it?
And, the Board voted, the majority of the time, 7-0 or 6-1 - that's not a a dysfunctional Board. I think the Alliance's constant pushing is another cause.
No one can know for sure why senior leadership doesn't stick around and they will be keeping their own wise counsel.
No, I would think the real reason is what some of us of known for years now - the culture of bureaucracy at JSCEE. Moss-Adams said it - what is it now - a decade ago and no one listened.
Reader
It's also better off without Susan Enfield, the TFA backroom dealer who went out regularly with the ed reform crowd for wine, but not one time had a "Soup with the Supe" with teachers, after promising these regular meetings. A big part of DeBell's problem is that he still isn't over Enfield. Analyzing that one is way beyond my job description.
If this is where Duggan Harmon's loyalties lie, then I wish him godspeed.
--enough already
My only concern is that Banda should not be held to a standard of keeping EVERY one of these folks. Some are best let go (remember Holly Ferguson?)
Now, if only Enfield had a high level, political job for Michael Tolley. Preferably before he elevates his friend circle to high level positions. That would be great.
Our students are not numbers--and we have had to try to push him to step out of the box.
We really did not appreciate being treated as if we knew nothing about what was best for our students because we were just teachers. Even getting to compromise was tough with that attitude.
I hope Highline is a good home for him.
--OldSchoolMusic
Harmon was at the center of an unrelenting smear campaign against special education students, whose only intent was to denigrate students with disabilities and to reduce their already low stature in schools. The latest smear - "oh the sky is falling, we have a 40% percentage increase in the number of special education students!!!! Whatever will we do about THAT and THEM????" That number was floated to the board in an attempt to portray special education families as undeserving slackers, fakers - not really disabled or needing services. The reality is, he never bothered to count the number of sped students each year. 2009 there was one number. Lo and behold, in 2013 there's a much larger number of special education students. Instead of using year over year figures, he simply published results from one year... to another year 3 years later. Unbelievable. Yes, there are more students now in special education than there were years before. Furthermore, the minute increase in percentage is easily explained by the larger preschool numbers. When a district grows, the preschool numbers grow too - and that is a growth that appears more heavily in special education because there is NO state funded preschool for general ed students as there is for special ed. That is to be expected in a growing district.
When you claim that "everything's amiss" in special education. That there are HUGE increases here and there you harm students. Misinformation on enrollment negatively impacts families who are raising students with disabilities. This inaccuracy minimizes, discredits, and discounts the needs of students. And, it appears intentional. It enables principals to ignore the needs of students with disabilities.
Then, of course, is the ongoing misappropriations of special ed funding at Ballard high school. Why no flag waving there? Clearly, accuracy in reporting is not a goal at all.
Quite simply, these district finance people have an axe to grind against students with disabilitgies.
See ya Harmon. And take your colleagues with you to where ever you are going. I'm sure there are other districts with sped kids in need of smear.
-another sped reader
You capture the essence of his hypocrisy. With people like him around, people like Wynkoop at Ballard feel totally okay using funding for the "excess costs" for supporting special ed students, as a honey jar he can dip into for general education. WRONG. And he's been busted. Not for lack of Harmon's disingenuous rationalizations.
So these "data-driven" honchos are kinda like Tony Bennet in Florida. Data's nice only ifyou can twist it to serve your purposes.
Coupled with the loss of Bousche -spelling?- who seemed a straight shooter and a grown up among childish pettiness from staff and public alike, SPS is once again on a steep slide down in senior administrative talent.
Just who is going to want these jobs when armchair QBs who don't spend 70+ hours week in and week out trying to do the right thing by this district pick them apart publicly and relentlessly? I'm not talking about this blog's owners. I'm talking about some of the more vocal commenters who pick their little piece of the pie be it APP, special education, STEM, northeast seattle buildings, dual language, whatever and expect administrative perfection of their tunnel view of SPS. It is not possible. Yes, there have been lacking administrators in SPS, just like in any other district. There are also SPS people who do their best. Duggan was one of them.
Duggan Fan
For all you naysayers - you think things were bad under Duggan? Look at the big picture, and not your narrow special interest. (BTW, you are absolutely delusional). Wait to see what happens. God forbid we get another Kennedy or some bozo recommended by the Council of Great City Schools. I fear the District is going to have more risk than ever before.
Long Gone
If we're delusional, then I guess OSPI and the State Auditor is also. Hmmmmmmm.
You might - in the future - rethink statements like that. A person's child is not a "narrow special interest." Someone who has a child with special needs has to find joy and acceptance in every single day in ways that parents with so-called normal children do not.
As for Harman leaving because of this blog, maybe. I can only say he never anything but willing to answer questions and polite and professional to this blog.
signed - waiting for banda to make better leadership decisions
Right on Melissa. I agree that some of the groups listed fall into the category of "narrow special interest". Families raising children with disabilities - are not some sort of special interest. Nearly every single person will experience disability in their lives. It's really hard for some people to remember that disability is natural and widespread, exactly the opposite of "narrow special interest". Indeed, serving these families is explicitly both a federal and state mandate in public education, unlike the so-called "special interests".
I'm not interested in people's 70 hour work weeks. It is not a measure of competence, nor production. Often people who claim to do this are simply inefficient.
Under Harmon we had financial audit after audit coming back with negative results. We had Silas Potter stealing money right under his nose. We have the state auditor pointing out that schools are stealing money from special education programs. Where was he?
When his department created the "40% increase in special ed enrollment" scandal, the special ed department was put into alert. They had to stop what they were doing, stop serving families, and start doing "deep dives" into enrollment as a result of board alarm. Families had to initiate expensive public record requests to validate. (or invalidate in this case) Why? It all turned out to be nothing except a ploy to denigrate students. And guess what? All that costs money too. Where's the financial audit of the costs of this misinformation campaign? All those things costs money too, and those costs are not insignificant.
I'm sure nobody can be immune from the bigger agendas in the district. If the administrators wish to keep their pals like Silas Potter with jobs, then I'm sure there's pressure to not look too closely. Similarly for sped students. If the supe doesn't care about it, then nobody else will either. So yes, his job is hard.
Another sped reader
-FYI
-Another sped reader
I say again that this is terrible news for SPS at a sensitive time, with contract negotiations under way and a new year about to begin. Does anyone in blogland really think that SPS will be better-able to meet state and federal mandates, let alone macro and micro budget planning without Harmon? If they do, they should either apply for the job themselves, or nominate the candidate who they have in mind.
I am in grief mode. Every time I think this place is getting better, it is not.
Duggan Fan
sneeze
The Supe is losing his left and right hands with Boesche and Harmon gone. Bad.
Treat bailed when Enfield bailed. He was a straight arrow. Bad.
Senior management gone. All the new hires don't know about all the issues of the MGJ years, so history will be repeating itself. Bad.
DistrictWatcher
Sometimes a reader
That said, I think Harman put in a lot of years here and the loss of him in a key position is not good.
(I had to laugh at the Times and their "Today" file where they wrote about this. It happened yesterday but it seems the Times is becoming a day late with a lot of education stories.)
-Lemons
"That is just in the department I worked in. Since this is a cultural problem, surely other departments are experiencing similar degrees of oppression and strain. This isn't just about lack of money. How do you change an "us against them" culture within a school district?
Never in my life have I experienced such a disconnect and discord between divisions. The schools are their own entity, entirely separate from the district office. There is a deep gulf between the decision makers and the folks in the schools. Truly, it is no wonder people are leaving their jobs at Seattle Public Schools. It is easy to work for Seattle Schools and have your sights set on something else.
Coming into work each day, only to be mired in a culture that lacks graciousness, collaboration, and a spirit of abundance - irrespective of funding status - would cause anyone to depart when the opportunity arises. It is a shame. I've seen great teaching and student engagement happen in the schools where I have worked. I've also seen folks at the district office rise above the occasion.
Mr. Banda, I know that you are well liked and respected. But do know - if you don't already - that district employees don't take the school district seriously. They do their jobs, yes. But comically poor communication, irreverent culture, and deep dysfunction are part of the folklore exchanged on a daily basis."
Lemons made an excellent point about the lack of promoting talent from within. I would add that the opposite is also true--that nepotism has been the guiding principle in SPS hiring for years, especially "downtown."
When promotions are based on kissing up, all kinds of dysfunctions occur--divide and conquer, no accountability, lack of respect for others' work, and a sense of entitlement and privilege that separates downtown people from the peons at schools. Goodloe-Johnson and Enfield showed contempt for teachers in no uncertain terms. Their attitude further legitimized the us/them divide.
It is heartening to know that Banda is respected. My guess is that he sees it clearly. He's got some serious cleaning up to do. Being pressured to hire Tolley (and then doing it) was not a good place to start.
--enough already