New Seattle School Board President Hersey

Again, man, he has moved up quickly. Cast your mind back about two years ago when Director Betty Patu stepped down before her term was done in District 7. There were 12 people signed up, including Hersey. He was one of three finalists and got the nod.

Fast forward to May of 2021 and only Hersey and another woman signed up to run. The woman did nothing but sign up so the position was his. How did things change so much in less than 2 years and no one felt the need to challenge him? Another "hmmm" moment. 

 Hersey - now president of the Board - seems to be really comfortable in the role. 

One example at the last Board meeting was when new director Michelle Sarju queried the other directors about asking questions during the voting for Board leadership. According to the rules being run by Superintendent Brent Jones, directors could only make comments. Sarju, who seems to have missed a training somewhere, was not happy that at no point could she ask a question.

However when Hersey sought clarification of a phrase that new director Vivian Song Maritz used, no one stopped him from asking a question. I guess when you are large in and in charge, you can use the rules to suit yourself.

I do want to walk through the voting process that happened the other night at the Board meeting to elect Board leadership. What started out a bit lighthearted - "drumroll please" - quickly got very serious. But that is to be a separate post. 

Back to President Hersey,  I have no problem with ambitious people. But there are some troubling issues about what he has done as a director.  

• As I reported previously, Hersey left teaching. I think it would be hard to be a full-time teacher AND be on the board. In September 2021, he became the political director for a union, Professional & Technical Employees Local 17 (PROTEC17). That means that he may make statements one day as president of the Board and the next day as the political director for a union. (I note that no SPS employees are covered by this union. As well, Board members are not part of district negotiations with unions but the Board does give input before the negotiations start.)

• In October of this year, he was allowed by the South Seattle Emerald to ask questions of candidates running for the Board. That was not appropriate and yet, he said yes when the South Seattle Emerald asked him to do so.

• He voted for interim superintendent Brent Jones with no public process. Here's what The Seattle Times had to say about that:

The negotiations were approved with no meaningful public process, as former board president Leslie Harris noted during the meeting: “If we are talking about engagement in every other area of our extremely important and hard work, I am not quite sure why we are skipping that step now.”

• Hersey voted to raise the threshold of Board approval for spending from $1M to $5M. That's less Board oversight. 

• Hersey, as VP, took over the Board meeting where the Board voted to accept the investigation report on HIB violations by Director Hampson and Director DeWolf. He then waived board policy on the actual report being linked to the agenda and the other directors went right along. 

• Hersey pushed for Hampson to be VP despite knowing the waves she is creating for the entire headquarters. (More on this soon but she has filed a lawsuit against the district and the Board.)

Hersey seems to have skirted close to inappropriate professional behavior but now -with new information -  it appears he may have violated Board policy 5251 on Ethics.  

It appears that Hersey may used his friendship with Michael Charles, to nudge his friend's firm, Upper Left Strategies, in getting a contract with the district. Hersey used the firm in his own reelection campaign and Charles himself contributed money to Hersey's campaign.

I believe the contract is one to arrange community engagement on picking a new superintendent.  (I am going to double-check exactly what Upper Left would be doing when I receive the public disclosure documents I have requested. I do know it has to do with the superintendent search.)

It is unclear as of yet if there was an RFP created and, if so, was it created to favor Upper Left?

So how else are are Hersey and Charles connected?

• Hersey and Charles are both Eagle Scouts who run Boy Scout Troop 008 in the Rainier Valley. 
• Hersey is godfather to the only child of Charles and his wife, Toshiko Grace Hasegawa (who just won a seat on the Port Commission). 

How does any of this apply to the Ethics policy?

General Parameters of Policy

This policy establishes ethical standards of conduct for all District officers and employees, whether elected or appointed, paid or unpaid; and sets forth conduct that is incompatible with such standards. Violations of sections 4 through 9 of this policy subject employees to discipline, and officers to censure by the Board.

“Participate” means to personally and substantially consider, investigate, advise, recommend, approve, disapprove, decide, or take other similar action.

“Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, firm, institution, or other entity, whether or not operated for profit.

The key passage:

Participate in a District action when it could appear to a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, that the District officer or employee’s judgment is impaired because of either (i) a personal or business relationship not covered under subsection a or b above, or (ii) a transaction or activity engaged in by the District officer or employee. This section c shall not apply if the employee or officer has, before participating, fully disclosed in writing the circumstances to the Superintendent and the Ethics Officer.

a. Conflicts of Interest. All District officers and employees must disqualify themselves from participating in District actions in which they have a conflict of interest, and disclose when it could appear that they have a conflict of interest.

b. Use of Position. District employees and officers may not misuse their positions or District property for private gain.

If Hersey's personal relationship with Charles made Hersey want to push for Upper Left to get this contract, it would seem his "judgment is impaired." 

Directors cannot be blamed for who their friends are but failure to disclose this to fellow Board members when it pertains to the business of the district is wrong.  

At the Upper Left Strategies homepage they state:

Upper Left Strategies is an award winning public relations and political consulting firm specializing in communications and strategic community advocacy. Upper Left Strategies is an award winning public relations and political consulting firm specializing in communications and strategic community advocacy.

But at Mr. Charles' LinkedIn page, he states:

Upper Left Strategies, is a full-service public relations consulting firm that specializes in strategic community advocacy.

So PR firm or PR/Political Strategy firm? I think it actually does make a difference. And to be clear, Charles is a political guy because he was the campaign manager for Lorena Gonzalez' campaign for City Council as well as campaign manager for Tim Burgess' campaign for City Council.