News Roundup and What is Your Why

From the NW Asian Weekly:


A Seattle school principal will not return for the 2018-19 school year.

Oksana Britsova, the principal at Seattle World School (SWS), was the focus of a formal letter of complaint written by James Hong, executive director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association (VFA).

He said Britsova has taken advantage of the students’ vulnerability and targeted them based on their race, religion, national origin, or immigration status.

On June 5, Britsova released a statement: “After much reflection, I have decided not to return to Seattle World School for the 2018-19 school year. My leave begins immediately.”

Since May 12, 2018, numerous community members reported to the VFA that Britsova threatened and bullied students, creating an unsafe and unwelcome school environment by harassing and intimidating students and violating professional boundaries.

Indeed, there have been many speakers over several months at Board meetings, complaining about the principal and asking for help.

Ms. Britsova says she is leaving but I have to wonder if she was told to go on leave.   As NW Asian Weekly notes:

In 2014, she was placed on administrative leave while she was principal at Center School. A student brought a Molotov cocktail to class and Britsova was put on paid leave because of questions about whether she followed school safety rules.

The students told Britsova about the threat, but it is not clear whether she reported it to police. The district said its review of the incident prompted a review of safety protocols for principals, but no policy changes were made.

I will ask the district for comment.

Over on the Eastside, Juanita High School students are pondering whether to change their mascot, the Rebel, because of charges of racism over the years.  Even though it is a somewhat generic "rebel", it appears that through the years, students believe it is a Confederate rebel.  From KUOW:

Consider the cover of the 1990 yearbook.

In the center is the Juanita crest: a coat of arms with a bald eagle, Mount Rainier, and Lake Washington. Behind the crest are the stars and bars of the Confederate battle flag.
 
In the 1986 yearbook, a photo of a Juanita crowd waving the Confederate flag was used for the table of contents.

And a photo in the 1999 yearbook shows a senior having the stars and bars being painted on his face before a football game.

There's even an SPS connection:

In 1997, Juanita hosted the predominantly black Garfield High School football team. This was the first year of a new athletic league that combined city and suburban teams.

At the game, several Juanita High School students showed up with the Confederate flag painted on their faces. Students yelled racial slurs at the Garfield players, and the N-word was keyed onto a Garfield coach’s car.

The game remains etched in the memories of Garfield High School alum. They were scared and angry, and they weren’t mollified when Juanita sent an apology banner.

Apparently alums are of a mixed mind but they don't get the final say; current students voted and the vote will be revealed on Monday

Some said the school isn’t racist now, so there’s no need to get rid of the Rebel. A senior who is black said she supports keeping the Rebel – removing the name erases its history, good and bad, she said.

If we are to learn from past racist actions, she said, we should educate students about why the Rebel evokes more emotions than just patriotism and school pride.

The school isn't racist now?  Who judges that?  But I see the point about educating students on the word "rebel" in a broad context and what it means in American history context. 

What is your why?

By that question out there, I'm asking you to let me know if there are any burning questions for SPS staff before the end of the year.  Someone asked about the status of the science curriculum.  Any others?

I ask because when school ends, JSCEE becomes a ghost town and there is hardly anyone to ask. As well, their spokesperson, Kim Schmanke, has left (sad face from me - she was great) so Communications is short-handed.

So if you want to know something, I'll try to get in an ask about it.