What Matters to the Seattle School Board?

So I listened in to the Board meeting Wednesday to listen to the discussion around the budget vote. (That’s a whole other post but I digress.) I caught Special Education PTSA president Janis White’s testimony about what seems to be a failure by the district for recovery services for Sped students mandated by OSPI. I also read Sped parent Mary Griffin’s post at the Special Education PTSA Facebook page about how, at the last Special Education PTSA meeting, staff promised clear info on summer school. Apparently that didn’t happen. But Sped parents shouldn’t feel badly because Director Harris, time after time, has asked for staff to PLEASE give the Board documentation in advance of meetings so directors can review it and ask pertinent question. Oh sure, says Superintendent Jones.

That she has made this request over and over should tell you something. She also asked for an org chart because the shift in jobs and titles and new positions is quite hard to track. 

But for Exhibit One of what the district cares about - before your children - is this recent article from the Seattle Times on the long-running saga of the homeless encampment at Broadview-Thomson K-8. 

To review:

Talks between the city and school district became tense in late March. Seattle School Board president Chandra Hampson demanded in a Facebook post that the city never conduct “sweeps” on school grounds, and instead provide “immediate” case management and outreach to the encampments near Broadview-Thomson and Meany Middle School (which has since been removed). 

Durkan was disappointed by Hampson’s advocacy through social media, writing “when we have questions, issues or concerns — we pick up the phone and call each other” in an email.” Hampson made a public “demand” against any sweeps via an earlier Times’ article. That’s not how you start a dialog; that’s how you start a fight.

Durkan says that she and Hampson have never met or talked.

Let’s just start with this from the article:

Only in Seattle, it seems, has the school district become directly involved in finding shelter or resources for campers.”

Here’s what the Board and the district have time and money for:

- “The district’s deputy superintendent told The Seattle Times this week that, “as a last resort,” the district will help cover the tab for shelter and services to individuals living in the tent community. No one knows exactly how much that will cost, or how the school district would pay for it.”

- “The district installed a privacy screen on the fence surrounding the Broadview playground and installed security cameras and card readers at the school building entrance.”

I cannot fathom the thinking but I know that the district’s FIRST and MAIN concern should ALWAY be students. But that’s just me.

Comments

Kate said…
No, Melissa, that is not just you. I simply cannot understand the position of the Board or the District or the City. It is not the district's responsibility to find shelter or services. It is the city's, and we pay taxes -- a lot of them -- for a City nresponse to homelessness. Re the mayor, honestly, to me it makes no difference if her feelings are hurt, or she is upset at the board president's communication style -- it is still the city's responsibility, regardless of whether or not it showed good judgement for Director Hampson to take to social media. Really, the whole mess is emblematic of so many things that are wrong with this city.
Seattle Parent said…
Suppose a homeless person pitches a tent in a homeowner’s backyard. The homeowner calls the police, and the police show up, and the homeowner tells the police, please remove them, but you must first provide case management and a place for them to live.

My point is that Hampson and the district have no right to dictate the terms of removal to the city, which is exactly what they have done.

If the district wants the homeless people removed, it can file a trespassing complaint per RCW 28A.635.020: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28a.635&full=true#28A.635.020 and if the city refuses to enforce the law then the district can sue the city and call the state police.

I do believe if asked, the city should do what it can to provide services, but the mayor is not being asked, she is being dictated to, and Hampson has no right to dictate to the mayor.
I believe it would set a terrible precedent if SPS is allowed to tell the mayor how to run the city.

You would think the district has enough problems without trying to take on homelessness as well, but evidently not.
Welcome Home said…

Remember the date: July 7th school board meeting. In addition to the board trying to pass the annual budget (greater than $1B), the board voted to approve approximately $97M via the consent agenda! Yes, this board is using the Consent Agenda to address tens of millions of dollars worth of district business.

https://www.seattleschools.org/district/school_board/archives/regular_and_special_board_meeting_archive/2020-21_agenda_and_minutes/july_7_-_regular_board_meeting

At the end of the baord meeting, Brandon Hersey doubled down on the use of the consent agenda. He does not deserve to be elected to the Seattle School Board.

For some reason, Dury was not present to vote on the budget.

The Seattle Times Editorial Board addressed the board president's response towards unsanctioned encampments behind BT. STEB warned/feared mission creep. They were correct.

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/seattle-school-board-should-stop-grandstanding-and-focus-on-solutions/
Anonymous said…
Wading into whole system policies by tweet is the MO of political demagogues and amateurs. When Board members cannot be bothered to show up to vote on a $1B budget or process items off the consent agenda, well, of course we have the system we have. Why don’t any taxpayers or voters seem to care?

Grownups Please
Anonymous said…
Looking back over the past 3 budget votes it appears there's been at least one or two board members missing from each meeting. I see a pattern.

NMN
Anonymous said…
Whatever one thinks of the situation at Bitter Lake - and I am not in favor of sweeps - there's no doubt that Director Hampson is not remotely up to the task of managing this school district. She is convinced she is right all the time about everything and never has to listen to or work with anyone else. That's fine for an activist. But not acceptable for a school board director, especially a board president. She has to be able to work respectfully with those who she disagrees with, and if she can't, she should not be on the board.

No Sweeps
Welcome Home said…
Zacharay DeWolf ran on a platform to work in collaboration with the city!
Anonymous said…
I don’t want to tell you what matters because the list is long. But I will tell you what doesn’t matter: your opinion.

Hmmm

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

Why the Majority of the Board Needs to be Filled with New Faces

First Candidates for Seattle School Board Elections 2023