Board Meeting - Part Three

Onto the Superintendent's comments.   Wayne Barnett, Director of Ethics Commission with report on Ethics.  In middle of three-year program for Ethics program for SPS.  Training and advice and investigation.  On-line ethics training happened this summer.  Like to receive more requests for advice.  Done more investigation than advice.  130 complaints to date, whistle-blower mostly.  I'll get his report and get all the details.  Program is working well with some growing pains.
Director Carr?  Thank you for your work for SPS.  Important because of the "scandal" (I think she's referencing Pottergate.)  Are employees being told to ask for advice?
Barnett - said yes and hoped that training would trigger more requests for advice.

DeBell? - Also added thanks.  When we had "a breakdown in our system during the Silas Potter scandal and there was a culture of impunity and retaliation."  Any sense of progress?
Barnett - I sense things are improving and to empower employees.  Sixty percent request confidentiality and that shows concern about security.

Martin-Morris? - Compared to year one and two, in terms of number of folks using the hotline, give us a perspective.
Barnett - training has lagged central staff done but now getting to everyone else with on-line training.  Not as much growth as you might have expected.
M-M?  Training as annual event?
Barnett - yes.

Gail Morris (not sure of name because it's not on the agenda) from Native American program to talk about preserving the murals at Wilson-Pacific.  Superintendent referenced new pilot program at Ingraham.  (Wanted to apologize for Sarah Sense-Wilson being late because they thought choir would go first.)

First statement from John Paul Jones - murals are unique and need to be saved and documented.  NW Native Americans have used the Licton Springs area for thousands of years.  There is a written narrative of the eight-years of their creation.  We have the ability to save them and relocate them.

Andrew Morrison's statement (artist) - lengthy statement leading to wanting to save these murals and do the right thing.

Superintendent Banda acknowledges the many people here to talk about growth boundaries and he thanked the staff for their hard work.  Talked a bit about guiding principles (which is a bit ironic given that these principles seem to have a yin and yang depending on which version of the plan you read).  Admitted that the principles were sometimes in conflict.

Spoke of the meeting with Seattle delegation of state legislators.   Full funding of basic education, recognize challenges of capital building with aging buildings and no other district is growing as SPS is.  Do not want to lose any levy authority as it will directly hurt SPS.

Thanked both Smith-Blum and DeBell for their service and the "weight of the work they do."

So it is about 5:15 pm and the meeting is now starting to run behind.  Here's hoping that speeds up.

Comments

Gerry Pollet said…
Thanks for this extensive blog posting. Can't be there or watch tonight since down in Olympia and knew I could catch up on your blog.
Gerry Pollet

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