Oh the Things You Will Learn (Part 2)

 Next up, Executive Committee meeting held August 18th. 

Public testimony at school board meetings may be changing. In the minutes from their previous meeting, it was discussed using an online form rather than either email or phone-in. The minutes don't say whether it was noted that not all members of the public or parents/guardians have email capabilities. 

It includes the  proposed Board goals for 2021. Here's one. (Editor note: the table I had put in is not showing properly and I don't know how to fix that.)

"Reinsert humanness in our interactions with one another, staff, labor, community." Didn't know they had not been doing this. 

Superintendent Search

It appears that the work will start any time now with a selection in April/May 2022 and a new superintendent coming in July 1, 2022. Timetable:

• They will be hiring a consultant for community engagement/RFP for headhunters by the end of August, 2021. 
• By October, 1 they will publish the RFP. 
• November, hire a search firm. 
• December-April engage community and search

I'll just remind folks that there appears to be nothing in Superintendent Jones' contract that would prevent the Board from keeping him and/or hiring him thru the search process. 

New Website

There is a powerpoint in this committee's documentation about the new website. It claims that prior to the launch, it took 5-7 seconds to load a webpage and after the launch, 1.5-2 seconds. 

They say, "Post-Launch quality assurance and clean-up of the websites (on-going)." I hope so because there were too many broken pages.

Then there is a powerpoint for ITAC (Information Technology Advisory Committee) and selection of new members. I have a few thoughts as I was a member of the inaugural ITAC group. 

1) Executive Director and Executive Committee will jointly review committee applicants using an objective scoring rubric.

Wait, what? Before this, the membership was the domain of the head of Technology. Why would the Board get heavily involved in deciding the membership of this committee?

2) When I was on the committee - a co-chair actually - we were given an agenda, limited time to discuss any one issue and mostly led to votes that were not full fleshed out. Then, the head of Technology could go to the Board and say that this is how the ITAC group voted. It was appalling.

School Board Student Members

Yet another time waste for the Board AND, one of their own making. To explain,

In March of 2021, the Seattle School Board adopted Policy No. 1250, which creates School Board Student Member positions. Three Student Members will be selected in the 2021-22 school year for the inaugural cohort. The policy also provides that an accompanying Board Procedure will be developed to implement the selection, role, and support of Student Members.

The N-YC is the student group that initially brought Policy No. 1250 forward to Directors DeWolf and Hersey, inspired by the Angela Davis quote that “walls turned sideways are bridges.” N-YC members led the development of and the effort to get Policy No. 1250 passed.

Student school board members will not attend executive sessions or closed sessions, make or second motions or hold Board offices. 

Know what is missing? Student board members have no vote. That should be clearly stated and it's not. 

The Board will induct these students in late November. If these student voices are so important, why wait until the end of November?

While I think inclusion of student voices is good, I think this measure goes too far. Why?

• Board policy has always given some student voice. Every Board meeting a student from one of the high schools gets to sit on the dais with the Board and give input. The first speaker spot on the testimony list is for a student from a high school. As well, if other student speakers want to speak, they will be given priority. 
• The Board is collaborating with one youth group - the NAACP Youth Council - and that's troubling. 
• What's also troubling is the amount of time the Board has spent on this. There is so much to cover and yet they created a new policy for student board members. 
• These student board members will also be assigned to Board committees and expected to go to those meetings. One, it's difficult to get to JSCEE and I'm not sure how many students could get there. Maybe they will phone in? Second, these are detailed and tedious meetings; why would any student sit thru this and have an understanding of all the various issues discussed? 
• The chair of the committee for any given student board member assigned to that committee has to serve as a mentor. 
• Board Directors are expected to consider the opinions of school board student members before making decisions on district matters. I'm sure they will each and every time the Board votes, it will consult the student board members. 
• For members of the Board who complain about how long meetings are, this will very much make all meetings longer.