Ballard High School Principal put on Administrative Leave

Readers, I have been reading many articles and hearing from many parents about issues at Ballard High School around the leadership of principal Kevin Wynkoop.

Important to note is that on Monday, December 1, the administration is having a meeting for students about the issue of sexual harassment. This via Rob Gannon, Deputy Superintendent. Wynkoop is not mentioned. 

Q & A Session for BHS Students from 3-4 in the PAC. District email sent to families. 

This special Q&A session is being offered for Ballard High School students after school on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

The information session will be facilitated by staff from the SPS Title IX Office and will include opportunities for students to ask questions. 

A similar virtual informational opportunity is being developed for all SPS students, parents, and families later in December. More details will be forthcoming soon.

There is also a PTSA meeting the next night.

If any BHS student is reading this, PLEASE take notes and let me know what you think (sss.westbrook@gmail.com).  I know from reading the Ballard High Talisman, the student newspaper, that it is a good one and I am sad to see there are no issues available to read online. I'm sure there has been a big discussion of these issues there.

My understanding is that Wynkoop, like Principal Martin Floe at Ingraham High, is an alum of Ballard High with long-standing ties to the community. It certainly points to a loyalty to a school that runs deep. (I note that former principal Ted Howard at Garfield High was also a grad there as well but we can come back to him later in another post. Again, the problem of principals in SPS has been and continues to be a problem.)

Also, important to state - out loud - is that issues of sexual harassment are real and have been around as long as there has been public high schools. That there is almost nothing being done about it is troubling. 

Issues of sexual assault are CRIMES. The district does say that students should call SPD as well as tell "a trusted adult." I'm not sure if they mean an adult at a school or outside the school.  I do think it a pretty hard thing to tell a 15-year old girl to dial 911 and I'd bet if she did, some BHS adult would say, "Why didn't you come to us first?" 

Issues around racism are difficult because, well, intent. But we are told that there are racial equity teams in almost every school. That teachers have had professional development around race and equity.  

This issue is also tough because of unions (teachers) and PASS (the principals' group). The district, unless there's physical injury, cannot just remove a teacher or principal. Yes, I know Wynkoop is out but that is temporary. (But if you read some comments from outside of BHS, it appears that nothing will satisfy but his head on a stick.) 

I believe the district does not move swiftly in these cases for fear of being sued by a teacher or principal especially since issues of discipline are in contracts the district has signed with these staff members. I know this is a hard thing to tell students but that's why you see careful wording and dragging of feet. 

 It appears in the current case the teacher seems to have chosen badly for this assignment. And then, as is being reported, an investigation said Wynkoop "retaliated" against the student by removing him from the class. It is unclear to me if, at any time, the change was explained to the student. 

However, Ballard High seems to have a growing problem with issues of race and also of sexual harassment/assault not being addressed. More to the point, that students do not see actual concern, real action and do not feel safe. This is unacceptable and it appears this has been going on for at least five years. 

There also seems to be a tension between parents who are, for the most part, fine with Wynkoop's leadership. It was pointed out to me that it could be likely that their students are not experiencing the unease of race issues or sexual harassment issues. 

For those students experiencing those issues, it appears that adults that they should be able to go to for help, adults that should be speaking clearly with one voice on the stand of the school on issues, are not. 

I found two Change.org petitions seemingly from BHS students at Change.org.

#1  - unclear to me when this was posted but maybe a year ago. A notable quote that is troubling:

I’d like to pull a quote from January’s edition of the Talisman, where an anonymous person felt that she couldn’t talk to her friends about what had happened. “We weren’t allowed to tell anyone, because if anyone we told tried to fight him, we would get suspended, not the person who fought him, and not him.” You did not deny this, to quote yourself- “No matter what other discipline is taking place, if emotions stay heightened that doesn’t allow for things to calm down, for people to move on. We can’t make things better for both of you unless you agree to that situation.” I’m not entirely certain the school administration is aware what this does to victims.

No administrator, in the midst of an issue, should use the phrase "move on."  

#2

From my own (long-ago) experience, high school teachers have a lot of on their plate. They seem to very much pick and choose their own issues. One example I recall is at Roosevelt many students would buy food for lunch and sit in the halls eating (which technically was not allowed). There were many other places to sit and eat so students did have choices. However, some teachers enforced this and others ignored it. And so, after lunch, many halls had food waste and trash clutter which makes for more work for custodians and maybe a dangerous situation if someone would slip and fall.

What it appears we are looking at is:

- The issue of a student who raised a concern about racism in a class assignment who was then moved to a different classroom. An investigation says Wynkoop "retaliated" against this student for speaking out by moving him.

It took the district eight months to reach a conclusion. In September, a 36-page investigation report found Wynkoop “engaged in a retaliatory action” when he transferred Souza-Ponce to another class, which is a violation of board policies.

As for the other charges, the investigation did not find Olsen’s curriculum was “overtly racist.” After parents Ponce de Souza and Souza appealed that decision, district investigators further found that Olsen and Wynkoop created a “hostile school environment” and violated the district’s policy on harassment, intimidation and bullying “by engaging in conduct that substantially interfered” with Souza-Ponce’s education.

And in classic SPS style:

Seattle Schools officials did not find Souza-Ponce was discriminated against because the appeal didn’t “allege facts that the actions were taken against your son because of his race.”

“So FYI, people of color in Seattle — if you file for discrimination, make sure to include that it is because of your race,” Ponce de Souza said.

- The other issue is ongoing frustration and fear for some students around issues of sexual harassment and assault. Again, the latter is tough because unless the police arrest a student on the charge, I'm not sure the district can legally kick a student out based on an accusation. 

However, you'd think there might be some way to at least not keep students involved in the same classes. (I'm not sure how a school could prevent one student from accidentally seeing another in the hallway.) 

It seems like the students are just not feeling heard and are not seeing steps in place that make them feel protected. 

Thoughts?

From a first-hand source:

Ballard HS Principal Wynkoop on admin leave effective immediately.

Dr. Williams, current AP, is “interim Principal”. Report from BHS staff at emergency faculty meeting right now.