Title IX work left undone

As soon as the Title IX news moved off the headlines, the Title IX work in Seattle Public Schools moved off the agenda.

The annual report required by Board Policy 3208 has never been submitted. Never. The Board has never asked for it and the superintendent has never offered it.

There is no Title IX coordinator. There was an interim person, then another interim person. There's no one doing the work right now.

There was a report by the interim Title IX coordinator. No action is planned in response to that report.

Despite promises to revise the sexual harassment policy and procedure, that work remains incomplete.

Title IX training has come to a stop.

The Board has lost all interest in completing the Title IX work that they made such a show of starting. They do not respond to emails about the stalled work on Title IX.

Comments

Now Charlie, they did hire someone to be the Civil Rights Compliance Officer (Kelli Schmidt.) She appears to be very qualified.
http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=4417276

However, they also want to hire a Title IX compliance officer and here we see, again, more central adm hiring and more layers of people between the Superintendent and the work being done.

I would assume that Ms. Schmidt will be the person to coordinate, with SEA, on the new race and equity teams being created at schools. (From the SEA contract discussions, my understanding is that the district has committed to 20 teams in 20 schools but there are resources to aid other schools who want to start theirs. No word on the make-up of the teams.)

It will be interesting to see if Ms. Schmidt puts more action into play by, say, the end of the school year.
Anonymous said…
Thanks, Charlie for continuing to highlight this important issue, and keeping it in the forefront of community awareness.

Thanks also to the rape victim's parents and their supporters who compelled the district to comply with Title IX guidelines.

The parents formed a national nonprofit organization to educate students, families, and school staff about Title IX and sexual harassment/assault: Stop Sexual Assault in Schools.

Sarah
Anonymous said…
Sarah,

"'Till it Happens to You" --the Lady Gaga video-- pretty much sums up the denial and apathy.

North Seattle
mirmac1 said…
The Garfield parents walked the talk. They took the well-deserved settlement funds and applied it to ensure that other districts/parents do not follow in their difficult footsteps.

I have profound appreciation for their labors. If not for them, other classes of students who face discrimination every day would not see an avenue to combat district inaction towards, or deliberation action against, preserving their civil rights.

The new Civil Rights Officer will be on my speed dial.
Charlie Mas said…
I wrote to the Board and asked them about the annual report required by the policy.

I got an email reply from the Board Office Administrator directing me to the Title IX Task Force web page. There was, of course, no such report there.

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